Cinnamon Coconut Cake

If you're new here, you'll quickly notice that I love sheet cakes. I love a three tier cake too, but there haven't been many occasions in the last 12+ months for those unfortunately. This type of cake is quicker to make and you can cut it up before serving for easier access for sharing.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can either make 1 sheet cake or a three tier cake. Or cupcakes! The below recipe, I managed to get a full sheet cake and 5 cupcakes.

This cake is sweet and nutty, but the cinammon brings a lovely warmth. This is a cracking cake. I want it for my birthday! Obviously some desiccated coconut would be perfect on top but I completely ran out, so I went with my new favourite, bright bold sprinkles.

White Chocolate Coconut Cake

It's funny where inspiration is found these days. I was reading an article about how Tom Cruise bought a lot of his friends a specific cake for Christmas. It was a white chocolate coconut bundt cake and that just sounded delightful to me. 

Full disclosure, I first tried this cake as a bundt cake and it failed miserably. In fact, I can't recall a time when I've ever successfully extricated a bundt cake from a bundt pan. I've tried the tricks. I think my pans are just really old without modern non-stick technology.

I added a little bit of cinnamon to this cake which I think just elevated the basic sponge and really goes with the chocolate-coconut topping. It's a delicious cake-y version of those coconut Ferrero Rochers and it hits the spot.

This makes one sheet cake. If you want to make a three tier cake, increase the recipe by 1/3 (so 225g butter, 180g sugar, 3 eggs etc etc).

Cinammon Cake With Peanut Butter Buttercream

I haven't updated in a while - blogger changed their interface and writing new posts with pictures has become a real drag. I will do better!

Starting with this cake of dreams. I don't know about everyone else, but sometimes I just get a massive craving for cake. It's not that often, and when it happens, I usually default to my all-time favourite - mocha walnut cake (it seriously is my favourite, first posted all the way back in 2013 and rarely do I make a better cake).

But I saw an instagram post for peanut butter buttercream and I just had to try it. I really didn't want the hassle of a three tier, frosted, epic cake situation so I made a really simple sheet cake and bunged a load of frosting on top.

And it was INSANELY delicious.

I make a really nice peanut butter cookie that is rolled in cinnamon sugar - so I thought a light yellow sponge with a hint of cinnamon running through it would be a really nice but unusual pairing. It worked beautifully - but I think the chocolate sponge from my Oreo cake would also be amazing.

makes enough for a rectangular sheet cake (my tin is approx 25x17cm) and I got 4 spare cupcakes

Ingredients for the cake

• 325g plain flour
• 25g cornflour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 230g butter, softened
• 150g granulated sugar
• 150g packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 240ml buttermilk (or regular milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice)
• 80ml sour cream
• 3 large eggs

Ingredients for the buttercream

• 230g butter, room temp
• 80g peanut butter, room temp
• 440g icing sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp milk or double cream
• pinch salt
• Sprinkles, to finish

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.

Begin with the cake - mix the flour, cornflour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

In a smaller bowl, mix the milk, sour cream and eggs.

In another, larger bowl, beat together the butter, sugars and vanilla until lighter and slightly fluffy.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix well, and then add 1/3 of the liquid mixture and mix well. Continue to alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition.

Bake for 35 minutes until golden and cooked through (I always check mine with a knife).

While the cake is cooking or cooling, make the buttercream.

Whip the butter for a few minutes, then add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk and beat again. Finally, add in the peanut butter and salt and beat until combined. You can always add a little more icing sugar if its too runny, or more milk if its too stiff.

When the cake is cooled, pipe or spoon your icing on top, however you do it, and throw on some sprinkles if you're into that.

Slice and eat! Delicious!