Pistachio apricot ersatz Lamington…delicious! I made a 4 oz jar of apricot jam from some of the really beautiful apricots I bought this morning at the FM. It was still warm when I used it for the filling and coating of the “Lamington”.
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Claire’s rhubarb cake.
This has a cooked rhubarb component in the batter as well as raw chopped rhubarb, and then the strips on the top. There is orange zest as well, which I supplemented with some orange oil.
Claire shows this recipe coming together without a mixer, but if I did it again I would def use one. I dirtied like ten thousand dishes making it.
I really like this, but the strips of rhubarb across the top are hard to cut neatly through, as I suspected. This annoys me. It has to bake a long time because of how dense it is; I think if I were to repeat, I’d cut the recipe in half and bake it in a round cake pan, and just leave off the strips. They make the cake instagram-friendly, but that’s it.
ETA: the little cakelet I made with the leftover batter was delicious with some fresh strawberry coulis drizzled over (strawbs + sugar blitzed, no cooking.)
The recipe is from Dessert Person; there’s a video demo here. Full recipe here.
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Your rhubarb cake looks lovely and the taste is worth all the work. I found it very easy to slice the cake with a serrated knife.
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Like asparagus when it’s laid out on a tart for the aesthetic instead of just chopped up for easy eating.
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Gosh the pistachio makes it look amazing. I think you are building up to a dessert platter full of assorted versions of these for some upcoming gathering!
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Exactly.
I’m thinking of going into business if I can corral a grandchild to help🤣. I’d have to source my Spongies in Chinatown to make it cost effective! The two spongies I bought made a lot of little desserts, might have to do some more next week! It really would be fun to do an assortment of flavors for a large gathering. It would also be easier to assemble by just making a chiffon cake in a square or rectangular mold !
Or just make the hot milk cake, you would get a similar result.
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I thought you’d have your skilled grandkids baking the spongies 
But I also think the hot milk cake is very cost effective for large applications, so you could make the adorable little ones you did of those earlier.
(I was also thinking of trifle and tres leches, and I think the hot milk cake would hold up a bit better in that than the chinatown sponge.)
I’m intrigued by the idea of rhubabb ice cream; please tell me about it.
I have several recipes I’ve collected over time for Spongies, maybe I could get them to cut the parchment at least!
And yes, the hot milk cake would be excellent for tres leche, etc.
I just brought a mold up from downstairs that has 6 cavities with a recess in the center of each . I was thinking of making the hot milk cake and then filling with curd/berries/cream.
But I’ve also bought too much fruit again at the FM, so that will be a consideration!
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It’s a gelato base, and I never write them down but Fiori de latte would be a good starting point, just add cooked, puréed rhubarb to the base. I never make them the same way twice 
I baked Alice Medrich’s chocolate cupcakes and topped them generously with dark chocolate ganache. The ganache got a little oily (separated) which is kinda perplexing as I was careful not to overheat or overstir. Maybe I’ll try chopped chocolate v chips next time?
Anyway, reasonably satisfied with them. The kiddo was a huge fan of his heart cake. He surprises me with liking dark chocolate. My sample bite was intensely chocolatey and good.
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I’d definitely use chopped chocolate rather than chips. Chips have an additive to keep them from melting …as in cookies, so that might have contributed to the problem, just a thought!
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If your family is picking up the spongies in Manhattan Chinatown, just FYI, Hong Kong Mart or New York Mart have a small bakery section where they sell large round sponge cakes too.
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Those look delicious!
I’ve been able to “fix” separated ganache in the past by adding a little more milk or cream.
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I’ve collected a few as well - will post later. Currently at the gym paying today’s cake tax 
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I can get Spongies and assorted HK style cakes at an Asian Mkt about 20 minutes away, they claim they make them there but I have my doubts . All kinds of versions for probably twice the price in Chinatown. I think I mentioned that the spongies are 2.50$ while at Spongies Cafe , they are 1$…fancy ones 1.25$
To be fair, their pork buns, etc. come at warm from the food area, so it’s a possibility they are making them there.
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I debated…thx
They’re 2 / 2:50 at most bakeries in nyc now
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Ah, okay, so that’s reasonable then. Frankly, they are so cheap I don’t know why I’m complaining😂!
