Rum – AMCARMEN'S KITCHEN

“I love making food that makes people smile, or brings them joy, whether it’s a fancy beautiful patisserie creation, or a simple but delicious cake.” — Simon Swadling

This easy Salted Coconut & Rum Pineapple Upside-down Cake is loaded down with the flavours of the Caribbean islands and the tropics. Sweet caramelised pineapple slices lay perfectly on top of this light and fluffy coconut-infused yellow cake for a summer treat like no other. It is a play on a piña colada, which is a sweet cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice.

PREP TIME 20 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINS | SERVES 8-10

INGREDIENTS

For the caramelised pineapple

1/2 a pineapple

20g butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cream

For the cake batter

150g butter

100g almond meal

100g all-purpose flour

50g desiccated coconut

3 large free-range eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 tbsp rum

1 tbsp sour cream

1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160C (325F or gas mark 3). Grease and line an 8” (20.5 cm) round cake tin with parchment paper.

Caramelised Pineapple: Peel and core the pineapple. Cut into 1cm thick slices and then thirds.

In a heavy-based frying pan (do not use a non-stick pan!), add the sugar and cook on medium heat until it melts and begins to caramelise. Stir to avoid burning ‘hot spots’.

When the caramel is golden brown, mix in the butter and then cream, being careful not to burn the caramel.

Add in the pineapple sliced and cook until soft and semi transparent, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Cake Batter: Add all the dry ingredients into a food processor and blitz to combine. Next, add in the butter and pulse until it is blended into the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients together and whisk. Slowly pour into the processor and pulse until combined and smooth.

Layer the petals of pineapple at the bottom of your cake tin in an aesthetic pattern, adding a little bit of the caramel. Top with the cake batter.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until done. You can tell when it’s done by piercing the middle of the cake with a skewer and it comes out clean. If not, bake further.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

Serve: Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides – that’s okay.

You can slice and serve the cake warm, or cool the cake down completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Salted Coconut & Rum Pineapple Upside-down Cake

BON APPÉTIT

– Simon Swadling

Hello Everyone! It’s the last of Juicy January and I’ve got a nice, refreshing drink for you that you can also add a little twist if you want something naughty for all that healthy juicing you’ve (I’ve) been doing for the past month. It was just a normal Sunday morning when I went grocery shopping with my Mom and sister. I saw these lovely, plump, fresh grapefruits on the shelves and Schweppes’ Apple & Pink Grapefruit Mineral Water that I always, or well, most of the time, had in my fridge when I was still studying in Australia, came into mind. So I grabbed these fruits, some lemons, and mint, and decided that I was going to make a Pink Grapefruit Lemonade. When I got around to making them, I realised that I had some strawberries in the fridge that were on the verge of becoming overripe, and so I decided to slice them up and add them to the drink as well.

Grapefruits vary in hue from white or yellow to pink and red and can range in taste from very acidic and even bitter to sweet and sugary. Grapefruits are low in calories but are full of nutrients, and are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. These fruits support clear, healthy skin, can help to lower our risk for many diseases and conditions, and may even help with weight loss as part of an overall healthy and varied diet. To read into more details on how, for example, grapefruits can aid in weight loss, click here.

Pink Grapefruit Lemonade

Mix the juice of one grapefruit together with the juice of a lemon and you’ve got yourself and juice that’s rich in many nourishing elements like vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, protein, and the list goes on. The health benefits of lemons include the treatment of throat infections, indigestion, constipation, dental problems, and fever, internal bleeding, and high blood pressure, while it also benefits hair and skin care. They also help to strengthen your immune system, cleanse your stomach, and it is considered a blood purifier.

Throw in some roughly chopped mint leaves for a fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. If you happen to have strawberries in your fridge too, or if you actually bought them to try this out, throw them in too for an extra added nutrients and antioxidants, offering a wide range of health benefits that may surprise you – click here for more information.

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 3-4

INGREDIENTS

650ml cold water
1 punnet (125g) fresh strawberries, sliced thinly
1 large grapefruit, peeled and cut into quarters
1 large lemon, juice squeezed
1/2 bunch of mint, roughly chopped
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tbsp white sugar

Optional:

2-3 tbsp white rum

METHOD

Add the white sugar and boiling water to a large pitcher. Stir until the sugar has full dissolved.
Add the lemon juice together with the cold water, mint leaves, sliced strawberries.
Juice the grapefruit using an electric juicer and then pour into the pitcher. Give it a good stir.

Pink Grapefruit Lemonade

If you’re feeling a little bit cheeky, throw in a few tablespoons of coconut rum (that was the only thing I had available at that time) or just plain white rum, tequila, or vodka – whatever tickles your fancy that is! 🙂 Enjoy and happy juicing!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx