Green Tomato Cakes
If you grow your own - there will be the inevitable stubborn green tomatoes at the end of the season. When I was a child I remember wrapping them individually using small squares of newspaper so that they would ripen in their own time, the semi ripe ones were stood side by side on a sunny windowsill, some would go into chutney but never into cake. If you slice a green tomato and taste it they are really quite yummy, almost apple like, being firm and not too juicy so I decided to give it a go.
Makes 1 x 2 lb loaf, 12 muffins or 12 slices with a cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
You will need a 2 lb loaf tin brushed with lining paste, a 12 hole deep muffin tin lined with paper cases or an 8 inch square cake tin brushed with lining paste.
For the Cake
250g Green tomatoes
1 tsp salt
150g Soft brown sugar or white sugar for a paler sponge (I prefer the brown)
150ml Vegetable Oil, sunflower or rapeseed
3 eggs
150g Self Raising flour
50g Ground almonds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
For the Frosting
60g Soft butter
60g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
100g Full fat Cream Cheese
2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds for decoration
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Preparation
When ready to bake – preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade (fan assisted).
Start by cutting the tomatoes into half or quarters if large then pop into a food processor with the blade fitted and blitz for a few seconds until the fruits are roughly chopped but not pureed.
Transfer to a colander standing on a plate, sprinkle over the salt and lay over a plate with a weight and leave for at least an hour (or even overnight) to make sure excess juice is extracted.
In a roomy mixing bowl whisk together the sugar and the oil and make sure there are no lumps in the sugar before you start. Once well mixed whisk in the eggs and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Fold in then all of the dry ingredients, the flour, almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg and once all is well combined add the drained tomatoes.
This is a thin batter so I find it easier to use an ice cream scoop to transfer to the 12 cupcake cases. If making the cake or loaf, pour into the prepared tin.
Bake the loaf at 170 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour, the square cake for 40-45 minutes and the cupcakes for 25-30 minutes or until the sponge is risen, darkened and firm to the touch.
I added sugar nibs to my 12 cakes and these should be scattered over when the cakes have been in the oven around 10 minutes so that the sugar doesn’t sink. Be careful, don’t burn yourself – just sprinkle them over the cakes without taking them out of the oven.
If you want to apply a cream cheese frosting wait until the cakes are completely cool.
Whisk together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy then add the cream cheese and vanilla. Spread over the cake and sprinkle over toasted flaked almonds. Cut into 12 slices.
This cake with the frosting will last 2-3 days in a tin. Without the frosting they will keep for about a week in a tin and can be frozen. The frosted cake is not suitable for freezing.
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