Lemon Syrup Cake

A bright, zesty Lemon Syrup Cake to help ease the quarantine blues ❤

Plum Apple Crumble

If there’s one thing I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s this Plum Apple Crumble! And I urge you to do the same. 😛

No-Churn Mango Sorbet

What’s summer without some frozen dessert relief? This Mango Sorbet – new in the May Mango Mania series – is here to save the day! 🙂

Fruit Trifle 2.0

An easy, layered, fruity summer dessert, fit to feed a crowd – that’s Fruit Trifle 2.0 for you! ❤

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Lemon Cake

An Ode to my beautiful Mama with her favourite Lemon Cake on her birthday! ❤

Tangy Raspberry Cake

As you can tell, I’ve been having a very berry summer! And I’m enjoying it to the fullest. While I’ve been mostly cooped up indoors – much to my dismay – due to the unbearable heat, my tummy has been one happy fellow, gorging on lots of berries, mangoes and pineapple. I think it’s safe to say that my obsession with fruits is being well-fuelled. 🙂

What makes me happier is that my passion for baking is flourishing, thanks to this berry mania! First I baked those Petit Fours that were just delish, then the Lemon-Blueberry cake that is out-of-the-world, the Mango-Strawberry tart that needs no description and now this fabulous Tangy Raspberry Cake that will blow your mind. The baker in me is very pleased.

Here’s what you need to make The Foodscape’s Tangy Raspberry Cake in your home.

• All Purpose Flour – 1 and 1/2 cups
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Baking Powder – 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Eggs – 2
• Vegetable Oil – 1/2 cup
• Juice of 1 Orange, freshly squeezed
• Rind of 1 Lemon, grated
• Fresh Raspberries – 200 g

Here’s how you make it:

• Preheat your oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy, then add in the oil and orange juice and mix well.
• In another bowl, lightly sift together flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
• Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and blend until it forms a smooth batter.
• Add in lemon rind and give it a final mix.
• Grease and line a loaf-tin with parchment paper. Pour in half of the batter, then place a few fresh raspberries on top and finish off with the remaining batter. Once all the batter is poured in, sprinkle a few more raspberries on the top and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

This is one of those cakes that everyone loves serving at breakfasts, brunches, tea parties and the like. It’s that perfect breath of fresh air from all those heavy chocolatey treats that your guests and family will love you for. It’s also the perfect cake to savour while you enjoy a cup of coffee. It’s that homely cake that puts you at ease, helps you relax and gives you the warm fuzzies!

It’s tangy, sweet and zesty and sweet some more. It is oozing with flavour, hearty and delicious. The citrus-y tartness from the orange juice and lemon rind are well complimented by the sharp flavour of the raspberries and the buttery sweetness of the cake. It’s truly a cake made in heaven!

This is the kind of cake I love baking – moist, airy and filled with the goodness of berries; the kind of cake that I eat a little too much of on my cheat day. Trust me, it’s that good! 😀

The Ultimate Lemon-Blueberry Cake

Chocolate and I are on a break. We’ve had a wonderful relationship in the past and we will renew our tryst soon, but for now, we need a little space. All that baking with dark and semi-sweet chocolate, Nutella, Ganache and sugar sprinkles has rendered me bored (and has me carrying around quite a few extra pounds, if you know what I mean), so I’ve decided it’s time to experiment with different flavours and techniques. Spring is here and the market is flooded with gorgeous fruits – berries, melons, nectarines and mangoes! I can’t wait to bake with them all!

For my first attempt down the fruity-baking lane, I baked this enchanting Lemon-Blueberry Cake topped with Coconut Crumble. I say enchanting, because the whole experience of baking this cake is truly so. From the gorgeous ivory hued batter speckled with bright yellow lemon rind and striking blueberries, to watching the cake take form while in the oven, the coconut crumble turning a stunning golden, to cutting a slice to reveal the burst berries leave deep purple blots where they were, and taking a bite only to have the array of flavours tickling your taste buds, this cake is beyond delightful!

I wouldn’t say that this cake is easy to make; there are several parts to this recipe and each require a certain amount of precision and careful attention. But that doesn’t mean this recipe is too hard to try out either. Though time consuming, this cake is worth all the hard work you put into baking it. Don’t believe me? Try this recipe out and see for yourself!

What you need:

For the Lemon Curd:

• Egg – 1, large
• Granulated White Sugar – 75g
• Fresh Lemon Juice – 40ml
• Unsalted Butter – 2 tbsp
• Lemon Zest – 1 tbsp, finely shredded

For the Cake:

• Unsalted Butter – 250 g
• Caster Sugar – 220 g
• Zest of two lemons
• Eggs – 4
• All Purpose Flour – 250 g
• Baking Powder – 3 tsp
• Blueberries – 300 g

For the Coconut Crumble topping:

• Butter – 50 g, melted
• Desiccated Coconut – 150 g
• Egg – 1
• Sugar – 160 g

Here’s how you make it:

• Lemon Curd: Place a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk together the butter, egg, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir it continuously while it cooks, until it attains a thick consistency, like that of mayonnaise. Take it off the heat, pour it through a strainer, cover the lemon curd and keep aside.
• Coconut Crumble: In a bowl mix the melted butter, egg and sugar. Add in the coconut and give it one final mix.
• The Cake: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs; then add them to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon zest and mix. Fold in the flour and 2/3rd the quantity of blueberries. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan. Once the batter has been smoothed out, sprinkle the rest of the blueberries over the top and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top is set. Pull out of the oven; brush the top-crust generously with lemon curd and they spread the coconut mixture over it. Pop back into the oven for another 20-24 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and leave it to cool.

