Here’s a quick and easy cake that’s packed with flavour and has a lovely light, airy texture.
Serves: 10 Time: around 85 Minutes Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 150g/5.5oz unsalted butter, softened
- 175g/6oz caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 175g/6oz self-raising flour
- 60g/2oz desiccated coconut (Ideally, roasted^1)
- 125ml/4.5fl oz buttermilk
- 250g/9oz canned plums, drained and dried^2
- 250g/9oz canned peaches, drained and dried^2
- 2 or 3 tbsp apricot jam for glazing ^1 Spread coconut out on a baking sheet and place in hot oven for about five minutes, stirring a couple of times. Keep a close eye on it as coconut burns easily. ^2 Place fruit pieces on a double layer of kitchen paper towel and dab with another sheet.
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8″)round, loose bottomed cake tin.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a tsp of flour with each egg to prevent curdling.
- Mix in the desiccated coconut then stir in the buttermilk and remaining flour until evenly distributed. Do not over mix.
- Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the surface. Arrange the fruit, cut side up. (How you do this is up to you, but alternating the two fruits looks good.) Bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until the cake is set and golden.
- Leave in the tin for 10 – 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully. Meanwhile, warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan and brush it liberally over the cake’s top surface.
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 