Easy Fruit Square Cake (No Butter, Only One Egg)

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Lightly coat the inside of the baking pan with vegetable oil so the parchment paper sticks firmly to the bottom and sides, preventing it from shifting or bubbling during baking.
   ▶ ≈0:14
2. 2
   Whip the chilled egg white with a hand mixer, adding the sugar in three additions as bubbles form, until stiff peaks form. Finish with about a minute on low speed to make the bubbles finer and more even.
   ▶ ≈0:35
3. 3
   Add the egg yolk to the meringue and whisk until fully incorporated and the mixture turns pale yellow.
   ▶ ≈1:49
4. 4
   Sift in the cake flour in two additions, folding gently each time with a spatula—cutting through the center and scooping from the sides—until no flour streaks remain and the batter turns smooth and glossy.
   ▶ ≈2:12
5. 5
   Mix a small amount of the batter into the lukewarm milk to loosen it, then fold this mixture back into the main batter.
   ▶ ≈3:02
6. 6
   Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan, spreading it from the center out to the corners and edges for an even thickness.
   ▶ ≈3:33
7. 7
   Drop the pan from about 5 cm height twice to release large air bubbles, then bake at 170°C (338°F) for about 7 minutes. Cover uneven browning spots with foil as needed.
   ▶ ≈4:04
8. 8
   After baking, drop the whole tray once to release steam and prevent shrinkage, then let it cool for about 15 minutes.
   ▶ ≈4:47
9. 9
   Thinly slice the kiwi, arrange the slices in an overlapping row, and roll them up into rose shapes; make two roses.
   ▶ ≈5:08
10. 10
    Once cooled, peel off the parchment from the sides and bottom. Mark the center with a ruler, wipe the knife clean, and cut the cake in half both ways to form four equal squares.
    ▶ ≈5:48
11. 11
    Spread a thin layer of apricot jam over the sponge (add a little hot water if it's too stiff to spread), then stack two pieces to form a double layer.
    ▶ ≈6:24
12. 12
    Using an icing spatula, coat each side of the cake with soft whipped cream, rotating the cake 90 degrees between sides to keep the coating even.
    ▶ ≈6:49
13. 13
    Pile whipped cream on top and spread it so it slightly overflows the edges, creating a diagonal pattern on the sides while rotating the cake to decorate each face, then smooth the top edges toward the center.
    ▶ ≈7:21
14. 14
    Shave the white chocolate with a mandoline or knife and sprinkle it over the top, then finish by placing the kiwi rose in the center.
    ▶ ≈8:04