Green Tea Chiffon

I doubt I'll ever get tired of baking and eating chiffon cakes. Inspired by my baking friend's matcha chiffon cake, I couldn't help but crave for one ;)

I followed the same recipe as what my friend did, which she has taken from the book. Although I don't own this book I have seen the recipe posted by fellow blogger pal, Small Small Baker. It seems like a very popular recipe as I have also come across another beautiful creation by. As I am writing this post, another blogger pal, the Baking Scientist has also shared her matcha chiffon cake baked in cupcakes :)

I went ahead to adopt SSB's recipe since I am also using a 17cm or 7" tube pan. I guess I have over-beaten the egg whites a litte, the cake didn't rise as tall as my usual chiffon cakes. In fact, it started to shrink even before the baking time was up. By the time I took it out from the oven, the dome had already flattened...as flat as the horizon! Either I have over-beaten the whites(which I thought I didn't) or it could be the existence of corn flour(which I doubt so), I had difficulties trying to fold and blend the meringue to the yolk batter. The finished batter was not as thick and voluminous as I have expected. Maybe it was the number of whites used...this recipe uses equal number of yolks and whites whereas the usual chiffon cake recipes I have followed call for an extra white.

Nevertheless, the texture was still soft and cottony. When I asked my younger child whether he liked it, he commented （loosely translated as, nice but not much flavour). How frank and yet very diplomatic! Either our taste buds were not functioning well or I should have used more matcha powder, the green tea flavour was not particularly prominent. The next time I were to make this, I will certainly add more matcha powder...but that has to wait, as I am now itching to try the same Kinako (Japanese soya bean powder) chiffon cake my baking friend has baked!

Green Tea Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
(makes one 7" cake)

3 egg yolks (use large eggs)
10g caster sugar
35g vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
50g fresh milk (original recipe calls for water)
45g cake flour
6g matcha green tea powder

3 egg whites (use large eggs)
45g caster sugar
6g corn flour

Method:

• Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine. Add the fresh milk, whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and matcha powder, whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
• Mix the 45g caster sugar with the corn flour.
• In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add half of the sugar and corn flour mixture and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar mixture and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
• Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
• Pour batter into a 7" chiffon tube pan(do not grease the pan). Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degC for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Recipe source: adapted from here.

Mango Chiffon Cupcakes

Cupcakes are something that I hardly ever make.

I prefer muffins since most cupcakes recipes calls for a lot more sugar and fat. But with my recent success with baking chiffon cakes in cups, I have adventured into baking a lighter version of cupcakes such as these mango chiffon cupcakes.

With mangoes found in abundance at this time of the year, I have been carting loads of Thai mangoes from the supermarket. I simply couldn't resist putting the fresh, blemishes-free fruits inside my basket each time I spot them at the fruits section ;)

I couldn't find any suitable mango chiffon cake recipe so I tweaked this cranberry yoghurt chiffon recipe as I reckoned that mango puree somewhat has the same consistency of yoghurt?

The mango chiffon turned out fabulous! The chiffon sponge rose high and mighty when they were baking in the oven...they were at least an inch above the rim, I'm not kidding! Unlike my previous attempt at baking chiffon cakes in square paper cups, the cake didn't crack all over which made them looked really like huat kuehs(steamed cakes). This time, with my usual round muffin paper cups, the 'high-rised' cakes reminded me of souffles or cakes topped with macaroons!

My younger child went 'woah!' when he first caught sight of the cupcakes in the oven...upon closer scrutiny he went 'oh dear! oh dear!' when the batter appeared to be in danger of overflowing anytime. I told him matter-of-factly, "Don't worry, they will deflate upon cooling." "Why?" he asked. "Hmmm...because when it is hot, it expands, when it is cold, it contracts. The air bubbles inside the cake batter expands during baking, and contracts or pops when cooled. The cake will collapse and sink." I don't know whether my answer is correct but he was happy with it, lol.

With the well baked chiffon cakes, I went on to prepare the filling cum frosting. The filling or frosting on the cupcakes is a mixture of whipping cream, yoghurt and fresh mangoes. It is much lighter than buttercream and taste a lot like ice cream. Well, it has to be since I have followed this mango yoghurt ice cream recipe :)

Just like Hokkaido chiffon cupcakes, I have filled the inside of each cupcake with the mango frosting. Although the texture is a bit denser than chiffon cakes baked in a tube pan, it still taste light and very refreshing...the mango flavour is very prominent even without any artificial flavourings. These cupcakes are certainly less sinful than butter cupcakes...but, that is, as long as you can refrain from eating a few at one go, lol!

I shall end my post with my favourite picture of theses chiffon cupcakes...love the nice wrinkles on top.

I doubt I will ever fall out of love with Baking.

Baking is Amazing...Baking is Fun!

Happy Baking everyone!

Mango Chiffon Cupcakes

Ingredients:
(makes 10 cupcakes)

for the chiffon cupcakes:
3 egg yolks (use large eggs)
25g caster sugar
50ml vegetable oil
100g fresh mangoes (use sweet, well ripened mangoes)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
80g cake flour

4 egg whites (use large eggs)
55g caster sugar


for the filling/frosting:
80g fresh mangoes (use sweet, well ripened mangoes)
25g caster sugar
75g mango flavoured yoghurt (I used peach and mango flavour)
125ml non-dairy whipping cream


Method:

to make the cupcakes:

• Blend 100g mangoe flesh till smooth. Set aside.
• Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine. Add the mango puree, lemon juice, whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
• In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
• Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
• Spoon batter into paper cups till it reaches the rim. Place paper cups onto baking tray and bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degC for 12~15 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely. (Note: the cupcakes will rise well above the rim during baking, but will shrink upon cooling.)

to make the filling/frosting:

• Blend mango flesh, sugar, yoghurt until the mixture becomes smooth. 
• With an electric mixer, whisk non-dairy whipping cream till stiff. Fold in the whipped cream to the mango mixture. Blend thoroughly.

to assemble:

• Fit piping bag with a piping tip, fill the bag with the filling. Gently push the piping tip into the centre of each cupcake and fill the inside with the filling. Then pipe the whipped cream on top of the cupcake.
• Leave to chill in the fridge before serving.

not my everyday muffins

These are not your everyday muffins.
They are uji matcha or green tea muffins topped with mini chocolate chips...
made, not by the usual 'muffin method' of mixing the dry with the wet ingredients, but by creaming butter and sugar...
and, there's a little surprise in each of these delicious cuppies...
what's the surprise?! A ball of cream cheese in the middle!

