Magic Custard Cake

If not I saw this magic custard cake from 蓝色小厨, I almost forgot that I had baked this magic custard cake before. Looking at my record, this was baked more than 6 months ago hahahaha... ya I still have many bakes or dishes that done even earlier than this but have not posted out yet :P.

As the batter is very watery and my 8" baking pan is with non removable base, I afraid the batter will leak out so I used my glass dish which is bigger so the cake become very short lol.

From the photo can't see any obvious 3 layers probably I took photos before chill.

Recipe adapted from White on Rice Couple.

Ingredients :

113g unsalted butter

480ml milk

4 drop vinegar (I omitted)

4 eggs, separated

150g icing sugar

1 tbsp or 15ml water

115g Flour

1 tsp or 5ml vanilla extract

extra icing sugar for dusting (I forgot to dust when taking photo hahahaha...)

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 160C. Lightly butter or grease a 8"x8" baking dish.

2.    Melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool. Warm the milk to lukewarm and set aside.

3.    Whip the egg whites and vinegar (I omitted vinegar) to stiff peaks. Set aside.

4.    Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light. Mix in the melted butter and the tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until evenly incorporated.

5.    Mix in the flour until evenly incorporated. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until everything is well mixed.

6.    Fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in.

7.    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the top is golden. Allow cake to completely cool before cutting and then dust with confectioner's sugar *see Note 1.

Note 1: For faster cooling you can place the cake in the fridge. Even after fully cooled, it will still be slightly jiggly.

Verdict?

 The cake has different texture so different taste. The bottom layer taste like kuih, middle layer taste like custard and top layer like very moist sponge cake. This indeed is a "magic" cake as one slice of cake with 3 types of taste, very special, it taste better when is chilled.

I am submitting this post to Little Thumbs Up May 2014 - Milk host by Ah Tze of Away of Mind, organized by Zoe@ Bake For Happy Kids and Mui Mui @ My Little Favourites DIY.

Rum Butter Cake

My super busy days starting again, my co worker has gone for maternity leaves, she had early labour thus got everyone off-guard.

Anyway posting this up to catch the Little Thumb Up event. This bake was quite sometimes ago, when I was craving for fine and velvety texture of butter cake. 1st came in my mind was Mrs NgSK butter cake that I had baked before that was so popular in blogosphere, this rum butter cake was baked way before Marble Butter Cake that adapted from Mrs NgSK butter cake


While in the midst of baking, I remember there is this rum butter cake featured in one of the baking books that I read from library that ever trigger my interested, can't recall which baking book now though. Thus, I decided to add in 1 tbps of rum to try out in last min.

I reduced 50g of sugar from the original recipe, the sweetness is just nice for me. However if you have sweet tooth, you may want to increase the sugar to suit your taste.

Ingredient : (for 8" square cake pan)
230gm salted butter (soften, cool at 18-20C, not glossy)
200gm eggs, no shell (4 eggs)
50gm + 100gm sugar
200gm self raising flour, sifted
50ml milk
1 tbsp rum
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method :
1. Prepare a 8 inch square pan. Line the base and grease the sides (greasing helps the cake’s sides to rise)
2. Separate the eggs, and place the whites into a medium sized bowl. Beat egg whites until soft peaks, gradually add 50gm sugar and and beat until stiff. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and 100gm sugar until pale and fluffy. Scrape the vanilla seeds and and beat for a while. Put in egg yolks one by one and beat well after each addition.
4. Put in half the flour and mix on low speed until incorporated. Put in milk and rum in 2 additions and mix until well incorporated. Mix in balance of flour.
5. Put half the egg whites in and mix on low speed. Pour the balance of egg whites in and FOLD.
6. Pour batter into pan and level. Bake in preheated oven at 170C with a small bowl of hot water for 40 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
7. Cover the cake with aluminium foil 20 mins after baking and remove it 5 mins before baking time.
7. Remove from oven and invert to cool completely before unmoulding.

