It was almost a really good cake.

I was really keen to make something from 'Scandilicious' and this seemed like a good week for a bake. Danish coconut dream cake felt like the obvious choice because not only did I have all the ingredients but it specifically calls for vanilla salt and I've been wondering what to do with the jar of it I have for almost a year now. It's a deceptive sort of recipe in that the cake bit is all very reasonable and innocent looking and then you start on the topping. The topping is not innocent, it contains enough butter and sugar to make Nigella think twice, consequently it's delicious. 

Not my best effort.

Unfortunately I made a bit of a mess of this one. I didn't have a 30 x 20 cm baking tin handy and thought that a round 23cm tin would be okay, it wasn't. the cake didn't want to cook in the middle and when it had been in almost twice as long as the recipe suggested the outsides were in danger of over cooking, which is when I started to dicker around with the oven shelf. Unsurprisingly the cake sank a bit in the middle. The smaller tin also meant there was a lot of topping to go round, most of it congregated in the sunken dip in the middle so when it came to crisping that bit up it only really worked on the edges. The result is a curate's egg of a cake; parts of it are excellent. It's also worth noting that it's very rich and makes a huge amount, perfect for parties a bit much if you don't think you'll be sharing. 

4 medium eggs                                   Topping

300g golden caster sugar                    200g butter

1 tsp Vanilla extract                            200g light brown soft sugar

150g of melted butter                         150g dessicated coconut

150ml of buttermilk                            100ml whole milk

300g of plain flour                              1 heaped tsp vanilla salt

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Pre heat the oven to 190c / gas 5, find a baking tin 20cm x 30 cm and lay two sheets of parchment paper in it cross wise (this is to make it easy to lift the cake out later).

Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Pour in half the melted butter and buttermilk, sift in half the flour and fold in, then add the rest along with the baking powder and salt. Pour into the baking tin and cook for about 20 mins - or until cooked.

Meanwhile stick all the topping ingredients into a pan and bring to simmering point. Simmer for about 5 mins stirring all the time so the sugar doesn't catch, and until the mix has reduced a bit and is nice and thick. 

When the cake comes out the oven up the temp to 220c/gas 7 and cover the cake with the topping. Whack it all back in the oven and cook for 5 to 10 mins until the topping is a deep golden colour, don't let it burn. 

Finally let it cool in it's tin, and finally eat.

Scandilicious - Signe Johhansen

The season feels like it's definitely on the turn today, still summer, but not for much longer. It's cooled down enough for me to think I probably will make jam tonight, which is just as well because the fridge is full of raspberries bought for the purpose and there are greengages around too, very tempting. A week ago the idea of standing over a pan of boiling sugar would have made me swear, but then a week ago the sun hadn't set when I left work late, this week it has.

I was initially sceptical about 'Scandilicious', almost entirely due to the name which I harbour an unreasonable prejudice over. However it was raining, and I was in Waterstones, and they had money off the book, and I found myself giving it a proper look, and finally being beguiled enough to buy it. The rest of my scepticism about this book stems from my wanting a specifically Swedish cookbook, preferably very traditional. 

Meanwhile there's a lot to find interesting in 'Scandilicious'. It's the first book in my collection that advocates the use of fructose (actually to be strictly accurate others might, this is just the first time I've noticed) instead of sugar. The advantages of fructose are that it's sweeter so you use less, and has a lower GI than sugar, it's more expensive but I do like the idea of being able to bake sweet things which are marginally healthier. I had strawberries that wanted using so made ice-cream using fructose last night - the results are excellent, and on the subject of ice-cream there are instructions here for how to make it the old fashioned way with ice and salt which is something I really want to try. 

Signe also recommends using high fruit cordials for making jellies with, I know this is probably obvious but never having been much of a cordial drinker it's new to me. I am however a big fan of five valleys cordials and had thought of using their pomegranate and rose for ice-cream, ice-cream season is almost over though and having never made my own jelly this feels like a plan. Otherwise the instructions look good and clear and  I like the way that alternatives are given for more specialised ingredients.

It looks like the bank holiday weekend is going to be a wash out so I foresee a great opportunity for staying in the kitchen and cooking - it could be much, much, worse.