Mojito syrup cake

1.Separate eggs. Have eggs and butter at room temperature.

2.Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease two deep 20cm (8-inch) round cake pans and line bases with baking paper.

3.Beat butter, rind and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, beat in egg yolks. Stir in sifted flour and the buttermilk in two batches.

4.Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, fold into cake mixture in two batches.

5.Spread mixture evenly into pans. Bake about 50 minutes.

6.Make mojito syrup. Stir mint, sugar, rum, lime juice and mint in medium saucepan over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Strain syrup into medium heatproof jug and discard solids. Refrigerate half the syrup until cold. Reserve remaining hot syrup.

7.Turn cakes, top-side up, onto wire racks over trays. Pour hot mojito syrup over hot cakes. Cool.

8.Pierce the coconut ‘eyes’ with a strong metal skewer. Drain liquid from coconut. Tap coconut with hammer or meat tenderiser until husk cracks. Quarter coconut and peel away outer skin. Using a vegetable peeler, peel flakes from coconut flesh. You will need about 3 cups.

9.Beat cream and ½ cup reserved cold syrup in medium bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Divide cream evenly into two bowls. Stir chopped mint into one bowl of cream.

10.Split cakes in half. Place one cake layer on cake plate, cut-side up and brush with ¼ cup of the remaining cold syrup. Spread with one-third of the minted cream mixture. Repeat layers, finishing with cake. Spread plain cream mixture all over cake, then press coconut over cake.