green tea pandan cake

This is actually a birthday cake that I baked for Da's birthday this year. If you prefer, you can eat the cake on its own (that is, without the nuts, fruits and the cream cheese frosting).

INGREDIENTS (for the cake)

2 cups self-raising flour

2 tbsp matcha

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125 butter (softened)

1 cup castor sugar

2 eggs (lightly beaten)

1/2 tsp pandan paste

1 1/2 tsp pandan essence
1/3 cup low fat milk

INGREDIENTS (cream cheese frosting)

1/2 cup butter (softened)

250g cream cheese (softened)

3 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

INGREDIENTS (decorations)

mixture of chopped nuts (I used walnuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds)

sliced fruits of your choice (I used grapes, mangoes and kiwi fruits)

METHOD (for the cake)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

2. Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans. Set aside.

3. Sift the self-raising flour, matcha and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Using a hand whisk, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs (1 at a time), beating well each time a beaten egg is added. Add the pandan paste and pandan essence and mix well.

5. Fold in the flour and add the milk, stirring with a wooden spatula until smooth.

6. Pour the batter into the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

7. Let the cake cool before you frost the cake.

METHOD (for the frosting)

1. Using a hand whisk, beat all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

2. Spread the frosting on top of one of the cakes and sandwich the frosting with the other cake.

3. Spread the remaining frosting on the outer layer of the sandwiched cake.

METHOD (for the decorations)

1. Sprinkle the sides of the frosted cake with the mixed nuts.

2. Arrange the sliced fruits on top of the frosted cake.

3. Place the cake in the refrigerator and let the frosting set before serving the cake.