Ricotta Apple Cake

I was meant to do a bit of a brownie experiment this weekend - had planned it out perfectly except for one thing... I forgot to buy eggs. What the hoohay? So I had only 3 eggs on hand and a hankering to bake this evening and quickly pivoted from the brownie experiment plan to make this stunning cake I had seen on Food52's instagram. It's called Louisa's Cake, an elegantly simple recipe to pull off yet yields such wonderful results.

It's made with just a small bundle of ingredients, and chances are you will only need to run to the shops to get just two items - a fresh crunchy green apple and a tub of ricotta. It's also so easy, that I made two this weekend! One for Kak Yati's birthday, and another to bring to dinner at my sister-in-law's place.

I'll save the brownie experiment for another night this week, and I'd really still like to do it before I fly off this Thursday for my 30th birthday weekend getaway. Oh well, who needs sleep? I'm still in my 20s, I'm sure I could pull it off! Hehehe

Recipe for Louisa's Cake or a Ricotta Apple Cake
From Food52

• 117g butter, room temperature
• 225g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g fresh ricotta
• 1 large green apple, peeled and shredded (and squeezed of excess moisture)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 160g all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 9" springform tin with parchment paper 
2. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, then add the eggs in one at a time while mixing on low speed
3. Add the vanilla then beat in the ricotta, apple and lemon zest and continue to beat the mixture until combined (1-2 mins on low speed)
4. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and fold in with a spatula until the dry ingredients are just wet then pour the batter out into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes (fan) 
5. Cool the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes then move to a wire rack and cool completely before dusting with icing sugar and then cutting a slice out to "photograph" but really it was just in time for the hot mug of coffee you just made. 

Upside-down Orange Almond Cake

One of my colleagues sells fresh fruits that he sources from his various contacts at the market, and when he recommends a specific produce to me I always say yes cos I know they'll be amazing. So last week when he told me he had Cara Cara oranges in stock, I said "how many?". Fast forward to the weekend (after I've had quite a few fresh slices as well as OJ), I still had a lot left over.

So I went on a bit of a baking binge over the last 24 hours, and made not one - not two - but three different recipes featuring oranges! First of all, I'd like to share one of my dad's favourite afternoon tea treats:

Upside-down Orange Almond Cake

• 2 cups almond meal
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 320g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsp natural Greek yoghurt
• Zest of 2 oranges
• A thinly sliced orange

Butterscotch:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 180C, and line a 9" springform tin with non-stick paper
2. For the butterscotch: In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar over a medium-low heat until it turns into a sandy like texture, then slowly whisk in the cream and salt until the mixture thickens. Pour the butterscotch on the bottom of the prepared tin and line the bottom and sides with the thin slices of orange (starting in the centre and working your way around)
3. For the cake batter: 
4. Combine the almond meal, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. 
5. Whisk the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, then beat the eggs in one at a time. Add the yoghurt and orange zest and beat until thoroughly combined, then fold in the dry flour mixture until everything is just wet. Pour batter over the orange slices, level, and pop in the oven for 60 - 70 minutes. 
6. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 - 15 minutes before upturning onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
7. Serve with tea :) 

I also apologise for the lack of good-quality photoes but I realise that between my job and family obligations... I don't really have all the time I used to for setting up the perfect shots despite how much I want to. I feel that I keep using that as an excuse to not post anymore. I miss blogging, really, just the seemingly senseless activity of talking to myself. So I hope you guys don't mind... I just really love having this outlet.

Much love, hope you enjoy the recipe and cake!

Brush My Hair & Feed Me Grapes

"She's so sweet. I just want to feed her grapes and brush her hair." said Joey Tribbiani. That, my friends, is love. I'm kidding!

I baked this amazing grape tea cake over the weekend, and made two batches cos it's just that good. This is not the first time I tried this recipe from Steph (raspberricupcakes.com) but the last time I made it, it disappeared so fast that I couldn't get a picture! I've made it one more time since then, and the three times I attempted this recipe, I changed 1 variable in the recipe each time... with excellent results regardless!

Steph used Moscato in her recipe, a sweet dessert wine. The first time I tried it, I used Sauternes wine as I had some left over (and I kinda love that sweet scent a lot). The second time, I made it for my grandmother - who doesn't take alcohol in any form - and used store bought white grape juice. And it it's latest reincarnation in my kitchen, I used Moscato, specifically bought to bake this cake. Each change yielded slightly different results, but deliciously fresh and fruity regardless. I think my favourite so far is definitely the Sauternes wine version.

Anyway, enough dilly-dallying, let me share that recipe with you. And when you get bored, or can't sleep, or just need some sort of baking inspiration, please do check out www.raspberricupcakes.com. Steph's recipes and photography are to die for! I can only hope to one day be able to take pictures as beautifully as she does.

Grape Tea Cake with Vanilla Bean Glaze
Recipe from raspberricupcakes.com 

• 190g all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 170g caster sugar
• 85g butter, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweet wine OR white grape juice
• 1 1/2 cup red seedless grapes

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line an 8" round baking tin with butter and parchment paper
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside
3. In the large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and olive oil until fluffy. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the lemon and orange zest along with the vanilla extract
4. Add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 1/2 cup of the wine or juice after each flour addition, and end with the flour, beating steadily after each addition
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and scatter the grapes on top
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted at an angle comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool in tin for 10 minutes before moving the cake to cool completely on a wire rack

Vanilla bean glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2-3 tbsp milk

1. Mix all the ingredients (start with 1-2 tbsp of milk), stir with a spoon until a thick, pourable mixture forms
2. Pour or drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled cake