updates | April 03, 2026

One-pot lumberjack cake - Eat Well Recipe

This brilliant cake takes its cue from the wonderful boiled sultana cakes of old - with the addition of a crunchy topping. The one-pot method guarantees a moist result. If you don't like ginger, use dates, prunes or dried apricots instead.

For the cake

1 cupCrystallised ginger, or dried fruit, such as dates, coarsely chopped
1 cupWater
1 tspBaking soda
¾ cupSugar
220 gButter, finely chopped
1Egg
1 tspVanilla extract
2 cupsSelf raising flour

For the coconut topping

50 gButter
3 TbspMilk
1 ½ cupsShredded coconut (Main)
1 cupSoft brown sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 160C fanbake. Lightly grease a 23cm-diameter springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Place ginger or dried fruit in a large pot with the water and baking soda, bring to a boil and simmer gently until the ginger or fruit is softened (10 minutes).
  2. Remove from heat, add sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in butter until melted, then egg and vanilla. Stir in flour until just combined. Spoon into prepared tin and bake until the top bounces back when pressed and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (about 40 minutes).
  3. While cake is cooking, make topping by heating butter and milk until butter has melted. Remove from heat then stir in coconut and sugar. Spread evenly over cooked cake while still hot and return to oven until topping is lightly golden (10-12 minutes). Cool in tin. Store in a sealed container for up to a week.

More picnic cake recipes from Annabel


Essential Annabel Langbein (Annabel Langbein Media, $65) is a beautiful compendium of Annabel’s best-ever savoury recipes and cooking tips — on sale at Paper Plus, Whitcoulls, The Warehouse and all good bookstores or visitannabel-langbein.com