Lighter Chocolate Pina Colada Cake

Fancy a slice?

Some inter-connecting foodie coincidental thoughts have led me to devise today’s recipe; which all began with a really nice visit by my nephew and his family in January.

It was a super family gathering and, knowing that I love to bake, we chatted a little about, of all things, a coconut cake. However, on this very day, my oven had sadly given up the ghost and so, regrettably, I couldn’t bake something special for them and it was a mad dash to the supermarket for their finest chocolate creation!  

Sugar and Crumbs packages

A couple of weeks later on and a package arrived by post containing some new natural flavoured icing sugars and cocoa samples for me to trial (see below**) from producers 'Sugar and Crumbs'– coconut, chocolate and pineapple. 

Fresh pineapple

Then, that very same week, I visited my daughter and, whilst helping her a little in the kitchen, she asked me to cut up a fresh pineapple. Of course, I prepared it in the same way my mother always did – cutting the eyes out in spiral fashion – and I pondered whether she would do the same in years to come by showing her son, my grandson George, how it’s done so prettily? 

Four generations of motherhood -
sister Lynda, Mum, Grandma, and me
 with daughter Laura as a child.
  When someone you love becomes a memory.....
that memory becomes a treasure.

More family food memories and all part of life’s rich pattern. 

Checking my diary today, I realised that Mothering Sunday occurs next month and, there and then, I decided to create an easy and simple cake combining all of these flavourful thoughts. My Lighter Chocolate Pina Colada Cake is the result. In fact, it would be an ideal dessert cake for any occasion.

In the meantime, happy baking. X

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**The 'Sugar and Crumbs' products all come in very handy re-sealable packets and it’s well worth exploring their website to view their complete range together with all the latest offers. My samples produced a delicious and flavourful result and I would give them my own seal of approval for convenience and taste.

Lighter Chocolate Pina Colada Cake

This recipe, serves 8, and requires the following:

Ingredients:

For the cake:

150g low-fat spread plus extra for greasing (I used Flora Buttery)

130g caster sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 medium eggs

100g self-raising flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Sugar and Crumbs Chocolate Coconut cocoa)

20g desiccated coconut

1 tablespoon of milk (more if needed to make a soft dropping consistency)

For the topping:

150g 0% crème fraiche (or thick Greek-style yoghurt could be used)

1 heaped tablespoon Sugar and Crumbs Coconut icing sugar

20g desiccated coconut (brown, to make it toasted, in a small pan, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cool).

130g tin of pineapple pieces (fresh would be really lovely too!)

Method:

Lightly grease and line with baking parchment a 20cm square cake tin. (I used a 22cm and the result was fine.)

Preheat the oven to 190C/180C fan/gas mark 5.

Put the spread, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, eggs and milk in a large bowl. Sift over the flour and cocoa powder. Beat with an electric whisk until the mixture is smooth. Adding a little extra milk if necessary to make a soft dropping consistency.

Spoon mixture into tin and level the surface.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 20/25 minutes. Leave to cool slightly for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Drain the tinned pineapple well, reserve 1/3^rd and place the rest in a bowl together with the crème fraiche and coconut icing sugar. Mix together very gently.

Spoon the crème mixture over the cooled chocolate sponge and decorate the top with the reserved fruit and toasted coconut. Enjoy!

Fancy a slice?

Disclosure: I was sent the above products for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are my own.