Coconut Cake with Lemon Syrup

Cake

165g butter, softened
2/3 cup (140g) caster sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup (70g) desiccated coconut
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk

Syrup
1 1/2 cups (330g) sugar
Juice of 2 lemons

Method
To make the cake: preheat oven to 180°C. Grease cake pan and line base with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and cream. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in coconut, sifted flour and buttermilk in 2 batches. Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Use a metal spoon to gently fold into cake mixture in 2 batches. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 60-70 minutes or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out slightly sticky.

Meanwhile: Combine sugar and lemon juice. Heat in microwave for 1 min.  

While cake is still hot pierce cake with skewer or fork and drizzle syrup over cake.