Melted unsalted butter, for greasing

2 cups self raising flour

½ cup desiccated coconut

1cup caster sugar

½ cup ground almonds

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

½ tsp coconut essence

150g unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp finely grated lime zest

1 lemon, zest finely grated and juiced

¼ cup shredded coconut, for decorating

2 cups pure icing sugar

¼ tsp coconut essence

 

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 12 x ½ cup capacity metal moulds with butter. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the coconut, sugar and almonds and stir to combine. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, essence, butter, lime zest, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk mixture and stir until combined and smooth.

 

2. Spoon into moulds until ⅔ full. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into cakes. Leave to cool in tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Trim the cakes so they sit flat when inverted.

 

3. To make lemon icing; sift icing sugar into a bowl, add essence and enough lemon juice (about 2 tablespoons) to make a thick icing. Spoon a little icing on the top of each cake and allow it to run down the sides. Sprinkle a little shredded coconut on top of each cake to serve.