You take the Lime and the Coconut and mix it all up...

I must admit that I'm not a fan of either coconut or lime. So I guess today's recipe wasn't a great choice, a coconut and lime cake is probably going to be one of my least favourite recipes so far however what is so enjoyable about this whole challenge is that really it's not about baking lots of gorgeous foods or even about conquering one hundred recipes in a hundred days; it's about trying something new (or should I say old?).
I've always been an enormous fan of anything which is vaguely old fashioned, things like pocket watches, black & white films and classical music have always captured my imagination. Anything historical has always engaged me in ways the plethora of modern technology ever has. Baking has somehow become one of those, perhaps it's the fact that big manufacturers can make everything we eat at fractions of the cost than little old me can. Or perhaps the "modern" life of working nine til five and commuting an hour each way means that people just don't want to bake anymore. Even baking has been made modern and quick with "ready to make" mixes of some of the more run of the mill baked goods. Somehow I've been drawn to this almost archaic way of making food, I actually enjoy the whole process of measuring it out, mixing it in special ways and in a specific order and then hoping you did it right. Maybe it won't be perfect every time but as Lord of the Rings fans always say when the eagles are mentioned: "It's not about the end result, it's about the journey."
To summarise a rambling & slightly off topic anecdote... I like trying to bake anything, I'll force someone else to eat it if I don't like it!
So, to the baking itself! Today's was certainly not a difficult one, as you'll see in the recipe, it's quite a straightforward deal. Though having said that, there're always a few anecdotes to be told about my baking! I was so very happy to be the proud owner of a new cake tin (essential for the rest of the book) and somehow the fact this was a shiny brand spanking new tin apparently made me lose any last vestige of common sense I may have already had. When the cake came out the oven (after an hour of baking) I strangely assumed it would cool within a couple of minutes... Smart move. So I'm typing this entire post with tips of three burnt fingers on my left hand, ok they're not major, but it certainly is a boo-boo worth sharing! Especially considering it is the first injury I've sustained ( I'm surprised it took eleven recipes to get there!)
But, today's excitement didn't originate from the actual baking because although I'd never grated a lime and extracted its juice before it's not exactly going to Disneyland. Really it's all about that fateful taste test. To someone who "isn't a fan of either Lime or Coconut," is a coconut and lime cake worth trying?
The Result:

Mmm Drizzly...

Armed with a cup of tea and a lovely sit down on the sofa I tasted my first ever coconut and lime cake and what did I think... Well for one thing you could definitely taste the lime and the coconut! It was actually a really tasty slice of cake, I love that the texture of the coconut adds to the sponge in a way which makes it really enjoyable to eat and the lime icing sugar though pretty sickly looking is absolutely glorious, it really adds an excellent tang to the concoction. Admittedly I am still not convinced that coconut is a very enjoyable taste but I am so very glad I've tried something new! I'm thinking tomorrow's adventure will be on the same lines, but for now I think I may have another slice...