This cake was a mistake. I don’t suppose that’s a good way to introduce a recipe, but let’s just call it a fortunate mistake. Like when you trip over a fifty dollar note on the sidewalk. You know how that happens.

 

 

Truth was this cake came about because my adorable babe woke me at four in the morning. After a feed, her not me, she promptly went back to sleep, her not me. What to do when wide awake at four in the morning? Sensible answers might include – a) try harder to go back to sleep or b) read a book. I decided, instead, to go for option x) or y) – make a cake with insufficient ingredients.

 

The lack of butter in the house (I could hardly believe it, we are so pro-butter around here) forced me to replace it in my go-to recipe with coconut oil. After a few other adaptations, I wound up with a cake that tasted of chocolate and coconut and reminded of this particular candy bar. Bounty bars are one of my favourites; there’s something luxurious about chocolate and coconut that never fails to satisfy. I also love coconut rough and macaroon biscuits. The sweetness! The texture! The suggestion of a tropical holiday! The coconut flavour in this cake is quite subtle and could be easily dialled up a notch or two with the addition of toasted coconut flakes / chips scattered on top of the frosting. Or you could do the opposite and dial it back by replacing the oil in the icing or cake mixture with butter. I’ll leave those decisions in your capable hands.

 

Bounty Bar Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 1/2 cups of self-raising flour

3/4 cup of cold water with 1/2 tsp of baking soda dissolved within

140 grams of melted coconut oil (so it is liquid)

3 Tbsp cocoa

1 1/2 Tbsp hot water

1/4 tsp vanilla paste / extract

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius
• Mix all ingredients together and beat for two minutes
• Pour mixture into a 25cm cake tin
• Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, checking after 45 minutes and removing the cake once a skewer inserted comes out clean
• Allow to cool completely before removing from tin and frosting

 

Chocolate Coconut frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp of cocoa

pinch salt

milk to loosen mixture (approx 4 Tbsp)

Method:

• Cream the coconut oil with vigorous beating
• Add half the icing sugar and beat again
• Add vanilla and cocoa and beat again
• Add last half of icing sugar and beat again
• Drizzle in milk, very slowly, until the frosting achieves the right consistency

* I topped the icing with milk chocolate I grated with a microplane / zester.

 

Do you have good recipes that came about due to an accident? Or insufficient ingredients? Or sheer laziness?

Does chocolate + coconut fill your soul with happiness?

Love,

Hannah x

 

P.S. If you try this recipe please send your feedback. Always looking to make both improvements and fortunate accidents.