Well, the cream cheese is meant to be in the middle, but mine was too close to the top ;)

I didn't blame myself as I did follow the instruction closely, that is, to fill the muffin cups to half full before adding the cream cheese balls. I believe if I were to fill it to 1/3 full, the cream cheese would be right there in the middle. It also turns out that the cream cheese became tapered and not round like a ball. I think it has to do with my shaping. I am not complaining, since there is a 'heart' in every one of those muffins ;) I have taken the recipe from a cookbook ' Home Baking  (loosely translated as: Home Baking on a Sunday). My baking friend suggested that I could try out this recipe after I told her I have some left over cream cheese from the matcha cheesecake tart. I am so glad I heeded her advice!

These aren't my everyday muffins. They're indulgent!
The texture is tender, moist, much softer and lighter than a slice of pound cake. I guess they taste just like cupcakes, minus the frosting. There is also a good balance of flavours...matcha, cream cheese and chocolate...each having its own distintive taste, yet, with not one flavour overpowering any of the others. What can I say? Every bite is a delight!

Oh, before I forget, they taste really good when freshly baked! So, if want to give this a try, do plan ahead, you won't regret enjoying them with your morning or afternoon cup of tea, warm and fresh from the oven :)


I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #30: it's Tea time! (April 2013) hosted by Food Playground.
Matcha Green Tea Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients:
(makes 10, muffin cup size: diameter 6cm top, 4.5cm bottom, ht 3.5cm)

150g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
15g icing sugar

85g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g caster sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
145g cake flour
5g matcha green tea powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1g salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
80g milk
some mini chocolate chips


Method:

• With a wooden spoon or a spatula, mix cream cheese in a mixing bowl still smooth. Add in icing sugar, mix to combine. Divide the mixture into 10 portions (about 15-16g each). Shape each into round balls. Leave to chill in fridge.
• Place butter in a mixing bowl, beat with a balloon whisk or an electric mixer till smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture turns pale, light and fluffy.
• Gradually add in the egg, little by little, whisking after each addition. 
• Sieve over the flour, matcha powder and baking powder. Fold with a spatula until just combined.
• Add the salt, stir to combine.
• Add in the milk gradually and fold with spatula until just combined.  
• Fill paper muffin cups with batter till about 1/3 full, add the cream cheese balls to each muffin cup. Spoon over the remaining batter till each muffin cup is almost full. Sprinkle top with some mini chocolate chips.
• Bake in preheated oven at 180degC for about 20-25mins until the top is lightly browned or until a toothpick inserted into the side comes out clean.

cranberry orange chiffon cake

I have a leftover egg white from making a batch of cookies, what better way than to save it for a chiffon cake!

I am back to making an orange cointreau chiffon cake using the same recipe as these chiffon cupcakes. The only difference is, I added in some dried cranberries as I love it in my bakes, be it cookies, bread or cakes.

To prevent the dried cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan, I poured a small amount of the finished batter into pan, just enough to fill the base of the pan. Then I mixed in the dried cranberries with the rest of the batter before pouring everything into the pan. The cake was baked to a nice golden brown, and upon unmolding, I knew this extra effort did help. The dried cranberries did not sink to the bottom (now the top of the cake).

This cake is very light and has a very refreshing taste. The orange flavour is distinct yet subtle while the tangy-sweet dried cranberries gives a perfect balance to the sweet crumb. This recipe is definitely a keeper, I will certainly be making it again and again!




Cranberry Orange Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
(for 17cm tube pan)

3 egg yolks
25g caster sugar
35ml vegetable oil
60ml orange juice
1 teaspoon Cointreau (I used 2 teaspoons)
zest from 1 orange
80g cake flour

4 egg whites
45g caster sugar

40g dried cranberries
some cake flour for dusting

Method:

1. Chop dried cranberries into smaller pieces. Coat with cake flour and sieve to remove excess flour. Set aside.
2. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine.
3. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine. Add orange juice, cointreau and orange zest, whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
4. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
5. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended. 
6. To prevent the dried cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan, first pour a small portion of batter into a 17cm tube pan (do not grease the pan), just enough batter to fill the base of the pan. 
7. Add the prepared dried cranberries into the remaining batter in the mixing bowl. Fold with a spatula until just blended. Do not over mix. Pour batter into the pan. Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
8. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degC for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Recipe source: adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手, 福田淳子

Orange Chiffon Cake in cups

Happy Lunar New Year to everyone!

Pardon my tardiness in updating my blog and thousand apologies especially to those who still hop over to this tiny blogosphere once in a while.

I do bake regularly but I am always going back to my favourite recipes such as pandan chiffon, the usual bread loaves and buns, simple muffins and cookies. Nothing inspiring or worth mentioning...

except for this latest Orange Chiffon cake which I baked in paper cups instead of the usual tube pan. I have meant to give the cake away, and what better way to present the cake using these lovely muffin cups :)

I piped whipping cream into each cup cakes. just so to start using the carton of non-dairy whipping cream I bought a month ago. The end result looks quite similar to the popular Hokkaido chiffon cake though.

