Coconut and clementines

Sunday was rather miserable and cold..one of those days where I can't really be bothered to venture outside. I had no children, no work...no nothing...what to do? Bake, of course.
I felt like making a cake, and it had to be one that didnt require cocoa or icing ...so i looked in my pantry and decided on a coconut cake, with some mandarin juice for a little extra kick.

After originally thinking John and Phil were growing grapefruit...then oranges... I have come to the conclusion it's some kind of mandarin...maybe tangerine, maybe clementine. They are larger than your average supermarket mandarin, a deeper orange, very very juicy....whatever they are, as Phil said , "it's edible citrus...that's all that matters". It makes great juice, and they're lovely to cook with.

So I took a coconut cupcake recipe, used normal milk instead of coconut milk, and squeezed a lot of juice in too, and poured it all into one big cake tin. It didn't rise so much but has a slightly crunchy top and a slightly sticky middle, and - being a yogurt fan- i thought it went perfect with the very creamy greek yogurt I happened to have in the fridge. Some prefer it topped with cookies and cream ice cream ....each to their own i guess! I think it would make a very dainty little afternoon tea cake...served on one of my grandmother's old plates alongside a cup of cocoa.
Sort of child-like sophistication. Happiness on a plate...so simple.











And I would just like to add..... CONGRATULATIONS to my clever big sister who has just got herself a new job...although it does mean she will have less time to blog, I presume. So you will perhaps be hearing more from me...but there are always weekends! And it means I will be spending more time with my nieces, so perhaps there will be some kid friendly recipes headed this way soon..