Rich with the flavor of coconut, this pretty, white cake is topped off perfectly with a sharp, zesty cream cheese icing.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

For the cake:

• 150 g/5 oz butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons creamed coconut, at room temperature
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 100 g/3½ oz icing sugar
• 3 eggs
• 110 g/4 oz self-raising flour
• 55 g/2 oz shredded coconut

For the icing:

• 230 g/8 oz cream cheese
• 55 g/2 oz icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Grease two 20-cm/8-inch round case tins and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper.

Beat together the butter, creamed coconut, lime zest and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then sift the flour over the mixture and fold in. Stir in the shredded coconut. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tins and spread out evenly using the back of the spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To decorate, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and lime juice. Spread slightly less than half of the icing on top of one cake layer. Place the second layer on top and swirl with the remaining icing.