Steamed Soft Chocolate Cake

Recipe

Ingredients
95g unsalted butter
110g sugar
2 egg
75g cake flour
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
30g cocoa powder (sifted)
80g evaporated milk
2 1/2tbsp Horlicks
1/4tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt

Steps:
1. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda together, set aside.
2. Mix evaporated milk, Horlicks and vanilla essence together, set aside.
3. Cream butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Slowly beat in egg until well combined.(If batter curdle add in some flour.)
5. Fold in flour, cocoa powder and milk mixture alternately until well combined.
6. Do not over mix.
7. Pour batter into a lined and greased 7" round tin.
8. Cover with aluminum foil.
9. Steam over high heat for 1 1/2hrs, if skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake then it done.
10. Let cake cool in the tin for 5mins before turning it out onto the wire rack.

Note : There will be some air holes on the surface of this cake, due to the used of baking soda.

Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons

This is my second attempt on Macarons and it a success.:) My first attempt on macarons, I used the wrong amount of almond flour. The recipe used 110g ungrounded almond so I thought if I going to use grounded almond that will be lesser. So I used 90g only and my macarons came out without skirting. Thanks to A.Y., helped me to test out the recipe. She told me that she used 110g grounded almond and this recipe gave the macarons a thinner skirting. Then I realised my mistake.
I adapted recipe from Tartelette Blog, made a plain macarons and dust it with some cocoa powder.
For this macarons, it has thin skirting as the recipe used normal meringue and it is much easier. I have found recipes on French Meringue Macarons and Italian Meringue Macarons, both used sugar syrup. Which I find that the sugar level is toooo high, toooo sweet. But both produced thick skirting. The recipe which I used is also sweet but it is still acceptable.
For the filling, I just mixed hazelnut spread, chocolate emulco and buttercream together.

Double Boiler Pan

I bought this Double Boiler pan from IKEA which come in very useful for me. I used it to melt chocolate, cream cheese and other ingredients. The pan base is rounded so ingredient/s can be melted evenly and you don't have to worry that some is left stick to the corner of the pan or bowl. It has a hook which hook onto the pan of simmering water. This will be more stable when stirring. :)

Swiss Meringue Cream Cheese Buttercream

There are these French Meringue Buttercream, Italian Meringue Buttercream and here I found this Swiss Meringue Buttercream. 'French' and 'Italian' used sugar syrup whereas 'Swiss', the sugar is melted with the egg white then it is whisk until meringue. This is lighter, less creamy and easier to make. Following is the recipe which I have made changes and adjustment to my own prefer.

Recipe

Ingredients
2 large egg white (about 80g)
70g caster sugar
100g margarine/butter }cut into small cubes
100g cream cheese }and chilled

Steps:
1. Pour sugar and egg white into a heatproof pan and place it over a saucepan of simmering water.
2. Whisk constantly until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 60C).
3. Pour the egg white into the mixing bowl with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks (but not dry).
4. Reduce to low speed, continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled.
5. Switch to paddle attachment, on medium-low speed slowly add in the chilled margarine/butter and cream cheese cubes few at a time.
6. Beat until well combined after each addition. (If it curdle, beat on medium-high speed until smooth. If this can't help, put the frosting in the fridge until it is slightly harden. Then add in some more chilled butter cubes and beat until smooth.)
7. Beat on low speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2mins.
8. Stir with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.
9. Put in an air tight container and keep in the fridge.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Recipe

Ingredients (A)
3 egg yolk
85g orange juice
55g corn oil
15g caster sugar
1/2tsp grated orange rind
1/2tsp orange essence
few drop of orange food colouring
pinch of salt

Ingredients (B)
110g cake flour
1/8tsp baking powder

Ingredients (C)
3 egg white
1/4tsp cream tartar
70g caster sugar

Steps:
1.Preheat oven at 175C.
2.Use a hand whisk and mix (A) together.
3.Sift (B) and mix into (A).
4.Stir till well combined and leave aside.
5.Use a cake mixer and whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy.
6.Gradually add in the sugar and whisk till stiff peaks form.
7.Fold in 1/4 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture until combined.
8.Then fold in the rest of the meringue lightly until well combined.
9.Pour batter into a 17cm tube pan and give a sharp bang on the table top to release air bubbles.
10.Put into a preheated oven and bake for 30-35mins.
11.Remove from oven, invert cake onto table until completely cool.
12.Remove from pan and serve.

Bika Ambon

By chance I bumped into this Malay Blog and found this recipe. I don't understand Malay so I get my sister's domestic helper to translate the recipe. However she don't really understand some of the ingredients and steps so I just agak-agak and draft out the recipe. As I didn't prove the batter long enough so my Ambon only has 3/4 of honeycomb on it and I baked it at too high temperature. This Ambon is kind of difference from those I tried. Ambon is heavy, has a strong taste of flour and egg. Whereas this is soft and has a nice scent of lime leaf and orange rind. :)

Coffee Oat Cake

This is an old recipe. It was taught by my Secondary School Home Economic teacher; Ms Wong, more than 20 years ago. It is a simple Coffee cake with a touch of health oat which give the cake a rough texture.


Recipe

Ingredients
125g butter
110g fine sugar
2 eggs
75g flour/cake flour
1tsp baking powder
60g oat
3tsp instant coffee
1/2tbsp hot water

Steps:
1. Preheat oven at 175C.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together, set aside.
3. Mix instant coffee and hot water together, set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Slowly beat in egg until well combined.(If batter curdle add in some flour.)
6. Fold in flour and coffee alternately until well combined.
7. Lastly fold in the oat.
8. Pour batter into a lined and greased loaf pan.
9. Bake for 40-45mins, if skewer comes out clean when inserted into cake then it done.
10. Leave cake to cool in pan for 5mins then remove and cool on a wire rack.

Vegetarian Sweet & Sour Fish Slice （酸甜素香鱼片）

If you are sick of eating meat, here a vegetarian dish to share with everyone.

Recipe
-Deep fry 1 packet of fish slices till golden brown, dish out and set aside.
-Cut out 1 onion, 1 tomato and 1/2 green pepper into pieces.
-Saute onion, green pepper and tomato for a few minutes.
-Add 1/2cup water, 2 1/2tbsp tomato sauce, 1tsp oyster sauce and 1tsp sugar. (According to your taste.)
-Bring to boil till gravy slightly thicken.
-Add in the fish slices and toss.
-Off fire, dish out and serve. (Serving: 4 persons)

Maple Syrup Madeleines

Recipe

Ingredients

60g butter (melted)
65g cake flour
1/2tsp baking powder
2 egg
45g caster sugar
1/4tsp salt
1tbsp maple syrup
1/4tsp vanilla essence

Steps:
1. Shift the cake flour and baking powder together and leave it aside.
2. Use a cake mixer to whisk the eggs, salt and sugar 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.)
3. Gently fold in flour, follow by the maple syrup and essence.
4. Lastly fold in the melted butter until well combined.
5. Cover and rest in the fridge for 1 to 2hrs.
6. Preheat oven to 190C.
7. Grease and lightly flour madeleine mold.
8. With a hand whisk, whisk the batter lightly.
9. Fill each madeleine well with batter till 3/4 full.
10. Bake for 12mins until golden brown.
11. Immediately use a toothpick remove madeleines from mold and cool on a wire rack.
12. Let the mold cool then repeat steps 7, 9 and 10.

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.