It is a bit unnerving that the word “oil” is a part of the name of this cake, but don’t let it fool you, it’s delicious. Besides, there’s oil in any cake, right? And since it’s not super sweet, this makes a great breakfast pastry, similar to a banana or zucchini bread. The addition of the salty sunflower seeds on top really seals the deal for me, adding a little crunch and savoriness.

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Aid, Kitchen passed away on Wednesday, December 19, 2012. She was 12 years old. Since she was adopted (refurbished model), the exact date of birth is unknown. The cause of death is paralysis. The bowl is completely stuck on the base, and no matter what I’ve tried, it won’t dislodge. In another words, her brain is still working perfectly, but her body is frozen, forever, so we decided to put her to sleep.

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Before I start this week’s post, let’s congratulate Kayoko and the crew for revamping the Umamimart site to a whole new level. Orange is my favorite color, so this is cool, and soon enough, we will be FAMOUS bloggers!! Hooray.

As you’ve seen from my past posts, I’ve made cakes for basically all of my friends birthdays in recent years, and since I made pink Barbie cake for my friend Derek, there’s a lot of pressure now.

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My trip to France was my first international experience ever. As much as I tried to prepare, there really is just no preparing for the unknown. From walking a mile underground in between each subway line to the reality of the hotel rooms, everything seemed to be more difficult than I had anticipated. What do you mean small? Thankfully, as all reigns true, food is the international unifier regardless of barriers.

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When I was but a spring chicken who had just graduated from university, I went on a backpacking trip to Italy with one of my friends. It was hot, we were young and Italy was a marvelous cacaphony of ancient ruins, art & culture and food. From Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum to Irving Stone’s biographical novel of Michelangelo, The Agony and the Ecstasy, to murder mysteries set in Italy by Donna Leon, Magdalene Nabb and Michael Dibdin, I was immersed in fiction about Italy.

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Can you believe it?!?!? Governor Cuomo and a bunch of super wealthy Republican bankers really said YES to gay marriage in the state of New York. When it was announced that, “Same sex marriage bill has passed”, I was overcome with amazement, joy, “it’s about f#*&ing time”–a lot of emotions.

Until this becomes a federal law (and they get rid of DOMA), the fight continues, but at least this is a HUGE and symbolic accomplishment.

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After having spent my later teen years plowing through the novels of Douglas Coupland, Bret Easton Ellis and other post modern cynics, I can’t help but see myself in so many typical Generation X situations. Meaning that you suddenly find yourself in a condition that requires an ironizing snark or a sarcastic comment–there’s just no other way. For example, visiting the stable tourist trap for Danish layer cakes–La Glace– in Copenhagen.

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As you know, I love to bake, and I am especially fond of cakes. I do it all–classic cakes, crazy cakes, Japanese cakes, chocolate cakes, wedding cakes (trauma). I love to come up with crazy combinations, that I try to master after tweaking the recipe over and over. Over the years, I’ve posted many of them here on Umamimart, such as…

The Bacon Cupcake: (May, 2009):

The American Cake, for when my friend got his citizenship (September, 2007):

The Baumkuchen Follies (November, 2009):

12-Layer Heavenly Chocolate Cake (February 2008):

Japanese cheesecake (June 2009):

And, of course, the infamous wedding cake disaster (March 2009):

I usually make a cake for friends’ birthdays as well.

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After getting canned without reason, the day after her maternity leave was up, Paula Cinini was not sure what to do; she had always worked as a journalist. To find some solace in this devastating situation, and cope with her mother’s passing, Paula dug up her mother’s old, partly-burned, worn recipe book and began baking.

The good book with mom’s recipes, burned pages, and finger prints throughout.

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As you may all know, I’m half-Japanese and half-Sri Lankan, so anything to do with either country sparks an immediate interest. So when I began hearing rumours about a new Japanese cake shop and tea salon springing up in trendy Primrose Hill in north London last year, my ears perked up. My sister and I went to investigate one sunny summers day, we walked past a Japanese-looking patisserie and kept on walking because it was named Lanka.

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