“Put de lime in de coconut” and treat yourself to a slice of this sweet (yet tangy), dense (yet moist) quick bread. An easy-to-make poured fondant icing crowns the bread with a fudge-like lime topping, a pleasure to bite into. Coconut cream and shredded coconut add unique flavor and texture to this bread.
Don’t expect cake, my friends. The line between cake and quick bread can be a little fuzzy, I know, but this is definitely bread. I had to keep talking myself out of adding beaten egg whites, cake flour, more leavening. If I want lime cake, I’ll make a lime cake! What I was looking for was a bread that would slice nicely for a spring tea luncheon my Homemakers’ Club is having next month, and this is definitely it.
You know by now that I rarely create easy recipes, preferring to fuss with my food. But this is sooooo easy. The hardest thing you will have to do is juice and zest the limes. I finally broke down and bought a little hand juicer (up ’til now I’ve heroically squeezed citrus by hand, wedge by wedge) which made it go much faster, so you may see more lemon and lime recipes from me in the near future.
Tips:
- Do not overmix. It’s okay to see small streaks of flour in the batter when it’s being spread in the pan. Too much stirring makes a heavier loaf and can create tunnels.
- If you can’t find coconut cream, substitute coconut milk or regular milk. (Use 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons.)
- Be patient! Don’t cut that loaf until it’s completely cooled. In fact, it slices beautifully if you wrap the cool, iced bread in foil and refrigerate it overnight. Besides, the texture and flavor are always better on the second day.
- I haven’t tried this (yet) but I’ll bet this bread would be killer with chopped macadamia nuts.
- I use a grater for lime zest because I like to see the flecks in the bread. A microplane will work well, too, but it won’t be quite as pretty.
| Coconut Lime Loaf | Print |
- BREAD:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4-5 average size limes
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 can (5.2 ounces) coconut cream (or use ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- green food coloring (optional)
- ⅔ cup sweetened, shredded coconut
- ICING:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 oz white chocolate (about 22 Wilton candy melts . . . or ⅓ cup)
- Heat oven to 350 F. Prepare one 9x5" loaf pan by lining with a piece of parchment (let paper come over the sides so you can lift the bread out easily) and spraying with non-stick spray.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together twice. Set aside.
- With a fine grater, zest the limes, being careful to just grate off the dark green skin, not the white underneath. Juice the limes. You will need ¼ cup of juice for the bread and 1 tablespoon for the icing. If you don't have quite enough juice, add a little water.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well, scraping the side of the bowl often.
- Add the coconut cream, vanilla, and just a tiny amount of green food coloring (if using). Mix until combined.
- Add the coconut and dry ingredients. Stir gently just until most of the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix!
- Spoon into prepared loaf pan and gently smooth the top. Bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bread.
- Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lift loaf out and let it cool completely.
- ICING: (This can be poured on warm bread.)
- In a small pan heat the powdered sugar, corn syrup, lime juice, and water until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the white chocolate. Once melted, stir until it cools and thickens a little, then pour over the bread, allowing icing to drip down the sides of the loaf.
- Let icing harden and serve or store. (This bread is even better the next day.)
You’ll only need 1 tablespoon of zest, so don’t try to get every little bit off the limes.
Coconut cream
Spread batter into prepared pan. If your loaf pan is a little smaller than 9×5 you’ll get a more domed top. It may take a few more minutes to bake, too.
Stir white chocolate into hot sugar mixture. I used candy melts so the icing would be bright white.
Isn’t it pretty? It would be a lovely treat for Mother’s Day, too, which is just right around the corner! Enjoy.
Lorinda
Lemon bread is one of my all-time favorites, but this lime version sounds even better. I like the photo with the coconut. What do you do with a real coconut? Just open and eat it fresh? And how do you even open it, with all that water inside?
I love fresh coconut! I do it the way my grandpa showed me when I was little. Hammer a nail into the “eyes”, pour out the juice, and then crack it open with the hammer. Then you have to separate the meat from the shell. It’s kind of like eating an artichoke: half the fun is in the process.