Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

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Say hypothetically youre stalking someone on Facebook. Totally hypothetical.

So youre stalking. First things first: type in name of unsuspecting stalkee.

Now, lets just stop here for a moment. Please please make sure you type the stalkees name in the search bar, and not the whats on your mind bar.

Should you happen to type the stalkees name in the whats on your mind bar. well, their name will be your new status update. Oooh, and you really cant delete that fast enough.

Consider this a public service announcement. Dont be like me. Im constantly embarrassed.

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Roast these strawberries. Ok this is when you should totally be like me. Just dont be like me on Facebook.

I know strawberries are lovely and beautiful fresh from the market. But if youre feeling like a person that wants to turn on the oven. OH! The wonder!

Roasted strawberries transform from summer fruit, to warm, soft candy.

Dolloped on top of a sweet buttermilk cake? Too good. Game over.

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Hull them berries. Hull em and slice em in half.

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This roasted strawberry recipe is from the continually solid Super Natural Every Day.

Heidi tosses the fresh berries in a mixture of maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. I was a tad bit raise-eyebrowed at the thought of olive oil and salt but the mixture is an absolutely perfect glaze.

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Glossy coated strawberries, slightly sweet, and ready for the oven!

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Buttermilk skillet cake is wonderfully simple.

No stand mixer required. Youll just need a whisk and two bowls.

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Buttermilk, large eggs, and melted butter.

I love how simple this is.

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Buttered skillet.

Few things are finer.

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Well, would you look at that?

Things just got finer.

Soft batter topped with warm, glazed strawberries.

The strawberries will sink just slightly during baking that just means theyve gotten cozy.

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Let me give you the nitty-gritty on this cake.

Its dense, moist, slightly tangy, and full of flavor. Its a really soft cake that you can eat sliver by sliver standing in your kitchen.

I love to bake cakes in cast iron skillets, but if you dont have an oven-safe skillet, feel free to use an 11-inch tart or quiche pan or, as a last resort, a 913-inch pan. The larger 913-inch pan will make this cake much thinner than whats pictured above. No biggie, just keep an eye on it in the oven after 18-20 minutes.

Because this cake doesnt have a lot of butter or sugar, it can dry out quickly in the oven. Lets also remember that cakes continue to bake when they come out of the oven especially in cast iron. I baked this cake for 23 minutes, then removed it from the oven. Just keep a close eye. When the skewer comes out clean (or with just one or two crumbs) were golden!

Enjoy this cake with any sort of summer fruit that inspires you! Roasted apricots, fresh plums, or smashed blackberries.

Cake is good! Happy living!

Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

makes 1 11-inch cake

recipe adapted from Super Natural Every Day

Print this Recipe!

For the Roasted Strawberries:

8-ounces medium strawberries, hulled

2 table spoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

For the Buttermilk Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon aluminimum-free baking powder (I use Rumford Baking Powder)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

roasted strawberries

3 tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping

To make the strawberries:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. The strawberries get juicy, so a rimmed baking sheet is important. Set aside.

Cut each strawberry in half and place in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. Whisk together until completely incorporated. Drizzle the mixture over the strawberries and toss until each strawberry is coated. Arrange strawberries in a single layer across prepared baking sheet.

Roast strawberries for 40 minutes. The juices will thicken, but remove the strawberries from the oven before the juices begin to burn. Remove the berries and juice from the pan while still warm. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

To make the cake:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 11-inch cast iron skillet. You can also use an 11-inch round tart or quiche pan, or a 913-inch pan although the cake will be more thin and youll need to keep a close eye on it in the oven.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Whisk in the vanilla or almond extract.

Add the buttermilk mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and no lumps remain. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Top batter with half of t! he roast ed strawberries and juice. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before slicing to serve. Serve with the remaining roasted strawberries.

Cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.


World Chef Anthony Cumberbatch recipe


Bubble Tea at Bubbles Telawi, Bangsar

Bubble Tea at Bubbles Bangsar. Now thats a mouthful isnt it?
Creative name aside, Bubbles menu also sports some originative blends such as durian and kumquat.

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As briefly mentioned in my previous post on Cameron Valley Tea Bangsar, the very owners of Cameron Valley Tea established Bubbles as well, not long after the opening of Cameron Tea Valley.