This cake was all kinds of yummy! My mum is a huge fan of Lemon Cake and to see her face light up as she took her first bite of this cake was crazy! She smiled and smiled as she savoured every bite, then reached out for another piece. Dad is not a very ‘cake person’, nevertheless, he enjoyed having slices of this cake with tea. The boyfriend was ecstatic when he took his first bite. He isn’t a fan of lemon cake, but this one had him craving more. He almost didn’t leave any cake for my parents to have the next day!

This cake was big compared to the ones I usually bake at home. While cutting it up, I thought to myself, ‘this cake will be around for quite a few days.’ Boy, was I wrong! Within two days, there was none remaining.

Tangy, sweet, the crunchy-crispy top, melt-in-the-mouth are the words that come to mind when I reminisce about the joy of eating this cake. This Lemon-Blueberry cake is the kind of cake which you can’t get enough of; with just one bite, you’re addicted and no matter what you’re doing, it can wait until you have another piece of cake.

I simply loved this cake, and I’m sure you will too! And for mums who wish to get their little ones to eat fruit, you should bake this cake for them!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

If you haven’t figured out yet, I’m a huge fan of baking. I wish I could bake all day, every day. Every free minute I have, you’ll find me glued to my phone screen, looking away for recipes to try over the weekend. This weekend, I had an absolutely fantastic time; I spent seven hours straight on Thursday, camped out in the kitchen; at the end of which I had put together three amazing dishes – a Pineapple Upside-Down Sheet Cake, Hong Kong style Sausage Rolls and Thai Stir Fried Noodles.

The first time I made a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake was a couple of years ago. I remember clearly how excited I had been when I overturned the cake and it came out perfectly. I remember doing a little shimmy in the kitchen and then running to my brother, announcing my latest accomplishment. Apart from how mesmerizing it looked, it tasted heavenly – yet, a little too sweet to my liking. The memory of my then roommate and college friends devouring the cake has not grown even a teeny bit fuzzy. Good times. (I love how cake brings everyone together)

It has been years since that wonderful day, and here I was, all set to recreate a visually stunning and a luscious tasting cake. Canned pineapples ready to be cut up, spatula in one hand and hand-mixer in the other, I got to work.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

• Canned Pineapple Slices – 1 large tin
• Unsalted Butter – 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
• Brown Sugar – 1/4  cup
• All Purpose Flour – 1 and 1/3 cup
• Baking Powder – 2 tsp
• Salt – 1/4 tsp
• Granulated Sugar – 2/3 cup
• Yogurt or Sour Cream – 2/3 cup
• Egg – 1
• Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
• Glace Cherries – a handful

Here’s how you make it:

• In a small wok, melt two tablespoons of butter. Add brown sugar and let it dissolve. Turn off heat.
• Grease your baking pan well with butter. Pour the brown sugar and butter mixture into the greased pan.
• Once it cools, line your pineapple slices and glace cherries in any pattern you like. Leave aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, yogurt, egg and vanilla essence. Min until it forms a soft, smooth batter.
• Carefully pour the batter over the prepared pineapple pattern. Smooth the batter into an even layer. Be sure to be cautious at this point so as not to disrupt your lovely design.
• I baked this cake on the gas stove – I covered the pan in an air tight manner and baked it on low flame for 25-30 minutes. You can also bake this cake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius.
• Once baked, let the cake cool for about half an hour in the pan.
• Cover the opening of the pan with a large flat plate or tray, and with a swift motion, overturn the cake.
• Tap the surface of the overturned pan softly to make sure the cake has left the pan. Lift the pan away slowly.
• Behold your gorgeous Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!

This cake is like a fantasy coming to life – you wouldn’t expect a cake coming out of the oven looking so incredibly beautiful and appetizing. You don’t have to go the extra mile to make this cake pretty (how’s that for a time-and-energy-saver?)

This Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is just all kinds of lovely – every bite feels like you’re falling deeper through layers of clouds into sweet sweet heaven. The buttery sweetness of the brown sugar will have you smacking your lips, the tangy flavor of the pineapple and the sweetness of the cherries do their bits in lifting the cake to a pedestal while the moist, soft, not-too-sweet vanilla cake brings all these flavors and textures together into a fiesta dancing on your palate. It’s a gastronomical extravaganza to say the least. Eating this cake is pure joy, don’t miss out.

A little tip: This cake tastes better when it is eaten cold – the sourness of the pineapple comes through better when the cake is cold.

Get into your kitchen and get baking. Treat yourself to this delicious Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!