LUMBERJACK CAKE

I was making this cake long before it gained commercial popularity in cafes across Melbourne. It came to me during a whole food hippy phase in the early eighties, cake that was acceptable as wholesome food because it had a few nutritious ingredients, never mind the volume of sugar! It is a great cake, moist, dense and very yummy!

Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line it with baking paper.

Step 1 ingredients:

185 g dried dates

2 large cooking apples

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 cup of boiling water

Step 1 method:

Roughly chop the dates. Peel core and chop the apples. Combine the dates apples and bicarb in a bowl then pour over the boiling water. Allow to cool.

Step 2 ingredients:

125g butter

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups plain flour

Step 2 method:

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla essence and egg. Stir in the flour then the cooled fruit and all its liquid. Thoroughly combine. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smooth the surface then bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked.

Step 3 ingredients:

90g shredded coconut

1/3 cup milk

½ cup brown sugar

60g butter

Step 3 method:

Combine the milk, butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan.  Stir over a low heat to melt the butter then stir in the coconut. Spoon the topping evenly onto the hot cake and then return the cake to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Cool in the tin. Turn out when cold.

Store in an airtight container. It will keep well if you can resist!

About ladyredspecs

I live in sunny Brisbane, Australia. My love of good food drives me as a cook, a reader, a traveller, an artist and but mostly as an eater. I cooked professionally for many years but have no formal training. Simply guided by a love of eating good food, respect for ingredients and an abhorrence of artificial additives, I cook instinctively applying the technical know how acquired by experience. I hope you enjoy what I share Sandra AKA ladyredspecs

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