Coconut Loaf Cake with Salted Milk Chocolate Ganache

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Light, fluffy, moist coconut sponge loaf cake slathered with a salted milk chocolate ganache. Enough said! Absolute heaven and my new obsession. I had made the cake before and the chocolate ganache but this is the first time that I put them together. It was a huge mistake not to have done this sooner!

That said, the cake is so delicious that you can serve it just as it is. It was my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday last week, we can’t travel at the moment, so I wanted to send her a cake and coconut is her favourite. I knew she would love the cake just as it is, which happily makes it easier to send in the post. Obviously, however, I made two cakes – why make all the effort and washing up just for one cake?! I was going to put a coconut cream frosting on the second loaf, but then remembered Charlotte and Andrew’s love for Bounty Bars. Hence, the idea to top it with salted milk chocolate ganache was born. So excited am I by this cake that I had to post it immediately.

How to make Coconut Loaf Cake with Salted Milk Chocolate Ganache

This recipe is based on my Butter and Oil Cakes – Core Recipe. The changes I made were to:

• use coconut milk instead of milk/liquid and yoghurt.
• replace the vegetable oil with coconut oil.
• add coconut extract, (if you have some).
• reduce the amount of flour and add desiccated coconut.
• use just caster sugar rather than a combination of caster and soft brown sugar. This allows the coconut flavour to shine.

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the cake:

• unsalted butter, cubed
• coconut oil
• plain/all-purpose flour
• cornflour
• fine salt
• baking powder
• bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
• desiccated coconut
• caster sugar
• large eggs
• vanilla extract
• milk
• coconut extract (if you have some)

For the ganache:

• milk chocolate
• double cream
• fine salt, ideally sea salt

Make the cakes:

1. Using a microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter and coconut oil in a microwave. Leave to cool a little whilst you collect all the remaining ingredients together.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Do not let the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda come into contact with the wet ingredients. You can ensure this by adding the ingredients in this order:
   • plain/all-purpose flour
   • cornflour
   • salt
   • baking powder
   • bicarbonate/baking of soda
   • desiccated coconut
   • caster sugar
   • eggs
   • vanilla extract
   • coconut extract, if using
   • tinned coconut milk
3. Beat with a balloon or electric whisk until incorporated – be careful not to over-mix. It should take 30 seconds to a minute and you may need to stop half way to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
4. The batter is quite liquidy. The easiest way to transfer the cake batter to the cake tins is by pouring it. Divide the cake batter equally between the lined loaf tins.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until cooked.
6. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer the cakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. One of the cakes is wrapped as a gift – only wrap when completely cool.

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Make the Salted Milk Chocolate Ganache (Optional)

1. Put the chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl or jug.
2. Blitz in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, stir well and then leave for a couple of minutes to see if the heat is sufficient to finish melting the chocolate. My microwave is powerful and 30 seconds is sufficient. If you need to blitz further, do so in 10 second increments.
3. Add salt to taste.
4. Drizzle over the top of the cake, letting the ganache run down the sides of the loaf.
5. Sprinkle over some desiccated or flaked coconut.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.