Growing up, upside down pineapple cakes involved rings of tinned pineapple filled with red glacé cherries. I didn't think the cake looked very appealling, so I've never had a slice before. While sorting through some of my old food magazines I came across this Donna Hay magazine recipe for a pineapple and ginger upside down cake which used fresh pineapple.
I liked the sound of that so I bought a pineapple at the fruit shop then played around a bit with the recipe upping the quantity of the butter, eggs and the pineapple. I ran out of syrup to pour over the cake, so I've also increased the quantity of the pineapple and ginger syrup.
The cake rose a bit too high so I trimmed the top of the cake and ate the still warm from the oven trimmings. The trimmings were delicious so this would make a lovely dessert, served warm from the oven.
Here's the recipe for you. For all my recipes, I use a 250 ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon. All eggs are 60 grams and my oven is a conventional oven not fan forced, so you may need to reduce your oven temperature by 20°C. If you'd like to make a 23 cm cake, just double the ingredients but the baking time will stay the same.
Pineapple and Ginger Upside Down Cake, adapted from Donna Hay Magazine, issue 73. Serves 6
Ingredients
110 g unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp baking powder
pinch salt
¼ cup almond meal
¼ cup buttermilk
Pineapple syrup
450 g pineapple (approx ½ pineapple) cored and thinly sliced lengthways.
½ cup caster sugar
1½ cups water
4 cm piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced.
Method
To make the pineapple syrup, place the pineapple, sugar, water and ginger in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the pineapple for 10 minutes or until its tender. Carefully remove the pineapple slices and set aside to cool slightly. Return the syrup to the heat and cook for 6-8 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove the ginger and discard then set the syrup aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 17 cm cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. If you use a springform pan, you'll need to seal the exterior of the tin with some aluminium foil to stop the syrup from leaking. Layer the pineapple slices over the base and pour over just enough of the syrup to cover the pineapple, reserving and setting aside the remaining syrup. Finely chop the remaining pineapple to make ¼ cup.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition, until well combined. Sift the flour, baking powder and ginger into a bowl. Add the ground almonds and stir to combine. Add half the flour mixture to the cake batter. When combined add the remaining flour mixture and enough buttermilk to make a soft batter then fold the chopped pineapple into the cake batter.
Carefully spread the cake mixture over the top of the pineapple and smooth the top. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until just cooked when tested. If the cake is browning too much, cover the top with a piece of baking paper. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes.
While the cake is cooling, return the reserved syrup to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Invert the cake onto a platter (trim the base level if necessary) and carefully remove the tin and baking paper. Serve the cake with the hot syrup and cream if desired.
See you all again next week.
Bye for now,
Jillian
Valentines' Day kind of snuck on me this year. I often make brownies for Valentine's Day but what could I do to make them different this year? Whilst looking through my copy of 'The Cook and Baker' I spied a recipe for chocolate salted caramel brownies. The search was over.
I pinched their idea but used my own chocolate brownie and caramel recipes. This recipe only uses half the caramel but that means leftover salted caramel for the cook and that can't be a bad thing now, can it?
In honour of Valentine's Day I pulled out my heart shaped cookie cutter to make a heart shaped template then sprinkled the brownies with cocoa powder.
Here's the recipe for you. For all my recipes, I use a 250 ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon. All eggs are 60 grams and my oven is a conventional oven not fan forced, so you may need to reduce your oven temperature by 20°C.
Makes 16 pieces inspired by this recipe from The Cook and Baker by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauroa
Salted Caramel
1 x 395 g (14 oz) tin condensed milk
30 g (1 oz) butter
45 g (1½ oz) golden syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
Brownie
½ cup plain flour
1½ tbs cocoa
125 g unsalted butter, chopped
185 g dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
Optional
Cocoa powder
For the salted caramel
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 10 x 20 cm (4 x 8 inch) loaf tin with baking paper.
Empty the condensed milk into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 6 - 8 minutes, stirring every minute until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the butter, golden syrup and vanilla extract and stir well until smooth. Pour the caramel into the lined tray and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin, then when cold cut into small squares. You'll only need half the caramel for this recipe
For the brownie
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) tin with baking paper. Sift the plain flour and cocoa into a small bowl then set to one side.
Melt the butter and chocolate either in a double boiler or in 30 second bursts on high in a microwaveable bowl. Stir until melted and smooth, then set aside to cool a little. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla then fold in the sifted flour and salt and beat well until smooth. Pour into the prepared tin. Dot evenly with pieces of caramel and bake for 25–30 minutes until just set. Allow to cool completely. When cold cut into 16 pieces using a sharp knife.
If desired decorate with sifted cocoa powder using a heart shaped cookie cutter.
Happy Valentine's Day.
See you all again next week.
Bye for now,
Jillian
Last weekend, the biscuit tin was almost empty and I was looking for something quick and easy to make. I looked through my copy of 'The Cook and Baker' and saw a photo of some berry jam shortbreads, which they'd baked in mini muffin tins.
The shortbreads looked really cute. The recipe was very similar to one I already use so I stole their idea; baked the cookies in mini muffin tins and filled the indents with some rhubarb and apple conserve I had in the fridge. Of course you can use any jam you like and you can choose the nut meal as well. I used hazelnut meal but the shortbreads work just as well with almond meal.
These are pretty simple to make and in fact I made these in the food processor in less than 5 minutes. Here's the recipe for you.
For all my recipes, I use a 250 ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon. My oven is a conventional oven not fan forced, so you may need to reduce your oven temperature by 20°C.
Rhubarb Jam Shortbreads - makes 16
Ingredients
125 gm softened butter
50 gm (1/3 cup) pure icing sugar, sieved, plus extra to serve
½ tsp vanilla extract
110 gm (¾ cup) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
45 gm cornflour
1/4 cup hazelnut meal
Rhubarb or berry jam
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 12 hole mini muffin tin. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes). Stir in flours, then hazelnut meal and a pinch of salt. Roll into walnut-sized balls between floured palms, then place in the mini muffin tins. Flatten the top of the cookies with your thumb and bake for 10 minutes. Press the handle of a wooden spoon into the centre of each biscuit to form an indent and bake until golden, another 10-15 minutes. Cool on tray for 10 minutes before unmoulding. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Just before serving, dust with icing sugar and spoon jam into each indent.
Easy to make and very tasty and now my biscuit tin is full.
See you all again soon.
Bye for now,
Jillian
