More means less

If a movie is a HUGE box office hit like the last “Batman”, there will always be several sequels. From one of the movie websites, Quote: “A staggering 7 out of the top 10 films were sequels raking in more than $866,000,000, not including rentals, DVD buys and other miscellaneous promotional purchases. Out of the top 3 films were 2 sequels that grossed over A BILLION DOLLARS!" 

Hey Quay Po, what are you blabbering about? This is not a Movie blog lah!  I know, but I am going to get to the point so bear with me okay? In other words if anything that is good, there has to be a sequel right?  Since the apricot pie was well received and there were some beauties left, I made a sequel dessert to it and it was the Apricot dessert cake. It did not rake in a million dollar profit but it had brought joy to my love ones who enjoyed that piece of cake. This is what money cannot buy. Many of us have been chasing after money for more than half of our lives and for some, our entire lives. In my opinion, I think we have cheated ourselves when we compromised happiness with money. Let us not forget the constant pursuit of more money to get more and better stuff  does not necessarily increase our happiness. I'd rather earn less, have less, but have more time to spend with my love ones than earn lots, and have more but have no time at all with them.  


For those who have missed the post of the apricot pie, you may click on the picture to go get the recipe if you like.

I have to confess that the apricot dessert cake tastes better than the pie but it is not as simple to make. However it is not a complicated recipe either. If I can handle it, that means it is a piece of cake for you talented bakers out there. I have to say the cake was as irresistable as honeysuckle to a swarm of bees. Don’t just take my words for it, try this recipe and let the unique taste convince you. To me, this cake is not only an opulent feast for the eyes, it is the most satisfying cake that had turned on the hungry beasts in my home. So, if you decided to do it, make more than one. 

Apricot dessert cake

Largely adapted from http://teaforsix.com

Cake ingredients:

90g unsalted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup caster sugar

2/3 cup self-raising flour

pinch of salt

orange juice, 1 whole orange, heated

1 tbs rum

14 to 15 apricot, halved and remove seeds

2 tbs sugar

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

Method:

Line a 8 in square baking tin with baking paper.

Cook apricot with sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon till slightly soft not limp.  Drain apricot well and set the syrup aside.

Melt the butter over a low heat and gently stir in the brown sugar.  Beat well until the butter is absorbed.  Spread this caramel evenly over the base of the tin.  Place the drained apricot halves (rounded side down) on top of the caramel.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flour and salt then gently fold into the egg mixture.  Then fold in the warmed orange juice.  Pour mixture over the apricots and smooth over.  Bake for in preheat oven of 175 degrees C for 30 minutes or until golden and springs back to the touch, or tested with a skewer.  Let the cake cool and run your knife around the sides before carefully inverting the tin to place the cake on the serving platter.

Meanwhile, heat orange juice the balance of syrup from cooking the apricot and rum and pour over the cake and leave to soak for a few minutes before serving with whipped cream or ice cream.