Tropical taste
MANGO AND COCONUT YOGHURT CAKE WITH GERMAN BUTTERCREAM
INGREDIENTS:
(serves 8-10)
For the cake: Butter, for greasing the tins; 50g desiccated coconut; 1 mango, peeled and thinly sliced lengthways; 400g Greek yoghurt; 300g caster sugar; 7 medium eggs, lightly beaten; 400g self-raising flour; 1tsp baking powder; a pinch of salt
For the German buttercream: 150ml whole milk; 100g caster sugar; 3 egg yolks; 1tbsp cornflour; 350g unsalted butter, at room temperature; ½tsp vanilla extract For the decoration: 25g coconut chips or desiccated coconut, toasted; 150g mango pulp
To serve: Greek yoghurt; extra mango pulp
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas 4. Line the bases and grease two deep 20cm round cake tins.
2. Toast the coconut in a pan until golden and evenly sprinkle into the cake tins. Arrange the mango on top.
3. In a bowl, mix the yoghurt sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and salt until smooth and shiny. Pour into the tins and tap them a few times on the work surface to level the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tins to cool for 15 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.
4. For the buttercream: Heat the milk and sugar in a pan until it just comes to the boil. Take off the heat and stir to be sure the sugar has disolved. Whisk the egg yolks with the cornflour (and vanilla extract). In a steady stream, pour in the milk mixture, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat gently until it all thickens into a custard that coats the back of the spoon. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling-film and cool, then chill in the fridge. 5. When chilled, add tablespoons of butter, whisking after each addition, until you have a stiff, buttercream. Pop into a piping bag. 6. Take the first cake, with the fruit side upwards, and pipe swirls of buttercream to cover the top. Pop the other cake on top and make the same swirls around the edge, avoiding the middle and leaving gaps between the swirls.
7. Pour the mango pulp into the centre, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve with Greek yoghurt.