Lime Basil and coconut cake

Oct 19, 2018

For anyone with any lingering reservations about eating a cake with vegetables in it, carrot, beetroot, or otherwise, I'll wager this cake will seduce you. It’s so amazingly light and fresh, it could almost float away.   It's got an intriguing combination of ingredients too – lime, coconut and fresh basil. Lime, coconut and who??? Yes, that’s right – basil! It actually works really well.

Because there’s no overpowering sweetness to the cake, you can savour the fineness and delicacy of these flavours.  I’ve added a creamy topping for extra indulgence, but this cake can stand up for itself without it, no bother.  If you’ve been wondering what to do with that mountain of home grown courgettes this Autumn, look no further. It’s time to blow the dust off the cake tin.

For the cake:
100g of chopped walnuts
120g coconut flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
320g of grated courgette (about 2 courgettes)
300g coconut yogurt
6 eggs
5 tbsp xylitol
Zest of 3 limes
Juice of 1 lime
15g of chopped fresh basil leaves
120g melted coconut oil (butter works well too)
40g chopped golden (inca) berries (or replace with chopped sultanas if you are less concerned with your sugar intake)
Pinch of salt

For the cream topping:
200g cream cheese
80g butter
3 tsp milled sweetener
15 drops of coconut flavouring
Juice of ½ lime

To make the cake:
Put the coconut flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt and xylitol into a bowl and mix together well.
Put the eggs, zest and sweetener into another bowl and whisk until light and fluffy.
Add the yogurt, lime juice and melted coconut oil to the egg mix and blend well.
Stir in the dry ingredients and mix.
Add chopped nuts, chopped basil and chopped golden berries. Mix round.
Stir in the grated courgettes.
Pour the batter into a 23cm cake tin, lined with baking paper.
Bake in a preheated oven at Gas Mark 3 325F170C for 50 minutes until a knife put into the centre comes out clean. After 40 minutes check that the top of the cake isn’t starting to overcook. Cover with foil if necessary.
Let the cake stand for 10 minutes in the tin and then cool on a wire tray.
When the cake is completely cool, add the icing, get a friend over and tuck in. Store in the fridge.