So, like many people, I've instantly got right into the new series of the Great British Bake-Off. In these troubled times we live in, it's quite soothing watching someone's cracked sponge become a NATIONAL EMERGENCY (with some crap innuendos thrown in).
It's infiltrated my subconscious so much that I made a Swiss roll for a barbecue under the impression that it was my own idea, when clearly it had been planted in my mind by the very first episode.
This is one of those amazing things that's naturally dairy-free, so great for those of you who are lactose intolerant. It does, I'm afraid, contain egg - because the volume of the sponge depends on it, I really don't know how you'd do it without.
A word on coconut cream - I really do mean coconut cream, not coconut milk. It's available in the same sort of supermarket aisle, and Sainsburys definitely do it. It's got to be the full-fat sort, and according to the wisdom of the internet, the stuff with guar gum as an ingredient doesn't work.
Chill it well, and don't shake it - what you want is for all the watery stuff to separate from the rest.
When you come to use it, you should just be able to pour the thin, watery bit off the top (it's not good for much, but you could add it to a smoothie or a curry or something) leaving behind an almost solid chunk of coconutty goodness.
You can, of course, mess about with the flavours as much as you like - replace the lime curd with pineapple jam, or chocolate spread and sliced banana is a good filling. Let me know in the comments if you hit on anything amazing!
What you need
85g plain flour
3 eggs
85g caster sugar
zest of a lime
3-4 tbsps lime curd (Sainsburys again)
250ml carton of coconut cream
Approx. 3 tbsp icing sugar
What to do
Preheat the oven to 170 (180 if it's not a fan oven), and line the base of a 33 by 23" rectangular tin with baking paper.
Put the sugar and the eggs in a mixing bowl, and have at them with an electric beater for about 5 minutes - this part is tedious but important. You're done when the mixture is thick and very pale.
Fold in the lime zest (make sure there's still a bit of green on the lime for you to grate over the top) and a tbsp of warm water, then add the flour a tablespoon at a time. I know it's really annoying to add the flour a little at a time, but otherwise you'll either end up with big clumps of flour in the finished article or you'll accidentally mix all the air out of it. So do as I say.
Pour the mixture into the tin and put in the oven for 10 minutes. You'll know it's done when it's golden and springy to the touch. If it's not quite done, only put it back in for 2 more minutes at a time - it's so easy to overdo it, and you'll feel Mary Berry's steely gaze on you from afar.
Quickly lay a largish sheet of baking paper on the worktop, and sprinkle it quite liberally with caster sugar. Run a knife around the edge between the cake and the tin, then carefully up-end so that it lands on the sugared paper.
Score with a butter knife about half a centimetre from one of the shorter edges, and roll it up, with the baking paper to help you. Because it's warm, it'll behave itself better once you put the filling in. Leave it to cool - about an hour.
While it's cooling, sort out your coconut filling. Pop the more solid part of the coconut cream (see my note in the blurb!) in a bowl and beat it with the electric mixer until it's starting to get the consistency of whipped cream. Add the icing sugar a tbsp at a time to taste - I ended up with about 3 tbsp in, but you might like it more or less sweet.
When cool, gently unroll and spread with a generous layer of lime curd, then a further layer of coconut cream. Carefully roll it back up, and trim the ends if it's a little scruffy.
Grate a final bit of lime zest over the top to decorate, and you're good to go!
