Raspberry Squares with Coconut-Caramel Topping

HAPPY MIDSUMMER'S EVE!!!! Today we celebrate Midsummer's Eve in Sweden, it's a solstice celebration where we celebrate the longest day of the year. It's one of our greatest celebrations of the year, almost as big as Christmas. So, yes, today we have holiday in Sweden and we eat a lot of food like; soused herring, the year's first potatoes, chives, sour cream, snaps, beer and the first strawberries of the season is a vital ingredient on the menu. If you're interested to know more about Midsummer's Eve, check it out here.

We usually eat a Victoria sponge cake, first layer filled with mashed bananas or thick vanilla custard and second layer with strawberry jam. Spread the cake with whipped cream and top with lots of fresh strawberries. That's a traditional Swedish Strawberry Cake. It's also very common to eat this kind of cake on birthday's.

But I wont bake a traditional Midsummer's Cake this year because we're having a picnic and the cake would most likely be ruined. But I will definitely eat a lot of strawberries today!:-) But plain fresh ones instead, not too bad:-).

I've baked Raspberry Squares with Coconut-Caramel Topping and I think it will be a great substitute:-) However for me it wont be squares because I couldn't find a disposable squared baking tin at the supermarket, only round ones. But hey, the taste will be the same:-) And I assure you, this is amazing! Sweet, summery, a little bit sticky and the coconut-caramel topping tastes like a sunny afternoon. I bet these squares are delicious too, without the topping and instead eat it with a creamy vanilla ice-cream:-)

Raspberry Squares with Coconut-Caramel Topping
150 gram raspberries, fresh
125 gram butter, room-temperature
1 1/2 dl sugar (150ml)
2 eggs
1/2 dl milk (50ml)
3 1/2 dl flour (350ml)
2 tsp vanilla sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt

Coconut-Caramel Topping:
3/4 dl cane sugar (75ml)
1/2 dl golden syrup (50ml)
3/4 dl double cream (75ml)
100 gram dessicated coconut
40 gram butter


Preheat oven at 175 degrees C.

Mix butter and sugar until soft. Add one egg at a time while mixing and thereafter milk.

Combine flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and then add to the butter mixture along with raspberries. Combine carefully and try not to crush the raspberries. The mixture will be rather thick.

Grease and flour a squared baking tin or cover with oven paper, and spread the mixture evenly. Bake just below the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes, or until a stick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, prepare the coconut-caramel topping. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, let simmer on low heat for a couple of minutes, while stirring.

Take out the cake from the oven and spread coconut-caramel mixture evenly onto the cake. Adjust temperature at 200 degrees C. Place the cake just below the middle of the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, or until coconut-caramel topping is golden. Let the cake cool and cut into squares.

Don't forget to link up your contribution to My Sweet Party . The theme this month is Summer Fruits.

ENJOY and HAPPY MIDSUMMER'S EVE!

This was my contribution for Sweets for Saturday and Foodie Friday.