Dandy Candy Cake

 

The recipe I am sharing with you today is for a delicious snacking cake that I have been baking for my family for many, many years.  It boasts a simple plain cake bottom with a tender crumb and a baked on coconut streusel topping.

Its called Dandy Candy Cake and I suspect it gets its name from the fact that the topping is almost candy-like.  Sweet and crunchy, it is the perfect topping for a simple cake such as this.

 

It is wonderful served just on its own, cut into squares as an afterschool snack,  along with a glass of ice cold milk.   It was also a great cake to cut into squares and pack into school lunches. Its also a great picnic cake!

I have served it as a delicious dessert in the past, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream along with some fresh berries on the side. Its also really tasty when topped with a dollop of softly whipped cream.

Lets face it. It makes for a fabulous snack/treat/dessert anytime!

 

The recipe comes from the pages of my Big Blue Binder.  This is an old, old vinyl binder that I have been lugging around with me since I was a young girl. It contains all of my tried and trues.

Recipes gifted to me from family and friends through the years.  Recipe clippings from magazines and newspapers. It also contained recipes laboriously copied from a variety of library cooks throughout the many years.

It is almost 50 years old and has travelled with me across Canada and back again, and across the Atlantic ocean and back again. It is one of my great treasures.

 

I wish that I could tell you where I got the original recipe from.  I know it was not from a friend or a family member. I strongly suspect it was from a magazine.  In those days when I was copying these things out I never dreamed that there would be something some day such as the internet that I would be able to share these treasures on, and so unless it was from a friend or a family, I never made an annotation of the source.

I apologize for that, if it offends you.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  Were I to do it now, I would absolutely note the sources.

In any case it is an excellent cake that I hope you will enjoy.  I had not made it in a very long time, and as I was drifting through my binder today, the recipe caught my eye and I thought to myself, I'm going to bake that cake today! I'm happy that I did.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE DANDY CANDY CAKE

Very simple every day store cupboard baking ingredients. 

• 1 1/3 cup (163g) plain all purpose flour
• 3/4 up (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup (73g) white vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
• 1 large free range egg

For the Dandy Topping:

• 1/3 cup (73g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (31g) plain all purpose flour
• 3 TBS butter
• 1/2 cup (38g) shredded sweetened coconut

 

Before you ask, I have never made this cake using butter in the batter instead of shortening.  I suspect that you could use butter, but I cannot say for sure.  I have always just used shortening. I know people are bothered by the use of shortening these days.

In the UK, you can use a white vegetable fat called TREX. It is to be found in the chiller cabinet of the grocery store, near the butter and chilled ready made pastries.

Other than that I think everything else is pretty self-explanatory.

 

HOW TO MAKE DANDY CANDY CAKE

This is a very simple cake to make and uses the one bowl method. This merely means that all of the cake ingredients are measured into a bowl and then whisked together to make the batter.  The coconut streusel is made separately and sprinkled on top prior to baking.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9-inch square cake tin on the bottom only, generously.

Put all of the cake ingredients into a bowl. Beat on low with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes to combine, then increase the speed to medium and beat for two minutes longer, until smooth and fluffy. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly.

Whisk the flour and sugar together for the topping. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the coconut.

Sprinkle the coconut mixture evenly over top of the cake.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into squares to serve from the pan.

 

I have always really loved the simplicity of this cake.  This is a great cake to make with the children or grandchildren as well.  

Children love to help you bake and this is a great recipe for them to use as it is simple and uncomplicated.

 

If you are looking for something simple and uncomplicated to bake for the family this weekend, I could not recommend this cake more.  Its moist and delicious with a tender crumb.  The candy coconut topping is perfect.

There is another cake which is somewhat similar called Lazy Daisy Cake, but in that cake the coconut topping is popped on after baking, like a paste and it is popped under the broiler. 

Lest you be confused.  This is not that cake, but I can promise you that it is every bit as good as that cake! 

Perhaps I have whetted your appetite for a snack cake, but this isn't exactly what you are looking for.  Can I perhaps suggest the following instead?

SALTED CARAMEL PEANUT BUTTER SNACK CAKE - A moist and delicious buttermilk, peanut butter and brown sugar snack cake that is topped with a beautiful salted caramel fudge icing and flakes of sea salt. This is a gorgeous snack cake to say the least.

LEMON & GINGER SNACK CAKE - Lemon and ginger are a beautiful flavor combination which I absolutely love.  They combine beautifully in this moist and delicious cake. Topped with a simple sweet lemon glaze and bits of candied ginger, this is beautiful with a hot cup of tea, herbal or otherwise.

Yield: 9 (9-inch square cake)

Author: Marie Rayner

Dandy Candy Cake

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This old fashioned snack cake is one I have been baking for my family for many, many years. Its quite simply delicious. On its own, with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, or with some berries on the side, it always goes down a real treat.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup (163g) plain all purpose flour
• 3/4 up (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup (73g) white vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
• 1 large free range egg

For the Dandy Topping:

• 1/3 cup (73g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (31g) plain all purpose flour
• 3 TBS butter
• 1/2 cup (38g) shredded sweetened coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9-inch square cake tin on the bottom only, generously.
2. Put all of the cake ingredients into a bowl. Beat on low with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes to combine, then increase the speed to medium and beat for two minutes longer, until smooth and fluffy. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly.
3. Whisk the flour and sugar together for the topping. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the coconut.
4. Sprinkle the coconut mixture evenly over top of the cake.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into squares to serve from the pan.

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