I'll cut to the chase here - the 'surprise' in this cake is that it tasted quite as good as it did, given my penchant for adapting with impunity.
I managed to sneak in a baking session on Saturday afternoon, chores done, children delivered and recovered from various activities, dog walked. As the rest of the household settled for rugby induced over-excitement, I sidled into my happy place, emptied the cupboards and got a bake on. A lasagne for Sunday (ragu already made and defrosted, so a mere assembly job) - something easy to pop in the oven after our planned Mothers Day activity of a walk and picnic on the beach; some experimental gluten free brownies, of which more another day when I've sorted out the slight oiliness from slightly too much coconut oil; pizza for post-rugby match appetites (shouting at the TV can make people awfully hungry...) and this cake.
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| Getting my bake on... |
Again adapting from Short & Sweet by Dan Lepard, this is my version of the ginger root cake, the adaptations mostly based on using up what was in the cupboard. You'll be pleased to hear that I now have less than half a bottle of pomegranate molasses in my possession, and although I have found several very good uses for it, I'm not sure I'll be rushing to purchase another bottle.
Anyway, back to this cake. It's not a straightforward cake flavour-wise, but the molasses and ginger complement each other, with the addition of coconut rounding things off. It worked as cake on its own, and also as pudding, topped with some homegrown rhubarb, simply stewed.
And if you were interested, this cake also contains swede. Yes, the vegetable. Not Ulrika Johnsson. And unlike my last attempt to include swede in a cake, this appears to have gone undetected. That'll teach them for watching the rugby...
Ginger & Coconut Surprise Cake
2 large eggs
100g light soft brown sugar
100g pomegranate molasses
150 ml coconut oil
150g grated swede
2 nuggets of stem ginger, finely chopped
175g wholemeal flour
50g dessicated coconut
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
for the icing
100g icing sugar
lemon juice (probably about 1/4 lemon)
Line a 20cm round springform cake tin and pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Separate one of the eggs and set the white aside for later. Beat together the while egg and second yolk with the sugar until it becomes thick and lightens in colour - at least 5 minutes.
Beat in the molasses and coconut oil, then stir in the swede and chopped ginger.
Mix together the flour, coconut, raising agents and ground ginger, then add this into the mixture.
Take the remaining egg white and whist to the soft peak stage, then fold this evenly through the batter.
Scrape this into the tin and bake for around 40 minutes - it's OK if a few crumbs come out on the cake tester.
Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin and make up the icing. Sieve the icing sugar and combine with the lemon juice to make a thick-ish icing. Ice your cake as artfully as you like, and enjoy.
Children for tea after after-school activities?
Tight schedule which means you have to get back out of the house at 6.30?
Lots of stuff in the cupboards to eat up and a desire to make a 'pudding' that isn't just yoghurt?
That was me this evening. We have had a regular after school date on a Monday with another family for the last couple of years. Our children are the same age, and the girls have done choir after school, and the boys, football, then at 6.30 the boys went to Cubs. We have alternated each week having them after school, and then delivering the boys to Cubs, meaning that every fortnight, you get hordes for tea, but the other week, you get an extended day to 6.30...
The boys have moved up to Scouts recently, on a different night, but we've kept the Monday arrangement in place.
Today is the last time we'll do it. The last Monday of choir and football for my kids before we head west. And while there was no Cubs, the boys were off to get their 'silver' Chief Scout awards. I wanted to make something nicer than just fishfingers for all of them.
So we had toad in the hole, followed by Cocon-oaty Slice, a creation heavily based on a Good Food recipe I found, which I've never made before. I was sceptical, I have to say. No flour, no fat, just dessicated coconut, some extras and a couple of eggs. A real storecupboard standby.
Notwithstanding that I didn't have enough dessicated coconut, and reassured by the helpful reviews on the website, I had a go with what I had.
My harshest critics (the massed ranks of small people) pronounced it rather good. "1 million out of 10" - and that from one that is not my child.
Cocon-oaty Slice
100g dessicated coconut
30g flaked almonds, crushed up in your hands
70g porridge oats
100g sultanas
200g white chocolate chips
50g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line a tray bake tin (approximately 20 by 30 cm) with greaseproof paper.
Mix everything together really well and press into the lined tray.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or so, the cool in the tin and cut into bars.
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