Friday 16 April 2010

Fruit Pastry Cake

I have to thank my friend VB for recommending this Fruit Pastry Cake. This cake was very popular among local bloggers sometime back. I told her I would probably give it a try when she first made this cake. Almost two years down the road, and I totally forgot about it until I saw her photo of this same cake recently. With fruits piling over a thick layer of beautiful golden crumbs that comes with a nicely browned crust, how can anyone not fall in love with it?! Since I would be meeting VB's friend to collect a cookbook from her, I thought it would be an excellent idea to make this cake for her.


Since this would be the first time I am making this cake, I baked one to test it out. Except for the little extra effort to wash and cut the fruits, and making sure they are well drained, this cake was easy to prepare.


This is how the cake looked like after baking. I was really surprised at how beautiful it turned out. Even my children were "wow-ing" all over when they saw the cake cooling on the dining table. They were really impressed :D


The recommended pan size for this cake is either a 9" round pan, or an 8" square pan or a 7x11" pan. I used my 8" round pan instead. The cake took 75mins to finish baking, and I got a taller cake. I found the cake slightly on the sweet side even though I have cut down the amount of sugar from 200g to 160g. It tasted a little sweet on its own, but the slight tang from the strawberries (I don't seem to be able to get really sweet strawberries here) helped balanced the sweetness. My kids didn't mouth a single complain though.


After checking with VB, who follows the original recipe to a T, I was slightly convinced that I could increase the amount of sugar. I do understand why some recipes call for large amount of sugar. Sugar used in baking is not just for the purpose of sweetening. It has got other important roles to play. For example, sugar helps to attract moisture in the batter, and this in turn helps to reduce the amount of gluten formed in the flour. Recipes with large amount of sugar content will yield a baked good that has got a more tender crumb; and since less gluten is formed in the batter, the resulting baked good will rise better during baking giving it more volume.

So, for this cake I made for our friend, I used 180g of sugar, still not the full amount but a 'great improvement' from my first attempt.


With the experience gained from my previous attempt the day before, I was able to arrange the fruits in a more 'symmetrical' manner. I thought I was quite brave to give away something that I only tested once! I just pray that the cake was well baked. What could be more embarrassing than to give away something that is under cooked? Even testing with a skewer may not guarantee that the cake is cooked right through.


The cake is soft, the texture is almost like a cross between a sponge cake and a butter cake. As the amount of fat used is not too much compared to the amount of flour, the cake doesn't feel greasy and yet it doesn't taste dry. My family members love it!



I have to warn you, this cake is addictive!

I am addicted to baking and eating it! I made the same cake again a few days later. This time, I used 2/3 portion of the ingredient amount and bake it with my 8" round pan. I also replaced about 1/3 of the plain flour with wholemeal flour. The resulting cake was shorter but it tasted as good. I like the nutty texture from the wholemeal flour, it was like eating something baked with ground almonds, minus the fragrance ;)



Afternote: I made the same cake again one week later. This time I used the full portion of the recipe, but replaced one third of the plain flour with wholemeal flour. I used the same 8" pan, and the result was fabulous. So far this is the only cake that could cause an immediate addiction in me...both baking and eating it!







Fruit Pastry Cake

Ingredients:

100g butter, soften at room temperature
200g caster sugar (I cut down to180g)
50g sour cream (I replaced with same amount of low fat yogurt)
3 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
210g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
500g fruits* tossed with 2 tablespoon sugar*
(You can use strawberries, blueberries, peaches, bananas, oranges, pears, apples, pineapple, or any other fruits that are not too juicy. I omitted the sugar and used as much fruits, either fresh or canned, as needed to fill the top of the cake)

Method:
  1. Wash, cut (chunks or slices, as desired) and drain fruits, toss with sugar (if desired) and set aside. (if using canned fruits, wash the fruits to remove the syrup, omit the sugar).
  2. Grease (with butter) and flour the side of a 9" round pan or a 8" square pan and line the base with parchment paper.
  3. With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and sour cream (or yogurt) till light and fluffy.
  4. Dribble in the eggs gradually and beat till incorporated in the batter. (The mixture may appear slightly curdled.)
  5. Add vanilla extract and zest. Mix to combine.
  6. Sieve over flour and baking powder and mix till smooth. (To avoid getting flour all over my work surface, I mixed the flour into the batter using a spatula, just a few strokes will do, then I used the electric mixer to mix the batter till smooth.)
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
  8. Arrange fruits on top, don’t press the fruits down into the batter. Decorate the fruits as desired.
  9. Bake in pre-heat oven at 180degC for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake. Cover the top with foil in the last 15 mins of baking to prevent the top from getting over browned.
  10. Leave the cake to cool in the pan for about 5~10 mins. Unmold and transfer to wire rack to let cool completely. Dust the cake with some icing sugar if desired.
Recipe source: adapted from here and here.

