Strawberry, Fig Leaf & Coconut Cake

Fig Leaves: that heady aroma and taste that I am yet to hear described perfectly. You see, we all love it, but no one can put their finger on exactly why. Is it the almost tropical coconut vanilla scent? or that verdant herbaceous edge? Every nuance is just perfect with ripe berries, plump with the heat of summer and the sweet nutty scent of coconut. Yes, this cake ticks all the boxes.

Simple, seasonal ingredients working in harmony to produce a cake that is so much more than the sum of its parts

The scent of fig leaves and coconut wafts through the tender crumb of the cake in a match made in heaven.

victoria sponge, vanilla sponge, fig leaf, layer cake, strawberry jam, summer cakes, summer recipes, coconut cake, coconut recipes, fig leaf syrup, fig leaf recipes

Yield: 8-10

Author: Suze Morrison

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Strawberry, Fig Leaf & Coconut Cake

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

Fig Leaves: that heady aroma and taste that I am yet to hear described perfectly. You see, we all love it, but no one can put their finger on exactly why. Is it the almost tropical coconut vanilla scent? or that verdant herbaceous edge? Every nuance is just perfect with ripe berries, plump with the heat of summer and the sweet nutty scent of coconut. Yes, this cake ticks all the boxes.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

• 250g Plain Flour
• 350g Golden caster Sugar
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp Fine salt
• 225g Unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 Large Free-Range Eggs, separated
• 230g Coconut Yogurt

For the Fig Leaf Syrup

• 5-6 Fresh Fig Leaves
• 100g Water
• 100g caster Sugar

For the Filling

• 4tbsp Homemade Strawberry Jam
• 300ml Double Cream
• 250g Mascarpone
• 1tbsp Icing Sugar
• Fig Leaves and fresh strawberries to garnish

Instructions

1. Begin with the sponges. Preheat oven 160C, grease, line and flour two 8” cake tins and set aside in the fridge. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to the base of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix for 30 seconds until homogenous. Add the butter and blend until no lumps remain, taking care not to overmix.
2. Add the egg yolks and coconut yogurt and mix until just combined, a few lumps are fine. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold through the batter. Weigh out and divide between the two prepared tins and bake on the middle shelf for 35-45 minutes or until golden, springy and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Turn the oven down to 100C.
3. Meanwhile add the fig leaves to the oven and dry out for 10-12 minutes, or until crisp. Add the sugar and water to a small pan and heat until dissolved, increase the heat and bubble for 3-5 minutes or until syrupy then add your dried leaves and remove from the heat.
4. Allow to cool and infuse for 4 hours then strain. brush the syrup on one side of each sponge, any leftovers are perfect for cocktails.
5. Add the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar to a bowl and beat until just holding its shape, layer on the sponges, adding the jam on top. Finish with the remaining cream mixture on the top of the cake and decorate with fig leaves and fresh strawberries.

https://gourmetglow.co.uk/recipes/strawberry-fig-leaf-coconut-cake

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