Recipe: Tamarillo Yeast Cake

Tamarillo Yeast Cake - February Garden Club morning tea cake

I love sweet yeasty cake and bread things like brioche, panettone and all those buns from my childhood like Chelsea buns and iced fruit fingers (a distant memory!).  They are fun and easy to make and best eaten warm from the oven.

I have adapted this delicious cake from a Stephanie Alexander recipe where she uses rhubarb instead of tamarillo - apple or plums would also be good.  The smell of it baking in the oven is enough to make you rush and put the kettle on!

300g tamarillo pulp.  Cut fruit in half and scoop out with a spoon.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sultanas or currants
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sweet wine or sherry
ground cinnamon
extra brown sugar

dough
2tsp instant dried yeast
200g plain flour (I use organic unbleached)
1/3 cup milk
pinch of salt
1tbs sugar
80g butter
1 egg

Mix tamarillo with all other ingredients except cinnamon and extra sugar and let it soak while you are making the dough.

To make the dough.  Mix yeast, flour and salt in a bowl.
Warm milk with butter and sugar until butter has just melted.  Pour into flour.
Add egg and work to a smooth dough.
Cover with a tea towel and leave in draught-free spot until doubled in size. (about 1 hour)
Knock back dough and spread on oiled tray to make a rough circle about 3cm thick.

Drain fruit mixture and spread over centre of dough.  Retain liquid it has soaked in.
Cut strips in dough every 3cm around edge and fold over fruit mixture (see photo).
Cover with clean tea towel and leave for second rising - about 30 mins.
Heat oven to 180oC then bake for approx 30 mins until golden crust has formed.
Meanwhile heat soaking liquid in a small saucepan until it is reduced and syrupy.  Pour over cake 5 mins before it has finished baking (it gives a shiny, sticky topping)
Allow to cool and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture (optional).