LUMBERJACK CAKE

WOW ...is all I can say !! Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease a 20cm (8inch )pan and line with baking paper . Place 200gm of stoned and chopped dates into a small saucepan with with 250 ml / 1 cup of water and bring to the boil. Stir in 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda , remove from the heat . set aside until just warm . In a medium bowl using your electric beaters , cream to together 125 gm of softened butter/ marg and 230 gm / 1 cup of castor sugar until light and fluffy . Add 1 beaten egg , 1 tsp of vanilla extract and beat until well combined . Now stir in the date mixture along with 2 apples peeled , cored and grated . Fold in a mix of 1 cup (125 gm )of plain flour mixed with 1/2 cup ( 60 gm ) of self raising flour , until just smooth . Spoon the the combined mixture into the prepared pan . Smooth the surface and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes . To make the topping , combine in a small saucepan 75gm of marg / butter with 95 gm of soft brown sugar 80 ml of milk ( 1/3 rd cup ) , 60 gm ( 1 cup ) of shredded coconut . Heat over a low heat until the butter /marg has melted and the ingredients are well combined. Remove the cake from the oven after 40 minutes and carefully spread the topping over the cake . Return the cake to the oven for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean . Leave the cake to cool completely in the pan . Turn out and place on a serving dish top side up . The lumberjack cake can be sprinkled with icing sugar before serving ...