Kids can bake: Tropical Fruit Cake

After the last fruit cake, we went on to try another one, from the same "Kids' Baking" library book.



It looked like there were a lot of ingredients, but once everything was laid out on the table (I used our dining table), all I really needed was an eager helper, a wooden spoon, and mixing bowl. And quite easily done, may I add.

Ben mostly just had to mix this and that together, and stir, stir, stir away!


Like the previous cake, this one also doesn't have milk in it, and may suit some families whose kids are allergic to milk.

But this particular cake took 1.5 hours to bake -- plenty of time to have other things going on in the oven, too. A few more food posts coming up next, to share with you other simple bakes that work for me and my family. Maybe they will, for you, too?

Recipe for Tropical Fruit Cake
Adapted from: Kids' Baking



7.5 oz can sliced pineapple (cut into small pieces, or simply get chunk pineapple, drained and pat dry, and I added more because my kids like pineapple)
2 cups dried ready-to-eat tropical fruits (cut into small pieces; we used papaya and mango)
2/3 cup candied cherries (drained)
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup superfine (white) sugar
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup shredded flour

• Preheat oven to 350 deg.
• Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.
• Put eggs in a small bowl and beat with a fork.
• Gradually mix a spoonful of beaten egg, then a spoonful of flour into the butter mixture, and keep adding and mixing until both have been added, and the mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the pineapple and tropical fruits, then the cherries and coconut.
• Spoon the mixture into a greased/lined 7" round or 6" square deep pan (I used an 8" square, and it worked fine also), and smooth flat with the back of a spoon.
• Bake the cake for about 1-1.25 hours (ours took 1.5 hours) until it is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean...

and here's a slice!