Have you heard of Matilda, The Travelling Swirly Pan? Started in the US, it’s a swirly pan that travels from one food writer to another. We bake something and write in the journal and add a photo and then send the pan and journal on.
Last year Australia decided to get its own pan and I was asked to take part. I recently I received ‘Tilly’ the pan. I had no idea it was going to take so much time to get this post done but the flu is a rough taskmaster. My apologies to the Travelling Swirly Pan fans. Once there are no more bloggers to send Tilly to, the recipes will be collected and made into an E-Book.
Upon close inspection of the pan that you can see in the photo above, there were lots of scratch marks where previous cake bakers hadn’t been able to get their cake out of the pan. I was forewarned. I greased that baby and then got a brush and gave it another go. I was determined that my cake was coming out.
It did. Sort of. I probably would have been better off with a bundt type pan for this cake but no matter, it was delicious! Even John ate a piece and that’s rare for him to eat cake.
- Butter, for greasing pan
- 400 grams/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 375g grams/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 113 grams/1/2 cup butter
- 225 grams/1 cup sugar
- 121 ml/1/2 cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Preheat the oven to 165C / 325F. Generously grease a tube or bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract; and mix well.
- Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1½ hours.
- Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan. Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Serve with whipped cream or ice cream or go whole hog and serve both.
So you can see, it’s not a perfect swirly shape. I didn’t care – it was delicious. I think if I made it again I’d pop the cake out after 5 minutes of cooling and pour the sauce over once it was on the cooling rack.
wow, what a lovely apple cake!!!
my mom had that swirl pan and i guess this post made me want to bring it into my own kitchen…..
btw, what is the best apple for this recipe, the tangy green ones or the sweet red ones???
Dedy, I used granny smith apples but honestly, when I cook it’s whatever is in the apple drawer in the fridge. 🙂
I love this apple cake ! Look amazing!
I love the idea of a travelling swirly pan! And your cake may not look perfect but it sure does look delicious!!
I HAVE heard of the swirly pan, funnily enough. In fact, it was one of the motivations to dig out my bundt pans and give them a try. It would have been extravagant to actually BUY a real swirly pan, but I WAS tempted.
I love the dark, rich look of this cake. It reminds me of a steamed pudding/fruit cake in texture. And, even though there are some minor imperfections on the swirl, I bet the buttermilk sauce would have covered them … if you had used it in your pictures. Which you didn’t. I had NOT shame and used a lot of glaze to hide the less than professional looking braid in my cherry cheese danish a few posts back. But, you don’t roll like that, I guess. 🙂
You missed the recipe. When the pan comes out of the oven you pour the sauce around the edges. The dark shiny bit on the cake is the sauce. 🙂
Oh, what a gorgeous cake Maureen – perfect for cooler weather.
The problem with getting cake out of those type of pans is awful. However, my mother was a school food service manager for many years. They were given a recipe for pan coat that worked wonderfully .
It was called Dobie
The ingredients are equal parts of
Solid shortening
Veggie oil
Flour
Mix together. Keep on pantry shelf, and when baking use pastry brush and coat the pan.
I used 1/2 cup measure.
I used to make wedding cakes and they came out perfect.
Just a thought.
I enjoy your blog, I also used to cater.
Thanks, Phyllis
I’ve written this down and will report my results. Fingers crossed!
I haven’t heard of the swirly pan, but what a fun idea! And what a fun cake — I love apples in cake. Hope you have the flu licked, or soon will!
What a gorgeous and delicious cake, Maureen. 🙂 It makes me think of my grandmother who, even when Alzheimer’s was setting in, still remembered how to make her scrumptious apple cake. 🙂
Oh YUM to the nth Degree.
Forget the pan and the journal and just go straight to the part where you send me the entire cake. I’ll provide the whip cream and the ice cream.
