Lumberjack cake

A recipe I've found on the internet and slightly adjusted to my liking, an australian super cake worth making :)

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 2  apples, peeled and finely chopped
• 1  cup  chopped dates
• 1  teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1  cup boiling water
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  egg
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 60  g butter
• 1⁄4 cup pecan nuts (optional)

• Topping

• 60  g butter
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 -2  tablespoon milk
• 1⁄2 cup  shredded coconut

Directions

1. Combine apples, dates, bicarb soda and water.
2. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
3. Line an 8" 20cm deep cake tin.
4. Heat oven to 180 degrees C.
5. (350 degrees F).
6. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
7. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
8. Sift flour and salt, beat in alternately with apple mixture.
9. Pour into tin and bake for approximately 1 hour or until cooked.
10. (layer pecan nuts on top pf cake before pouring topping on) Topping: Make topping by combining butter, sugar, milk and coconut.
11. Use the microwave or the stove top.
12. Heat over low temp till butter and sugar is melted.
13. Spread over hot cake and return to oven for a further 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.