166 comments:

Kitchen Corner said...

Very beautiful cake with the colorful yet nutritious fruits attached. I like it!

Allie said...

This looks beautiful! I'm tempted to try it too!

Anonymous said...

hi
wow, what a beautiful piece of yummy art. so appealing , make me wanna take a bite, thanks for sharing.
best regards
lori

Bakericious said...

the cake looks so colorful and delicious, hmmm i shall bake it as gift to giveaway. thanks HHB for sharirng.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB
Your Fruit Pastry Cake looks so beautiful. I will definitely give it try myself. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe and tips. Have a Great Weekend ahead!
Monica

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB
May I ask, did you use a 8" springform tin? Will it be difficult to transfer out if I will to use the normal 8" round tin? Thank you.
Monica

thecoffeesnob said...

I love the vibrant colours on this cake, HHB! And what a great way to treat your kids to a fantastic dessert and get them to eat fruits at the same time! :)

Yummy Bakes said...

Wow ... very beautiful cake and looks delicious.

May said...

Such a sincere n pretty gift to your friend!
Excellent choice of fruit toppings - peach, strawberries and blueberries. They make a colourful, appealing visual impact. Is the baking temp missing in the recipe? 180C?

Anonymous said...

Lovely and colourful cake!

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

I also "wow" when I see the 1st picture, this cake is so beautiful. I immediate bookmark this recipe and will try soon. Have a nice weekend ahead.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Monica, I used a normal round pan, I do have a springform pan. It is quite easy to unmold, but you need to leave it to cool in the pan for about 10mins so that it is not too hot to handle. First, slide a thin bladed knife to loosen the sides, then invert the cake onto a tray/plate, remove the parchment paper at the bottom, then invert it again from the plate to the cooling rack. I use the lazy method, I invert it onto the cooling rack, remove the paper, then invert it onto my bare hand and place it back on the cooling rack ;)

Hi May, thanks for pointing it out, I was rushing out to Phoon Huat to look for the pizza pan ;) Yes, the cake is to be baked at 180 degC.

MaryMoh said...

Beautiful! Would be so good with a cup of tea....mmm

Pity said...

this is my kind of cake, i love fruit on my cakes, so I will be making this soon, cheers!

Shamsun & Najma said...

oh wow! im so happy tohave discovered this blog. I am just beginning to bake ...plesae come and visit my blog sometime, i would be happy for any input www.constellationcreations.blogspot.com
najma

Shamsun & Najma said...

hi again im trying to add to your followers but for some reason it wont :(

martina said...

This cake looks soo pretty!! No complain about your "unskilledness" this time, eh? ;)
Well done, hope to make it soon, too
Cheers Martina

sushi said...

Bright and cheerful cake! :)

Mommy said...

Hi HHB, I read the recipe calls for sour cream but I didn't read in the steps when do you add this ingredient.

Thanks for sharing...

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Very beautiful color combination. ;) Bet it taste as good as it looks!

sherlyn said...

Really, I also "wowing" as I scroll through the post. After reading, it indeed seem easy cake to bake thou required some unusual ingredients (yogurt). Perhaps add a glaze and it can become a bday cake. What can I say, nice to see and am sure it is nice to eat.
By the way, if I have frozen blueberries, will I need to defroze it before I use it on the cake?

Anonymous said...

Hi HBB,
Wow, what a beautiful cake!
So this must be the cake you mentioned to me earlier. I love it and will sure to try it out.

I didn't know sugar play such an important role in baking.

As I don't have a sweet tooth so I use to reduce quite a lot of sugar from most of the cake recipes.

Hmm..this could be another reason why my French Almond Cake turned out like kueh as i cut down a lot of sugar when I made it.


Rgds,
Wong

kirbie said...

I've made something similar to this before. I love how you added powder sugar to the top!

Sarah-Jane - SiliconeMoulds.com said...

wow - this is totally stunning. I just HAVE to have a go at it - it's too beautiful not to !

Blessed Homemaker said...

I remember this cake, it was a hit back in year 2007. I made it 3 times, 1st time followed the recipe to a T with the exception of sugar. The cake was dry. In my 2nd attempt, I added more yogurt and lemon juice and it turned out better. In my 3rd attempt, I added extra 1 - 2 tbsp of milk. Cake turned out fine too.

