Feijoa Oatcake

Wow. Welcome back. This is my first blogpost in 8 months! But more importantly, how have we been in lockdown for six weeks and I have only just decided to reboot the blog? I mean, we've been baking up a storm, cookies, cakes, bread, slow cooks, stir frys, curries. Heck we even recreated the famous Big Mac one night, which by the way was SO GOOD! (Find the recipe we used here).  So why haven't I shared on here yet? Well, I'm a mum. A 3 year old, and a 21 month old. Who for the past six weeks have been stuck at home, like every other kid in the country, with no kindergarten reprieve for me. Don't get me wrong, it's been great. The two of them have begun to play together more, (and fight just as much), we've done walks, crafts, and baking. Plus we made a panic buy, (no not toilet paper) the day the impending lockdown was announced: a trampoline. A great outlet for all! 

So yeah, two little ones keep me pretty busy. Plus most of what I have been making this past 6 weeks is other peoples recipes. My creative outlet was on autopilot. But this morning, feeling slightly under the weather (thanks delicious bottle of red wine last night) I was in the mood to be a bit more experimental and it sure paid off. The smell wafting through the house when I pulled this out of the oven was incredible. We ate it warm, without cream or yogurt, but having a dollop on the side would only add to the experience. The rest eaten cold, was soft aand chewy and extremely moreish.  It will keep in an airtight container for a day or two, 3 or 4 days in the fridge, but it's pretty low in sugar and lots of moist fruit so is best eaten within the first couple of days. 

This is a twist on a traditional shortcake recipe, which I've made 'healthier' if you will. Slightly less sugar, added oats, and spice, plus a switched to wholemeal flour. 
I've used feijoa, like most people who have trees, you end up overrun and out of ideas on how to use them! Once scooped, they freeze well and can be added to muffins, crumbles or used in this delicious Oatcake. 

If you don't have feijoas, any fruit would do. Fresh or tinned peaches or plums; Berries - fresh or frozen; Stewed apple or pear. Also, any flour would work. I used wholemeal just to up the fibre content, and make me feel better about serving the kids adult sized pieces. I mean, they'd have eaten the whole tray had I let them. But plain flour would work just as well. 

As for the spices, mix and switch to suit the fruit. Feijoa and ginger work together perfectly, but I'd put cinnamon with apple. Perhaps a pinch of nutmeg and clove with the cinnamon for a plum one - mixed spice, a touch of cardamom with peach. Suit yourself.



Ingredients (9 - 12 generous servings):

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 170g butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1/2 cup oats 
• 3/4 cup wholemeal flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger - optional
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit - as described above 

Method:

Line a 20cm square baking dish with baking powder. Preheat oven to 180*C.
Cream butter and sugar together till light in colour. Add vanilla and egg, beat well. 
Mix in oats, flour, ginger (or other spices) and baking powder, until you have a soft dough. 
Take 3/4 of the dough and press it into the lined baking dish. 
Arrange fruit over the top. 
Dollop lumps of remaining dough over the fruit. It will spread as it bakes. 
Bake for 40 mins till golden brown and the fruit is bubbling through the cracks in the top. 
Allow to cool for 15 mins before cutting and serving. 
Serve with lightly whipped cream or Greek yogurt. 
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days - if it lasts that long. 

Chocolate Coconut Layer Cake with Pineapple Curd

Birthdays are always worth celebrating, and always need cake. Always. No exceptions. 

My husband couldn't be phased when it comes to cakes, but with his birthday approaching I was determined to make something impressive, and something he would be phased about. However, when it comes to icing, decorating and any of the other delicate and fiddly jobs like that I am not very skilled, or let's be honest, not very patient. So I decided to make a layered cake. Combining a few of his favourite flavours together to make a spectacular cake. Well, actually two cakes: chocolate and coconut, which were split, layered and pieced together with pineapple curd buttercream frosting. 

The cakes can be made and chilled a day or two in advance and the pineapple curd can be made up to a week in advance. 

Pineapple curd is the same as lemon curd, but just uses pineapple juice instead. All you need is a little time and a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler you can put a few inches of water into a small saucepan to simmer, then place a metal or glass bowl over the top so that no steam can escape. Just make sure that the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Keep stirring throughout the cooking process so that you don't end up with scrambled eggs. 

What's great about this cake is when you cut it open you get  a kind of bumble bee effect with the different coloured cakes, which you don't really realise from the darkened edges. Serve with lashings of whipped cream and extra pineapple curd and maybe a handful of pineapple lumps. 


