PEACH AND COCONUT CAKE

A delicious cake with Peach and coconut, is my contribution "a fruit a month aka AFAM" which is launched by Maheswari of "Beyond the usual" blog. This month's guest is our dear Mansi from "Fun and Food" blog and her choice of fruit is "Peach". Thanks for hosting Mansi!:))




Original recipe for this Baltimore Peach cake is from The Urbanite Magazine's food section and then I found a blog who already baked this cake with little variation which I liked and adapted the easy cake crust method and jam idea from this "Too many Chefs" blog.
Then I added my own variation of vanilla and coconut to this recipe as well, which is why I didn't name it "Baltimore" cake! I bet they don't use coconut in their authentic Baltimore Peach cake, don't want to mess with the originals now, do I?:D
Unlike the other traditional cakes, this recipe is more like a German Kuchen (cake), with a thinner Yeast raised base with fruit topping and somewhat tangier than sweet.
If you want to bake exactly like the original recipe, check out the Urbanite magazine. Whichever recipe you choose, I am sure you can't go wrong!:))

Peach and Coconut cake:


A slice anyone?



This is how I made my Peach and Coconut cake with the help of the above two sites, adding my own little touch!

You need:
1 3/4 cups All purpose plain flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Package(1/4oz) active dry yeast,

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence (my addition)
3 tbsp butter, softened
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup warm water, temp. betn 115F-125F (any colder or hotter, yeast won't rise!)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2-3 tbsp Raspberry Preserve or any fruit preserve you have or like
1 1/2 cups peaches (or 2 ripe peaches), peeled and sliced or 1(16oz) can,drained
1/2 cup sweetened coconut(my addition)

For glaze:
2 tablespoons sugar,1/4 cup Orange juice, 1 tsp butter. Microwave these for 2-4 mins or until you get a thickish syrup.

1 8" or 9" round or square non-stick cake pan, sprayed with oil on the bottom and the sides.
A sheet of foil to cover the top while baking.

Click on the image to see larger collage of the step by step photos:


How to bake the cake:
1. Add the first four dry ingredients to a mixer with a paddle hook to mix well for a minute.
2. Then add Vanilla, butter, Egg, mix for a minute and then add hot water slowly. Mix until you get a sticky mass like thick batter. If it's too thin,add 2-3 tbsp or so of plain flour but not too much.
3. Pour it out into the prepared baking pan, with wet fingers spread the batter/dough to all the corners of the pan gently.
4. Mix the Raspberry or any fruit preserve or Jam, and spread on the dough roughly, sprinkle Cinnamon on top.
5. Arrange the Peaches as you like on the preserve, press them a little and sprinkle coconut on top.
6. Cover and let it rise for an hour in a warm place. After an hour,you will see the unbaked cake risen and ready to go in the oven.
7. Preheat the oven to 400F. Slide in the pan, place a foil on top to prevent the coconut from burning and bake for 25-30mins.
8. When done, cool for 10 mins and transfer it to a cooling rack.Brush the glaze on top. When cooled, keep it covered in a cake stand.
9. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes a great breakfast with coffee since it's not very sweet. Keep it in fridge for few hrs for the best taste.

Note: If you don't like the tanginess of Orange glaze, skip it. Just sprinkle some sugar on top as soon as the cake comes out of the oven for a sweet taste!

That's it! It may not look as beautiful as the other two cakes in those sites but hey, who is complaining!! It was tangy with Orange glaze, not too sweet (Just the way I like it!) and delicious!:))