Verdict?
The cake is soft and fine texture with hint of rum taste, not oily at all. I used lurpak butter but I can't really taste very strong buttery taste than other butter e.g. SCS, golden churn that I have used, probably the buttery taste cover by the rum? Nevertheless it is still a delicious cake and with the added rum, given the cake a different dimension. Next time I will probably try other liquor, e.g. baileys or kahlua :D.

I am submitting this post to Little Thumbs Up May 2014 - Milk host by Ah Tze of Away of Mind, organized by Zoe@ Bake For Happy Kids and Mui Mui @ My Little Favourites DIY.

Chocolate Oreo Muffins

 

 

I really love the double chocolate muffins, this is one of the high usage recipe and is best to bake when anyone in my family craving for chocolate cake or when I need to prepare give-away. I had used this recipe to adapt into different varieties like dulce de leche coconut muffins, and also these chocolate oreo muffins, the rest still in my backlog lol.


I wanted to try out a more "healthier" version so I replaced melted butter with vegetable oil and buttermilk with low fat fresh milk.

Recipe modified from here.

Ingredients : (for about 8-9 muffins, bottom dimension of muffin case 5cm)

(A)
85g self raising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
35g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (use 1/2 tsp if you are using vanilla extract/essence and put under ingredients
90g castor sugar (you may increase to 110g if you prefer sweeter)
80g chocolate cream oreo, crushed

(B)
60g vegetable oil

120ml milk
1 eggs

29g chocolate cream oreo, 1 packet (to sprinkle)

Methods:
1. Sift (A) into a mixing bowl and add in 80g crushed oreo, stir and mix well.
2. Whisk (B) until well combine.
3. Pour (A) into (B) and folded gentle to mix well.
4. Fill up the muffin cases 60% full with the mixture and sprinkle 1 packet of oreo on top.
5. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170C for 15-20 mins.

Verdict?
I think the muffins are not as fragrant as using melted butter, not as tender as using buttermilk but still soft and moist. For a healthier version, this is still very delicious.

I am submitting this post to Little Thumbs Up May 2014 - Milk host by Ah Tze of Away of Mind, organized by Zoe@ Bake For Happy Kids and Mui Mui @ My Little Favourites DIY.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

 

 

 

 

 

This is the 1st recipe that got me so persistent to get it right, I failed 3 times and never come across my mind to give it up. When I left a message at Sonia's blog to tell her my failure, so nice of her to ask me to email her so that she can help. She spotted that I actually mixed the chocolate milk and egg yolks into the same pot that used to melt butter. It should be melted the butter in a pot, mix in the flour in the same pot, then transfer the batter into another bowl to mix with milk and yolks.

No wonder my batter always like soft cookie dough even after add in the egg yolks instead of runny like Sonia mentioned. I think that is one of the reason that I failed the cake, the batter is too thick so is quite tough to mix well with the egg white meringue, thus the chances of deflating the cake increase.

Another reason is my oven temperature. After using the oven thermometer, I then realised that my oven is too hot, heat is unstable too. I have to stand beside the oven to monitor closely on the temperature and the cake, keep adjusting the temperature, the top and bottom heat element to make sure to get the right temperature.

Well, practise makes perfect. Although my cake is still not perfect yet, so much wrinkles, but I am happy with the result, at least no crack on the cake, no sink in at middle of the cake cake, no waistline at the cake :D.

I changed the original flavor of the cake to chocolate simply because my fridge only left with chocolate milk, and I cannot wait to get another bottle of milk to try out the recipe again.

BTW I used "bare hand" method to remove the cake, the side of the cake looks so much neater and nicer using this method.

These are my failure cake, still very delicious to eat :P.

Recipe modified from Nasi Lemak Lover.

Ingredients (6" round cake pan with removable base - cannot use non-stick)

50g butter (salted)

40g cake flour
10g cocoa powder
3 egg yolks (big)
55g chocolate milk

3 egg whites (big)

50g caster sugar
6g corn starch

* the estimate weight of the 3 eggs used by Sonia is 66-68g with shell, 56-57g without shell. The eggs that my mil bought were small so I used 4 eggs but if the total eggs weighed is much more than what Sonia's used, I will change to 7" cake pan base on my experienced.

