Lumberjack Muffins

When I was a child my mother would sometimes take me out for a 'girly day' just the two of us. One day we went to a place called the Winter Garden, this is where I fell in love with my favourite cake...the Lumberjack cake. I remember it being so decadent served with maple syrup and a dollop of cream on the side. We both sat there giggling with joy partly because it was so delicious,and partly because we felt naughty.It was like our own little secret that we could enjoy without the boys. After this day my mother learnt to make the cake, we could often smell it in the air when we came home from school. If you haven't had a lumberjack cake before you must know it has a lovely toasted coconut topping that is addictive. I recall my brothers and I sneakingly opening the oven and stealing the coconut from top secretly trying not to get caught. 


I was speaking to my partner about this delicious cake and I was shocked that he had never tried this before. Therefore I went straight to the shops grabbed the ingredients and baked away, determined to recreate this fantasy cake of mine.However I decided to  change the recipe from a cake to muffins so that we could take and share them at work. Try and enjoy them with cream and maple syrup!

Recipe:


Ingredients:
2 Granny Smith apples diced
200 g Dates, chopped

1 teaspoon Bicarb Soda, 
1 cup Boiling Water, 250ml
125 g Unsalted Butter, Softened to room temp
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Caster Sugar,
1 Large Egg
1 1/2 cups Plain Flour

Topping:
60 g Butter
1/2 cup Milk, 105g

1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed, 110g
2/3 cup Shredded Coconut, 60g

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius (160 fan-forced, 375F). Grease and line a 23cm spring form cake tin.

Mix the chopped apples and dates, bicarb soda and boiling water in a bowl. Stir to coat them, cover with clingfilm, and leave to stand until just warm.

In a large bowl beat the softened butter, vanilla and sugar until thick and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg until combined.

Gently stir in the flour and apple mixture including the water. Pour into cake tin, smooth the top and bake for 45-50 minutes.

While the cake is cooking, prepare the topping. Combine the butter, milk, brown sugar and shredded coconut in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the butter has completely melted and the sugar has dissolved.

When the cake comes out of the oven after 40-50 minutes, pour this topping evenly over the cake, then continue baking for another 30 minutes. Cake is done when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool upright in the tin.


Serve with a dollop of cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe from Australian Women’s Weekly: Old Fashioned Favourites