Pandan Sponge Cupcakes

It has been awhile since I last baked with Pandan Leaves and Fresh Coconut Milk! Love these two combinations, it gives a real aromatic fragrance and pretty colours. 

I've used these two wonderful ingredients for a simple bake yesterday, a pretty green soft sponge cupcake recipe! Happy with the outcome...pretty colors, lovely smell all over my kitchen and super soft texture..^^  

Pandan Sponge Cupcakes

Ingredients for 24 small cupcakes:

6 large egg yolks
20g fine sugar
100g fresh coconut milk
50g concentrated pandan juice (refer to Table for 2..or more for the step by step method)
100g low gluten flour
15g corn flour

6 large egg whites
70g fine sugar

Method:

~ Prepare paper cups on cupcake mould
~ Preheat oven at 180'C
~ Lightly whisk egg yolk and sugar with an egg whisk till bubble forms
~ Add in concentrated pandan juice and coconut milk. Blend well.
~ Add in flour and mix well.
~ Beat egg whites and sugar till a soft peak forms
~ Gently mix the meringue into the egg yolk batter until well blended.
~ Spoon into prepared paper cups and bake for 20 minutes at 180'C

The texture are really soft and its almost like a Pandan Chiffon Cake. Store these cutie greens in an airtight container and they can only be kept not more than 48 hours. The sponge may be too moist and sticky on top!

Enjoy!!!

Spices "Dong Po Rou" (香料东坡肉)

"Dong Po Rou" is a Hangzhou dish which is widely known across China. The dish which is made pan-frying and then red cooking pork belly. The pork is cut thick and should consist equally of fat and lean meat. And the skin is left on. The mouthfeel is oily but not greasy and the dish is fragrant with Chinese wine. The dish is named after the famed Song Dynasty poet and gastronome Su DongPo 

I had this recipe kept long time ago and finally I get it done. With some added ingredients, the outcome was satisfying and all of us love it!

Spices Dong Po Rou

Ingredients:
600g pork belly with skin
2 stalks spring onions
2 whole black / toasted garlic (flatten)
5 slices fresh ginger
* some hemp strings

1/2 tbsp red distilled grains
200ml water

2 star anises
1" cinnamon stick
5 cloves
2 nos "Sand ginger" / "Cekor"
2 nos "Cao Guo" / Amomum Tsaoko

5 tbsps light soy sauce
30g palm sugar (I used the Indonesian palm sugar)
3 tbsps Shaoxing wine

Method:
~ Cook the pork belly into the boiling water for 25 minutes, dish out and leave to cool. Cut into 6 equal pieces evenly and knot it with hemp strings (you can ignore tying with the hemp strings if you can't get any)
~ Cook the red distilled grains and water for 20 minutes, strain well and reserve the juice.
~ Heat up 3 tbsps cooking oil in a wok, g=fragrant spring onions, garlic and ginger. Drain well and transfer them into a claypot.
~ Add in pork belly, red distilled grain juice, spices and seasoning.
~ Add in water (just enough to cover the pork belly) and bring to boil.
~ Cover and simmer at low heat for 1.5 hours
~ When the pork belly is tender, dish out and strain the stock. Bring the stock to boil and thicken with a little cornstarch solutions. Pour over to the pork belly and serve hot.

I've also made some Steamed Plain Baos / Mantao to go along with this delicious pork. For the recipe of my Steamed Plain Baos / Mantao, please refer to my older post here.

Have a Nice Day!

Coffee Walnut Cake

I'm craving for cakes lately. Thinking to make this coffee walnut cake weeks ago, and finally I made it...haha! Somehow eating alone if no fun, will bring some to my friend later to share...hehe!

Well, well....there's still a lot to learn for my piping skills. (there were untidy...I know) 

Anyway, they taste good!!! 

Walnut sponge with Coffee cream...fantastic! Who will resist such heavenly combo..huh?!

Ingredients for Walnut Sponge:
5 large egg yolks
20g sugar
80g fresh milk
45g corn oil
100g cake flour
15g corn flour
120g walnuts (pounded)

5 egg whites
70g sugar

* approx. 10 walnut halves (toasted~ to decorate)

Ingredients for Coffee Cream:
250g icing sugar
100g soft unsalted butter
1 tbsp espresso powder dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water

 Method:
~ Prepare a 9" round pan lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven at 180'C.
~ Whisk egg yolks and 20g sugar with by hands then add in oil and milk, stir well.
~ Add in flour and pounded walnuts and mix well. Set aside.
~ Beat the egg whites and sugar at high speed till soft peak forms.
~ Divide beaten egg whites to 2-3 portions to mix into the egg yolk mixture.
~ Fold in 1 direction until all egg whites are well mix with the egg yolk mixture.
~ Pour into prepared tin and bake at 180'C for 30-40 minutes.
~ Cool for 5 mintes then remove sponge from the tin and let cool completely.
~ While cooling the sponge, prepare the cream by beating the icing sugar with butter till smooth then add in coffee liquid and mix well.
~ Halved the sponge then cut into shapes with a round cutter (or any cutter you desire)
~ Sandwich the sponge with some cream, then cover the cake with cream.
(I covered the cake by piping the cream with nozzle no.21)
~ Decorate with toasted walnuts.
~ Keep in fridge before serving.