And thanks for the reminder, I've not made this cake since. My kids went WOW when they saw your pics and kept asking me to bake one. I should be baking one soon ;-)

Chef Dennis Littley said...

what a gorgeous cake!! It looks absolutely delicious....can't wait to try it
Dennis

Bimmer said...

looks really good!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Mommy, I have updated the recipe, thanks for pointing it out :)

Hi Sherlyn, Sorry, I am not sure, I have not tried it. Do you defrost the blueberries before using them for other bakes?

Hi Wong, that could be the reason why your french almond cake didnt turn out well.

Hi Blessed Homemaker, thanks for sharing your experience :)

SINCITY said...

such an awfully amazing cAKE!!! i tried it and it turned out to be fantastic!!!! thank u!!!!

my family especially mu hubby wss super impressed!!!

u are such an angel for posting d recipe here!!

God bless!!

Lurve,
Sarah Sincity

Pei-Lin said...

Hahaha! Lord knows what I was doing back in 2007!! I didn't even know how to properly fry an egg back then, not to mention baking a cake! This is so lame!

But boy, oh boy! This cake looks so pretty and elegant with the colorful combination of fruits on top! Also, thank you for enlightening me on the role of sugar in baked goods.

Keep it up!

Yummy Bakes said...

Hi HHB, I baked this yesterday - indeed very nice and addictive. When did you add the yoghurt? After mixing everything, then I realised the yoghurt not added. haha Will be posting in my blog soon let me hv your comments. thanks for sharing.

Dovilyte said...

Wow! This cake looks absolutely amazing! I will really try this recipe. Thank you ;)

Blessed Homemaker said...

HHB, if I may kpo on the frozen fruits.

Sherlyn,
Do note that frozen fruits tend to have more moisture in them. There is no need to thaw the blueberries prior to baking but do not overload the cake with too much fruits, else the juice will be oozing out from the fruits and thus causing the cake to be moist on top.

Fan said...

this looks really good....gonna try it next weekend!

Clare @ Mrs Multitasker said...

The cake is PERFECT. So beautiful!

Anonymous said...

The cake looked so delicious that I couldn't wait to try it - so with my husband coverting the metric measurements into standard (he's Australian so it wasn't a problem for him), I baked the cake. It was super easy and it looked so good when it came out of the oven. The best part - it tasted even better! Thanks!!

~Amanda

ellie said...

Oh what a beautiful looking cake- and such a thoughtful gift too.

I have bookmarked this recipe and aim to try it myself- thanks so much for posting!

云の天空 said...

Hi HHB,

Sorry, I am here to ask for something else out of this post.
I was baking Chocolate Chips TollHouse Cookies during the last weekend, but I discovered that the outlook of my cookies are different from yours.

I face a problem whereby the middle of the cookies are not as crunchy as the side. And the shape is kind of all-rounded instead like a rocky shape.

Do you have any idea what is the cause of the outcome? hmm....I was thinking is it because I was hand whisking the flour mixture instead of folding it with a spatula...

I place in the fridge for about an hour before baking. But it spreads...

Would be very glad to get your reply. :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Yummy Koh, the yogurt should be added with the butter and sugar. Your cake looks great, even without the yogurt :)

Thanks Blessed Homemaker for your kind sharing :)

Hi Amanda, I am glad to hear that you like this cake too!

Hi 云の天空, I can think of a few possiblities.
1) You could have left the butter to soften till it began to melt before you cream it with the sugar. Did the butter appears very soft and greasy?
2) Did you cool the baking tray before using it? especially in between batches? Cookie dough placed on a hot tray will start to melt/spread even before baking.
3) Did you over-grease your baking tray? If yes, maybe you can try using parchment paper instead.
4) Did you use plain flour? If you want your cookies to be more puffy, you can use cake flour instead.
5) Make sure you preheat your oven to the right temperature.
6) You could have over mix the batter when you whisk in the flour. Stop mixing when the flour 'disappear' into the batter.
Hope this helps?

云の天空 said...

ya....
1) I think I had left the butter to room temperature for too long...
2) Oopss...this is my problem too!
4) I'm using rose flour, I think this is the all-purpose flour which would be fine?
5) I preheat the oven at 170 degree for about 5-10mins
6) I think I could have over whisk the batter too...

Thank you so much! I'll be baking another batch, Hope I can get it right this time. :)

Yummy Bakes said...

Thanks Happy Homebaker .... My colleagues also love the cake. Will bake another one ....

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB
Thanks for your recipe.
I baked it last night and it was like everybody bypass the kitchen, they would say "WOW" hahaha. This is a 'WOW WOW CAKE'...LOL
Not only the cake looks nice but it tasted nice. My colleagues also love it...Thumb up!
Monica

tigerfish said...

