What a thrill it was to wake up to the sun this morning! After three days of incessant rains and stormy weather, we got a glimpse of the gorgeous sunlight. The boys resumed school but the excitement went down as soon as they realized that there was no outdoor activity at the moment. The wet sand-pit dampened their spirits at first glance. The droopy wet flowers around the flower gardens weren’t as welcoming to them as they always did. But a hug from a friend made them squeal with delight. Childhood! So pure…simple..free! Can I have mine back?

Involuntarily locked up at home with no kids to tend to, I decided to clean and rearrange my kitchen and props cupboards. I thought I might find some inspiration tucked away at the far end somewhere. Within minutes, I was baking! Cleaning was postponed as soon as I spotted my loaf pans.

With a limited window to complete baking and photographing, I resisted the urge to bake a yeasty bread. With heaps of citrus at home, it was easy to settle on a simple orange flavoured loaf. To go with the loaf, I quickly whipped up this pineapple curd. Fortunately, I had pineapple juice at home otherwise I would have gone with lime curd perhaps.

The original recipe uses simple pantry ingredients except creme fraiche. I did not have any so I substituted with sour cream which always works a breeze. The loaf is sturdy with a soft texture within and thoroughly tasting of oranges. It is a great lunchbox option as well since it is easy to store and carry.

The pineapple curd is very easy to make and can be stored up to a week in the refrigerator.

Orange Loaf With Fresh Cream And Pineapple Curd (orange loaf adapted with variation from here)

Serves 8-10

185 g butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest

3 eggs

2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C fan-forced) Grease a 7 cm-deep, 11 cm x 21 cm (base) loaf pan.

Using an electric mixer,beat butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in flour, orange juice and 1/2 cup sour cream.

Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre of loaf comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if over-browning during cooking). Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When serving, cut into slices, top with fresh cream and pineapple curd.

Pineapple Curd

3 large egg yolks

1 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup caster sugar

21/2 tbsp cornstarch

a pinch, salt

Place all the ingredients together in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Cook for about 7-8 minutes, whisking constantly till mixture thickens and looks glossy. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.