The summer holidays with a newborn and two primary-aged children were always going to be busy. In fact, I completely underestimated just how busy we would all be and suddenly, somehow, we are now in September. We enjoyed some time away; a short trip to Cheshire, a couple of weeks in North Wales and a visit to Somerset. I discovered that if you put me in a farmhouse with a farm shop within walking distance I am a very happy girl. I managed to write one blog post – June’s Simple and in Season round up, which captured the very best of what the summertime had to offer us in terms of seasonal produce and just about kept up with a few summer features and recipes for JamieOliver.com.
I’m so grateful to my blogging friends for helping me out and for keeping me awake during night feeds – the perfect time to play catch up with some of my favourite blogs. Simple and in Season went for a little holiday, too. Sally at My Custard Pie collected some tasty recipes throughout July and then Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary put together a stunning collection of even more brilliant recipes to round off August. Nazima is currently hosting a new round for September – I hope you’ll be able to pop over.
One of the recipes I stumbled across earlier on in the summer and immediately set about making was a simple and tasty Fruit Bowl Cake by fellow blogger Michelle at Utterly Scrummy Food For Families. Early days with a newborn hasn’t afforded me much time for baking, but this is a recipe I’ve rustled up with ease a couple of times now and it really is a lovely way to use up any fruit in your fruit bowl that is perhaps softening or passed its best. I’ve also made it with Victoria plums more recently and damsons from a neighbour’s garden, along with anything left in the fruit bowl to use up. Michelle is also very close to welcoming her little baby boy to the world – if I lived a little closer to her I’d be baking her this cake and taking it round. Good luck, Michelle!
Some other fruity/plummy recipes you might like to try in September –
- Kavey’s Sunshine in a Jar Plum Jelly
- Jo’s Plenty of Plums Plum Cake
- Jen’s Plum and Nectarine Frangipane Tart
- Nazima’s Sweetly Spiced Plum Crumble Tart
- Sally’s Spiced Apple Cake
- Jeanne’s Mirabelle Plum and Cognac Clafoutis
There are also some lovely food blog challenges going on at the moment.
1. As mentioned above, Nazima is hosting Simple and in Season September so I’ll be linking this up to her as I used British pears, nectarines and plums in this particular cake.
2. Michelle originally made the Fruit Bowl Cake for Elizabeth’s No Waste Food Challenge , so I’m entering mine to this month’s event hosted by Chef Mireille.
3. Sarah is hosting Credit Crunch Munch this month for Helen and Camilla – I love the fact that you could make this cake at pretty much any time with whatever you have to hand to use up in the fruit bowl.
Utterly Scrummy’s Fruit Bowl Cake (Adapted)
Prep
Cook
Total
A simple Fruit Bowl Cake (adapted from a recipe by Michelle at Utterly Scrummy Food for Families) made with leftover fruit from the fruit bowl.
Ingredients
- 500g of fruit, chopped (I used nectarines, pears and plums)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 200g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200g soft, light brown sugar
- 3 free range eggs, beaten
- 100ml vegetable oil, or mild, light olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C/160C Fan.
- Grease and line (with baking paper) a 23cm round cake tin.
- Remove any stones from the fruit, roughly chop into small chunks.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cinnamon and add the sugar. Pour in the beaten eggs and the oil and mix together well.
- Stir the fruit into the cake batter and pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester or skewer comes out clean.
- Serve with a little dusting of icing sugar, or store in a tin and serve with warm custard the next day.
Now that the children have gone back to school, I hope I’ll be able to get back to blogging a little more regularly – in as much as my napping newborn allows!
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Nazima, franglais kitchen says
Such a great idea. Love fresh fruit in cakes – apple and blackberries mainly but am tempted to try a wider variation! lovely pics too x
Sarah, Maison Cupcake says
I like a nice soft fruity cake and this looks a brilliant way to use up bits of fruit about to turn! Thanks for entering into CCM, it’s been featured in the round up today.
anna @ annamayeveryday says
Lovely cake, enjoy it with your children and your new baby!
Andrea Mynard says
Lovely, beautifully simple recipe Ren, will be trying this with my damsons, maybe a few apples and pears too. Glad to hear you’ve had a good, if busy summer and good luck with your newborn. Hope you enjoy the precious time together now the others are back at school – as well as fit in a few blog posts for us.
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
Sounds like you have had a very busy summer! I hope you are getting some sleep…….. Well done for managing to make a cake at all……. especially one this delicious!
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes says
Neglected fruit in my fruit bowl either ends up in some kind of compote of muffins, I think I’ll give this cake a go next time though as it’s so easy to make 🙂
Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says
Ren I think you have done marvelously at keeping up with a newborn in the house and two other little ones! You’re my hero! Also, this cake? Wow – I love the simplicity. I’m thinking fruit bowl cupcakes with the boys once cooking club starts back!
Camilla @FabFood4All says
What a fab way to get some of your 5-a-day:-) Thank you for linking to #creditcrunchmunch:-)
Jeanne Horak-Druiff says
Oh I love this kind of recipe, where you bung in all sorts of odds and ends that you have lying around! My go-to solution to the ageing fruitbowl is usually a crumble but love the idea of a cake instead. Thanks for linking to my clafoutis!
Rachel Smith says
I often use muffins or compotes to rescue old fruit. Definitely going to give this cake a go next time though. I find that plums degenerate faster than other fruit, and seeing as we’re in the middle of a bumper plum season, don’t think it’ll be too long until I find myself trying this out!
Kavey says
I never think of cake to use up fruit! Revert to jam or chutney! CAKE!
Deena Kakaya says
Every time I see your pics I tell myself I need lessons. My boy and I will really enjoy making this cake x
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I think fruit cake is one of those things that I really want to like, as it looks so good, but I just don’t 🙁
Ren Behan says
Oh well, I’m sure you have lots of other ways to use up fruit up your sleeve, Dannii
Elizabeth says
Oh gosh this looks scrummy! I’d happily tuck into this cake any day of the year! Thanks for the mention too 🙂
Ren Behan says
Thank you Elizabeth, shame I didn’t get this posted up while you were hosting, it was in the pipeline but just tipped into September! x
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I have an old nectarine and some plums in the fruit bowl at this very second! This cake looks like the perfect way to use them up! 🙂
Ren Behan says
Exactly, old nectarines love this cake!! Hope you get to try it x