The chiffon cake texture was soft and light although they were baked in paper cups. While baking in the oven, they rose beautifully over the rim, almost on the verge of overflowing. Most of them cracked...but I have no issues with cracked chiffon cakes, in fact I love the cracks ;)

Once out of the oven, they started to shrink, I didn't invert the cakes (or should I??) and left them to cool right side up. Very soon, the cakes deflated to just the right height...not falling short of the base of the four flaps on each square cup. It was my first attempt at piping cream into a cup cake. I have no idea how to go about it but to rely on my gut feel. I simply forced the piping tip into the centre of the cake and squeeze in as much cream I could, I stopped piping when the cream started flowing out from the side of the piping tip. I used the remaining cream to pipe rosettes on the tops, so as to cover the holes. I kept my fingers crossed that I was doing the right thing...that I got enough whipping cream into the cake. Fortunately, these little cuppies were meant for family, I have no qualms about giving away half-filled cakes to family members, actually I didn't even taste one before I gave them away, something I wouldn't do if they were meant for friends ;) 

It turn out that I got the piping right as the cuppies were filled with quite a substantial amount of cream, although I think the cakes could take in more. The taste, at least the whipping cream, was rather close to those store bought Hokkaido cake which I have tried. I received positive comments such as...'they taste better than store bought ones'. Credit must go to the orange chiffon cake recipe which I have taken from my favourite chiffon cake book, 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手. The cake was delicious and full of flavors as they were made with orange juice, orange zest and Cointreau (an orange-flavoured liqueur)...another baking ingredients which I have just used even though I bought it more than a year ago. 

With this little experience I have gained, I expect myself to bake some real Hokkiado chiffon cupcakes soon...

Orange Chiffon Cake in cups

Ingredients:
(makes about 15 cupcakes)

5 egg yolks
40g caster sugar
55ml vegetable oil
95ml orange juice (from about two oranges)
2 teaspoons Cointreau
zest from 1 orange
130g cake flour

7 egg whites
70g caster sugar

for frosting:
about 240ml (1 cup) non-dairy whipping cream for piping
1 teaspoon Cointreau
some icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine. Add orange juice, cointreau and orange zest, whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
2. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
3. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
4. Pour batter into paper cups till it reaches just before the base of the flaps. Place paper cups onto baking tray and bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degC for 12~15 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely.
5. With an electric mixer, beat non dairy whipping cream and cointreau until stiff. Fit piping bag with a piping tip, fill the bag with the whipped cream and pipe the cream into the centre of the cake. Dust with icing sugar and leave to chill in the fridge before serving. 

Recipe source: adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手, 福田淳子

Mini Oreo Cheesecake

To make up for my tardiness in updating this blog, here's a little treat from my kitchen to yours...
mini upside down oreo cheesecakes...

A month ago, I was quite caught up planning for a holiday trip...it was a last minute decision as we almost gave up the idea when we couldn't get on the flight. By chance or fate, (or rather, thanks to my never-give-up attitude of checking the airlines system every other few hours) I managed to get all of us booked on the same flight. As we neither speak or read Korean language, I had to make sure I did a thorough job of getting into the minute details to prevent any hiccups during our trip. My 'strengths' in micro-managing pays off. Everything went well, we got to visit the places we had planned and didn't have much problem finding the popular makan(eating) places. As usual, we were on a shoestring budget, everything was DIY, backpackers style...only difference was, instead of carrying backpacks we maneuvered the busy streets and from train stations to stations with cabin bags in tow ;)

Our holiday trip was a real short one...time flies and in no time we are back to our daily mundane lives :(
In between doing loads after loads of laundry, I took time to 'spot clean' my fridge. Lying in the fridge was this block of cream cheese, crying out loud to me that I was right on time, it would exceed the expiry date the very next day!
Instead of procrastinating and end up having to throw it into the bin the next day, I googled for suitable recipes that calls for cream cheese. I remember seeing some oreo cheesecake recipes some time back, and it was a good thing that the recipe requires very basic baking ingredients, and, I am never short of oreos! The only problem was, I didn't have any sour cream on hand, but I do have yoghurt in the fridge. I went ahead and replaced the sour cream with yoghurt. I guess not much damage was done...

I baked them with paper muffin cups...one whole oreo cookie is placed inside each cup before filling it up with the batter. The preparation was rather fuss free, quick and simple. I followed the baking time but extended it for another couple of minutes as I did the skewer test and the centre was still wet although the top was set. For fear of over baking, I turned off the heat even though the inside was still not set. I believe they would be fully set in the fridge (upon cooling, the cakes have to be chilled in the fridge before consuming).

My little baking retreat was a great success. These mini cheesecakes were really delicious, and I thought they looked very lovely with the oreo cookies on top :)
They are excellent after dinner treats even though I am not an oreo fan, and I am sure they would jazz up any tea time tables especially when there are guests around ;)

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

Ingredients:
(makes about 10)

15 Oreo cookies (10 leave as whole, 5 remove cream and coarsely chopped)
8oz pack cream cheese, room temperature
50g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten, room temperature
60g sour cream (I replaced with plain yoghurt)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 135 DegC (275°F).
2. Place one whole cookie in each of the 10 muffin paper cups (or line muffin tins with paper liners). 
3. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer (medium high speed) until smooth. 
4. Add in sugar, beat until just combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
5. Add in vanilla extract, beat until just combined. 
6. Gradually drizzle in the egg, beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary. 
7. Add in sour cream, beat till just combined. 
8. Add chopped cookies, fold with a spatula. 
9. Fill each muffin cup almost to the brim. Bake for about 22~25 minutes until the filling is set and not jiggly. Transfer to wire rack, leave to cool completely. Cover or store in airtight containers and leave to refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, remove cake from muffin cups, serve cookies sides up.

chiffon salé

No, I am not selling chiffon cakes, nor is there any chiffon cake on sale. The word salé is a French word, which means salted.

