Apricot, prune and coconut cake

Tam West

The secret to this cake is the lovely chewy coconut topping. Because there is no creaming of the butter and sugar it’s very quick and easy to make. Serve “au naturel” or with yoghurt or vanilla ice cream.

Cake

1 cup	Hot water
1 tsp	Baking soda
¾ cup	Dried apricots, coarsely chopped (Main)
¾ cup	Pitted prunes, coarsely chopped (Main)
60 g	Butter, melted
1 cup	Sugar
1 tsp	Vanilla essence
1	Egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups	Flour
1 tsp	Baking powder

Topping

60 g	Butter
2 Tbsp	Milk
1 cup	Brown sugar
1 cup	Desiccated coconut (Main)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin.
2. Mix the water, baking soda, apricots and prunes together and leave to soften for 5 minutes.
3. Mix together butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth.
4. Add flour and baking powder then stir through the prune and apricot mix.
5. Pour into the tin and bake for 35 minutes. The top should be just set.
6. Meanwhile place all the topping ingredients in a small saucepan and melt together over a low heat.
7. Pour the topping carefully over the hot cake and put it back in the oven for a further 15 minutes.

More of Geoff's cakes that double as desserts

• Sultana and spiced apple cake
• Rhubarb and walnut crumble cake