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Mikado Coconut Cream Cake | DonalSkehan.com, A giant version of the retro Irish Mikado biscuit!
  • desserts-baking

Mikado Coconut Cream Cake

March 19

When I was growing up, if Mikado biscuits were in the house, they didn’t last long. This cake is a small homage to them with a light sponge layered with jam, covered with a sweet marshmallow frosting and decorated with desiccated coconut.

  • serves Serves 12
  • time 60 mins

Method

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line a 20cm diameter springform tin with baking parchment.
  2. 2. To make the sponge, beat together the eggs and sugar until they are pale and fluffy. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold gently into the egg mixture, until you are left with no lumps. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  3. 3. Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin and then turn it out onto a wire rack. When the cake is completely cool, use a bread knife to divide the cake into two even layers. Sandwich the layers with the strawberry jam, reserving a couple of tablespoons for the top and set aside on a cake stand.
  4. 4. To make the frosting, place the egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl sitting over a pan of gently simmering water. Using a hand-held electric whisk, beat on low until the sugar has dissolved completely (check with the back of a spoon against the bowl). Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat for 6 minutes until the mixture has transformed into soft and glossy peaks.
  5. 5. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 3mm nozzle with half the marshmallow frosting and then use a palette knife to spread the remaining mixture all over the cake. Pipe the other half of the frosting in two rows all around the outer edge of the top of the cake and then carefully spread a little jam into a disc shape on the centre of the cake.
  6. 6. Sprinkle the outer edge of the jam disc with coconut and then gently press the remaining coconut up the side of the cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

Butter, for greasing

4 large eggs

170g caster sugar

120g plain flour

1⁄2 tsp baking powder

For the filling and frosting:

340g strawberry jam, strained through a sieve

4 large egg whites

225g caster sugar

1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract

1⁄2 tsp cream of tartar

50g desiccated coconut

 

You'll Need

20cm diameter springform tin

Standalone mixer or electric hand whisk

Medium mixing bowl (if not using standalone mixer)

Sieve

Wire rack

Bread knife

Heatproof bowl

Medium saucepan

Piping bag

3mm piping nozzle