No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

Fruit pastry cakes have been on the blogosphere some time back and it was then the trend to bake fruit pastry cakes.  One can bake a fruit pastry cake with whatever fruits you fancy, they can be canned fruits, fresh or stone fruits.  As for the post that I'm sharing today, I only used one type of fruit and here I've decorated the cake with just segments of Mandarin orange.




Mandarin Orange Fruit Pastry Cake ~  橘子蛋糕
Ingredients 
100 gm butter150 gm caster sugar2 Tbsp yoghurt or sour cream (I used yoghurt)3 eggs lightly beaten1 tsp vanilla1.1/2 Tbsp lemon juiceZest from 1 lemon210 gm plain flour, sifted1 tsp  baking powderpinch of saltMandarin oranges, segmentsSnow powder or icing sugar for dustingMethod Grease the sides and line the base of an 8 inch spring form pan.Sift flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.Beat butter and sugar till well incorporated, add in yoghurt and beat till light and fluffy.Dribble in the the beaten eggs gradually.  Batter will curdle.Add vanilla, le…

This is a light and soft chiffon cake well liked by my family.  I like the sweet aroma of green tea and the marbling effect in this cake.   Definitely a crowd pleaser recipe.   Try it!



Matcha Marble Chiffon Cake ~   抹茶戚风蛋糕   (Adapted from  'here' )
Ingredients (A)
5 egg yolks70 gm plain flour5 gm green tea powder + 1 Tbsp hot water20 gm caster sugar70 ml water60 ml canola oil(B)  5 egg whites70 gm caster sugar10 gm cornflourMethod Sift flour twice, set aside.In a bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar, mix well.Add water and oil and blend together.Add sifted flour, mix well, set aside.Combine sugar and cornflour.In another clean bowl, beat egg whites till foamy, then gradually add in cornflour mixture and continue beating till stiff peaks form.Fold 1/3 egg whites into the egg yolk mixture gently, then pour the mixture into the remaining egg whites and mix thoroughly but not to overmix.Take 1/4 of the mixture and mix in the green tea paste.  Mix well.Spoon plain and matcha mixture into an …

I am a fan of Thai basil and this dish can be whipped up in 15 mins, and served on the dinner table.  I like the intense flavour of the basil mixed with the fish and oyster sauces and onions,  Great to pair with plain white rice.



Pork fillet with Basil and Onions ~  罗勒和洋葱猪肉罗
Ingredients  200 gm pork fillet, sliced 2 Big onions, cut into wedges 2 stalks of Thai basil leaves 1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce A bit of Bird eye chillies, chopped
Method Season the pork fillet with some salt, sugar and pepper Heat up some oil in a pan and stir-fry the pork fillet till cooked Add in the onion wedges, basil leaves, stir-fry Add fish sauce, oyster sauce and toss in the bird eye chillies
Stir-fry, dish up and serve

Lately, I have seen many Rose Apple Cake posts on FB, some are chiffon cakes while some are ogura cakes.  I was mesmerised by the fellow bloggers' skill in creating such a pretty cake and just can't wait to try my hands at baking one.




Appple Rose Chiffon Cake ~  苹果花型戚风蛋糕
(adapted from   'here'   with slight adjustments as I added an extra egg to fit my 8" pan)

Ingredients

(A)  4 Large eggs
        25 gm caster sugar
        50 ml canola oil
        60 gm grated apple + juice from the grated apple
        100 gm plain flour
        1 big red apple
        250 ml water + 2 tsp lemon juice (reserve 1.1/4 Tbsp)
        1 tsp vanilla
(B)   4 egg whites
        50 gm caster sugar
        1 tsp lemon juice

Method
Add lemon juice to water.  Cut apple into half with skin.  Core the apple and cut into 2 mm slices.Place apple slices into (1) above and microwave for 1.1/2 min. till slices are pliable but not mushy.Drain the apple slices, pat dry with kitchen towel.Grate apple an…

The Dragon fruit, also known as Pitaya, a cactus specie is a low-calorie fruit that can be enjoyed on its own or part of a salad, a smoothie or used as an ingredient in cake making.  I was very pleased when I saw that there was still a tinge of pink in the cake and it tasted  just wonderful, topped with a spoonful of the fresh fruit.




Dragon fruit chiffon cupcakes  ~    火龙果戚风蛋糕
(A)  Ingredients
       3 egg yolks
       25 gm caster sugar
       70 gm Dragon fruit puree
       40 gm canola oil
       1/4 tsp vanilla
       55 gm self-raising flour  (sifted)
       2 Tbsp cornflour

(B)  3 egg whites
       1/8 tsp cream of tartar
       60 gm caster sugar
Method
Whisk egg yolks with sugar till well blended, add in oil, vanilla and dragon fruit puree.  Mix well.Mix in sifted self-raising flour and cornflour.  Stir till well incorporated.In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites till foamy, add in cream of tartar.  Whisk till frothy and add in sugar gradually.  Whisk till stiff peaks form.Fold 1/3 eg…

Figs are high in fibre, natural sugars and minerals.  Their nutritional value increases when they're dried.  As dried figs are good for the lungs and contribute health and wellness, using them as an ingredient for making soup is benefical to our body.  Stewing figs with some pork and red dates will help to increase the flow of breast milk.  Hence it is also good for mothers in confinement.



Figs, Chicken and Red Dates Soup ~ Confinement food  ~  无花果和红枣鸡汤
Ingredients
800 gm free range chicken, chopped 50 gm dried figs 40 gm seedless red dates 5 gm goji berries 2.5 lt water Seasalt to taste
Method Bring the 2..5 lt in a pot, once boiling, add in the chicken, dried figs and red dates Simmer and let cook till chicken is tender, about 2 hours Add in goji berries Fine tune to taste with seasalt
Serve

I made this soft and moist orange roll cake, stuffed with marmalade  to serve as a mid-morning snack, afternoon tea or a guilt-free dessert after dinner.  Also one can indulge with a steamy hot cup of tea, next to a slice of this yummy dessert.  Enjoy!


Orange Swiss Roll with marmalade  ~   香橙瑞士卷蛋糕
INGREDIENTS(A) 4 egg yolks
30 gm caster sugar
30 ml orange juice
30 ml canola oil
50 gm plain flour
20 gm rice flour
a pinch of salt
(B)
4 egg whites
40 gm caster sugar
1 tsp vinegar or 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Method

 Sift plain flour with rice flour and salt.  Set aside. Whisk egg yolks with sugar, add in oil and juice.  Fold in sifted flour, mix well. Beat egg whites till bubbles appear, add in vinegar, beat till frothy and gradually add in   sugar and beat till stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the flour mixture and mix till well incorporated. Pour the  batter onto a lined 10 x 10 inch square pan.  Tap the pan to remove any air bubbles. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for about 15 m…