Thank you. 🙂
What a lovely idea. I think this is the first time I’ve seen Matilda. Those intricate cake pans always worry me re the business of trying to get the cake out in one piece – it’s not as if you can ‘line the tin’. I think your cake looks wonderful and it must be so moist with the buttermilk sauce xx
Maureen, I know all too well the trials and tribulations of getting cakes our of bundt pans like these, it is a feat! So glad to see a new recipe from you, it looks wonderful!
Swirly or not, this looks scrumptious! I’m signed up here so I guess I better start thinking about it! Apple cakes are popular for the Jewish New Year, which is in September, so I just may have to try this then! Thanks, Maureen!
What a nice idea Maureen! Your cake sounds delicious too. Those pans can be a right pain, can’t they?I read the comment with the coating mix, I’ll be interested to seer how that goes. Hope you feel better soon x
Breakfast DOES change lives! Awesome haha
Oh wow,…what a delicious cake! I love apple cake, I bet your kitchen smelled wonderful!
Ever since you posted about the pan I have been waiting for your follow up post 🙂 I printed your recipe and plan to give it a try soon. Our apple orchards should have apples started in about 6 months.
Oh apple cakes are the best and that sauce sounds heavenly!
G’day What a great story and recipe today Maureen!
I LOVE traditions, especially about food as they are always special to me!
Cheers! Joanne
Ugh, I worry so much each time I use a Bundt pan! Too many failures in my past. But the taste is what counts and apple cake is one on my favorites! Can’t wait to get my hands on the US twirly pan 🙂
This cake looks more than delicious! I love the idea about the blogging cake pan 🙂
I didn’t even notice that it wasn’t a perfect swirly shape-I was too busy drooling!
Now this is right up my alley, sounds wonderful Maureen and its imperfections make it look rustic and delicious. I can just imagine a neighbour showing up at my door with this wrapped in a checkered tea towel!
Krissie x – http://pearlsofstyle.blogspot.com.au
Oh gosh, you really have been in the wars! Your cake looks very more-ish indeed and you are wonderful baking anything when you have the flu!
Mother of pearl, this sounds delightful! Buttermilk sauce… such magical words! Yes, I will have my cake with buttermilk sauce. I will always have my cake with buttermilk sauce.
Mmm.. looks and sounds delicious.. My husband love apple desserts.. I might give this one a try.. seems very flavorful.
this is the cutest idea ever! I have never heard of this swirl pan thing and I love it. The cake is to die for. Maureen you can see how moist it is and how rich and sweet. Perfectly baked and would go so great right now with my coffee. Wishing I had some:)
The cake looks scrumptious Maureen. Naughty Tilly. 🙂
Yum, you can’t beat an apple cake, except one that is adding to the history of Tilly the Pan despite the delicate state of the chef due to flu. Well done, Maureen. Looks delicious.
Such a cool pan and love that it travels to different kitchens! Your apple cake looks delicious! Wish I could have a slice now!
Tilly, the traveling pan! how cool is that? Love it!
You were brave to bake in it and be determined that your cake would come out – I shiver to think what would happen if “I” were the baker
great cake, apple is my favorite flavor for cakes these days….
I’ve never heard of this passing of the pans. Great idea! And what a delicious cake you made. I’ll be happy to eat the sticky parts still in the pan!
Oh what fun! That’s a really fabulous idea…and the notebook is super cute 🙂
Your cake looks so moist and buttery. Mmmm! How I would love a slice with ice cream.
Have a lovely afternoon!
xo
Tammy
& Inka 😉
Yum your cake looks gorgeously swirly and sticky what with the coconut and orange and buttermilk sauce. I’d love to take a peek inside that journal – I bet there are some great stories in there.
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I love how fluffy and very moist 😀
Who doesn’t adore apples, this cake is so wonderful!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
The flavor of this cake must be phenomenal. I would settle for the part that stuck in the pan.
I thought I was the only one making apple recipes in the summer 🙂 This looks amazing!
Aren’t you cute! It is winter in Australia. Lots of crispy apples this time of year. 🙂
It looks swirly to me! I knew it would do a great finish. The mixing and prep itself already looked awesome 🙂
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
How fun that you participated in the The Travelling Swirly Pan. Your cake looks so moist and delicious. Of course John couldn’t resist it.
