Recipe: Jamaican Mango & Rum Cake

Transport yourself to island shores with Mel Hutchfield's Caribbean inspired cake recipe.

This moist fruity cake is topped of with a rum buttercream for a taste of the islands.Ingredients:

For the cake

• 280g salted butter
• 80g dark muscavado sugar
• 150g light muscavado sugar
• 4 medium eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 250g plain flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 250g fresh mango in 1cm cubes

For the topping

• 50g softened butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp dark rum

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

2. Lightly grease a loaf tin and line its bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.

3. Cream the butter and both sugars together with a wooden spoon or electric mixer, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then mix for a couple of minutes until combined.

5. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices. Mix thoroughly until the batter is smooth and silky.

6. Fold the mango pieces carefully through the mixture with a large spoon.

7. Put the batter into the tin and smooth into the corners. Give the bottom of the tin a couple of light taps on the table to make sure there are no air bubbles.

8. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

9. Leave to cool slightly for 5mins in the tin. Then lift the cake out of the tin using the greaseproof paper and allow to completely cool on a cooling rack.

10. While the cake is cooling, beat together the rum and butter, then gradually add the icing sugar while beating, until the buttercream becomes firm enough to spread.

11. Making sure the cake is completely cool [or the buttercream will melt] spread a thick layer of the rum buttercream onto the top of the cake with a palate knife or the back of a spoon.

Mel Hutchfield