My cyberfriend VB sent me this book "戚风咸蛋糕and戚风甜蛋糕" earlier this year, and it was only last week that I managed to find time to try baking my first savoury chiffon cake...a Bacon and Onion Chiffon Cake!

Except for the reduced amount of sugar, addition of salt, the ingredients and method is similar to any other chiffon cake. Instead of using the combination of mustard and bacon, I replaced it with chopped onions, bacon and freshly ground black pepper. Not knowing that the timing to add the ingredients is quite crucial, I made the mistake of adding the onions and bacons last, that is, after I have folded the whites and yolks batter together. This caused the batter to deflate and as a result, my chiffon cake didn't rise as high :_( Next time I were to make this, I will remember to add the onions and bacons mixture into the yolk batter instead.

This chiffon salé gives a whole new dimension to chiffon cake. If you like savoury pastries, I am sure you will love it..imagine the taste of a slice of this savoury cake, with bits of bacon and onion studded in not too sweet, not salty but pillowy soft cake crumbs. On the other hand, if you have got sweet tooth, you may find the taste weird...just like my better half, to him, all cakes have to be sweet not savoury ;)

If you are game enough, why not give this a try? Who knows, it may lead you to discovering a whole new world of baking...





Bacon and Onion Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
(for 17cm tube pan)

3 egg yolks (use large eggs*)
10g caster sugar
3g salt
50ml vegetable oil
50ml water
80g cake flour

4 egg whites (use large eggs*)
20g caster sugar

2 slices streaky bacon
70g onion (about half a yellow onion), finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper

(*I used eggs with a nett weight of 55g, about 20g yolk, 35g white)

Method:

1. Cut bacon into 3~5mm stripes. Pan fry the chopped bacon in a non stick pan till golden. Remove and drain on paper towel. Pan fry chopped onions in the same pan with the oil from the bacon till soft. Mix in the bacon and some freshly ground black pepper. Leave to cool. 
2. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and salt, whisk till the batter turns pale and thick (about 5 mins).
3. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine.
4. Add in water gradually, whisk to combine.
5. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix.
6. Add in bacon and onion mixture, stir with a spatula to just combine. Set aside.
7. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
8. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
9. Pour batter into pan (do not grease the pan). Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
10. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degC for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife or a off-set spatula around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife/off-set spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Recipe source: adapted from 戚风咸蛋糕and戚风甜蛋糕, 小岛喜和

cake in a cup

It is more than a month since I last baked something! I was so caught up with cleaning up the house, clearing the clutters, removing old textbooks to make room for new ones, and shopping for winter clothes and gears for our trip. When I have time to take a breather, I would be crawling over the web, looking for ways and means...to climb over the Great fire Wall of China.

We will be spending the year end school holidays in China, where blogger, wordpress, youtube, facebook, twitter are all blocked. After testing out a few alternative ways of climbing over the great firewall, I managed to find a possible solution to update my blog without having to access Blogger. The one that works well is to publish a post via email. So instead of creating a new post in blogger, I have to compose the post within an email. It will be posted once I sent it to my mail2blogger address. The next issue is, how to view my blog post or visit the blogs that I frequent...the way to get around it is to read blog updates via Google reader. However, I won't be able to view the images, only text will be displayed, I tested out RSS feed reader, but it didn't work well. The worst is, I won't be able to leave any comments on blogs or reply to any comments or questions on my own blog post. I will have to be a silent reader until we return...so pardon me if I am not able to answer your questions promptly. Well, at least I get to update my blog!

In my attempt to clear the leftover ingredients in my fridge, I planned to make my favourite Fruit Pastry Cake. However, to save time from lining my cake pan, I baked the cake in paper muffin cups. I also took the liberty to cut down on the sugar amount from 150g to 120g. To speed things up, I transfered the finished batter into a clear plastic bag, snipped off a corner of the plastic bag, and used it like a piping bag to fill up each paper cup. Not only it makes spooning of the batter so much easier, it was neater and no mess!

But, my brain has gone rusty...blame it on the long break in between my baking sessions...when I was about to put the tray of filled paper cups into the oven, I was greeted with a 'dark' oven. I had totally forgotten to turn on the oven! There was no choice but to let the batter wait for the oven to be preheated. I thought it was going to be a gone case...but to my surprise, the cake rose high up over the rim just 15mins into baking :)

      

Thanks to my baking fairy, the blunder I made didn't affect the texture or taste of the cake at all. Even though it is a cake, it is quite similar to a muffin. It was a real breakfast treat for me as I haven't had any homemade cakes for weeks.

Although this is not a cupcake per se, I will like to submit this Blueberry Cake in a cup to Aspiring Bakers #13: Enjoy Cupcakes! (November 2011), hosted by Min's Blog. I hope it will be accepted :)




Blueberry Cake in a cup

Ingredients:
(makes about 9 cupcakes)

100g unsalted butter, soften at room temperature
120g caster sugar
50g yogurt (plain or blueberry flavour)
3 eggs, (medium size) lightly beaten, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
210g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
some fresh blueberries


Method:

1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add yogurt, mix to combine.
2. Dribble in the eggs gradually and beat till incorporated in the batter. (The mixture may appear slightly curdled.)
3. Add vanilla extract, mix to combine.
4. Sieve over flour and baking powder and mix with a spatula till smooth.
5. Spoon batter into paper liners, fill it to about 3/4 full. Top with some fresh blueberries (if using frozen berries, do not thaw).
6. Bake in pre-heat oven at 180degC for 25-30 minutes until golden or a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. 
7. Transfer to wire rack to let cool completely. Dust the top with some icing sugar if desired. Serve warm.

