This light and zesty Lemon and Coconut Loaf Cake is made with coconut milk and has desiccated coconut in the batter to add a tropical twist to a lemon loaf!
The days are getting longer and the sun is shining much more frequently… that must mean Spring is almost here!!
I love Spring, the flavours are lighter, Easter is just around the corner, flowers are blooming and you can finally go outside without a coat.
So what is a Spring lover to bake? A Lemon loaf with a tropical coconut twist of course!
This loaf cake is very quick to whip up in your mixer, it has basic ingredients you probably already have in the house and it turns out to be the most delicate, light, tender cake with added coconut on top of the cake.
Adding the coconut milk in lieu of normal milk adds a slight richness to the cake as well as a hint of extra flavour. It marries together beautifully with the lemon zest in the batter.
I did also add desiccated coconut to the batter, this is optional, it depends just how much you love coconut as you can taste/feel it when you bite into the cake.
If you just want a hint, but no texture, then leave it out of the cake batter and just put it onto the top of the cake in the glaze.
To add another note to this cake, I lightly toasted the desiccated coconut that I sprinkled onto the top of the cake. Toasting the coconut adds depth to the flavour and makes it slightly nutty.
A slice of this cake with the lemon, coconut milk, sweet glaze AND toasted coconut on the top equals an explosion of flavour when you bite into it!
I am SO ready to bake all the Spring things, I’ll be back with some muffins on Thursday!
Lemon and Coconut Loaf Cake
This light and zesty Lemon and Coconut Loaf Cake is made with coconut milk and has desiccated coconut in the batter to add a tropical twist to a lemon loaf!
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 1 1/2 sticks (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) caster/white sugar
- Zest of 2 medium lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cup (350g) plain/all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup (120ml) coconut milk
- For the top:
- 1 1/2 cup (150g) icing/powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp coconut milk
- 2/3 cup (60g) desiccated coconut
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F and spray a 2lb loaf tin with cooking spray. Place a thin strip of grease proof paper along the centre to lift the cake out.
Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.
Add in the eggs, scraping down the sides as necessary and mix on medium speed for 1 minute, or until well combined and smooth.
Add in the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and desiccated coconut and mix on low until the mixture starts to come together, then add in the coconut milk. Turn the speed up to medium-high and mix until everything is light, smooth and well combined.
Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf cake and spread into an even layer. Place in the oven for 60-70 minutes, until risen, golden and an inserted skewer into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool completely before transferring the cake to a cutting board. Place the desiccated coconut into a frying pan over a low heat and stir frequently until all the coconut is golden brown. Leave to cool.
Sift the the icing/powdered sugar into a medium sized bowl and add in the coconut milk, whisk until smooth and thick. You want a thick paste that you can spread, but won’t run everywhere when you place it on the cake.
Spoon the icing onto the top of the cake and spread with a small angled spatula until you’ve covered the top in an even layer of icing.
Spoon the toasted coconut onto the icing; you should have enough to completely cover the icing.
The icing will set a little if you leave it out, you can wait for this to happen before serving or serve straight away. Cut into 10-12 slices and dig in!
Lemon and Coconut Loaf Cake will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 4 days.
Annie is a self-taught baker, recipe developer and food photographer. She has a slight obsession with tennis, motorsport, makeup, handbags and sunglasses! 
This is so perfect for Spring! Love lemon and coconut together.
Thanks so much!
I’ll be dreaming of summer with every bite! Thanks for the tip about leaving the coconut as a topping. My boys always have a texture issue and this helps.
Hope you get to enjoy it! My husband is the same, so I’ve made it both ways and because I used coconut milk you don’t lose much by not adding the coconut to the batter!!
Particularly a great combination of flavors for spring baking!
Thanks, I’m so exited for Spring baking!!
I just love lemony desserts and combined with the coconut sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to try this one!
Thank you! Lemon is a favourite for me too, I love this time of year when I can bake loads of lemon desserts!
Mmm that is one gorgeous sounding cake! Perfect for afternoon tea with a cuppa and a book!
Thank you! Yes definitely perfect to have with a hot drink and book; it’s finally warming up here, so I would love to sit outside with a slice and a book!
A perfect recipe for the easter and spring. I love coconut so much and I am going to bake it tonight.
I really hope you get to make it and love it!
Lemon and coconut together sound so perfect! Great spring treat!
It really is a winning combination, thanks so much!
Would this recipe work in a 9×9 tin or do I need a loaf tin ?