Chocolate Coconut Cake with Cream and a Nutella Frosting

Hi everyone! Thanks for dropping in to read our blog. It’s BBC2 here enjoying the wonderful weather we are having in Cornwall at the moment and, like everyone, hoping that it will stay! Our friend Liz went on holiday to the Gambia and we had Max’s brother Teddy to stay, as BBC1 told you in his last post,Big Beef Cobbler , and I made a Chocolate Coconut Cake for us and I must say it was good. Obviously this is not aimed at anybody on a diet, but it could make an amazing treat. I hope you give it a go and let us know. We look forward to your feedback and any comments.

Ingredients:
125g/4oz caster sugar
125/4oz soft unsalted butter
125g/4oz self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60g/2oz cocoa powder
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
2 eggs
Few drops vanilla extract

For the Filling and Frosting:
300ml double cream
3 tablespoons nutella
3 tablespoons cream cheese

2 buttered and lined 8 inch sponge tins, preheated oven 160c fan

Method:
Put the sugar and butter In a large bowl or a food mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Then add the first egg and beat until combined, followed by the second egg and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next add the desiccated coconut and a few drops of vanilla extract.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl sieve the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and mix until combined together, lump free. Then fold these dry ingredients into the egg, butter and sugar mixture, until combined. The mixture should just about drop off a spoon but if it is too stiff add a tablespoon or two of cold water to loosen the sponge mixture.

Divide the mixture between the two lined sponge tins and place on the same shelf in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Place the tins on a wire rack and let them stand for 5 minutes, then run a pallet knife around the outside edge to loosen them and turnout and leave the cakes to cool on the wire rack

To make the topping and half the filling, put the nutella in a small microwaveable bowl and heat for 10 seconds to loosen the chocolate spread and then mix in the cream cheese until completely combined.

Then spread a thin layer on the sponge that will be the bottom of the cake, reserving the rest for the top of the cake. Now whip the cream until it is just holding peeks and spread on top of the Nutella and cream cheese filling. Finally place the top sponge on this and cover with the remainder of the Nutella and cream cheese spread. Cut yourself a nice slice and enjoy your work!

BBC1: This delightful cake came about because of a conversation we had about how my mum used to make a coconut sponge and use a chocolate butter cream to fill it. BBC1 took it to the next level, in my eyes, by adding the cream, making it a chocolate cake, and adding the Nutella and cream cheese filling and topping. As our mate Lizzie said at the time she ate it, “it’s a lot like eating a bounty bar, but in the form of a cake!” Can honestly say this is delicious, even if I am a tad biased. But just so you know I have asked for this to be made twice since!