Another lesson learned...

With the on-going year end school exams, the school term for the year is drawing to a close. As usual,  at this time of the year, I try to stay away from the 'baking and blogging world' so that I could divert my attention to coach my children in their studies.

Ever since I quit my job to stay at home to look after the kids, I have been treating the scores on their report cards as my annual performance review. Any favourable comments from teachers on my children's behavour and conduct in school, plus whatever little achievements they have accomplished for the year will be treated as bonus points. Of course, I won't be penalised if they don't do well in their studies, neither will I get a fat bonus or increment if they have achieved excellent academic results. Not that I am expecting any rewards in return, but their academic performance is the only way for me to judge whether I have done my part as a stay-at-home-mum. If they don't do well, I will feel that it is my fault. I know, it sounds silly, but, for the time being this is the only yardstick for me to evaluate whether I have put in my best effort to guide my children. It also serves as a warning sign, if they don't do well, I better cut down my time spent on the blogosphere ;)

Ok, enough of ranting, let me bring you to my recent bake...

Well, I hope you won't get bored with yet, another chiffon cake post! I can't help but to share with you this not-so-clear image of the cake baking in the oven. The cake ballooned as the clock ticked away...it made my ego swell at the same rate as I watched the cake rose and bloomed nicely. 

In the midst of helping my younger child to prepare for his exams, I am also trying my best to clear away as many ingredients as possible since we will be away during the school holidays. I finally put my hands together to make this Sakura Chiffon cake as the preserved sakura and sakura paste my dear cyberfriend VB gave me many months back was near expiring.

The sakura flowers were preserved with salt, but even though I soaked them for 30mins, the petals still tasted a little salty. Don't ask me how does sakura smell like...I wasn't able to detect any floral fragrant, not during baking or when the cake was left to cool. Except for the slight salty taste (not the salted fish or salted vegetables kind of salty), the cake tasted like an ordinary sponge cake, or 鸡蛋糕. Sad to say, the sakura paste or sakura essence, did not add any flavour to it, it did not even add any colour to it. I had imagined that the pinkish essence would turn the batter into a nice pinky batter...but no, it has no effect at all :(

Although I was quite disappointed with the sakura, I did manage to learn something from this bake. I have actually made two chiffon cakes, the first one was meant to be a trial. With the lesson learned from the first attempt, I baked the same cake again and gave it away.

For the first cake, I followed the ingredients amount as stated in the recipe, ie 50ml vegetable oil and 50ml water. However, I noticed the yolk batter was quite thick, and I deflated the whites a little while trying to mix the two together. The finished cake was not as airy or fluffy as the fruit tea chiffon I made earlier. I compared the two recipes and decided to change the water-oil amount. So, for the second sakura cake, I used 40ml oil and 60ml water, just like the fruit tea chiffon. The yolk batter was not as thick, and I could fold in the whites easily. The second cake rose tall and mighty. Even though I wasn't able to taste it, I am confident that the texture would be quite similar to the fruit tea version.

These slices were from the first cake...the texture was not as moist and tender as the fruit tea ones, mainly because I have deflated the whites. If I ever have the chance to make this again, I will likely add matcha powder to enhance the flavour.

Nevertheless, it was another good baking experience for me...at least now I know, the petals that were lined on the base of the tube pan would remained intact, they were not buried or covered by the batter. Without using any special tools or taking extra care, I didn't even rid them off while I was unmoulding the cake from the pan. Till now, I still find this rather amazing!




Sakura Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
(for 7" tube pan)

3 egg yolks (use large eggs*)
20g caster sugar
40ml vegetable oil (original recipe use 50ml)
60ml water (original recipe use 50ml)
1 teaspoon sakura paste (original recipe use dried sakura leave powder)

80g cake flour

4 egg whites (use large eggs*)
50g caster sugar

some preserved sakura

(*I used eggs with a nett weight of 55g, about 20g yolk, 35g white)

Method:

1. Rinse the preserved sakura to remove any excess salt. Leave to soak for 30mins. Drain and pat dry on paper towels. Line the dried sakura petals on the base of a 7" chiffon tube pan. Set aside.
2. Sieve flour and set aside. 
3. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine.
4. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine. 
5. Add in water gradually, whisk to combine. Add in sakura paste, whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
6. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy.  Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
7. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
8. Pour batter into the prepared pan (do not grease the pan). Smooth the top with a spatula if necessary. Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter. (Note: the finished batter should be thick and airy, and should be able to fill up the pan to about 90% full or not less than 2cm below the rim)
9. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degC for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife or a off-set spatula around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife/off-set spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Recipe source: adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手, 福田淳子

fruity

I have been wanting to replace my old chiffon cake pan for ages, but each time I visit the baking supply store which I got the pan from, I always came back empty handed. You see, I only like those chiffon pans that come without 'legs'. Besides offering aesthetic appeal (trust me, I don't care too much about fashion, but I am a bit uptight when it comes to baking pans!), they come in the exact size that I want...that is, 7" pan instead of the usual bigger 8" or 9" ones for those with legs.

As usual, when I popped by the baking supply store two weeks ago, I walked over the baking pans section to look-see look-see. I was so happy when I spotted the 7" chiffon pans on the rack, and best of all, there are no legs on them! Oh, how I love the nice matte finishing on the surface!

The first thing I got home was to compare the new pan with the old one. Even though the label says 17cm pan size on the new pan, it is slightly bigger than my old one. The new pan is 18cm actually, and it is also at least 1 cm taller than the old one. I also noticed how 'straight' the sides are, which make the pan appear deeper.

