Noqu Viti (My Fiji)
Bertrand Jang
![](https://www.cuisine.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Cuisine-Magazine-Bertrand-Jang-Recipe-Noqu-Tivi-My-Fiji-754x1024.jpg)
Serves
12Preparation
25 minsCook
35 minsIngredients
4 eggs | |
1 cup coconut milk | |
½ cup canola or soya oil | |
2 tablespoons vanilla essence | |
3 cups sugar | |
4 cups self-raising flour | |
1 teaspoon salt | |
½ cup grated coconut | |
½ cup coconut cream | |
2 cups hot water | |
toasted coconut, to decorate | |
CREAM CHEESE BUTTER ICING | |
250g cream cheese | |
2 cups icing sugar | |
2 tablespoons vanilla essence | |
250g butter, softened, cut in small cubes | |
COCONUT-CARAMEL SAUCE | |
100g brown sugar | |
200ml coconut cream |
Noqu Viti is a dense coconut cake, sandwiched with a rich coconut-caramel sauce and cream cheese butter icing – just taste the island! It’s my most popular cake and I still find it resonates with my upbringing (when translated Noqu Viti means ‘my Fiji’).
View the recipe collection here
Instructions
1. | Heat the oven to 160°C fan bake. Grease three 20cm cake tins. |
2. | Put the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla essence and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes on high speed. |
3. | Sift together the flour and salt, then fold into the egg mixture. |
4. | Once combined, add the grated coconut, coconut cream and hot water until incorporated. |
5. | Divide between the prepared cake tins and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked. |
6. | They are ready when a skewer comes out clean or the cake is soft to touch and springs back when lightly pressed. |
7. | Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. |
8. | CREAM CHEESE BUTTER ICING |
9. | Beat the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla essence until smooth and fluffy. |
10. | Add the butter gradually beating until incorporated. Do not over mix. |
11. | COCONUT-CARAMEL SAUCE |
12. | Melt the sugar in a heavy saucepan until it reaches smoking point. Add the coconut cream. |
13. | Allow to cool completely before using, as the coconut sauce thickens over time. This sauce can be done ahead of time. |
14. | TO ASSEMBLE |
15. | Spread one cake with one-third of the butter icing and drizzle one-third of the caramel in the centre. |
16. | Carefully stack the second cake on top and spread with a further one-third of the icing and caramel sauce. |
17. | Top with the final cake, cover with the remaining icing and garnish with toasted coconut and caramel sauce. |
Recipes & food styling Bertrand Jang / Photography Tony Nyberg