A favourite from my days as an exchange student to Eltham, Taranaki.

Ingredients

• 100 grams butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit
• icing sugar, to dust
• Golden syrup icing
• 75 grams butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1½ cups icing sugar, sifted
• dash milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Grease and line the base of a standard 20cm x 30cm Swiss roll tin.
2. In a saucepan, melt together the butter, sugar, golden syrup and vanilla essence. Cool.
3. Add the egg to the cooled mixture and beat well. (If the mixture is hot, the egg will cook like scrambled egg).
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together and stir into the saucepan with the coconut and mixed fruit. Spread into the prepared tin.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked.
6. Stand in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar and cut into slices or squares. Store in an airtight container.
7. Golden syrup icing
8. Beat the butter and golden syrup together until light and smooth. Beat in the icing sugar, adding a little milk if required to make a thick, yet spreadable icing.

Cooks Tips

Variations:

- Add 1 teaspoon grated orange rind and substitute mixed peel for the dried fruit.

- Use brown sugar for a more caramel-like flavour

- Use treacle in place of golden syrup