Apricot Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup apricot nectar

125g butter

2/3 cup raw sugar

2 eggs separated

1  1/2 cups coconut

1  1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup choc bits

1.  Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan.

2.  Combine apricots and nectar in bowl, stand 1 hour.

3.  Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

4.  Beat in egg yolks one at a time until combined.

5.  Stir in coconut, then half the sifted flour and half the apricot mixture.

6.  Stir in remaining flour and apricots, then choc bits.

7.  Beat egg whites in small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into mixture, spread into prepared pan.

Bake in moderate oven for about 1  1/4 hours. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool.

Dust with sifted icing sugar if desired.

Pineapple Cake With Crunchy Coconut Topping

Ingredients
450g crushed pineapple
125g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour

COCONUT TOPPING
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup coconut
90g butter

1. Grease a 20cm ring pan. Drain pineapple, reserve 1/2 cup syrup.
2. Cream butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time, until combined.
4. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in half the sifted flour and half the reserved syrup, then remaining flour and syrup.
5. Spread half the mixture evenly over base of prepared pan.
6. Top with well-drained pineapple and half the topping.
7.Spread with remaining cake mixture, sprinkle with remaining topping.
Bake in moderate oven for about 50 minutes. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool.

COCONUT TOPPING: Combine sugar, flour, coconut in bowl, rub in butter.
(Before starting with my cake mixture, I mixed the coconut topping first then set it aside.)