With the knowledge that the new pan is slightly bigger, I was a bit hesitant to try out the recipes from my trusted chiffon cake book. My old pan works fine with recipes that call for either 3 whole eggs or those that use 3 yolks and 4 whites. I was skeptical that there will be enough batter to fill up the pan, and so, typical me, I procrastinated...

But well, I didn't wait too long...I just couldn't get rid of the increasing itch to test out the pan ;)

To minimise wastage and disappointment, I decided on a recipe that uses the least expensive ingredients...a tea chiffon cake. I have been wanting to try make a chiffon cake with Lipton's forest fruit tea...my current favourite tea. You will be amazed by the wonderful aroma from a cup of pipping hot fruity tea...something you won't expect from this sort of 'everyday' kind of tea bags. I could smell the tea a couple of metres away...you need not put your nose over the cup to smell it. I am sure those who have tried this tea will know what I am talking about.

Once again, the recipe from my chiffon cake 'bible' didn't disappoint me. I was able to fill up the new pan to almost 90% full. The cake bloomed really well when it was in the oven, but I noticed it sank a little when the baking time was almost up. The finished cake shrank further, but it was still hovering around the rim. **clap clap** **happy happy**

The texture was light, fluffy and moist! This time, with the good lighting condition, I managed to get quite a clear picture of the crumb, I hope you can tell how soft and tender  it is from the picture. By the way, I am still using my very old, museums-will-like, point and shoot camera...my faithful and very much abused Canon Powershot G3 (there is G12 in the market now). It comes with a humble 4 mega pixels and the battery cannot be recharged anymore, so I got to use the ac adapter whenever I take photos of my food. I am not able to take decent photos when there is no natural light, and since I made this cake in the evening, I wasn't able to take a picture of the whole cake :( I do hope my camera can still be alive and kicking for another few years to come. Wish me luck!



Fruit Tea Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
(for 7" tube pan)

3 egg yolks (use large eggs*)
20g caster sugar
40ml vegetable oil
60ml infused tea (infused one tea bag with about 90ml hot water, leave to cool, use only 60ml)
1 1/2 tablespoon tea leaves (from about 3 satchels)

80g cake flour

4 egg whites (use large eggs*)
50g caster sugar

(*I used eggs with a nett weight of 55g, about 20g yolk, 35g white)

Method:

1. Infuse tea bag (use any flavour of your choice) with hot water, leave to cool completely, use only 60ml.
2. Sieve flour and set aside. 
3. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine.
4. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine. 
5. Add in infused tea gradually, whisk to combine. Add in tea leaves, whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
6. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy.  Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
7. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
8. Pour batter into a 7" tube pan (do not grease the pan). Smooth the top with a spatula if necessary. Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter. (Note: the finished batter should be thick and airy, and should be able to fill up the pan to about 90% full or not less than 2cm below the rim)
9. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degC for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife or a off-set spatula around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife/off-set spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Recipe source: adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手, 福田淳子

for the love of baking

I guess you are already used to my long silence.

If you are still reading and keep coming back to check on this humble blog, I thank you :D

I have no excuse for my tardiness. Except for having volunteered to look after a sick toddler who was down with hand foot and mouth disease for a week, the last 21 days flew past without me knowing that I didn't bake a single thing. I thought I have lost interest in baking, or rather, lost any interest in food per se. I have not been blog hopping and am terribly guilty of not even leaving any words of encouragements and support on those rare occasions when I visit my regular food bloggers. My apologies.

Why, I asked myself? Could it be my allergic rhinitis (aka sinus problem) which keeps haunting me since the beginning of the year? I keep sneezing the first thing in the morning...even when I was brushing my teeth! I am ultra sensitive to dust, even flipping a book from the library will send me sneezing away. My nasal will get all blocked whenever I turn on the air-conditioner in the room. Many weeks have past with me waking up in the middle of the night fumbling for tissue papers. I believe my bad habit of stuffing tissue into my nostrils have made them bigger than ten cent coins! My condition only improved if I take medication...ie anti-histamine and nasal spray. Once I stop, the problem will come back...*sigh*. My elder child went through the same thing since he was a baby. It took him many years before his health improved. He grew up taking medicine more than candies and ice cream. I wonder how long I'll have to battle with this illness?

Lately, instead of reading cookbooks and playing around with flour and eggs, I found myself reading novels, watching Korean dramas and movies, online. I feel shy to admit, but I think besides allergic rhinitis I am suffering from love sickness (*^^*) as my better half has been away for the longest time. I know I should spend my time on more worthy stuff yet it soothes me whenever I immerse myself in the storyline, especially love stories in Korean drama, haha! 

Well, I guess these are the reasons that kept me away from my oven. The one good thing for not indulging in any baking frenzy is that, I have actually lost some weight. I managed to shed a few pounds without having to do any exercises. So, imagine, how much damage had done to my body in the past when I was baking almost every other day?!

Yet, I couldn't help but to bake something this week. My baking passion is not all gone :)

I have lined up a list of chiffon recipes to try, and I picked this Cranberry Yoghurt Chiffon cake since I have all the necessary ingredients on hand. This is nothing new as many bloggers have already tried it. I was interested in this recipe as it calls for yoghurt, something new to me, when it comes to baking a chiffon cake. I was curious whether yoghurt will work its wonder by making a chiffon cake very moist and tender as good as when it is used in other cakes.

I made it a point to read the fine prints in the cookbook, and did the right thing to chop the dried cranberries into smaller pieces and diligently coated them with some flour, to prevent them from sinking into the bottom of the cake. Well, although most of the cranberries were well distributed in the cake, quite a number still sank to the bottom. So, I ended up with a polka-dot cake ;)

I don't really know whether yoghurt has contributed to the soft and tender texture of this cake. It is just like any other chiffon cake I have made. However, I find the taste really interesting. The sweetness of the crumb is just right, but when the tangy dried cranberries hit your palate, it will sure wake up all your nerves ;) Great choice to have it for breakfast! This recipe is something worth trying, that is, if you have not done it before.

