Donna Hay lemon syrup and coconut cake

I love, love, LOVE syrup cakes. Pouring a heap of sugared water over a warm cake and letting all the sweet, sugary goodness be soaked up? Mmmm, what’s not to love? This lemon syrup cake, by my baking hero Donna Hay, is so moist and divine that one piece will not suffice. Serve it cooled, or for mega accolades, warm with cream. Don’t mind if I do… 

GATHER: 

150g butter

1 cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

3 eggs

1½ cups (120g) dessicated coconut (I used a mix of dessicated and shredded for extra texture)

1½ cups (225g) self-raising (self-rising) flour

¾ cup (185ml) milk

lemon syrup

1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar

¾ cup (185ml) water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

LET’S GET TO IT:

Preheat oven to 180°C and grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper. Beat butter, sugar and lemon rind in an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Mix through the coconut, flour and milk with a wooden spoon until smooth. Pour tin lined with and bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool cake in tin.

To make the lemon syrup, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until dissolved. Simmer for 5 or so  minutes or until thickened slightly. Using skewer punch holes in cake and pour over warm or cool cake.

Tags: baking, coconut, Donna Hay, lemon, recipe, syrup cake