Method

1. Prepare a cake pan, don’t need to grease or line paper.
2. Separate egg white and egg yolk into two mixing bowls. 
3. Melt butter in a saucepan, once you see small bubbles, remove from heat.
4. Immediately add in sifted flour and cocoa powder, quickly stir to become batter. (the batter is like chocolate paste, or Nutella)
5. Pour the milk into a empty mixing bowl, scape in the butter + flour batter and mix well with the chocolate milk. (like mayonnaise)
6. Add in egg yolk one at a time, stir well on each addition. The batter is slightly runny if compare to normal chiffon batter. (I added in all egg yolks at once, the batter is runny)
7. Mix sugar and corn starch together. Beat egg whites till foamy, gradually add in sugar and corn starch mixture (three times) and continue beat until approaching stiff peaks (meringue stand straight up with a little curve at the tip) or till stiff peaks (this stage is a bit difficult to fold with egg yolk mixture)
8. Take 1/3 of meringue and use a hand whisk to mix well with egg yolk batter.
8. Fold in 1/3 of meringue and use a silicone spatula, gently fold with egg yolk batter till slightly combined. Fold in the balance meringue and gently fold till well combined.
9. Pour into cake tin, bake at pre-heated oven at 140C (no fan) for 25mins at low rack, then increase to 170C (no fan) for another 25mins. (each oven temperature is vary, for mine, I need to use 120C for about 25 mins and 150C for about 25 mins)
10. Once baked, turn your chiffon tin upside down and cool completely before remove from the tin.

Important tips to get this sponge cake right:-

1. bake it over low temperature first then later increase temperature to medium, and always bake it at the lower rack. So the cake will not shrink at all after it gets cool.

2. Also you need to have stable meringue which requires you to beat till stiff ..Don't worry stiff meringue created dry cake texture, because the batter is using 烫面 "Tang Mein" method (that means cook the egg yolk batter first).

Verdict?
The cake is moist, light, fluffy and very cottony soft, like what Sonia's daughter said, it tasted like light cheesecake. Even the failure cake tasted delicious, everyone who tasted my 1st 3 cakes, no one believe that I failed the cake, all given compliments. This is definitely the best sponge cake I ate so far, truely a keeper!

I didn't plan to post anything this week as this is a very busy week for me but rushed out this so that can participate in Bake Along event as this is a meaningful period  - 3rd year Anniversary, but still cannot make it on time. Well, have to wait till next time then heeheehee...

 
This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (May 2014 Event: Milk organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Ah Tze (Awayofmind Bakery House).

One Bowl Raisins Butter Cupcake

As I will need to bake to give-away to my colleagues for Christmas, one bowl recipe is always my top favourite during this period lol. I had bookmarked this recipe for quite sometimes but forgot about it until I flipped through my to bake list (a few folders) and spotted it. This was posted at Joceline's old blog which is not exist anymore.

The cake raised very high, more than double of the batter at the center and created a very nice dome shape :D.

Need to rush to neighbour country for an event, see you gals!

Ingredients : (about 5cm muffin cup x 8 pcs)

100g unsalted butter
40-50g castor sugar
2 egg (beaten)
50g self raising flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I added in)
20g raisins, soak with water to soften and drain (I added in)

Method :
1. Melted the butter.
2. Add in castor sugar and beat until sugar dissolve.
3. Add in beaten eggs and mix well.
4. Fold in sifted flour and mix well.
5. Pour in the raisins and mix well.
6. Fill up the muffin case with 60-70% full.
7. Bake in pre-heated oven 180C for 20-25 mins.

** do not require mixer, just a bowl and a whisk can do the job.


Verdict?
The cake tasted like butter cake that those I can get from neighborhood bakery shops, not those with fine and velvety kind of texture. Quite nice to eat especially with the raisins giving extra bites and taste to it. If you are looking for a simple and easy to whip up cupcake that require no mixer and yet still good at taste, you can try this.