The Variable Cake

I like to encourage people to make recipes their own, to give ideas of what works

well as opposed to strict recipes. Here is a great example of that. This crumble 

cake comes out different every time because I deliberately don't follow 

a recipe.

If yours looks different to this, you have succeeded.

I use varying amounts of each ingredient and different fruits and spices each time.

You start with a crumble mix, which is roughly half fat to flour. This time I've used

whole meal flour and oats. You can use self raising flour or add baking powder if

you want a raised cake, or just plain flour if you want something flat and dense.

See what I mean? It varies but never fails. 

Add whatever fruit and spices you have to hand. In this instance it was

plums (of course) and ground corriander seeds, but I've used apple and

rhubarb with cinnamon. Add sugar or honey or golden syrup.


Finally add enough water or fruit juice or spiced tea or milk or yoghurt to wet the

mix. The more liquid you add, the more moist the cake.


Bake in variously shaped tins at 180 degrees C until brown.

Have fun experimenting!