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It was a savvy business move really, since they already had the upperhand of owning their own plantation and cultivating their own tea.
For Bubbles, this means complete control of the base of every bubble tea cup; which is the tea. Unfortunately their syrups and powders as well as toppings are still outsourced but we were assured that the very best were used.

The interior was as cheery as the colours of the name and the same can be said of their staff here. Ever patient and warm, they took time to explain and recommend the teas from the menu; which was sectioned to 3 main bases; Milk Tea Series, Fruit Tea Series (choose black or green tea) and Local Delight Series.

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Take you pick from 2 sizes, SMALL (500ml) for RM4.90 or REGULAR (700ml) for RM5.90.
Toppings for the drinks are available for RM1 onwards and the gamut of choices available a! re as be low:

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Our orders:
Kamquat with yogurt pearls (RM5.90 + RM1.00 for topping)
Milo Ais Bubble Tea with Yogurt Pearl (RM5.90 + RM1.00 for topping)
Strawberry Milk Tea with Rainbow Jelly (RM5.90 + RM1.00 for topping)

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Theres no limit to the toppings as long you have no limit on your wallet. Just add RM1.00 per chosen topping! :dd

The group of us in a mad bubble tea-ing session.

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I like the bubble tea here but I have to admit Im no expert. I avoid bubble teas in general as I find them a waste of money (RM8-10 for one cup??) as the price of each cup is equivalent to one hawker meal. But the primary reason was due to my stomach sensitivity. I have the unfortunately tendency of getting gastric whenever I drink tea. Like I said before, perhaps those were made from tea of poorer quality, since I had absolutely no problems that day after my tastea session at Cameron Valley Tea followed by a kumquat bubble tea at Bubbles.

Our general consensus was Bubbles is value for money since a 500ml cup starts at RM4.90 without any taxes. Besides, the pearls (one of the main differentiation factor ! for the bubble tea competitors) is pleasantly chewier with a better mouthfeel.
Another topping; the yogurt pearls were a firm favourite as well as each sphere bursted to squirt sweet yogurt into the mouth. Unhealthy levels of saccharine which was also a concern when consuming bubble teas werent an issue that day since our drinks were all prepared with a good balance of sugar, without us having to request for less sugar.

For my next gym session in Bangsar, I shall treat myself to a Durian Tea with Aloe Vera topping. Thats one flavour that I havent been able to purge from my mind. I just have to know how it taste like! :d

Check out their Facebook page now for special offers and promos! They are running a BUY 2 GET 1 FREE OFFER! https://www.facebook.com/BubblesBubbleTeaRules

Bubbles
No. 23, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru,
Bangsar Kuala Lumpur 59100


Porridge with Chicken @ Batu 3 Jalan Ipoh on An Evening

Just a road side stall selling porridge with poached chicken, pre-fried noodle, Chang (dumpling) and sited next to a Bak Kut Teh shop called Leng Kee (a corner tyre shop next to it).

Simple fried noodle de economical stylePoached chicken (half bird) was tender, juicy and delicious. No wonder business is so good.Minced meat balls porridge - yummy and hot, eat slowly and not to burn your tongue. Unfortunately you can not see the meat balls they are all submerged in this bowl.
I guess it must be also the soy sauce that made it so yummy. We will come back again.

Killing two birds with a stone, we ordered a supplement bowl of mixed Bak Kut Teh from Leng Kee Bak Kut Teh shop. My boys love meat.
Porridge & Poached Chicken
3rd Miles Ipoh Road
Kuala Lumpur
GPS :3.17974,101.684287

rhubarb snacking cake

rhubarb snacking cake

Almost every year, as soon as the weather gets warm, I become obsessed with a simple, single layer cake that can be made in little time and that I promise will be all you need to be welcome at any picnic/barbecue/cook out/pot-luck that summer.

pretty stalks of rhubarb, at last
rhubarb with sugar and lemon juice

Three years ago, it was a raspberry buttermilk cake, which was the equivalent of taking a single, thin layer from the very best yellow birthday cake youve ever had, scattering fresh raspberries over it and baking it until bronzed and perfect. Needless to say, it went on repeat. Later that summer, it was blueberry boy bait, a cake so decadent and buttery I briefly questioned if it had too much butter, then checked my pulse, realized any talk of too much butter was simply madness, and enjoyed the cake thoroughly for as long as the blueberries lasted. (Also, it worked.) Last year I become enamored with something I called a strawberry summer cake. Round and finely crumbed, yet almost butter-slathered-hot-biscuit in texture, it works best with just-picked and borderlin! e-overri pe strawberries that, when baked, nearly dissolve into jammy puddles throughout the cake. I also found that I liked it with some of the regular flour replaced with barley flour; just trust me, it works.

