Pineapple Upside-down cake

This recipe is perfect to use with fresh pineapple, or even tinned. Serve it warm or cold with Ice cream or cream. Delicious!

Ingredients:

- For the topping

50g Softened butter

50g Light soft brown sugar

7 Pineapple rings (if using tinned, it should be in syrup)

Glace cherries

- For the sponge

100g Softenedbutter
100g Golden caster sugar

100g Self-raising flour

 1tsp Baking powder

1tsp Vanilla extract

2 Large eggs

Method:

1) Heat the oven to 180c/160c Fan/ Gas mark 4.

2) Start by making the topping. Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Spread over the base and quarter of the way up the sides of a 20-21cm round cake tin.

3) Arrange the pineapple rings on top, then add the cherries in the centre of the rings (I also used them as gap fillers, just to add more colour)

4) Place all the sponge ingredients in a bowl, and add 2 tbsp of pineapple syrup. Beat together until a soft consistency.  Spoon into the tin on top of the pineapple.  Smooth out so its level.

5) Bake for 35 minutes.  Once cooked, leave to stand for 5 minutes, turn it out onto a plate, and serve.

How to bake: Appelgebak

Yesterday, I baked a traditional dutch apple pie, better known as 'Appelgebak', here I'll show you step by step how to make the perfect appelgebak.

For the crust:

 

300g Self Raising Flour
200g Butter
Pinch of Salt

160g Caster Sugar

1 Egg (whisked)

 

For the filling:

1kg Apples

50g Caster Sugar

2 TBSP Cinnamon

75g Raisins or Sultanas

2 TBSP Breadcrumbs

 

1) Preheat the oven 180c Electric and 165c Fan assisted.

2)  Combine the flour, butter, sugar, the salt and half the egg, I find it easier to use a mixer, but this can be done by hand.

3) Once combined it should resemble pastry rather than cake batter. If too dry, add some more of the egg.

4) In a separate bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the filling EXCEPT the breadcrumbs.

5) In a 23cm spring form cake tin, spread the crust mixture evenly across the base and up the sides, leaving some for the top. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the bottom.


6) Add the apples, then spread the remainder of the crust to the top.


7)  Bake for 60-75 mins, and dust with icing sugar once cooled.