As a kid growing up I loved Jacobs Kimberley, Mikado and Coconut Creams, I think it was the marshmallow in them all that attracted me (a sweet tooth from an early age!).  I remember also liking the catchy tune on the advert,  but looking back at that now I am not sure it sits so well in the present day and is somewhat a little weird!  I haven’t seen them for years until recently when back home I spotted some in the local Asda – needless to say I brought home some (and by some I mean a lot! )

When I spotted this recipe by Donal Skehan, which pays homage to the Mikado, I knew I had to give it a go!  The cake bit is a straight forward sponge cake, but the frosting is a light marshmallow frosting which if you haven’t done before is a bit more tricky, but definitely worth giving a go! I was baking this cake for an event, but my first sponge wasn’t quite deep enough to cut in half so I ended up baking another – it was definitely deep enough then!  The recipe below is the original one written by Donal.

Mikado Coconut Cream Cake (Serves 12)

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing
4 large eggs
170g caster sugar
120g plain flour
1⁄2 tsp. baking powder

For the filling and frosting
340g strawberry jam, strained through a sieve
4 large egg whites
225g caster sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 tsp. cream of tartar
50g desiccated coconut

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4 and grease and line a 20cm diameter spring form tin with baking parchment.
• To make the sponge, beat together the eggs and sugar until they are pale and fluffy.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold gently into the egg mixture, until you are left with no lumps.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin and then turn it out onto a wire rack.
• When the cake is completely cool, use a bread knife to divide the cake into two even layers.
• Sandwich the layers with the strawberry jam, reserving a couple of tablespoons for the top and set aside on a cake stand.
• To make the frosting, place the egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl sitting over a pan of gently simmering water.
• Using a hand-held electric whisk, beat on low until the sugar has dissolved completely (check with the back of a spoon against the bowl).
• Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat for 6 minutes until the mixture has transformed into soft and glossy peaks.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a 3mm nozzle with half the marshmallow frosting and then use a palette knife to spread the remaining mixture all over the cake.
• Pipe the other half of the frosting in two rows all around the outer edge of the top of the cake and then carefully spread a little jam into a disc shape on the centre of the cake.
• Sprinkle the outer edge of the jam disc with coconut and then gently press the remaining coconut up the side of the cake.