Apple and roasted quince cake

I found this recipe on Kidspot. I've changed it to suit what I have in my fridge and pantry like I usually do. The original had buttermilk and butter, which I am not in the habit of buying. But you could use if you do have them.

What I had was quinces given to me. This is a great way to use up fruit that is ripe and in need of being used.

Due to my oven being a total cow, well the oven door which won't close properly to be exact, I cooked the cake for a bit longer than the 40 minutes. When I gently push the middle of the cake and it springs back up, I know it is done.

125 grams margarine
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup apple puree
1/2 cup roasted quince puree*
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
250 gr plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of milk

Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs, puree and vanilla.
Sift flour, salt, cinnamon and bicarb of soda. Fold through flour and milk alternatively.
Bake at 180C for 40 minutes.

*Peel, core and quarter quince, cut quarters in half. Place in a pan, sprinkled with sugar and dotted with margarine. Squeeze over the juice of 1 orange. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours at 150C.

Alternatively you could use 1 cup of any pureed fruit you want. I have used pear and a mix of apple and passionfruit.

It is a lovely cake which is so beautiful with just a dollop of cream.

Plum Applesauce

My plum tree had not one plum on it this year. I forgot to take to it with a piece of four by two around the base, stress it into fruiting. I will have to remember this year. 

Me, Mum and the girls went out to a friends farm to pick some though. It was a plum tree out in the middle of a paddick, with it's upper roots exposed out of dusty soil. It had obviously taken a beating from the sheep over the years too. The tree was stressed and it was loaded!

The girls laughed as they yelled "Hello Mrs. Sheep", and me saying, "Watch out for the sheep poo". Mum broke a small branch off each for the girls and they helped fill up the two buckets of plums. 

I hesitantly took home one of the buckets. I wasn't overjoyed with having to do something with them but at the same time, love a challenge.

I made 9 jars of plum jam, and three bottles of plum applesauce. The following is the recipe to make the plum applesauce, it's easy.


1kg peeled, seeded and quartered apples
1kg seeded plums
1/4 cup water 
1/4 cup sugar

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan. 
Bring to the boil, then simmer on low for 1 -1 and a 1/4 hours.

Blend with a stick mixer or in a blender. 

Place into hot sterilised jars.

I am sure there are many different fruit combinations that you could use instead of apples or plums.

With a basic sauce like this you could add in other flavours like ginger, chilli, onion and garlic to make a dipping sauce or add a bit of BBQ sauce for a marinade for pork or chicken.

I had it just like it is on yogurt for breakfast yesterday. You could use it with whipped cream or over ice cream too(like I did after dinner).

Feijoa and Apple crumble cake

My sister in law stood in my kitchen, smelling the feijoas sitting in a bowl on the bench. As I picked up toys in the lounge I called over "They're feijoas". She knew what they were, taking in the beautiful scent, she told me she had a tree in the yard of their old house.

I thought it was only in New Zealand where just about every yard had a feijoa tree, and if they didn't they knew someone who did have, probably the next door neighbour! 

Mum had some given to her by a friend. It happens every year, and I don't say no when she in turn, palms some off on to me. 

If you're a My Kitchen Rules fan, you may remember when New Zealand couple Simon and Meg, made apple and feijoa crumble. I took it one step further and made this delicious cake. It is something special and sure to impress.

Fruit layer

4 apples and 4 feijoas, peeled cubed and stewed with 1 dessert spoon of sugar for about 5 minutes.

Cake ingredients

110g margarine

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups SR Flour

3/4 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 cup custard powder

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Crumble

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

50 grams margarine

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Line and grease a spring form cake tin.

Make crumble by rubbing all ingredients together until it resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Melt margarine, mix in all other cake ingredients for about three minutes until light and fluffy.

Pour into tin, place apple and feijoa on top in even layer and press down slightly.

Sprinkle crumble layer on top.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serve warm or cold, with cream, custard or ice cream.

It really is delicious.