A really nice balance of citrus to the cake :)

Anonymous said...

Oh this looks so so yummy I will bake this for my Kids tomorrow ..love your Blog so much thanks for sharing ....

Elin Chia said...

Hi HHB,
Thanks for yet another inspirationl cake. Beautiful and delectable with all those fresh fruits. Your generous sharing is much appreciated and therefore I have an award for you. Do drop by whenever you are free to collect it :))

Term papers said...

This is a fantastic, yummy to see this blog, good food, O i feel hungry now, let me have one please, Thanks for share this Yummy post.

AverageGuy said...

I have looked all over the internet for easy to follow recipes in true oriental cooking and you are by far the best at explaining things. Thank you so very much for this blog and your patience in taking the time to show everyone what you have learned. If you ever decide to stop this blog, my whole family will cry over the loss of such yummy food suggestions. Aside from the baking I also truely enjoy your meal ideas. Living inthe United States it is actually very hard to find authentic recipes for asian cuisine. I can only stand so many recipes for sweet and sour pork. >.< lol
Please, keep up the good work! My wife and I try our best to cook as well as you do.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

I had try baking the cake last sat and my family and colleagues love it very much. Thanks for sharing this wonderful receipe. :)

Max

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Monica, I am happy to hear that you enjoy the cake :) It is quite a simple cake to prepare and yet it gives impressive results :D

Elin, thanks for the award :):)

Thanks AverageGuy, for all your kind encouragement, I will try my best to keep this blog as long as I can!

Hi Max, glad to hear that all of you like this cake, if you have a chance, do try the wholemeal version, it tastes great too!

Dee said...

Hi HHB,

I made the cake yesterday, however, after 35min in the oven, a burning smell came out, but the cake was not done so I left it in the oven. At the end of the baking time (55min), the bottom of the cake was black, do you have any idea what happened?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Dee, looks like your oven temperature is too high. Is the cake top burnt? or just the bottom? if so, is the heating coil of you oven located at the bottom? maybe you need to place the pan at a higher rack? and check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. Hope this helps.

~t@b!tH4~ said...

i tried the cake a few days ago for a bdae... looked really good.. but i had a prob.. the peaches strung & created holes in the cake around the peaches.. i did leave it in the oven longer.. for the reason the cake wasnt browning! i guess i would increase the temp towards the end for a quick while the nx time i try it..

Happy Homebaker said...

~t@b!tH4~, the cake should start to brown 15mins before the baking time is up. Do make sure your oven is preheated before you put in the cake, some ovens may take up to 10-15mins to get heated to the right temperature. Hope this helps :)

Dee said...

Hi HHB, it was just the bottom, coz I tent it with aluminium foil after 20 min which the surface was starting to brown. No, there wasn't any heating coil at the bottom of my oven. I tried to put it on the middle rack when the burning smell got too strong though, but I guess the bottom is already burnt. I'll try it again, thanks for your advice.

Terry said...

I baked this cake and followed your instructions to the tee. I felt like there had to have been some wet ingredient left out. First, my batter did not "pour" into my pan - this should have been my first clue. I had to scoop and drop it into the pan. Then, I baked it for 50 minutes are the proscribed temperature; the bottom was brown and the top was white. The cake was dry when we ate it!

I was so disappointed. Is there a wet ingredient that is missing? It really looked so pretty.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Terry, the batter is rather thick, not runny. It is more spoon-able than pourable...almost like a muffin batter. If the bottom of your cake was browned but the top was white, could it be that your oven was not well preheated, or you could have baked the cake at too low a rack position, assuming the heating coil is at the bottom of the oven?

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

The cake is just too beautiful! I do have a question, though. How is it that you are able to dust the cake with icing sugar but the peaches doesn't seem to be covered with it? I am puzzled...

Summer

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Summer, I used a small sieve, and I avoid dusting on the peaches or the other fruits.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for replying.

I was thinking of baking it for Mother's Day, do you think I can substitute one third or two thirds of the flour with ground almond? Will it make the cake too heavy?

Summer

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Summer, I have not tried it with ground almond, but I replaced one third of the flour with wholemeal four which works fine, maybe you can try with just one third of ground almond.

Anonymous said...

Thanks...will do just that.

Have a good weekend...Happy Mother's Day!

Summer

Daffodil said...

Hi HHB

I tried baking, and turn out ok. It was a dense cake, right? Before baking, the batter looks and feels "gluey", am I right?

I also got the big holes/air bubbles like what your cake in the pic. I hope I bake to the right texture, because this is not like the "normal" butter cake, nor sponge cake texture....