It's so nice to have something that you like and yet you can bake it by yourself. I am bless with my little skills that I can bake anytime anywhere I want to...:))
Hope you'll like this too!!

Happy Baking!!

Steamed Tiramisu

Another simple and delicious recipe adapted from the web. I've always wanted to try anything that is simple and nice. And of course most important is that recipe really works and tastes good!

I've done some changes with the original recipe which you can find here. 

This recipe has caught my attention once I read the title of it....STEAMED TIRAMISU!! It's so special right? Anyway I've never done this before and it worth a try.

It only took me only about 40 minutes to complete the whole process. (including washing of course)

The texture is super soft and I'm very satisfied with the outcome. Love this tiramisu..^^

 
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
140g castor sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
150g low gluten flour (pau flour)
100ml cornoil (I used olive oil as I've forgotten to buy the cornoil..lol)
200ml coconut milk
2 in 1 coffee pack (15g) + 1 tbsp hot water
2 tbsps cocoa powder + 1 tbsp hot water
1 tsp pure vanilla essence

Method:
~ Prepare an 8" round or quare pan lined with parchment paper.
~ Prepare a wok with hot water for steaming.
~ Beat eggs and sugar till light and fluffy
~ Sift flour and baking powder together and add in slowly into the egg mixture at low speed.
~ Add in cornoil and coconut milk alternately.
~ Divide the batter into 3 equal portions.
(a) with cocoa powder
(b) with coffee
(c) with pure vanilla essence
~ Pour the cocoa powder batter into the prepared cake tin and steamed for 8 minutes at high heat.
~ Then pour in the coffee batter and steamed for another 8 minutes.
~ Lastly pour in the vanilla batter and further steam for 20 minutes.
~ Remove from the steamer when done, cool and remove the parchment paper.

Mixed Berries Yogurt Cake

Looks who's posting here!! Yeah...I'm back on the track!

When was my last post? A year ago? Oh my.....;p

First in 2014...haha! A simple and yummy cake, Mixed Berries Yogurt Sponge.

Ingredients for the sponge:

6 egg yolks

20g sugar

60g fresh milk

45g cornoil

100g low gluten flour / cake flour

15g corn flour

6 egg whites

70g sugar

 Ingredients for the yogurt cream:
50g fresh rapsberries
50g fresh blackberries
100g plain yogurt
300g fresh cream (whipped)

Method:
~ Beat egg yolks together with sugar until well mix.
~ Add in fresh milk, cornoil and stir well. Then followed by cake flour and corn flour. Mix well and set aside.
~ Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff.
~ Mix egg whites into egg yolk batter and mix well slowly.
~ Pour into two 6" round pan and bake at 180'C for 25-30 mins.
~ Cool the sponge and split into 2 layers for each sponge.
~ Blend the berries together with yogurt and mix into whipped cream.
~ Spread yogurt cream on sponges and sandwiched them.
~ Cover the cake with plain whipped cream if you prefer and decorate with your own desire.

Chill before serving. The taste was good and the cream was like ice-cream. It didn't stay long in my fridge, guess this is a good recipe that adores by my family.
I'll try to bake more!!

Lemon Cupcakes with Coffee Cream

It has been quite a long time since last post, huh?! Yup...getting lazier and lazier with anything creative but at least I do bake all the old recipes again and again. Well, time flies and its the end of July, school holiday will starts soon and I'm going to enjoy this coming holiday to the fullest...:）

Here, a simple recipe that I've got from  the 200 cupcakes by Joanne Farrow. I modified the recipe to suit my taste.

Ingredients:
125g butter
120g sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon rind
150g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g almond flakes

Cream:
2 tbsps Coffee paste
100g cream
50g sugar
1 egg yolk

Method:
~ Cream butter and sugar till fluffy then add in eggs and stir well.
~ Add in lemon rind and lemon juice and mix well.
~ Add in flour and baking powder and mix well.
~ Spoon into prepared cups and sprinkle the almond flakes on top of the cupcakes. Bake in the preheated oven at 180'C for 20 minutes.
~ Meanwhile melt the sugar, cream and coffee paste in a bowl （double boil）, add in egg yolk and off the heat. Stir well and beat the mixture to a snooth texture, shown below.
~ Transfer the smooth cream into a piping bag then slowly pump the cream into the cool cupcakes from the center.
~ Chill the cake before serving.

