This is Rowie's Islander cake. It conjures up images of the Bahamas – big swinging banana leaf fans, rattan armchairs and clear blue water as far as you can see. Best consumed with a laidback island attitude and a Long Island Ice Tea.

Serves 8

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, chopped and softened
230g (1 cup) caster sugar
5 eggs
140g (1 ¼ cups) coconut flour
1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
150g (1 ¾ cups) desiccated coconut
430ml (1 ¾ cups) buttermilk

Syrup

230g (1 cup) caster sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Zest and juice of 1 lime
125 ml (1/2 cup) water

Icing

2 egg whites
2 teaspoons lemon juice
375g (3cups) pure icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 175C. Grease and line a high-sided (approx 9.5cm) 20cm spring form cake tin. Place the butter and sugar into the mixing bowl on the stand mixer. Attach the flat beater and beat on speed 6 for 5-7 minutes until pale and fluffy (the sugar needs to dissolve and the mixture should be very creamy). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the coconut flour and baking powder into a separate bowl and mix in the desiccated coconut with a whisk. Fold the coconut mixture and the buttermilk into the egg mixture, using the stand mixer, combine on speed 1 only and just until the mixture is lightly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour, or until firm on top. Cool in the tin on a wire rack.

To make the syrup, place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes without stirring. Pour one third of the syrup over the cake in the tin. After 5 minutes pour over another third of the syrup. If your cake still needs more liquid, after a further 5 minutes, pour over the remaining syrup being careful not to add more than it can absorb. Set the cake aside for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To make the icing, place the egg whites and lemon juice into the mixing bowl on the stand mixer. Attach the whisk and beat on speed 8 until stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the icing is thick and holding perfectly smooth and shiny 'standing' peaks. Be very careful not to overbeat, this will cause the icing to break down into clumps. Using a palette knife, quickly (the icing sets very fast) and evenly spread the icing over the entire cake to create peaks all over the top and sides.