I would say, my cake is not so decorative as yours....

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi LJmum, it is not a very dense cake, it should be quite fluffy...better than a butter cake but not as light as a sponge cake. Yes, the batter is quite thick.

Marjoke said...

this lovely cake is at this very moment in my oven and the house smells delicious. It's just the right treat for celebrating mother's day tomorrow. As it tastes as good as it smells...................

Shuurei said...

hello there!!
could i replace 1/3 of wholemeal flour w ground almond?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Shurrei, I am sorry, I have not tried it with ground almond, so I am not able to comment on this.

Anonymous said...

hello. this cake looks fabulous and i surely will attempt it soon. but could you tell me if you had cut the strawberries or left them whole? i am worried that if i cut the strawberries, there might be too much liquid oozing out of them into the cake batter thereby affecting the texture. please advise? thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hi Happy Home Baker,
I placed fruits (blueberries & strawberries) on top of my cake batter without pressing them into the batter. However, the batter rose to cover the fruits as the cake was baking in the oven. How do you get the fruits to stay on top of the batter even after the cake was baked? Appreciate your help, as I would really like my cake to look as colourful and pretty as yours. Thanks very much.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, I cut the strawberries into halves. Just make sure you drain the strawberries before using.

Hi Anonymous, I arranged the fruits on top of the batter and did not press them into the batter, just like the photo shown above. I am not sure why yours sink? did you use whole strawberries? or did you cut them into halves? What about the pan size you used?

Anonymous said...

Hi Happy Homebaker,
Thanks very much for your prompt reply.
I used whole strawberries which were well-drained. The peach slices, strawberries and blueberries were submerged. The batter rose to completely cover all the fruit toppings during baking. Will try again, this time with halved strawberries. Hope for better result appearance-wise next time (fingers crossed!). I used Willow non-stick round cake tin with 20cm (8inches) diameter.

Anuradha said...

Hi Happy Homebaker,

I just tried this recipe, but the cake didn´t rise a lot... (even not at all) I didn´t have an electric mixer. Do you think that was the reason?
I want to try it again, this time using an electrical mixer... what do you think?
Thank you so much!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anuradbha, except for the 1st attempt, I have been making this cake using a manual whisk. So I don't think there is a difference if you use an electric mixer. Did you whisk the butter and sugar until the mixture turns pale and becomes fluffy? What about the baking powder, is it still fresh? This cake will not rise as hign as a sponge cake of a chiffon cake. The final cake will give a nice dome (not flat like brownies) but won't rise that much.

lindentea said...

Hello Happy Homebaker,

I just made your recipe this morning, my husband and friends loved it! I also posted it on my blog. Next time I'll try the wholemeal flour version. Thank you for sharing the recipe. :)

megi

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing. Is really a easy and yummy cake to bake.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Linden, thanks for trying out this recipe, I am happy to hear that it was a crowd pleaser ;) Do try the wholemeal version, I am sure you will like that extract nutty texture in the cake!

hanushi said...

Hi HHB, based on your experience, do you think i can use cake flour instead of plain flour?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi hanushi, yes, you can use cake flour, no problem with it. Do let me know how you find this cake if you ever try it, happy baking!

Life is full of surprises said...

Hi HHB

I tried this recipe on Sunday.

I made a mistake by putting baking soda instead of baking powder (which I added in also)

My fruits were all covered up by the cake when it rose in the oven :(

The cake smelt very good but was on the dense side and the area where the fruits are are moist (maybe I didn't drain it well enough)

Can I check when u say cream until light & fluffy... approximately how many minutes using electric (speed?)/ manual whisk.


Looking forward to your reply. Thank you :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I don't actually keep track of how long it takes. I gauge by:
-appearance - the mixture will turn pale, looks fluffy
-sound - when using a manual whisk, it will create a 'flopping' sound when you whisk the mixture...ie there's air beaten into it.
Do note that the butter should not be left till too soft...otherwise your butter mixture will become 'greasy' looking...shinny, like mayonnaise, which means the butter has melted and not much air is beaten into the mixture.
There are many videos out there showing you how to beat butter and sugar...you can take a look at this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBX-4KRRkI) to get an idea, hope this helps.

Life is full of surprises said...

Hi HHB


Thank you very much for the the swift reply and the video link.

hanushi said...

Hi HHB,

Just to update and share with you.

I tried this cake yesterday. Not too sure what went wrong. It is kinda dry and "heavy", not at all fluffy, haha...

I guess maybe I overbake it? When tested with the bamboo stick, the area near the fruits are always sticky. Hence, I think I bake for 90 minutes in my small 14-litre oven.

