Over the past week or so, while I have been stirring and feeding Herman ready for the next split, I have often felt my mind wander to what could I try next? What could work? What would I like?

Yesterday was Herman split day…. So today is Herman bake day.

I decided on making a Carrot cake, a Rhubarb cake (as I bought some at the Love Food festival at the weekend), and a Pineapple cake.

Next I consulted the Flavor Bible on what to combine with these things, perhaps to try and think outside of my box a little…. Here we go!

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Carrot, Ginger, and Lemon Herman

Ingredients

160ml oil
2 eggs
250g sugar
350g self raising flour
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp salt
200g carrots, grated
Chunk of ginger, grated (for that extra shot of gingeriness)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

Grab a chunk of ginger and grate…..

Carrots, ginger, and lemon zest…

Combine with all other ingredients, and pour into a lined tin (10inch). Bake in a 180C/350F oven for 35-45 minutes.

Juice the other half of the lemon, and combine with enough icing sugar to create pipable consistency, and pipe across the top.

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Pineapple, Banana, and Coconut Herman

Ingredients

160ml oil
2 eggs
250g sugar
350g self raising flour
1tsp salt
100g pineapple – note, I used chunks out of a tin, but cut them smaller
50g banana, mashed

50g desiccated coconut
handful of dried banana chips, chopped

Method

Coconut, banana, and chopped pineapple chunks…..

Combine all the ingredients, and pour into a lined tin, sprinkle with chopped dried banana chips.

Bake at 180C/350F for 35-45 minutes

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Rhubarb, Cinnamon, and Custard Herman

Ingredients

160ml oil
3 eggs
100g sugar
350g self raising flour
1tsp salt
200g Rhubarb, chopped into evenly sized chunks

150g Demerara sugar

2tsp ground cinnamon

1tbsp custard powder

milk

Method

Put rhubarb, demerara sugar, and cinnamon into a heatproof bowl, and bake for 20 minutes in a 180C/350F oven.

Put custard powder, 1tbsp sugar and a small amount of milk in a jug, mix into a paste, then add a further 100ml of milk and microwave for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Combine all other ingredients (including rhubarb) and pour into a lined tin. Drizzle custard over the surface, and bake for 35-45 minutes.

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Phew. A busy evening.

Except for some…………………………… bless.

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update 12.04.2012: taste tested all 3 cakes, I think the Carrot, Ginger and Lemon one is the favourite, moist and yummy, can definitely taste the extra gingeriness of the freshly grated ginger. I definitely recommend giving it a try!