If you enjoy food, (who doesn’t) then the BBC Good Food Show for Summer 2016 is the place to be. With two major events in Birmingham and London I have a pair of tickets to be won by one lucky reader to a venue of their choice – see further down.
To whet your appetite a little I’m going to share this recipe for a rather cute Coconut Cake by James Martin who is due to make appearances at both shows.
* Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
* Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
50g coconut cream
50g coconut oil
175g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
50g desiccated coconut
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
125g butter, softened
40g coconut cream
250g icing sugar, sifted
50g–75g coconut shavings
3–4 sprigs lemon verbena
TOP TIP: For the filling and decoration, I would always use fresh coconut rather than dried, as the latter tends to dry out the buttercream, but you could toast the coconut shavings first, if you like.
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 17cm deep-sided cake tins.
2) Gently heat the coconut cream and oil together in a small saucepan until liquid, then set aside to cool slightly.
3) Put the butter and caster sugar into a kitchen mixer or large bowl and beat until lightened and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one. Add the vanilla extract then sift in the flour and baking power and fold together. Add the desiccated coconut, cooled coconut cream and oil and mix well, then divide between the prepared cake tins.
4) Smooth the tops over and bake for about 20–25 minutes until golden brown and risen. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean – if it doesn’t, return the cakes to the oven for another 5 minutes and repeat.
5) Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out of the tins and cooling completely.
6) Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Beat the softened butter, coconut cream and icing sugar together in a food mixer or a bowl with an electric whisk until really light, fluffy and almost white in colour.
7) Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a 13mm plain nozzle. Pipe swirls of coconut cream all over one sponge, then scatter some coconut shavings over the top, so that they stick out around the edge of the cake. Gently lay the second cake on top. Pipe small peaks of cream all over the top of the cake and finish with some more coconut shavings and small sprigs of lemon verbena.
*****************************************************
Both BBC Good Food Show events are jam packed with things to do, a food stage, shopping areas, celebrity chefs and much more. This really is a great event to see live demonstrations, sample the latest foods and treat yourself to some tasty goodies!
If you’d like to win a pair of tickets to a venue of your choice, either Birmingham or London, just fill in the Gleam form below:
hugh f-w only because i rather fancy him!
Very predicable but it has to be Jamie Oliver.
Jamie Oliver is my fave, all the work he did with school meals!
i love Mary Berry
I love James Martin purely for his total love of using ALL the cream in his dishes.
i love mary berry!
Rick Stein my fave
James Martin is mine. He’s lovely & his food is great
Mary Berry
Such an inspirational cook. Mary’s recipes are the ones that I know I will make and that my family will enjoy. My very first cookery book, many years ago, was by Mary Berry – it was called ‘Fast Cakes’. It is still in regular use today. My whole family have enjoyed her latest TV series where we learnt lots about her lifestyle and her lovely family – as well as her fantastic culinary skills. A down to earth lady and a true national treasure.
I love Jack Monroe and Jamie Oliver
Mary Berry, I love her recipes.
Mary Berry – still entertaining and showing a lovely sense of humour that makes her an inspiration to all generations.
Paul Hollywood – love his bakes.
Mary Berry, such a lovely lady!
Heston Blumenthal
Delia smith
When you say ‘admire’ to look at James Martin As far as cookery Tom Kerridge. Proper food with a classy edge
James Martin to look at but Tom Kerridge for his proper food with a classy edge.
Mary Berry
Delia Smith – she always seems quite down to earth and understands some shoppers have to budget.
john torode!
hugh f-w (never know how to spell it!) or jamie o
It would be The Hairy Bikers for me, so passionate about what they do.
Greg Wallace
Hairy Bikers..bringing a bit of personality to the chef world!
i love james martin
It has to be Gennaro Contaldo
Mary Berry-queen of tarts!
HOPE CAN GO HAIRY BIKERS
Mary Berry, because I am confident her recipes will work.
Gordon Ramsay for being as funny as you know what!
Nigel Slater – his food is down to earth.
Mary Berry. Because i can actually make a decent cake using her recipes
The Hairy Bikers, because they always seem to have fun.
Jamie Oliver… Much as he gets on my nerves sometimes, he has done lots to change children’s eating habits and to push the government to make positive changes to school dinners etc. using his fame for something positive ticks the box for me!