Lara said...

Hi HHB, Could you let me know whether you need to use a springform or loose bottom pan? Otherwise when you unmould the cake, don't the fruits fall off?

Happy Homebaker said...

hanushi, I am not sure what went wrong, maybe it is the beating of the butter and sugar? or it could be due to your oven temperature?

Hi Lara, my 20cm pan is a normal pan, and I have no problem inverting it when unmolding, the fruits didn't fall off.

Lara said...

Thanks:)

Hearty Bakes said...

Finally found my way here. Yes, it was your colourful and arrangement of this fruitilicious cake that first caught my eyes to give it a go(pardon my confusion of recipe)
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. My family loves this cake very much!

Lara said...

Tried the cake today. It is simply brilliant. Thanks for the wonderful recipe:))

Anonymous said...

Hi,

It may sound silly. May I know how you drain the fruits ?

Do I need to pat dry ?

Ling

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ling, no it does'nt sound silly at all. I have lots of such questions too :) What I usually do is, after washing the fruits, I will use a strainer (those for vegetables, u know what I mean?) to drain the excess water. Then I place then on paper towels to air dry while I prepare the other ingredients. Turn/flip the fruits around to make sure both sides are dry. Hope this helps :)

if-only said...

hi, i chanced upon this site and would love to give this recipe a try as it looks really good :)

question -- when u use the wholemeal flour, do u also sieve the flour? thanks!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Wei Sze, No, I don't sieve the wholemeal flour, I just sieve the plain flour.

Anonymous said...

this fruit cake very simple & enjoy for looking, but something less in fruit decoration not completed, like: peach,cherry helves & cherry fresh.
if notlike that,sorry!!! that cake not perfect
but I like your creative
thank's very much

FATMUM said...

Hi HHB, Thanks for sharing the recipe. I have tried and give it away as a gift to my uncles. They really look appealing and presentable! :)

quizzine said...

I've tried it not once but twice, and would give it 2 thumbs up! Thanks for sharing the receipe ;-)

sweetieadeL said...

Hi HHB

Thanks for sharing this receipe. I have tried this evening and its really delicious with the fruits! I will definitely bake again!

Anonymous said...

may i know i should use salted or unsalted butter??

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, I have tried with salted and unsalted butter. Both works fine and I couldn't really tell the difference.

megi said...

As you know, I have made this cake multiple times over the summer but I was wondering if you ever tried it with winter fruits such as apples or quinces? Thank you!

Happy Homebaker said...

megi, sorry I have not tried with apples nor quinces.

TinG said...

Hi HHB,
I love your recipes, and especially this pastry cake :)
I have tried baking with this recipe 3 times, but the first 2 try, the batter rose and covered all of the fruits. Then my 3rd try, batter only covered around 50% of the fruits. Any idea why? I substitute baking powder with baking soda due to that's what available for me. Would that be the possible reason causing that?
Thank you!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi TinG, yes it is because of the baking soda. You could have also used different type of fruits each time. Baking soda needs to have a right balance of acidicty before it can work well. It is different from baking powder. You can read about the difference here:http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com/food_articles/baking-soda-baking-powder.php
Hope this helps.

Shobi said...

Its look so delicious and yummy I definitely try this fruit pastry cake.

Education Agent said...

Such a mouth watering post Can i have 1 please..?:)

Anonymous said...

I baked this cake 1 hour ago, it is so delicious . thank you for recipe

Anonymous said...

hi, would like to ask is that possible change the method to steamed instead of baked?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, I dont think so, but you may want to give it a try?

Anonymous said...

Hi, I love to give this cake a try but i'm afraid of the fruits sinking after baking...tips pls? I've tried other kind of cakes where the toppings have fruits on them and i always fail to get the fruits seen on top of the cake after baking.I'll always wipe-dry the fruits and i never press the fruits down too. Please help me as i'm tempted after seeing ur cake...super yummilicious!!! Mel

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Mel, for this cake, the batter is quite thick, so the fruits will not sink, as you can see from the photo above, I arranged the fruit on top of the batter...the photo was taken just before I put it in the often. Give it a try and I am sure you will not be disappointed :)

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tips...i'll definitely bake one and will update u...thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Hi, It's Mel again.... i did bake this cake today and it turned out great!!! Everyone in the house loved it!!! Thanks again for the recipe and the tips...**wink wink**

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, another fabulous recipe from your blog. I baked the wholemeal version just now and it turned out moist although the top of the cake cracked a little. Next time, I should turn off the top heater just 20 min before end of baking time. Looks like your blog will my recipe book. The more I browsed through the lovely photos of your recipes, the more inspired I get to try them out. Thanks for sharing. Amy@ KL

life explorer said...

