A is for.......

A is for....Amazing Pina Colada Angel Cake!

When I was a little girl my Gran always provided a Sunday high tea.....We would have crumpets, that were soft and squidgy, and when you bit into them the butter would run down your chin. Sandwiches piled high, the bread would be home-made, fillings of cheese, ham, egg and salmon, all cut into neat triangles with their crusts cut off. Then the cakes.....buttered scones and jam, fairy cakes, fruit cake and my very favourite angel cake. layers of sponge in pink. yellow and cream, all sandwiched together with butter cream....memories eh

All my cakes and bakes are based on traditional recipes with my own twist....so with memories of my  Grans cake, my thoughts turned to holidays and cocktails, which always seem much nicer in the hot sunshine, but less appealing on a dull day at home. So I combined the flavours of a pina colada (without the rum) into my version of angel cake......  tropical delight indeed....Now for the recipie

Grease and line a 7" square baking tin

Oven 190 Fan assisted 180 Gas mark 4 

Sponges

10oz each of flour, caster sugar, softened butter

2tsps baking powder

5 eggs 

2 tsps vanilla extract

2oz coconut

5oz fresh chopped pineapple or 5oz tinned pineapple drained and chopped

a few drops of pink and yellow food colouring

Butter cream

8oz icing sugar

4oz  softened butter 

I tsp vanilla extract

2/3 tsps  warm water

I always use the all in one method for making sponges, but you can choose to make them to your own method.

Sieve flour and baking powder together into a large bowl

Add sugar, butter and eggs and mix together slowly at first and as mixture combines turn the speed up until the mixture is light and fluffy

Divide the mixture equally between 3 bowls.

In first bowl add coconut and a few drops of pink food colour to sponge mix, fold together gently with a metal spoon

In second bowl add 1-2 tsps of vanilla essence to sponge mix, fold together gently with a metal spoon

In third bowl add pineapple and yellow food colouring, mix gently together with a metal spoon

If mixture is too thick then add a little milk. The sponge with the pineapple in needs to be thicker to hold the fruit.

Pour pink coconut mixture into tin and level off the top

bake for about 15-20 mins until risen (depending on your oven)

Bake each cake separately until risen 

Turn out on a wire rack to cool

Repeat with other 2 sponges

Butter Cream Filling

Cream all ingredients together then beat well until light and fluffy

I cut the sponges in half and put them in the freezer for another day as a full size cake is to much for us two this week. But the full size cake is lovely  for a family, or impressive for a celebration cake....You can trim the sides of the cake to reveal the layers....you then get to eat the left overs....or if you are on a diet feed the dog or birds!!! he he

Sandwich the layers together with the butter cream. Spread top with butter cream and sprinkle with coconut.  I decorated the cake with pineapple, cut up fruits on a shortened kebab stick, chocolate sticks and wafer daisies skewered on sticks. The choice is yours :) Think tropical, beach, sunshine!!!

These can also be made as cupcakes using smaller quantities of mix. Dividing mixture into 3 separate bowls (as above). Into cup cake cases spoon 2 tsps pineapple mixture in first, on top of that 2tsps coconut mixture followed by 2tsps vanilla mixture. Bake as regular cupcakes until risen, then cool on a wire rack.

Once cool top with vanilla butter cream or a frosting of or choice. Sprinkle topping with coconut and decorate with fresh fruit.  

Here I have cut the cupcake in half to show you the layers. They do tend to merge into each other....but they still taste scrummy.....

I hope you enjoy making these cakes and you can be really creative using different fruits and flavours and decoration....

If you have a go at these or devise a variation of your own I would love to hear from you. Happy baking 

Hugs 4 smiles M xxx