Once upon a time, when I was too hip to explain on a brief blog post, I was the tanning Goddess. I would take out my coconut scented tanning oil and spray every inch of my body. Even my toes!
Coconut-Lime Berry Cake
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ plus 1 tablespoon cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
zest and juice of two limes
3 cups mixed berries (like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)
3 tablespoons orange juice
In a medium-sized bowl, toss together the 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the berries, and the juice. Reserve on the side for when the batter is ready.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, baking powder, salt, and coconut.
In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on high, stopping the mixer to scrape the bowl as needed. Beat until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes).
With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions buttermilk, and beat until combined. Stir in the lime zest and juice.
Pour batter into your prepared baking pan and spread it out with a spatula.
Scatter the berry mixture over the cake batter. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.
recipe: Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Enjoy this delicious summer cake and breath in the coconut smell while it's baking. 
Soon I'll back home and catching you up on the rest of my days in Italy.
Thank you for stopping by! CIAO:)
My oldest sister used to coat herself in coconut scented tanning oil when she was a teenager, today she nevers go out without sunscreen and a big hat.
Your post brought back some memories for sure and your summer cake looks scrumptious.
What I love the most about your posts is that your stories take me back in time. I can relate to similiar situations and it makes me smile. You had me at coconut. This sounds like a delicious summer treat. I need to try this sometime. Yummy!
These photos are so helpful and really enticing! This is a perfect cake to enjoy all summer!
Oh too funny! Coconut oil also stirs up memories of Florida but sadly I was not one of the cool, leggy blond girls such as yourself and actually rarely went to the beach or lounged poolside since it bored me silly! But I do love a good coconut cake and with berries it is perfect!
A great summer treat ! I must try this out...so very berry good. Haha good to hear about your coconut tanning story...it actually put a smile on my face 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us your memories of your young days 🙂 and the recipe ! Have a nice day Lora,
Elin
Hi Lora, boy this looks good. And coconut reminds me of my mom because she loves to tan, and she still uses coconut oil! Thank you for sharing this recipe with me. I hope you are having a blessed week, my friend. Much love!
This combination of flavors sounds heavenly. I'm in love! Must make this very soon. 🙂
LOL, oh the idea that baking with coconut brings back those days of baking ourselves silly in the sun (did you also put lemon juice and/or SunIn in your hair? I sure did!).
But the cake looks wonderful, I could eat a whole pan!
Oh, the days of poofy bangs & not being afraid of the sun... (Except my tan was just a pinker shade of white...)
Those bars look pretty good...
I love when a specific scent takes us back to a treasured moment in time. 🙂
Your cake look delicious and light and perfect for the summer!
Wow does this ever look awesome!~
looks heavenly!
I used to do the same thing! Except I'm so white that I never tan. Just burn. So I had to quit doing that.
The cake is gorgeous and just screams summer time!
This cake looks delicious! I love your story about laying in the sun all lathered up in coconut oil. That's exactly how I spent my teenage years. To this day the smell of coconut takes me right back!
Awesome cake! And I totally love the 'poof.' Only the coolest girls can rock it 🙂
One of my favorite cookie. I really like.
This is my kind of cake…I think I will make one this week. It has all my favorite ingredients. Beautiful! Enjoyed your post…way before you laid in the sun baking in coconut oil…I was doing the same thing with baby oil! Now I can't stand to sit too long in the sun.
Love love these coconut lime berry cake. Ahahaha my blonde friends used to do that in Israel and apply something to their hairs too so the sun will bleach it to even bloder shade but it wasn't coocnut oil lol. I didn't cause five minutes n th esun and all you could c is bright white teeth.
Oh WOW! This looks incredible! 😉
that coconut cake looks berry berry good!! I do love the smell of coconut in tanning oils!
Cheers
Dennis