Rum-glazed pineapple and ginger cake skewers
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Rum-glazed pineapple and ginger cake skewers
Cook these tropical dessert skewers over a high heat so that the sticky spiced cake caramelises quickly and holds its shape – if left in the pan or on the barbecue too long, it can start to fall apart
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Ingredients
- 75ml dark rum
- 100g light brown soft sugar
- juice of ½ lime
- 1 crownless pineapple
- 1 x 245g McVitie’s Jamaica Ginger Sticky Pudding Cake
- vegetable oil, to grease
- 6 maraschino cocktail cherries
You will also need
- 6 skewers
Step by step
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If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes. For the glaze, put the rum, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of water in a small pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes, without stirring, until syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Set aside to thicken slightly while you continue.
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Use a large sharp knife to top and tail the crownless pineapple. Stand upright on its base, then carefully slice off the skin and remove the brown ‘eyes’. Cut from top to bottom into quarters, then trim away the tough core and cut into approximately 1½cm chunks. Unwrap the ginger cake, trim the short ends, then cut lengthways into thirds. Cut each strip into 6 equal chunks. Thread 2 pineapple pieces and 1 ginger cake piece onto the skewers alternately, leaving space at the sharp end for a cherry (but don’t add the cherry yet). Place the skewers on a large, lipped baking tray.
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Heat a large griddle pan over a medium-high heat or heat a barbecue for direct cooking. Lightly brush the pan or barbecue rack with oil. Use about half the rum glaze to generously brush the skewers all over. Once hot, griddle or barbecue the skewers for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining glaze, until sticky, dark golden and charred in places. Cook in 2 batches if necessary.
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Place a cocktail cherry onto the tip of each skewer, then arrange on a serving platter or board to serve.