sour cream cake batter

... Read the rest of rhubarb snacking cake on smittenkitchen.com

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Lunching @ Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Gardens KL

With so many new restaurants opening around KL plus the fact that Baby C has started pre-school this year, we have not been to Sage for a while for lunch. The promise of foie gras, scallops and steak was all it took to prompt Hubby to make a reservation at Sage.

Unfortunately, it's not so easy to get a reservation at Sage these days... the restaurant is often closed for private functions. Can't blame everyone for wanting to eat here, it is afterall one of my favourite lunch spots in KL.

Still as good as ever..


We were greeted by a few familiar faces when we arrived, but there were many new faces amongst the waiting staff. It was good to see Chef Daniel cooking in the open kitchen (IGB chairman etc were dining there on the same day). We were also pleased that a good friend of ours, Quay Po could join us for lunch.

Complimentary warm bread - I think Sage is the place I can eat the most bread at! The bread is so good and I love the basil dip.


To start, Hubby and Quay Po had the consomme of maitake mushroom with duck foie gras and sea scallop. It came with a hefty portion of foie and two big scallops.. I was so jealous that I didn't order this! The consomme was poured tableside. Both my dining partners enjoyed this very much.


Golden consomme


Luscious foie


Simply gorgeous


I had the cold buckwheat noodles with tuna chutoro, flying fish roe and Togarashi pepper. Now that I look back at the menu and photos, they seem to have missed out the flying fish roe on my plate. Hmmmmm. I do love the cold noodles at Sage plus the tuna chutoro was so fresh. My only complain is that the portion is too small (for me anyways).:P



Pretty and petite


We also love the steaks that we get here at Sage. The Angus Beef Striploin was cooked to medium rare, as requested and the presentation is slightly different since the last time we came. Hubby feels that this is much more aesthetically pleasing. The steak as usual is very flavourful and delicious.

Angus Beef Striploin with Potato Gratin, Sauteed Vegetables and Dijon Mustard



Dessert was fresh mango with passion fruit puree and ricotta ice cream. It was nice but a little boring to be honest. I would have preferred a bavarois, mille feuille or chocolate molten cake, all which they do so well here at Sage.


Quay Po made us some of these delicious carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to take home for the kids. Thanks so much dear - my children loved them very much! I do hope that you enjoyed your lunch session with us at Sage. :)


Pork-free.

For their weekly lunch menu, click here. Full a la carte menu here.

Dress code: Smart casual.

Opening hours: Lunch:Monday to Friday 12.00pm to 2.00pm; Dinner:Monday to Saturday 6.00pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Sunday.

Price: RM100 nett per person for 3-course lunch. 10% off with The Gardens Club card.

Location: Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Gardens Residences, Level 6, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2268 1328

*Children below the age of 6 are no longer allowed in the restaurant.

California Cookie Co & Marbles Bread Express

With convenient locations at The Curve and Mont Kiara, California Cookie Company could become the sweetheart of everyone who enjoys sinfully buttery cookies and brownies.

Soft-baked sensations, made fresh daily, for the fair price of RM4 apiece. Cali Cookie Co's kiosk at The Curve's overhead bridge to Ikano is open 10am-10pm everyday, and it also runs a stand at Plaza Mont Kiara on Thursdays, 3pm-7pm.

These chunky cookies, with plenty of chocolate for a bold flavor, strike a brilliant balance between crunchy and chewy, leaning toward the latter.

Brownies are also available, the luscious kind in which each melt-in-the-mouth bite offers a deep, decadent creaminess.

Our next starchy stop: Marbles Bread Express, a nice bakery in Taman Seputeh.

Come in the morning, when everything's fresh and fluffy. We love the creative creations here, including marble "lollipop" and marble "churros."

Oreos and chocolate-stuffed buns, delightfully dense.

California Cookie Company,
The Curve and Plaza Mont Kiara.

Marbles Bread Express,
62-4, Jalan Bukit Raja, Off Jalan Taman Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur.
Open 7:30am-10:30pm.