Hi, HHB, I love your fruit pastry cake recipe... I tried it twice and the cakes came out wonderful. Glad I came across your blog :)

Anazar said...

I made the cake, with slight changes, with much less sugar and I love the texture, it is not dry but not too moist either. Thanks for the post!

Becky said...

Dear HHB,
Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe. Mine turned out really well tonight. Went to heaven when I ate it with a touch of whipped cream :-). Will definitely make it for a party next time.

The Baker said...

Hi HHB, I chanced upon your blog recently. It's inspiring! I've started trying out your recipes! :)

Unknown said...

Amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I have made this with plums and also with peaches with berries. It was a hit. Thank you

Anonymous said...

HHB,

4) Dribble in the eggs gradually and beat till incorporated in the batter. (The mixture may appear slightly curdled.)
5) Add vanilla extract and zest. Mix to combine.

For steps 4 & 5, do you use the electric mixer or just stir and mix?
Can I replace all plain flour to wholemeal flour?

Thanks!
New Baker

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi New Baker, for steps 4&5, continue to use the electric mixer. No, do not replace all with wholemeal flour. Unlike cooking, baking is Science, so it is best to follow the ingredient amount and type of flour as closely as possible, hope this helps.

dapoer-imoet said...

Hi HHB, the colour is perfect

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, thanks for sharing this recipe and the clear instructions! Last weekend I made 2 of this cake using cake flour, first one was not as moist and feel like something is missing somewhere... the second one I added 2 Tbsp orange juice and a pinch of salt...oh mine this is it the salt!
I also used the remaining berries to make a blended berries sauce (with a whole lemon juice & some icing sugar) best served chilled, they go with the cake so well, am happy with the result ;)

Keep it up, we love our blog!
Have a nice day.
Regds, Sandy

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing. I've done this afternoon, it taste is not too sweet, but a bit of hard.
Do you know what's part I've doing wrong.

Cheers

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Cindy, it could be due to the creaming of the butter and sugar, did you cream the mixture till it turns pale yellow and fluffy? the other possible cause could be over beating after the flour has been added, over beating may cause gluten to form resulting in hard and tense cake. If you have done the above correctly, then maybe it could be due to your oven temperature, it could be too high or you may have over bake it. Hope this helps.

m j said...

Hi HHB, i made this cake today but the texture is not soft & fluffy as u had described. My cake has a dome top & there were some cracks. I hv a few questions:

1) my 3 eggs weighed 210 g without shells, is it too much?
2) after the flour has been added to the butter mixture, i used an electric mixer to get a smooth batter. How many minutes shd i spend doing this?

Tks;-)

Happy Homebaker said...

hi mj, the eggs you used are the super large ones...think it is too much. I used large sized eggs that are about 60g with shells. After adding the flour, just beat with the electric mixer till the flour incorporates into the batter, should take only a couple of mins, do not over mix as gluten will form and the cake will be tough. If the cake cracks it could be due to the temperature, your oven temp could be on the high side. Hope this helps :)

mj said...

Tks for the reply HHB ;-)
I will definitely try baking this again cos it looks so pretty! But my fruit arrangement skill was really 烂, think i overloaded the batter with peach slices on certain areas. Could that b a reason why my cake rose unevenly?

Happy Homebaker said...

mj, I am sorry, I am not sure whether it was the problem of the fruits, but I suspect it is probably due to the oven temperature.

Anonymous said...

Hi, is it possible to double the portion for this recipe for a bigger cake? Thanks:)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I am sorry I not sure whether it works as I have not tried it.

teo ai li said...

Hi HHB, this is my 1st time at your blog and is already attracted to this wonderful and colorful cake. A few questions here I hope you don't mind me asking.....does increasing yogurt make the cake more moist? Can I increase yogurt to 100gm without affecting the cake in any way? Btw, is 50gm = 50ml? Thanks!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi teo ai li, thanks for visiting my blog :)
I am not sure about increasing the yoghurt as it may affect the texture. It is best to follow the ingredient amount closely. 50gm yoghurt is not the same as 50ml of yoghurt because of the density. only 50gm of water is the same as 50ml. hope this helps.

teo ai li said...

Oh! Thank you! I learnt something here again. Appreciate it!

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, I tried this cake yesterday and it was delicious. The fruits were refreshing. Thanks for sharing. :-)
Jeannie

Anonymous said...

Hi, can I store this cake in the fridge ? Cos I want to bake this for an event but want to make this a day in advance to avoid rushing on the day itself. Tks !

