Last week, Umá Farms sent me a huge box full of satsuma mandarins (what we know as “dalandan”). These were fresh-picked from a family farm in Nueva Viscaya, packed in a uniquely engineered box to protect the fruit while reducing packaging waste, and shipped to my doorstep just as they started ripening.
I absolutely love fresh fruit, but there’s only so much I can eat before it gets hopelessly overripe (why I bake banana bread). That’s why I decided to transform some of these lovely dalandans into cupcakes and cake loaves. I’ve also been craving the calamansi cake that Real Coffee in Boracay is famous for, so I made Pepper.ph’s recipe hack the basis for my dalandan cupcakes.
“Umá” stands for “farm” in Hiligaynon/Bisaya (and I’ve probably pronounced it wrong in the video above). Umá Farms is a platform for partner growers to publish harvest forecasts; businesses and end consumers can then order part of the harvest even before it’s picked. Ordering even before the produce is harvested allows the growers to anticipate logistical and operational activities, and to ensure the freshness of the produce delivered.
Aside from satsuma mandarins from Nueva Vizcaya, you can also put in orders for pomelo and mangosteen from Davao, and Adlai heirloom grains from the Hineleban Foundation. For more information on produce available for pre-order, check out their social accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
And now, here’s my recipe for dalandan cupcake.
Dalandan Cupcake
(Serves 8-10 people)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups self-rising flour (or 3 cups all-purpose flour + 2 tsp baking powder)
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar (or 1 cup sugar substitute)
- 3/4 cup dalandan juice from 6 satsuma mandarin fruits
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 eggs
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cream butter and sugar together.
- Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time.
- Combine dalandan juice and milk, then add to butter mixture.
- Add flour to mixture; mix until well-blended.
- Pour batter into cupcake molds or baking tray, then bake in oven for 15-30 minutes (or until toothpick stuck in middle comes out clean).