Maureen, I’m thankful you’re feeling better! Getting back into your kitchen must have made life seem more ‘normal’ and this cake would definitely elevate that feeling.
I’m with you on popping the cake out of the pan shortly after baking. The only other ’emergency removal trick’ I know of is to throw the cake (pan & all) back into a heated oven for several minutes, which is supposed to ‘loosen’ it — never tried it, so don’t quote me. 🙂
Hi Maureen, what a fun, never heard of the traveling swirly pan. Glad your feeling better, sounds like it was a pretty bad flu. Love this cake!
I had never heard of the traveling Swirly pan. What a cool and fun idea. Not that I would be able to get a swirly cake out of a swirly pan without destroying the cake and my ego.. but I still think swirly cakes are way fun! Nice post.
What a fun story! I love apple cakes of any kind, and that buttermilk sauce sounds incredible!
I have not heard of that tradition. What fun. I am not the biggest cake eater one would find. But I love apple and carrot cakes for example. This looks heavenly. I am totally taken with the buttermilk sauce. I can’t wait to try both the cake and the sauce—albeit my will be made in an old boring bundt cake pan. I’m glad you two are over the flu episode by the way.
Bet this cake smelled good while it was baking! What a fun thing to do with the swirly pan. Too bad the cake stuck too it, but obviously it didn’t matter since it tasted so good!
Swirly pan or not, i am so going to bake this lovely moist cake (in a bundt). I know my family is going to LOVE it to bits. thanks a lot for sharing. Pinning it right away
I’m glad you were feeling well enough to return to the kitchen and bake a cake. It sounds good and I’ll be trying it once we start picking our apples but without a swirly pan. 🙂
I have never heard of the “traveling pan”, such a fun thing to do…your apple cake looks great Maureen, orange juice, coconut and pecan…yum!
Have a wonderful weekend 😀
Oh my word, that looks fantastic. It has my name written all over it. That’s so sad that some of it stuck in the pan. I would have gladly cleaned the pan up for you 🙂
This cake sounds like a real winter warmer of a cake, I would happily have a slice 😀 I have always shied away from swirly pans and even bunt pans I dread not getting the cake out!!! Maybe I should throw caution to the wind and just give it a go!
I hold my breath and close my eyes every time I use my swirly pan or something similar. Sometimes the cake releases beautifully, sometimes not. But you know what? It still tastes fabulous. And your cake looks perfectly moist and full of flavor. Apple cakes are a favorite of mine, and fall isn’t far away here in California – when I make all kinds of apple things. This is now on the list to make. Hope you’re feeling better!
It still looks great, though! Sometimes, no matter what you do, that pan is going to stick. It’s in the stars. x
Who cares that it did not come out perfectly, it looks amazing. AND then you can snack on the pieces still in the pan:-) Your recipe looks fabulous, love how hearty and how it is full of apples! Yum, Hugs, Terra
how do we know where the pan will end up next?
I have that pan too!! I’ve only baked with it once but it did come out perfectly. It might have helped that mine is new and doesn’t have any scratchmarks. I think it tends to stick on those spots. The cake looks awesome!
Sounds fantastic but swirly looks to be a bit tricky. I’d give it a go. Gosh Maureen sweetly hope you are better now.
Oh Maureen your apple cake looks so fabulously moist! Love the chunky apples and pecans in it!
I love the idea behind “Tilly” and cannot wait to see that ebook when it does come out!
I think this whole Traveling Swirly Pan adventure was started by my friend Jenni of Jenni Field’s Pastry Chef Online! And apple cakes just like this are what get us through the autumn and winter! They are warm, comforting and full of autumn flavor. I do love the addition of coconut and pecans!
Oh this looks so wonderful. Yum yum.
I don’t own any type of bundt pan, but always admire by the unique swirl shape each one has! Love your apple cake with pecans and coconut!