Cape Town Spring has been friendly in the afternoons (so far), although mornings and evenings give us chills. If I didn’t know it already, my sinusitis has given me the reminder of season change. And not in a nice way.
I’ve been enjoying the outside more, since lockdown. Then I get home to tend to the garden that’s been needing more water since the sun is starting to shine harshly on it. Gardening has helped me to be present, to pay more attention on each season I’m currently in. Learning about what I spend more of my time on and when to be silent, to breathe, to be patient and let nature take its course.
When I went hiking, the scenery was so beautiful and I was reminded of this quote: “The sun is shining brightly, and its playful, beaming rays are bathing in the puddles along with the sparrows. The river is swelling and darkening; it has already woken up and very soon will begin to roar. The trees are bare, but they are already living and breathing. – Anton Chekhov
At the mountain we hiked at, spring flowers sprung in unfamiliar (and familiar) places, as if they were shoving their presence and taking up space. Knowing that if they don’t embrace this opportunity to show off their beauty and existence, they will cease to exist, because soon summer is coming with its own flowers and beauty. We took lots of pictures of the flowers, scenery and of each other. We laughed and connected.
“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed… Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” — Henry David Thoreau
Take care and stay healthy.
Plant a seed and watch it grow.
Spring Baked Cake
Equipment
- 24cm porcelain pie dish
Ingredients
- 110 ml Milk full cream
- 120 g Butter melted
- 100 g Cultured Cream
- 170 g Cake Flour sieved
- 130 g Castor Sugar
- 2 Eggs large
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract or essence
- Blueberries as needed
- Raspberries as needed
Serving
- Warm Custard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180℃.
- Grease a 24cm porcelain pie dish with butter and coat with flour or use cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add melted and sugar, whisk with a hand whisk until well combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
- Add vanilla essence and cultured cream, whisk until combined.
- In a small bowl mix flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder and salt, stir to mix.
- Whisk in half of the flour mixture and half of the milk until smooth, then add the rest of the flour mixture and milk, whisk until smooth.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pie dish, spread it evenly.
- Top it with as much blueberries and raspberries. See Video.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let it cool 20 minutes.
- Cut into wedges.
- Serve with warm custard
Video
