Gooseberry Coconut Cake

While most gardeners in the United States are unfamiliar with gooseberries, in Europe they are a common and loved dessert berry.  If you do not have gooseberries in your garden they are definitely worth a try.  They are relatively disease free and the deer won't touch them because of the the thorns.  They ripen mid June through July giving you a long harvest.  Gooseberries can be green, pink, and a deep purple depending on the variety. Both underripe and ripe berries have a purpose and can be mixed in both jams, pies, and desserts.  This post will focus on an absolutely yummy and irresistible cake.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/2 cup butter (allow to rest a room)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup coconut
• 3/4 tsp baking powder

Topping

• 1 1/2 cups gooseberries
• 5 Tbsp sugar
•  2 1/2 Tbs flaked almonds
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Top and tail the gooseberries and mix with the 5 Tbsp of sugar.  I use scissors to do this.  The tops are where the berry attached to the bush and the tails are the remains of the flower I like to remove both.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F
3. Grease an 8" cake pan
4. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy
5. Add the eggs and mix until smooth
6. Spoon the mixture into the cake pan and spread evenly
7. Top with the gooseberry and sugar mixture
8. Bake for twenty minutes
9. Sprinkle the almond over the top and bake for ten or more minutes until knife come out clean
10. Allow to cool
11. Remove from tin if desired and dust with powdered sugar.

Links to other gooseberry posts:

Growing Gooseberries

Gooseberry Jam