I have already lined up my next to-dos...orange chiffon, orange pound cake, black sesame chiffon, lemon pound cake and even a sakura chiffon cake. I guess I will put the extra pounds back once I am back to my baking mood!  





Cranberry Yoghurt Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
(for 17cm tube pan)

3 egg yolks (use large eggs)
25g caster sugar
40ml vegetable oil
80g plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
80g cake flour

4 egg whites (use large eggs)
55g caster sugar

60g dried cranberries
some cake flour for dusting


Method:

1. Sieve flour and set aside. 


2. Chop dried cranberries into smaller pieces. Coat with flour and sieve to remove excess flour. Set aside.


3. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine.


4. Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine. 


5. Add in yoghurt and lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.


6. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy.  Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)


7. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.


8. Add in the prepared dried cranberries. Fold in until just blended Do not over mix.


9. Pour batter into a 17cm tube pan (do not grease the pan). Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.


10. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degC for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Recipe source: adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手, 福田淳子

pandan cake...two way

I made two pandan cakes this week. The two ingredient lists were almost identical but the preparation method differs slightly.

I wouldn't call this a pandan chiffon cake. Although it was made using separate eggs method, the texture was closer to a sponge cake instead. The preparation method is slightly different from making a chiffon cake. To make this cake, the egg whites are first beaten still close to stiff peak. The yolks are then added directly to the meringue, followed by vegetable oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract and pandan paste...all dump in together. The mixture is then combined with a balloon whisk. The last step is to fold in the flour with a spatula. The cake is baked in a bundt pan or a tube pan...which has to be well greased and floured. After baking, the cake pan is inverted and the cake will slip off from the pan right away.

This pandan cake didn't rise too much upon baking. Either I have deflated the batter when trying to fold in the flour, or it could be due to the smaller sized eggs that I used...the cake pan was only half filled. I didn't do a good job in preparing the pan either...there was a thin layer of flour on the surface of the cake :(

Once the cake was released from the pan, I cut a slice to taste it. The crust is quite crisp and the crumb tasted moist and soft. The cake didn't taste as moist upon cooling but I still find it delicious.

With some left over coconut milk, I made another pandan cake...this time, it is a real chiffon cake. The cake rose quite well during baking despite the fact that I must have deflated the batter since the finished batter was not as thick as I would expect.

Closer to the end of the baking, the cake started to sink a little. Fortunately it managed to stay well above the rim upon cooling. I am quite satisfied with the height of the finished cake. I have deliberately omitted cream of tar tar and baking powder which are called for in the original recipe. Apparently this didn't cause any damage.

I really like the airy texture of this cake! It is cottony soft, moist, light and fluffy.  This recipe is certainly a keeper. The only thing I need to improve upon is to enhance the flavour. I have left out the pandan juice since I do not have a blender or a mortar and pestle to extract the juice from pandan leaves. I will have to think of a way to get around this problem before I could make the perfect pandan cake.

(I will be leaving for a short trip and will not be able to access blogger during the time I am away. You may leave your comments and questions and I will respond to them when I return.)



Pandan Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
(for 7" tube pan)

3 egg yolks (use large eggs, 60g without shell)
35g caster sugar
70g coconut milk
55g vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pandan paste
1 tablespoon pandan juice  
pinch of salt
100g cake flour

4 egg whites (use large eggs, 60g without shell)
50g caster sugar
(Note: I omitted the baking powder and cream of tar tar which is called for in the original recipe.)


Method:

1. Sieve flour and set aside.
2. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk till the mixture turns pale and thick. Add coconut milk gradually, stir to combine. Add vegetable oil gradually, stir to combine. Add vanilla extract, pandan paste, pandan juice (I replaced with water) and salt. Stir to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
3. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy.  Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
4. Add the beaten egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
5. Pour batter into a 17cm tube pan (do not grease the pan). Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
6. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degC for 35 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Recipe source: adapted from ieatishootipost

of Birthdays and Baking

It is the time of the year again...

when I am 365 days older...but not necessary wiser....

when I just have to make a cake for myself, not because I love baking so much...but it seems like the only right thing to do...

when I always begin the day with the wrong mood, usually with a hint of resentment...but always went to bed all soaked up in a sweet feeling...




Before I share with you my birthday cake for this year, I will like to mark this occasion with a small roundup of the birthday cakes I have made so far...

My maiden birthday cake...a Dorie Greenspan's Devil's Food White-Out Chocolate Cake. Just like the Chinese saying "初生之犊不畏虎" which has the same meaning as 'fools rush in where angels fear to tread'...looking back, I was indeed a fool...trying to do something so challenging with the little baking knowledge and experience I have. It is no where close to the gorgeous cake on the front cover of Dorie Greenspan's 'Baking: From My Home to Yours'...what a disgrace to the author!

The following year, I celebrated my 40th year on earth with a dark, rich (how I wish it was someone tall, dark and handsome!) and very decadent Chocolate Gateau. It was a break through for me as it was the first time I tried piping rosettes with melted chocolate. I remembered trying so many times to produce the best looking rosette I could manage, that the chocolate started to harden and I had to give up when the fat appeared to separate from the cocoa, lolz!

One year later...having gone through enough baking failures, I attempted a Tiramisu Charlotte Cake that looked quite presentable with the clever 'cover ups'. The taste was so good that I wasn't afraid to make the same thing again for my close ones' birthdays.

