Fancies are sponge cakes cut into squares, dipped in diluted jam and rolled in coconut. Fancies can be decorated in a variety of styles and with different toppings to suit the occasion. Fancies are usually served on special occasions e.g.:  Eid, Weddings, Doopmaals, etc…

This recipe makes 20 – 24 cakes depending on the size of the squares you cut your cake into.

Ingredients:
1 cup castor sugar
4 eggs
1 cup cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/2 cups cake flour
3 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup milk

For the coating:
3 Tbsp smooth apricot or strawberry jam
1 cup hot water
1 cup desiccated coconut
Whipped fresh cream
Fresh fruit of choice, well-drained canned fruit will also work

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Grease a 30x20cm baking tin with butter or oil.
• Cover the bottom of the baking tin with greaseproof paper to prevent the cake sticking to the baking tin,
• Cream eggs, castor sugar and oil until light and fluffy or until sugar has dissolved.
• Add vanilla essence.
• Add flour and baking powder and mix well.
• Stir in milk and mix to combine until the mixture is a smooth dropping consistency.
• Pour into prepared tin.
• I always knock my baking tin a couple of times on a flat surface to even the batter out as well as to remove air bubbles.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• To check if cake is done insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean it is done.
• Allow to cool slightly, turn out into a cooling rack to cool down completely.
• Remove greaseproof paper.
• Cut the cake into squares.

To complete the cakes:

• Mix the jam and hot water together until the jam has dissolved.
• Put the coconut into a little bowl.
• Lightly dip the cakes one at a time into the jam water, do not drench.

 

• Roll the cakes in the coconut to cover completely.

• Using a piping bag , pipe a border or cover the top of the cakes with whipped cream. 

• Decorate with fresh or drained canned fruit.

Completed Fancies

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