Pineapple and Coconut Tray-bake

Happy Mother’s Day – for Sunday!  It’s honestly one of my favourite days of the year, because not only do I get to celebrate the fabulous Mama Cwtch (more on her in a sec…), but it’s also kind of a Spring milestone, isn’t it?  Once Mother’s Day swings around (in the UK at least – I know you American lot celebrate it a little bit later) there’s usually blossom on the trees and the weather is hopefully (finger’s crossed!) starting to turn towards summer.  It’s been warm and sunny all week here in Cardiff, and it’s been bloody lush!  LONG MAY IT REIGN.

I owe a lot of things to my lovely Mama – my massive boat feet and sensitive skin for one (thanks Mum!), as well as my impulsive nature (let’s do this right now!!!) and love of photography.  But also my sweet tooth and love of baking (I’m always the first person to suggest stopping for tea and a cake – if my Mum doesn’t get in there first!).  The first cake I ever made was a simple Victoria Sponge with my Mum standing on a stool in our kitchen, and boy how far I’ve come since then. 🙂

This pineapple and coconut tray bake is nothing special to look at fresh out of the oven, but is totally transformed with a layer of coconut buttercream and a scattering of flowers made from dried out pineapple rounds.  I saw the idea in this month’s Tesco Food Magazine and I think the Hummingbird Bakery do something similar – and it’s such simple but genius way to finish off a cake!  Sweet!

Pineapple and Coconut Tray-bake

Ingredients

• 125g Butter
• 100g Self-raising Flour
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 50g Desiccated Coconut
• 150ml Buttermilk
• 1 fresh Pineapple
• Poppy Seeds

for the buttercream:

• 100g butter
• 200g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut cream

1. Give yourself a little bit of time and make the pineapple flowers a day ahead.  Slice the leaves and prickly outer layer of your pineapple off, and then use a teaspoon to core out those spikes.  Turn the pineapple on its side and very carefully thinly slice half of the pineapple into rounds (save the other half, you’re going to use it later!).  Next, set your oven to a low heat (around 100°C) and grab a muffin tray.  Turn it over, and place the pineapple slices over the cups – then pop them in the oven.  It’ll take them about an hour an a half to dry out fully and curl at the edges.
2. To make the cake – set your oven to 170°C and then grease and line a rectangular baking tray.
3. Cream together the caster sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Then, beat in egg.
4. Sift together the dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder and desiccated coconut) and then fold into the buttercream and egg mix.
5. Gently stir in the buttermilk, then pour the mixture into the baking tray.
6. Remember the leftover half a pineapple?  Slice it neatly into rectangles, then arrange over the surface of the cake, making sure to overlap them as the cake will rise and expand as it bakes.  Bake in the oven for 60 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.  Leave the cake to cool.
7. While the cake is cooling, whip up your buttercream by creaming together the butter, icing sugar and coconut cream.  Once the cake has cooled, spoon it over the surface.
8. Arrange the pineapple flowers over the top, then spoon a little bit of buttercream into the centre of each.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds, then serve! 🙂

You can see a video of me making this cake on IGTV.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful mamas out there! 💛