This strawberry mousse cake seems to mark the beginning of my baking skills going down hill. I cringe whenever I am reminded by how 'coarse' the mouse layer was! The cake has also taught me to be more humble...that is, I have to treat all recipes with respect. I shouldn't play around with ingredients too much especially when dealing with delicate cakes.

pardon the lousy image...click on the picture to view a higher resolution image

This the latest edition to my list of birthday cakes...a no-bake Tofu Cheesecake. This time, I followed the recipe closely, the only deviation was, I used another recipe for the biscuit crust. Making the cake was smooth sailing...except having to run out at the last minute to get gelatine powder after a fruitless attempt rummaging through my cabinets of baking stuff. I popped the cake into the fridge to set before we went out for lunch. I had planned to get some fresh strawberries on our way back to make some berries sauce to go with the cake. Another lesson learned...do not take it for granted that your local supermarket would carry strawberries all year round. I couldn't find any strawberries, not a punnet on the shelf, neither could I find any suitable fruits to use as garnish. We went home empty handed, and I thought I was going to have a plain cake for birthday until I remembered I came across a marshmallow fondant recipe a few days ago. I was happy that the pack of coloured marshmallows sitting in my cabinet came in handy. I melted three pink marshmallows over a pot of simmering water, then added 40g of icing sugar (the sugar amount is double the weight of the marshmallows), and kneaded it into a small dough. I spent the next half an hour making fondant roses with my younger son...while the elder fellow kept stopping by to steal a piece of dough before popping it into his mouth.

pardon the lousy image...click on the picture to view a higher resolution image

Thanks to Bakertan for sharing this video on how to make a rose out of fondant. I saw the video sometime back, and based on what I could recall (I didnt even bother to watch the video again), I made the first rose. Since it was the first attempt, it wasn't that nice to be granted the lime-light spot in front. The second rose, facing right at the camera was pretty well done...at least for a first timer who has zero experience with fondant. Just like the video demo, I didnt use any tools, or roll out the dough evenly. I simply pinched pieces of dough, flatten it (without using any cling wrap since it is not sticky at all) into petals and stick them together into a rosette. The smaller rose on the left was done by my younger child. The petals were not as thin but I would think his motor skills is actually not too bad. Besides he has some 'prior experience' making a small rose with jumping clay, the day before. 

There were only enough marshmallow fondant to make 3 rosettes...and I placed them on top of my cheesecake right after they were made. To my surprise, the roses started to sweat due to condensation. It wasn't something I least expected even though I have read about 'sweating fondant' especially in our humid weather. It was quite heart breaking having to watch the pretty roses sweating away :'(

As usual, before we cut the cake, I was 'showered' with presents from my boys. I saw my little one making this tiny froggy the day before, they should know that they can't hide anything from me ;)  My elder son gave me something 'intangible'. A piece of music...the classic birthday song which he 're-arranged' with some music software...it was a string ensemble with 'violin', 'viola' and a 'cello' (I think?).

I managed to take a clearer picture of a slice of the tofu cheesecake the following morning. The cake was smooth and firm...not velvety soft as silken tofu. The texture wass closer to a firm tofu...probably because of the amount of gelatin used. It is an 'adult cake' actually...because it tasted quite tangy, thanks to the generous amount of lemon juice. My younger son only took a few mouthfuls before he scrapped off the filling and transferred it to his daddy's plate. He told me he liked the crust better, haha. The rest of us fell in love with the tanginess! The cake tasted so refreshing and delicious that we couldn't stop at just one slice...there were no tofu taste though. We had to caution each other of the amount of calories in order to refrain from taking the third piece. The only 'compliment' I got from my better half was...the crust was very professionally made...it didn't fall apart easily like all the previous no-bake cheesecakes I have made. What a great pat on the shoulder! As for the marshmallow fondant...it tasted great when dry...almost like eating a piece of 'crushed and flattened' cotton candy. However, after left to perspired profusely, the fondant rose tasted like...according to my elder son's description...as though eating a piece of '大白兔奶糖' (a kind of milk toffee)!

It was an experience playing with fondant...something which I never thought I will make because of the high sugar content. Although I am likely out of my mind if I were to make a cake covered fully with fondant, I won't dismiss the idea of making tiny edible cake toppers whenever I run out of idea to decorate a birthday cake ;)



Tofu Cheesecake

Ingredients
(makes one 18cm round cake)

crust:
95g digestive biscuits, finely crushed
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

filling:
6 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons gelatin powder
250g cream cheese, soften at room temperature
150g silken tofu
45g unsalted butter, soften at room temperature
5 tablespoons caster sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice


Method:
Crust:
Line the base of a 18cm round pan (with removable base) with parchment paper. Combine crushed digestive biscuits, light brown sugar and melted butter together in a mixing bowl. With the back of a spoon, press the biscuit crumbs firmly onto the base of the prepared pan. Chill in the freezer compartment for at least 1 hour. (To ensure the crust is even, I used the base of a flat-bottom glass to press down the crumbs.)

Filling:
Measure warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin powder (without stirring). Set aside to allow the gelatin grains to bloom.

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, silken tofu and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides if necessary. Add in sugar and beat till fully incorporated. Add in lemon juice, beat till fully incorporated.

The gelatin should turn spongy by now. Stir the solution with a spoon. (Note: not all the gelatin powder was fully dissolved when I made this, but it was not a problem as the mixture was added to the cheese batter through a sieve). Pour the gelatin solution through a sieve into the cream cheese batter. Beat the batter till fully incorporated.  Stop to scrape down the sides when necessary. (The finished batter is rather thin and runny.)

Pour the batter onto the chilled crust based. Tap the pan lightly on table top or smooth the surface with a spatula.  Refrigerate until set (at least 4 hours).

To unmold, place pan on an inverted glass (or a canned drink or any canned food). Carefully slide the removable pan downwards to release the cake. Transfer cake together with the base to a serving plate.  Serve with fresh berries sauce.

Recipe source: adapted from Food & Travel magazine