Lazy Daisy Cake Recipe

Lazy Daisy Cake

At high school I lived for a year in the hostel. And that meant eating hostel food. Generally high school hostels are not renowned for putting out food that makes you jump with excitement. If you lived in a hostel, you will know what I am talking about. But I didn't dislike the food as much as other students. Maybe because I only lived for one year? Or its my taste buds.

Surely there were some dishes that even I could not stand. One that instantly comes to mind is beef olives. But there are a few dishes that I still have fond memories of. One of them was a simple plain cake with a crunchy coconut topping. I absolutely loved it. It was served in a bowl with a generous amount of custard.

I decided to search for this cake and came across lazy daisy cake, which matched the description. I don’t know where the name comes from. Perhaps a lazy lady called Daisy came up with the recipe. Irrespective of the interesting name, the cake is absolutely delicious.

My only criticism of the recipe is the level of sweetness. I used about a third less sugar than suggested by the recipe, and it was still really sweet. Next time I will use even less sugar.

Adopted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

Cake

2 large eggs

¾ cup sugar (original recipe suggests 1 cup)

1 cup Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

1½ tablespoons butter

Topping

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup brown sugar (original recipe suggests ½ cup + 2 tablespoons)

¼ cup milk

1 cup flaked coconut

Method

1.     In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs till frothy, then add the sugar, beating at high speed until mixture is thick and lemon-colored. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.

2.   In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter together to boiling. Add to ingredients in bowl, beating to combine.

3.      Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 175°C/350°F for 30 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched with your finger, and the edges begin to pull away from the pan. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes or so.

4.      To make the topping: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar, milk and coconut, stirring to combine. Pour the topping over the warm cake, and place under a broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and bubbling.

Lazy Daisy Cake

Chocolate Coconut Oat Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Coconut Oat Cookie

This is a regular chocolate chip cookie, boosted with coconut and oats. Coconut and oats bring a nice flavor and texture. Plus these are healthy ingredients, so it makes the chocolate chip cookie healthier, or less unhealthier, depending on what you prefer to believe!

Ingredients

100ml softened butter (or half neutral oil and half butter)

¾ cup flour

1¼ cups rolled oats

½ cup sugar (use ¾ cup if you prefer it sweeter)

¾ cup desiccated coconut

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 medium sized egg

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

Ingredients

1.      Heat oven to 175°C / 350°F

2.      Cream butter and sugar until sugar has dissolved. 

3.      Add egg and vanilla and mix well. 

4.      In a separate bowl, mix flour, rolled oats, coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the egg mixture

5.      Stir in chocolate chips

6.      Place tablespoons of dough on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

7.      Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown

Chocolate Coconut Oat Cookie

Butterscotch (Caramelised) Banana Coconut Cake Recipe

Butterscotch Banana Coconut Cake

I like the banana coconut combination. Bananas and coconuts grow in the same climate, therefore they must go well together. This theory is questionable but it works, at least in this case.

The cake has a strong banana flavor, with a subtle coconut caramel flavour. What is different with this cake is that the sugar is first caramelised, and bananas cooked in the caramel. Its a slightly time consuming process but well worth it.

The cake is surprisingly light, airy and moist, just like a sponge cake. My recollection of banana cake is that it is generally dense, but not this one.

The cake is sweet but not overly sweet. You can reduce the amount of sugar by ½ cup and it would be slightly sweet. I liked it this way.

Adopted from my earlier recipe for Butterscotch Banana Cake

Ingredients

1¼ cups sugar

1¼ cups flour

½ cup desiccated coconut, preferably toasted

1 large banana, chopped into small pieces (should be about 1-1½ cups)

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup neutral oil

½ cup milk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients

1.      Grease a 20cm square baking tin. Line base with baking paper.

2.      Add ¾ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook on high heat until the sugar turns dark red. Don't let it burn!

3.      Add the banana pieces, butter and vanilla and cook over low heat until the bananas break down into the caramel. Let the mixture cool completely

4.      Beat ½ cup sugar with eggs and oil until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns pale. Add the banana mixture, coconut and milk and beat well.

5.      Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture.

6.      Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake at 180°C / 355°F for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Double Coconut Oil Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Double coconut oil shortbread cookie

May sound a bit confusing but I called it double coconut because these cookies contain coconut oil and desiccated coconut.  So almost 'double' the amount of coconut flavour.

If you want to try single coconut oil shortbread cookie, try this recipe.

