In THE CRUISE the ladies love their afternoon tea and cake! This  gorgeous cake is a sample of what they would be eating.

My lovely friend Mal shared this recipe with me and I have to say that it is one of the nicest cakes I have ever tasted. Moist sweet sponge with a hint of lime and ginger and lots of gorgeous coconut. Sunshine in your mouth.

Close your eyes and eat it while it’s still warm from the oven – tropical paradise!

Ingredients: 175g butter, 175g golden caster sugar, 125g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder
Zest of 4 limes, 3 large eggs – beaten, 75g desiccated coconut, 75g crystallised ginger – finely chopped, 2 tbsp, ginger cordial, 2 tbsp lime juice, 100g icing sugar, 20g coconut flakes

Method: Line a loaf tin and preheat the oven to gas mark 4 /180C. Keep a little chopped ginger and lime zest back for the topping. Cream butter and sugar, whisk in eggs. Fold in flour, baking powder, desiccated coconut, lime juice, ginger cordial, chopped ginger. Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 50 mins or until firm. Cover with foil towards the end of cooking if the cake begins to brown too much. Cool on a wire rack. Make topping with the icing sugar and a little ginger cordial or lime juice. Spread topping over cake and decorate with chopped ginger, lime zest and coconut flakes. Store  in an airtight container.