Coconut and Pineapple Loaf Cake

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas.... and with this quick-to-make semi-iced loaf cake with coconut shavings, Christmas can come any time! If you haven't discovered the delights of Lidl's exotic dried fruit mixes, get yourself down there, as they are not only very good value, but make fabulous cake tops.

The particular bag I used (Exotic Fruit Mix) also contained date pieces and banana chips, but I picked them out, and just used the pineapple, mango and coconut shards.   The loaf cake had coconut substituting for some of the flour, and a lime or lemon drizzle icing (depending on what's in the fruit bowl).   It works very well gluten-free, and also dairy free!

Christmas Coconut and Pineapple Loaf Cake 

Christmas Coconut and Pineapple Loaf Cake

3 large fresh eggs

6oz/150g sieved self-raising flour (or GF blend) less two tablespoons

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

6oz/150g caster sugar

6oz/150g butter or spread at room temperature

¾ tsp baking powder

Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 lime

Iced Topping:

2oz/50g icing sugar

Juice of half a lemon or 1 lime

½ bag of Lidl exotic fruit mix

Preheat oven to 180 deg C, and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment.

In a food processor or Kenwood, blend the cake ingredients together and then beat until pale and fluffy.   Shove into the oven and cook for 25-35 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven) until risen and golden brown.  To test, the cake should have come away from the edges slightly, and if you put a (heated) knife or skewer into the middle, it will come out clean.

Mix together the icing sugar and lemon/lime juice and, as soon as the cake has come out of the oven, stab it with a cocktail stick to make some deep holes and pour the mixture all over it slowly.    Throw on the dried fruit topping.   Leave in the tin until cool.   If you want more of an iced texture, make up a second batch of thicker icing and pour it on after the first batch, then add the fruit.