STRAWBERRY MARGARITA CAKE
Ingredients
Serves 10
CAKE:
1¾ cups (425 ml) cake and pastry flour
1½ tsp (7 ml) baking powder
½ tsp (2 ml) baking soda
½ tsp (2 ml) salt
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar
1 lime, zest only, finely grated
¼ cup (60 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 ml) milk
⅓ cup (75 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 oz + 1 oz (60 ml + 30 ml) white tequila, divided
1 ½ oz (45 ml) orange-flavoured liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier, divided
⅓ cup (75 ml) seedless strawberry jam
COCONUT WHIPPED TOPPING:
2 x 14 oz (398 ml) cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled in refrigerator overnight
3 tbsp (45 ml) icing sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 lime, thinly sliced into rounds, for garnish
1½ cup (375 ml) fresh strawberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Lightly grease a 10-in (25 cm) spring-form pan and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together sugar and lime zest until blended and very fragrant, about 1 minute. Beat in butter until mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in oil and vanilla. Gradually add reserved dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir together until just incorporated. Gradually incorporate milk into batter before adding lime juice, 2 oz (60 ml) tequila, and 1 oz (30 ml) orange liqueur. Mix until batter is uniform and smooth.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.
- While cake is baking, whisk together remaining 1 oz (30 ml) tequila, ½ oz (15 ml) orange liqueur and strawberry jam.
- When cake is done, remove from oven and place on a rack. Using a skewer or fork, pierce several dozen holes into the top of cake. Slowly pour strawberry mixture evenly over top of cake, allowing it to absorb as you go. Cool cake in spring-form pan to room temperature.
- While cake is cooling, make COCONUT WHIPPED TOPPING: Without shaking, take chilled cans of coconut milk and open them carefully. Pour out as much liquid as possible into a small bowl or container, reserving coconut cream. Save coconut liquid for another use. Place thick, white coconut cream into a large bowl and beat for 1 minute using a hand beater, or in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add sugar and continue whipping coconut cream on high until it has increased in volume and forms soft peaks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla and refrigerate Coconut Whipped Topping for 10 minutes before using.
- Once cake is completely cooled, remove from spring-form pan and carefully transfer to a serving platter. Spread top of cake with Coconut Whipped Topping and decorate with lime slices and fresh strawberries. Serve immediately or refrigerate cake up to 6 hours. Then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.