Ingredients
Butter sponge
1¾ cups (260g) plain flour
3½ tsp baking powder
125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease the tin
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, room temperature
½ cup (125ml) full-fat milk
Icing
4 cups (480g) icing sugar, sifted
⅓ cup (22g) cocoa powder
15g unsalted butter
150ml boiling water
Coating
4 cups desiccated coconut
Method
1. To make the butter sponge, preheat oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional).
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl.
3. Grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular cake tin with unsalted butter. Line with baking paper, leaving an overhang on all sides to make the cake easy to remove later.
4. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition so the batter is smooth, not curdled.
5. Add half the flour and gently fold to combine, then stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Stand for 5 minutes then use the overhanging baking paper to lift the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
8. Once cool, cut the cake in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into 12 batons, to make 24 in total. Spread on a tray and freeze for 1 hour – this makes them much easier to handle when coating in the chocolate.
9. Combine the icing ingredients in a heatproof bowl and mix until smooth. It should be a syrup consistency, but not watery.
10. Place coconut in a shallow bowl.
11. Place a piece of cake in the icing and roll to coat using 2 forks. Transfer it into the coconut and quickly roll to coat all over in coconut. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray. Repeat with remaining sponges.
12. Stand for 1 to 2 hours, or until set.
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