Crushed Pineapple Carrot Cake

I love baking with a can of crushed pineapple and combined with the ease of baking with oil, trust me, this is one of the easiest bakes!! Except for grating the carrots - hey ho, can’t have it all ways. But it is worth it. An old friend passed this recipe on to me some time ago and I kept forgetting to make it. Well, I wish I had before now. I made this for dessert after a Sunday roast.

You will need a 9 “ x 12 or 13” tray bake pan, not too shallow, greased. Line it with parchment, hanging plenty over the long ends to help you lift it out. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

10 oz plain flour, sifted

1 heaped teaspoonful baking powder

large pinch of salt

1 teaspoonful cinnamon [a little more if you wish]

12 oz caster sugar

8 fl oz of rapeseed oil [or vegetable]

3 large eggs

1 teaspoonful vanilla extract or bean paste

1 can of crushed pineapple, drained as much as you can

8 oz of grated carrot

3 oz desiccated coconut

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well combined then stir in the carrots, pineapple and toasted coconut. Then fold in the remaining dry ingredients. Mix well.

Tip into your prepared tin and bake for about 40 mins, until golden and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for a short while, before lifting out, holding the long ends of the baking parchment. When cool…….

8 oz cream cheese

3 heaped  tablespoonfuls of icing sugar

a little grated lemon zest

2 oz desiccated coconut

Make a topping with the cream cheese, zest and icing sugar, then lightly spread it over the tray bake. Cut into square or slices. Sprinkle with the extra toasted coconut.

Yum yum. So very good. Very moist and the tropical flavour combinations are just perfect.

Note: I like to add some dried fruit to my carrot cake…. sometimes. Golden sultanas are good. 

It is also great if you lightly toast the desiccated coconut before using. Use a dry fry pan, tossing all the while until lightly browning.

Raspberry Buns

Continuing the summery fruit theme…… here is a simple bake, perfect for afternoon tea! I have had this recipe forever, but have never posted it before. They are super delish left baked plain, but I added a small dob of icing for glue and topped with another fruit. Whatever.

This quantity makes about 18 cup cakes. I lined a 12 [x2] hole muffin tin with cup cake cases. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

8 oz softened butter

6 oz caster sugar

3 eggs

2 oz cornflour

6 oz SR flour

6 oz fresh raspberries + extra for topping if using

First off, unless they are very small, gently tear the fruit in half or pieces.  Sift together the flour and cornflour.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, as per. Add the eggs, one at a time, adding a small amount of the flour with each addition. Now fold in the sieved flours and finally gently stir through the raspberries before spooning the mixture into your bun cases. Filling to about three quarters full.

Bake for around 25-30 mins and place on a wire rack to cool, before lightly dusting with a little icing sugar - or make a topping as I did above.

So good!! In fact absolutely brilliant. The smell when they come out of the oven is amazing.

 

Clotted Cream Cake with Strawberries!

I am back after my break with a summery, very special recipe, handed to me from follower Liz, who comes from Downderry and her mother passed it to her, after finding it in a magazine, and so I must thank her for this super delicious cake. Once upon a time, many moons ago, we only had strawberries available during June and July. Many of you will remember, but these days, this cake can be made at any time of course. But still, what a great cake for a summer - or autumn dessert.

Plus it is an “all in one” dead easy method.

You will need a 9 inch spring form cake tin, greased and lined. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

11-12 oz of ripe strawberries

8 oz SR flour

¼ teaspoonful of baking powder

8 oz caster sugar

8 oz clotted cream

2 large eggs

the zest of 1 large lemon

1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract or bean paste

plus strawberry Jam for a glaze

Slice about 7 or 8 of your strawberries into thick ish slices and set them aside and chop the remainder.

In a medium bowl, place all the ingredients except the chopped fruit and beat well, add the fruit and stir in until evenly distributed. Tip into your prepared tin and level off, then careful arrange the sliced fruit in a pattern to your taste!

Bake for about an hour, until just firm to the touch and nicely browned but check after 50 mins. Mine took the full hour.

Cool in the tin for five mins and while it is cooling slightly, warm up the strawberry jam [no large bits] then brush it over the whole top of the cake while still hot.

What can I say about this heavenly cake. Serve it with more clotted cream perhaps!

Enjoy! I just know you will all love it!