Sarawak Serikaya Cake

Another cake which I learned from Aunty Yochana Baking Class. This steamed cake is quite difficult to mix as the quantity of wet ingredients are more than dry ingredients and it curdle easily. Mine is not a perfect Serikaya cake as the top crack should be due to expose to cold air for too long (Advise, do not remove cake from steamer while sprinkling sesame seed.) and it not as soft as the actual Serikaya cake. But one thing for sure, this cake taste really good. I liked the taste of caramel from the Browning (Gula Hitam) and Horlicks. 'Don't judge the cake by it look.' :)

Apricot Cake

Recipe

Ingredients
175g butter
160g sugar
3 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
2tsp corn flour
240g self-raising flour
20g ground almond
100g apricot (diced)
100g evaporate milk/fresh milk

Steps:
1. Preheat oven at 175C.
2. Sift corn flour and self-raising flour together, set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Slowly beat in egg and vanilla essence until well combined.(If batter curdle add in some flour.)
5. Fold in flour and milk alternately until well combined. (If use large egg, then have to reduce milk.)
6. Lastly fold in the apricot.
7. Pour batter into a lined and greased 8" round tin.
8. Bake for 45-50mins, if skewer comes out clean when inserted into cake then it done.
9. Remove cake from tin and cool on a wire rack.

Strawberry Jam Cupcakes

As usual, when I was preparing the ingredients my younger son will ask me what am I baking for the day. After I told him that I will be baking Strawberry Cupcakes, he gave me a smile and said 'Storebelly'(baby language). He quickly went to bring out his cooking set and set up his own baking corner.:D
While I was taking some shoots, he quickly brought a strawberry toy and place it beside the cupcakes and said that it will be nicer. He was so sweet, so I include his small thought in my shot and it really gave the photo a touch of fun.:)


Recipe

Ingredients
230g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
4 eggs
230g cake flour
3tsp baking powder
1tsp strawberry essence
few drops of rose pink food colouring
strawberry jam (filling)

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together, set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Slowly beat in the egg until well combined.(If batter curdle add in some flour.)
5. Fold in flour, essence and colouring until well combined.(If batter is dry, add in some milk.)
6. Spoon 2tbsp of batter into the cupcake casing.
7. Spoon 1tsp of strawberry jam into the batter and fill it with some more batter until 80% full.
8. Bake for 25-30mins.
9. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.

Steamed Mini Pandan Cake

Recipe

Ingredients
2 eggs
75g caster sugar
1tsp ovalette
100g cake flour
1tsp double action baking powder
65g thick coconut milk
1tbsp pandan juice
1/2tsp pandan essence
few drops of green food colouring
raisins (optional)

Steps:
1. Grease cup moulds, place some raisins in it and set aside.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together, set aside.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar and ovalette together until light and fluffy.
(Do the ribbon test: Use the whisk to spoon some batter, drip some into the mixing bowl. If it stay visible for a while then this is the right stage.)
4. Fold in the flour, coconut milk and the remaining ingredients, mix well.
5. Spoon batter into moulds till 90% full.
6. Steam in a preheated steamer at high heat for 10mins till done.
7. Remove from moulds and cool on a wire rack.

Pandan Kaya Swiss Roll

I learned this from a baking class. The swiss roll is very soft and spongy, just like chiffon cake and as for the kaya it is homemade. Satisfy :)

祝大家中秋节快乐

Butter Skin with Custard Paste Mooncake

This is a good combination. :) The custard filling will not cause the pastry to be soft non soggy. I adapted Aunty Yochana's homemade custard filling from recipe 'Bird's Nest Custard Filling Snow Skin Mooncake'.

My custard filling seem to be dry. I suspect the problem could be lie on the egg as nowadays I paid the price of large egg but I get the size of a medium egg. 'Prices up, quantity shrink'. :(

So what I did with the custard, I blended them with some milk until soft bread crumb. The mixture must be soft to press together and shape into balls. As usual I prepared the filling a day ahead.


Recipe

Ingredients
Pastry
70g butter
20g shortening
60g icing sugar
40g egg
145g plain flour
20g custard powder
1/4tsp baking powder

Filling
360g custard paste

Steps:
Pastry:
1. Cream butter, shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg until well combined.
3. Sift flour, custard powder and baking powder together.
4. Fold in the flour mixture into the creamed butter to form a soft dough.
5. At this stage you may add in some milk if dough is too dry or add in some flour if dough is too wet.
6. Wrap the dough up and let it rest in the fridge for 20mins.

Filling:
1. Divide the custard paste into 9 portions of 40g each.
2. Shape them into balls.

Shaping:
1. Divide dough into 9 portions of 37g each.
2. Dust the surface, rolling pin and mould lightly with flour.
3. Roll out the dough, leave the centre slightly thicker than the edge.
4. Wrap the dough with the custard paste and seal the edges.
5. Press into the mould and plunge it out slowly.
6. Place it on a greased tray.
7. Brush with egg yolk and bake in a preheated oven 175C for 20-25mins. (1 egg yolk mix with 1tsp of water)
8. Leave to cool on a wire rack.