Chef Siphokazi Mdlankomo presents her Christmas cake – a light coconut sponge cake with mixed berries which is a fresh and unique alternative for a Christmas cake during our warm, summery festive season.
Ingredients
For Sponge Cake:
- 200g butter softened
- 250g castor sugar
- 4 eggs
- 250g sour cream
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups of Sasko Cake Wheat Flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
For the Mixed Berry Mascarpone:
- 500g mascarpone
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 250g fresh mixed berries (sprinkled with sugar and chilled)
For Cream Cheese Icing:
- 50g butter softened
- 250g cream cheese
- 150g icing sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease and line 2x 18cm springform baking tins.
Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until thick and pale.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well, add some cream and lemon juice and beat to combine.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Fold through the flour mixture and coconut, mix to combine.
Divide the batter between the 2 tins and bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Cool completely
In a bowl, mix together the mascarpone, vanilla and berries.
Cut each cake in half, placing one layer on a cake stand and spread with a third of the mascarpone.
Top with the second layer and repeat with remaining cake and mascarpone and finish with a layer of cake.
Mix butter and icing sugar and beat until pale.
Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
Using a palette knife, spread the cream cheese icing all over the cake, scrape the edges to create a naked cake effect.
Top with fresh berries and serve.