Kelly

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Kelly, you can store it in the fridge.

emma's mummy said...

Hi, Happy Homebaker

I made this for my friend's birthday on Friday. Though I didn't put icing on top, my two girl friends love it. Thanks for recipe and recommendation.

Unknown said...

Yummy!! I want to make my own fruit pastry cake!!

Anonymous said...

I just tried baking the cake 2nd time. 2nd try was even more perfect! Truly delighted to have found your blog! It is an inspiration for "new bakers" like us when the cakes turn out lovely. Kudos to u!

Anonymous said...

For a first time in my life I baked something perfect, thank you for your recipe!!

Jeszica said...

Can I ask which power mode u select when u bake this cake?

Power Selection: Upper/Lower/Both Heater

And do u switch on fan mode too for the oven? Thank you!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Jesica, I used both upper and lower heat without the fan. Hope this helps.

Jeszica said...

Thank you!!

Jeszica said...

I just want to share with you that I baked this for my mom n aunty on Mothers Day, it was well received n then I re bake again today as cupcakes but reduced baking time to 23 mins n it's wonderful! It's really very tasty n yummy :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Jeszica, I'm so glad to hear that your cake turned out great! It is a lovely and yummy cake, I have also tried baking them in muffin paper cups :):)

Anonymous said...

Hi Happy Home Baking,I am going to bake this cake for an upcoming picnic, i want to know that can i use frozen berries in it???? i am going to thaw them & then use them....so i need your expert advice. take care

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I have baked Muffins with frozen blueberries, so I guess frozen blueberries shouldnt be a problem for this cake too, but I am not sure about other types of berries though.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, do u by any chance happen to know which country this dessert originate from? My gal thought of baking this for her home econs project and needs this info. If u know the origin of mini oreo cheesecake, pls let me know too. TIA:))

Jer

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Jer, I do not know the origin of this cake, as for the mini oreo cheesecake it is likely originated from the states, but I am really not sure.

Fi Fi said...

Dear HH,

I came upon your blog recently when searching for pancake recipe...and I've been attracted by it. Since then, I've tried baking this fruit pastry cake twice. Obviously the first time wasn't very successful as the cake was too moist. Not sure what caused it.

Second time, I tried to tap dry the fruits after wash (used only strawberries & blueberries) for used next day. The texture was good and cake yummy. You're right, it is addictive. Now I'm planning to bake a few of this small one for my friends to eat over the National Day holiday.

Thanks to your blog!

Fi

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Fi Fi, thanks for your kind comment. It's great to know that u didnt give up on the recipe even though the first attempt wasn't that successful :) I have tried baking the same cake in paper muffin cups, but topped with only blueberries and they are equally good. Your friends are so lucky :):)

Jeszica said...

Hi it's me again!! :) can I ask if u hv tried replacing 1/3 of the flour with almond meal? Thx!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Jeszica I have not tried with almond meal.

Unknown said...

I liked the blog and really appreciate the writer for the knowledge provided in it. I will definitely try it while preparing my next cake. i have some important knowledge about cakes read more

Unknown said...

quel beau gâteau ! le régal des yeux avant tout ! je vais le goûter...dès que j'aurai traduit le texte !! merci pour ces belles images et pour (à n'en pas douter) ce savoir faire !

Unknown said...

This looks amazing. I'm not a fan of fruit cake normally but I may have to change my mind for this. I've been trying to find the best fruit cake recipe for a friend of mine and I'm definitely going to try these.

Luther King said...

whoa Fruits are also cooked huh? this Cake is so good. I wish i need to eat that Fruit Cake

Branding Strategy said...

Looking Yummy. fresh fruit cake is good for health so we can use this cake in any celebration. Nice Recipe. Thanks for sharing it.

rachel yee said...

Looks great

Siew said...

Can I substitute with self-raising flour instead? Really lovely cake and recipe you have. Thank you!

Happy Homebaker said...

You may substitute every 130g self raising flour for plain flour by omitting 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the recipe. Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi, can I use just cake flour?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, you can use cake flour.

Anonymous said...

What can I replace sour cream/yogurt with? Milk?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, you can't replace it with milk.

Joey said...

Hi there, your cake looks wonderful and pretty. :)

I was wondering if it is a must to refridgerate it if I'm only going to use the cake for a birthday surprise the next day? Expecially since there's fruits and yoghurt etc.

Anonymous said...

Do we have to leave the cake in the fridge if we want to bake the cake one day in advance ? Or does the cake need to be refridgerated all the time?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, you need not store it in the fridge if it will be consumed the following day.

madhu said...

What a lovely recipe, I love the clear beautiness of these pictures!