Pineapple curd (makes approx 1 1/2 cups) 

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks 
• 100 grams butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice

Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a metal or glass bowl till thickened a little. Place bowl over small saucepan of simmering water. Whisk in pineapple juice, and put butter cubes in. Continue whisking till all butter is melted, and then every minute or so for another ten minutes till the mixture has thickened. Pour into a sterilised jar and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until needed. 

Chocolate Cake 

• 200 grams butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla essernce 
• 3 eggs 
• 3/4 cup milk 
• 2 cups self raising flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 cup cocoa 

Preheat oven to 180 celsius. Grease and line the base of a 22cm cake tin. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. 
In a separate bowl sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda. 
Alternatively add parts of flour and milk into the creamed butter and eggs, beating well as you go. Spoon batter into the cake tin and gently bang the tin down on a flat surface a few times - this removes any air bubbles and lets the top settle. Place in the centre of your hot oven and bake for 40 - 50 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean. 
Leave in tin for 10 minutes before removing to a cake rack to cool. Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Coconut Cake 

• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut 
• 1 1/3 cups of coconut milk 
• 1 tsp coconut essence, optional
• 180 grams butter, room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 3/4 cups of self raising flour 

Preheat oven to 160 celsius. Grease and line the base of a 22cm cake tin. Put coconut, coconut milk and essence in a bowl and set aside for an hour. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. 
In a separate bowl sift flour.
Alternatively add parts of flour and coconut mix into the creamed butter and eggs, beating well as you go. Spoon batter into the cake tin and gently bang the tin down a few times again. Place in the centre of your hot oven and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean. 
Leave in tin for 10 minutes before removing to a cake rack to cool. Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Buttercream frosting 

• 250 grams softened butter
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tbsp hot water 
• Pineapple curd

Beat butter and sugar till softened light and fluffy. Add about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of pineapple curd. If you want to fluff up the frosting a little more, you can add a tablespoon or two of hot water to the icing as the beater is going. 


To assemble 

• Whipped Cream 
• Remaining pineapple curd
• Pineapple lump lollies 

Take the chilled cakes from the fridge and using a bread knife level the top of each if the centre has raised up. Cutting the cakes when they are cold makes it much easier to get a clean cut. Once the are levelled, cut each cake in half through the centre. 
On a serving plate place the bottom half of the chocolate cake, cut side up, top with 1/4 of the frosting, and spread outwards towards the edges. Place the top layer of the coconut cake next, repeat with the next quarter of icing. Repeat with next chocolate cake, and icing. Finally place the bottom half of the coconut cake on top, cut side down. Spread the last amount of frosting. Scatter pineapple lumps around the outside. 
Whip cream to serve with the cake, and spoon any remaining pineapple curd through the cream. 

Boysenberry Sour Cream Cake

This classic wee number I used to make frequently using any variety of tinned (or fresh fruit) and when asked to make a pudding this week decided it was time to bring it back. 
Sour cream and egg yolks, with a little sugar, and vanilla bake around the fruit to form a delicious tangy custardy baked cheesecake type topping. Which makes for a good compromise with the cheesecake lovers in the household. 
I chose to use boysenberries, but I'm sure that blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, mango, peaches or apricots would also be a good option. I added lemon for the first time too, which added a nice balance, and be sure to use the juice from the tin to make a delicious and no fuss sauce to go on the top... Also, as with any pudding. Don't do things by halves, and be sure to add a big dollop of vanilla ice-cream or greek yogurt on the side. 


Ingredients: 

• 125g softened butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tin of berries or stone fruit in juice/syrup (or 1 1/2 cup of fresh berries or stone fruit)
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 

To serve: 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (if using tinned fruit), vanilla ice-cream or greek yogurt. 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. 

Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. 

Sift in flour, baking powder, and add lemon zest. 

Mix all ingredients well until you have a thick cake batter. 

Spoon this into a greased 20cm springform cake tin and spread evenly. 

Drain berries (reserving juice) and spoon the berries evenly over the cake batter. 

Next make the custard topping. 

Mix Sour Cream, egg yolk, 1/3c sugar, vanilla and lemon juice with an electric beater till smooth and creamy. 

Pour custard mix over the berries. 

Place in centre of hot oven for 1 hour. 

Topping should be lightly golden but set in the middle. 

Once cooked, heat the remaining syrup/juice from the tin in a small sauce pan. 
Mix 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder with water and mix into hot syrup. After a minute or so the liquid will thicken to make a lovely sauce to pour over the top. 

Allow the cake to cool slightly before removing from the tin and slicing into generous wedges. Serve with a good helping of ice-cream or greek yogurt and a couple of spoons of the sauce on top. It will keep