Marcus Wareing because he has a lovely smile and is calm and cool in the kitchen and his food always looks delicious.
Raymond Blanc – such a nice guy
James Martin as he is a really nice guy
I admire Jamie Oliver for all the work he has done with childhood obesity x
Tom Kerridge, worked his way up to where he is now and seems like a proper nice guy
Mary berry. I watched her cook live. She was just as brilliant as on tv .
Jamie oliver
Mary Berry
Jamie Oliver is an inspiration
Rick Stein
Heston Blumenthal as he does the most amazing things with food.
Rick Stein-He is an amazing cook
Jamie Oliver is my fave!
James Martin as he’s really down to earth, says what he feels and isn’t snobbish about cooking. I’m going to miss him from his show on Saturday mornings but I’m sure he’ll go on to bigger and better things on TV.
I love eric lanlard x
I love The Hairy Bikers. Lovely chaps cooking lovely food
Mary Berry as she’s such a lovely lady,and James Martin as he’s such a hotty x
James Martin
Michel roux jr
james martin
Jamie Oliver. He’s so much more than a chef, sharing his passion and knowledge of food to make a difference. All the work he has done with school children and getting families eating better is really inspiring!
Gino de Campo xxxx
Love Nigella.
James Martin is brilliant he is so normal and explains brilliantly in a way that we all can understand just love watching him
I most admire Gordan Ramsey because he’s super harsh, but very good.
My favourite is Mary Berry
Gordon Ramsey
i’m really not sure. i wish there was one who just cooked veggie food
Marcus Warring, a true artiste and perfectionist
Jamie Oliver – have all his cook books.
James Martin,missing his show on a saturday morning
Nigel Slater makes cooking seem so simple
I like Bobby Flay–he’s funny and amazing on the bbq
Mary Berry, she’s just fab!
gordon ramsey!
Mary Berry, I’ve learnt a lot about cooking from her and enjoy her books and programmes
Paul Hollywood
The Hairy bikers
Paul Hollywood
Michel Roux Jr
Mary Berry!
Mary Berry – kind, unassuming and a brilliant chef
I love to watch Mary Berry. She is a real lady and she explains everything so well.
Rachel Khoo for me!
James Martin
James Martin Miss my Saturday Kitchen now that James has hung up his apron.
Ainsley Harriet – so funny
Gordon Ramsey – I love him x
I love Nigella – all her recipes are delicious!
Gordon Ramsey. You can’t deny he’s got a serious attitude problem but he’s done amazing things and helped a lot of people too!
Nigella Lawson!
My favorite chef is Nigella Lawson. She is an absolute babe.
I think James Martin is great. But I also like Dave and Si (the Hairy Bikers).
The Hairy Bikers – So down to earth
love butter man himself – James Martin
Gordon Ramsay tough but so passionate!
The Hairy Bikers are my favourite 🙂
James Martin
Delia because I grew up and learnt to cook with her books
James Martin is my favourite.
Jamie Oliver – The guy has so much drive and energy and he creates normal food which everyone can make/enjoy
Mary Berry as she has proved age is just a number !
Jamie Oliver has done more for the nation’s health than most politicians so he is my all-time favourite.
I love Mary Berry, it’s quite strange to think that my mum watched her and now I love watching her cooking programmes, my mum bought me her cooking book for christmas and I love it!
James Martin
Jamie Oliver is my fave, so down to earth
Nigel Slater – great writer and lover of food.
I like most of them though, Jamie Oliver being an exception.
probably john and greg…..purly for landing the best job in history!
Gordon Ramsey hes so funny
Rick Stein – loved his tour round India
Jamie Oliver – at least he is trying to change the way our children eat.
i most admire hugh fearnley whittingstall, whose name is really hard to type, because his recipes are just delicious, which is the main thing
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall
Rick Stein is my favourite chef on TV
Gino Gino D’Acampo for his cooking, good looks and charm x
i love Jack Monroe
I love Tom Kerridge, not only for his recipes but also for his amazing weight loss.
Has to be Jamie Oliver he seems to be so down to earth and does a lot of good in helping children to eat healthily
I love Jamie Oliver
James Martin
James Martin. I’ve never had one of his recipes fail & they aren’t overly fancy they just taste damn good