Wedding Cakes and a Lumberjack!

Everyday there is a wedding somewhere in the world. It can be a simple ceremony to an elaborate affair. To celebrate the occasion there is always a cake.

Wedding cakes have changed over the years. My mother was very talented and went to night school to learn the fine art of cake decorating. This is what she did for fun or as a hobby. Often her talents were called upon to make a beautiful cake for a wedding, engagement or 21st birthday. The cakes she made were a fruit cake base and then iced with a heavy icing which she called plastic icing. Don't panic, it wasn't plastic but a heavy fondant icing. Most were decorated with beautiful lace work made from lighter icing that she piped.

Recently, a friend of mine was getting married and she asked me to go with her to look at cakes. We tasted many flavours and ate that much cake we felt sick! Finally, a decision on the style and flavour of cake was made. The wedding was beautiful and the cake enjoyed by all.

Have you ever wondered where wedding cakes originated? After some research, I found different stories from Ancient Rome, Medieval England and France. One thing is common with all the stories, wedding cakes were made for good luck and prosperity for the bride and groom. Over the centuries wedding cakes were decorated with little pillars between the layers, wedding rings to the bride and groom on top. One thing, no matter how you decorate your cake there will always be someone to eat it!

This recipe is not ideal for a wedding cake, but is certainly delicious.

Lumberjack Cake

Ingredients

2 apples peeled, cored and finely grated
1 cup of dates seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 cup of boiling water
125grams of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of castor sugar
1 egg
One and a half cups of plain flour

Coconut Topping

60 grams of butter
Half a cup of brown sugar
Half a cup of milk
Two thirds of a cup of shredded coconut

Method 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, a moderate oven. Grease and line a square cake tin.

Combine apple, dates and soda in a large bowl cover with hot water, stir then cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.

In another bowl put butter, vanilla, sugar, egg and beat till light and fluffy. Take this mixture and add to apple mixture.

Gradually add flour and stir gently.

Pour mixture into pan and bake for 50 minutes.

To Make Topping

Place coconut, milk, butter and sugar into a saucepan and place on a low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and butter melted.

Take cake from the oven and place on table or bench and pour the coconut mixture over the cake and spread evenly with a metal spatula.

Place cake back in the oven and bake a further 15 minutes, or until coconut mix is golden brown. Stand and cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

This is delicious if served with a little whipped cream.

Enjoy!