I don’t know where the name came from but Lumberjack Cake is an apple and date cake with a caramelized coconut topping. It is a deliciously moist cake perfect to serve for afternoon tea or even as dessert and it keeps well for 5-6 days.
The recipe I use was published in a magazine, either Women’s Weekly or Woman’s Day probably 25 or 30 years ago.
I recently made this for the first time in many years and it didn’t disappoint, it was always very popular in my café but it was one of those cakes that I would always think I must make it again but never quite got around to it. I took it to a friends to have as dessert and it got a big the thumbs up by everyone.
Lumberjack Cake
Apple and Date Cake with Coconut topping
Ingredients
- 2 Large Apples, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Cup Dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 tsp Bicarb Soda
- 1 Cup Boiling Water
- 125 gm Butter, softened
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 1/2 Cups Plain Flour
Topping
- 60 gm Butter
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 3/4 Cup Shredded Coconut
Instructions
- Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper
- Preheat oven to 180C
- In a bowl combine apples, dates, bicarb soda and boiling water, stand until it cools to warm.
- In a bowl beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy, add the egg, beat again until combined.
- Stir in sifted flour and apple mixture in two batches.
- Pour into prepared cake pan.
- Bake 50 minutes turning half way.
- Spread with topping and bake a further 30 minutes or until the topping is golden turning half way.
- Remove from oven and cool in the pan.
Topping
- Combine butter, sugar, milk and coconut in a small saucepan, stir over low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
Notes
Cake will keep very well for 5 days.
Suitable to freeze.