 

On to another issue, some idiot was copying my recipes and photos and posting on his (yes a guy) facebook page without my permission. And a kind blogger brought this to my attention. I wrote to the idiot and asked him to remove the photos and text within a day otherwise I will report to facebook. No action was taken so I reported to facebook, and they removed the photos and text within a day. Pretty good result. That idiot copied quite a few photos and recipes. While I should feel good that my recipes and photos are good enough to be copied, it still didn’t make me happy. But very impressed with facebook’s speedy action.

Ingredients

½ cup sugar (use ¾ cup if you prefer your cookies a bit sweeter)

210ml coconut oil

40 ml water

1 cup desiccated coconut (toasted, optional but recommended)

1½ cups flour (you may need a little more)

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 170°C / 340°F

2.      Mix the coconut oil, water and sugar thoroughly until sugar has dissolved.

3.      Add flour and desiccated coconut and mix to get a smooth paste. 

4.      Form the dough in the desired shape, preferably about 1 cm thick. Chill the mixture for a few minutes if its gets too difficult to work with

5.      Bake until pale golden-brown, about 15-20 minutes

Double coconut oil shortbread cookie

Lemon Coconut Crinkle Cookies Recipe

Lemon Coconut Crinkle Cookies

These are delicious, if I may say so myself. Lemon and coconut is a great combination, and the ‘crinkles’ add nice crunch and added sweetness.

Recipe source: Vanderbilt Wife

Ingredients

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar (I used ½ cup)

Juice and zest of one lemon

2 eggs

1½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened, flaked coconut

Powdered sugar

Ingredients

1.      Cream butter, sugar, lemon zest, and eggs until smooth. Add lemon juice and mix until combined

2.      In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.      Add the flour mixture and coconut to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined

4.      Chill dough for 1 hour, or freeze for 20 minutes

5.      Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on a greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper

6.      Bake at 150°C / 300°F until edges are set, around 15-20 minutes.

Lemon Coconut Crinkle Cookies

Caramelised Banana Coconut Cake Recipe

Caramelised Banana Coconut Cake 

In my mind banana and coconut is a great combination because they both grow in the same climate. Most (or all) countries that grow coconut also grow bananas, and therefore it must go well together. I realise this logic is flawed, pineapple and banana may not go well together, but banana coconut cake is delicious. 

Caramelised sugar and bananas deepens the flavour.

Ingredients

1¼ cups sugar

1 cup flour

½ cup desiccated coconut

1 large banana, chopped into small pieces (should be about 1-1½ cups)

1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil

½ cup neutral oil

100ml milk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.      Grease a 20cm square baking tin. Line base with baking paper.

2.      Add ¾ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook on high heat until the sugar turns dark red. Don't let it burn!

3.      Add the banana pieces, butter and vanilla and cook over low heat until the bananas break down into the caramel. Add coconut and let the mixture cool completely

4.      Beat ½ cup sugar with eggs and oil until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns pale. Add the banana mixture and milk and beat well.

5.      Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture.

6.      Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake at 180°C / 355°F for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. I baked in a loaf tin and it was ready in about 30 minutes.

Caramelised Banana Coconut Cake 

Gluten Free Coconut Oat Raisin Cookies Recipe

Gluten Free Coconut Oat Raisin Cookie

These cookies are gluten free, low in sugar and low in butter but still taste delicious. Yes, it is possible. And you can skip the sugar and make it sugar free, it will still be sufficiently sweet.

But wait, there's more. This easy recipe requires no whipping of butter and sugar. Instead the butter is melted and mixed with other ingredients. 

Because there is no flour and little sugar, the cookies are very delicate. They will fall apart if you are not gentle. It is probably better to make these cookies much smaller, so you can have them in one bite.

Gluten Free Coconut Oat Raisin Cookie

Ingredients

125g butter (I used half butter and half oil)

2¼ cups rolled oats

1 cup desiccated coconut

¼ cup sugar

½ cup raisins (chopped, optional)

1 tablespoon (20ml) golden syrup

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions

1.      Process 1¼ cup oats until it has a soft flour like consistency. It takes a few minutes. You should end up with a cup of oat flour, but measure it just to be sure

2.      Melt butter and golden syrup in a saucepan

3.      In a small bowl mix baking soda with boiling water and add to the butter mixture

4.      Combine all dry ingredients then add melted mixture and mix well

5.      Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls, place on baking tray and flatten slightly

6.      Bake at 180°C/360°F until golden brown and delicious, approx 10-15 minutes