Happee Monkee

This has to be the best cake I’ve ever made – and trust me, it’ll be yours too.

When I first started food blogging, I’d almost no experience with baking. Most of my victories came from Betty Crocker’s cheerful boxes so you can imagine what sort of emotional roller coaster rides I go through while baking something from scratch. The feeling rolls from inspiration to apprehension, from doubt to fear, from panic to hope, so on and so forth.

I’ve learned to keep to a few simple rules:

• Read the recipe carefully
• Follow the recipe carefully
• Taste the batter (because sometimes, even the recipes aren’t always accurate)
• And if all fails, then go by instinct – it probably can’t get any worst

Apricot & Mango Yoghurt Cake
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* 425g can mangoes halves, drained
* 125g butter, softened
* 8 dried apricots, chopped finely
* 1/2 cup caster sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
* 250g apricot and mango yogurt
* 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease base and sides of a 6cm-deep, 20cm (base) springform cake pan.
3. Sprinkle the coconut and arrange mango slices at the bottom of the cake pan.
4. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, caster sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Stir in flour and yoghurt until well combined.
7. Add the chopped apricots and stir with a spatula until well combined.
8. Spoon the cake mixture into prepared pan. Smooth surface.
9. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.