Try this simple recipe for your light tea break, I'm sure you'll like it.
The texture is so soft with the zest of lemon taste. You can always ignore the coffee cream if you like, the cupcakes are as tasty as they look.

CHEERS!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes

Another goodies for my daughter to bring to school last week. It was for her Science subject and everyone loves this so much, even the teacher asked whether she can bring this again to school for the Children's Day next month...^^

It's a simple but very very delicious cupcakes that I found from a book, "Beautiful Cupcakes" by chef Kevin Chai. I love his books, all the recipes turn out beautifully!! Anyway there were some changes in this recipe because I was lacked of some ingredients stated in the book....:p

Ingredients:
225g butter
200g sugar
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
120g peanut butter
120g dark chocolate (finely chopped)

Topping (which I didn't apply):
60g peanut butter
50g butter
2 tbsps fresh milk

Method:
~ Preheat overn at 175'C, place some cupcakes paper casing on tray. It calles about 20-22 small cupcakes.
~ Combine butter and sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
~ Add in eggs one after another then fold flour and beat until smooth.
~ Stir in peanut butter and chopped chocolate until well combined.
~ Spoon batter into prepared cases and bake for 20 minutes.
~ Remove and cool on rack.
~ For the topping, combine peanut butter and butter, beat until light and fluffy.
~ Add the fresh milk and beat until well combined.
~ Make decoration on top of each cupcakes as you desire.

Soft and fluffy and so yummy! Love this so much!!

While the cupcakes were baking in the oven, my whole kitchen was filled with the smell of peanut butter and chocolate. If you are a peanut butter and chocolate lover, you cannot miss this!!

Cheers!!

Toffee Chocolate Chips Buttercups

Finally I got my butt move into the kitchen today...hehehe!! I've been so lazy lately until all my friends asking what happen to me..;p Well, my mind is wondering with nothing and just go on with my daily routine, days after days...time flies!!

Okay okay, as I promise myself to bake something and something that is totally different from my old recipes, so here comes my self invent....Toffee Chocolate Chips Buttercups!! Is it a common one? I'm not sure, I just open up my cupboard and used whatever I have...LOL!!

Finally, I've finished using all the toffee which has been sitting in my fridge for weeks...^^

Actually not only this I've baked today, there's a Butter Cake for my hubby and a Coffee Marble Cheese Cake for a friend..:)

These cupcakes are so soft and fluffy, and the sweetness was just nice to go with the semi sweet chocolate chips (which is going to expire soon, hehe)

Here's the recipe:

200g butter

1/2 cup toffee

3 eggs

1 & 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2tsp baking powder

100g semi sweet chocolate chips

Method:

~ Beat butter and toffee will light and fluffy, add in eggs one at a time.

~ At low speed add in flour and baking powder.

~ Using a spatula, mix in the chocolate chips.

~ Spoon into 3.5oz (cupcakes) cups and bake at 180'C for 15-20 minutes. Makes 10 cupcakes.

As simple as that!! Nice to go with a cup of coffee or tea. Yumssss!! Can't wait for my little one to try later, with her favourite chocolate chips in it, I'm sure she'll say "good"...;p

Cheers!!

Valrhona Chocolate Cupcakes with Valrhona Chocolate Cream

Suddenly feel like baking this morning, so once I woke up..straight into my kitchen and started baking (before having my breakfast)...LOL!! Feel like having some chocolate cakes, with rich chocolate cream....so Valrhona chocolate that's it!! My favourite chocolate!!
A recipe from my collection books, "Favourite Cupcakes & Cheesecakes", published by Page One which I got it long time ago. Well, I didn't follow the recipe to the dot.. infact, I created my own..haha! The result....super yummy!!

The recipe suppose to be a Vanilla Choc Cupcakes, but I wanted it to be with full of chocolate, so I changed it. Anyway, the topping was exactly from the book!
Remember to fill the batter just half of the paper cups so that it won't be over flow. (like below)

Recipe:

225g butter

200g sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup thick cream

1+ 1/2 cup cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

100g valrhona chocolate (cut into pieces)

Topping:
100g valrhona chocolate (cut into pieces)
20g butter
1/3 cup thick cream
alittle silver balls for decorations

Method:

~ Preheat oven at 160'C. Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

~ Add in eggs one by one.

~ At low speed add in flour & baking powder and cream. Mix well.

~ Add in chocolate pieces and beat for another 2 minutes.

~ Spoon into prepared paper cups and bake for 20-25 minutes at 160'C.

Fillings methos:
~ Place chocolate pieces and butter in a deep bowl, double boiled until melted.
~ Remove and add in cream. Mix well and leave to cool.
~ The mixture should be firm and velvety in consistency.
~ Use a fork to apply the icing on the cooled cupcakes and finish with some silver balls.

The texture of the cake was really soft and delicious. Try it out and let me know...I'm sure you'll like it..:)


Cheers!!