I am back in London after a week of intense hot weather in Kuala Lumpur. As expected it is raining here as I write.
Much of the past week has been spent thinking through how to improve the management of the family home in Kuala Lumpur. There have been hospital visits for my father (not so fun) and visits to some new cafes with KL Sister (definitely fun).
But most of my time has been spent working on a talk I am giving to the West Hill Garden Society tonight, on the topic of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Looking at the photos I took over four visits to the Gardens in two years, and researching its 160-year history, I feel inspired to now go around the world visiting other botanic gardens.
The botanic gardens I have visited thus far are the ones in Mauritius, London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. I could quite happily add a few more to the list, perhaps starting with the Orto Botanico di Padova in Italy.
If I had to choose one topic to research further it would be on rubber, and the pioneering work undertaken by the Gardens’ first scientific director, Henry Nicholas Ridley.
I am simply in awe of Ridley’s legacy to the world of botany and horticulture. Even writing down these words makes me think I should refer to Chambers and find out their exact meanings so I do not think it simply means plants.
To mark the completion of the notes to accompany the 70 photos I will be showing, plus a slideshow of 70 orchids, I made a cake.
What we have is a kaffir lime tree in the backyard and lots of organic passionfruit in the kitchen. I realise that repetition with slight variation (as in creating new orchid hybrids) can be fun and productive. I made one cake back in KL for my family to try, and have made a further two to bring to the talk tonight in Devon.
And so I present a new cake based on the Lemon Drizzle Cake and the Kaffir Lime and Coconut Cake. Happy Baking and Happy Eating!
The kaffir lime tree in the backyard of my parents’ house in Kuala Lumpur
Kaffir lime and a pandan bush
For some reason we do not get passionfruit as large as these in England. I have placed a regular-sized kiwi alongside for comparison
For the Cake:
10 fresh kaffir lime leaves, sliced in two down the middle and the rib removed
125 g (50 g + 75 g) unrefined caster sugar
175 g unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
175 g self-raising flour
20 g milk
For the Passionfruit Syrup:
6 tablespoons passionfruit juice
2 tablespoons unrefined caster sugar
You will also need a 2-lb loaf tin, lined with grease-proof paper.
How to Make:
(For the regular non-Thermomix method, please scroll to the bottom of the post).
Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 325°F.
Place the kaffir lime leaves and 50 g sugar in the TM mixing bowl. Grind 10 seconds /speed 10. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicon spatula.
Grind again 10 seconds /speed 10. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add 75 sugar, the butter and eggs then mix 20 seconds /speed 5.
Add the flour and milk. Mix 15 seconds /speed 5.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix again 15 seconds /speed 5.
Pour the cake mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when touched. A metal skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Whilst the cake is baking, make the passionfruit syrup. Place the passionfruit juice and sugar in a small pot and warm through until the sugar has dissolved.
When the cake is ready, cool it for 5 minutes then prick it all over with a skewer. Remove from the tin then spoon the syrup all over the cake. Continue to do this until the syrup has been soaked up.
Leave to cool completely before cutting into 10 thick or 12 medium-sized pieces.
For the non-Thermomix method:
Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 325°F.
Grind the kaffir lime leaves with 50 g of caster sugar in a coffee blender until it becomes a powder.
Place the kaffir lime sugar, flour, butter, 75 g sugar, eggs and milk into a large mixing bowl.
Beat on a medium speed until the ingredients are all thoroughly mixed together.
Pour the cake mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when touched. A metal skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Whilst the cake is cooling in its tin, make the passionfruit syrup. Place the passionfruit juice and sugar in a small pot and warm through until the sugar has dissolved.
Prick the cake all over with a skewer and remove from the tin. Spoon the syrup all over the cake. Continue to do this until the syrup has been soaked up.
The cake will slice into 10 thick or 12 medium-sized pieces.
