Kókuszkocka

Ingredients

• 7¾ ozFloursifted, for the batter
• 8¾ ozSugarfor the batter
• 6Eggseparated
• 6⅓ ozDesiccated coconutfor coating or topping
• 5¼ ozbutterfor cream, glaze or shortcrust
• 4¼ ozIcing sugarfor the cream or meringue mixture
• ⅓ ozBaking powderone sachet
• 1 cupMilkfor the cream or to thin the glaze
• ¼ ozvanilla sugarone sachet
• 1 pinchSaltfor the egg whites (optional)
• 3½ ozdark chocolatefor the chocolate glaze (optional)
• 3½ ozCreamfor the glaze (optional)
• 2 tbspcocoa powderunsweetened, for the cocoa buttercream (optional)
• 4 tbsprumto flavour glaze and cream (optional)
• 2 tbspsemolinato thicken the milk cream (optional)
• 8 tbspWaterhot, for the batter (optional)
• Jamspread on the dough base (optional)
• 1 tspBaking sodaalternative leavening agent (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 355 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment, or grease and flour it. Sift the flour and mix it with the baking powder.
2. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with the sugar and vanilla sugar until pale and foamy. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
3. Fold the flour mixture and the beaten whites into the yolk mixture alternately and gently; if you like an especially airy sponge, work in the hot water as well.
4. Spread the batter evenly over the sheet and bake for 25–30 minutes, then let it cool until just lukewarm.
5. For the glaze, melt the dark chocolate with butter and cream over a water bath, flavour it with rum and thin it with a little milk if needed, until it flows nicely.
6. Cut the lukewarm sponge into even cubes and dip them all over in the glaze.
7. Roll the cubes straight away in the desiccated coconut until they are covered on all sides, then stack them up on a platter to serve.

Tips and variations

The classic version is sponge cubes in rum-spiked chocolate glaze, rolled in coconut. For "snow cubes", split the cubes horizontally and fill them with a cream: beat the butter or margarine with the powdered sugar until fluffy, cook the milk with the semolina and a little flour, stirring, until thick, let it cool completely, then stir both mixtures together until smooth. Coat the filled cubes on the outside, leaving the base bare, and roll them in coconut. If you prefer a chocolate filling, whip up a cocoa buttercream from butter, powdered sugar, milk, cocoa powder and rum. You can skip the cutting and rolling altogether and make it as a tray bake: a shortcrust base of flour rubbed into fat, spread with jam and baked under a meringue of egg whites, powdered sugar and desiccated coconut. Baking soda works in place of baking powder as the leavening agent. Serve with coffee — at its best as a loose stack on a big platter.