Blue Pea Flower Chiffon Cake/ 兰花戚风 and Blue Pea Tea

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A friend mentioned going to bake chiffon cake with dried blue pea. I never tried before and wonder how the colour will turn out. Well here is the look of my blue pea chiffon cake. 

Butter Marble Cake (Mrs NgSK's Vanilla Butter Cake)

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I have been bookmarked Mrs NgSK’s butter cake for so long. After knowing this month Bake-along theme is marble butter cake I knew this is the one I going to bake. For marble effect I mixed some batter with cocoa powder. This recipe definitely is a keeper as it gives soft and fluffy cake texture. If you are butter cake lovers this may the one you like!

Italian Almond Tart

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I wanted to make almond tart for so long. After knowing this month theme for Bake Along is almond tart I wait no more :D Actually I baked this tart few weeks ago. It really delicious! I love the nutty, moist crumbly almond filling on top of flaky pastry.

The recipe calls for almond paste. I have no idea what is that. This make me think of Joyce, Kitchen Flavours Toasted Almond Pound Cake. The cake used almond paste too. I understand from Joyce we can make the paste by using ground almond, icing sugar and egg white. After consult Joyce, she gave me the almond paste recipe as needed for this Italian Almond Tart. Thanks Joyce!

Durian Pound Cake

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We love durian and we enjoy having them just on its own ^^ However when there is too much it will be great to have it in other form like this durian pound cake.

There is no durian season here. I baked this cake several months ago. It is time to share via this month Aspiring Bakers,Tropical Spiky Month which durian is the main ingredient.  

Adapted and slightly modified from CuisineParadise (half the recipe)

(Make in L18cm x W10cm x H7cm loaf pan)

Durian pound cake

Ingredients:
(A)

125g unsalted butter, soften
80g sugar

2 ½ eggs (55g each)
180g durian flesh

(B)

125g cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

*sift together

25ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*mix together

Methods:
1. Blend the flesh of durian till form paste and set aside for later use.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add in 1 egg at a time, beating well in between each addition.

4. Beat in Durian flesh till combined, using a rubber spatula to fold in half the sifted flour (careful not to over-stir or beat the mixture) and follow by milk mixture and remaining flour.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

6. Bake in preheated oven 170C for 40 minutes or until a skewer insert in the middle and come out clean.

7. When cooked, remove cake from the oven, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #33 (July 2013) - Tropical Spiky Month hosted by Charmaine of MiMi Bakery House

Lemon Butter Cake (Egg Whites)

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I have few bags of egg whites sitting in my freezer for quite sometimes. In order to get rid of the whites I choose to bake this lemon butter cake which only whites are used. According to the recipes’ author the butter has to be beaten until really light, fluffy stage before adding the whites. Whites has to be added slowly in small amount into beaten butter. Or else the whites won’t be absorbed by the beaten butter.

Overall the cake is just ok. Due to only whites are used it is not as rich and fragrant with the one with whole eggs. However it is still consider a nice cake.

Adapted from 面包蛋糕美味烤cookbook with minor modification
Lemon Butter Cake (Egg Whites)
Make in L18cm x W10cm x H7cm loaf pan
Ingredients:
(A)
80g salted butter (original used unsalted butter)

80g sugar (original used 130g)
¼ teaspoon salt (omit)

(B)
3 egg whites

(C)
120g low protein flour (sift)

30ml milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Lemon zest from a lemon

*mix above 3 items into small bowl

Methods:

1. Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Make sure the butter is really airy and fluffy so the whites can be incorporated well in next stage.

2. Slightly beat the egg whites with fork to loosen it. Then, add into butter mixture in small quantity batch by batch (about 5-6 batches). Make sure is well combine before add in the next batch. Scrap side of the bowl to get all mixing well.

3. Add in sifted flour, milk lemon mixture into beaten butter in 2 batches. Fold to combine. Pour into lined pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for about 25 minutes or until toothpick insert in the center of the cake come out clean.

 

I'm linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #2 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Zebra Butter Cake/ 斑马蛋糕 (Egg Separation Method)

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I saw this beautiful Zebra butter cake in Sonia place and I know I going to bake it. I make Zebra cake before but not as nice as hers. The key is controlling the amount of plain and cocoa batter used in the layers. The bottom 2-3 layers used more batter. It reduces gradually as you work towards the upper layers. Mine one still has a lot of room to improve. Thanks to Sonia's tips on the Zebra pattern technique.

Butter cake with egg separation yields lighter texture. Definitely is worth the effort when knowing you are going to enjoy moist and soft pieces of butter cake :) 

Adapted with slightly modification from Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

*makes a 8” or 7” round cake pan

Zebra Butter Cake/ 斑马蛋糕 (Egg Separation Method)

Ingredients:

(A)
227g unsalted butter
70g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 egg yolks

(B)

190g cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon double action baking powder

½ teaspoon salt
*Sift above together and set aside.
4 tablespoons milk

(C)

5 egg whites
70g sugar

(D)

10g cocoa powder
2 tablespoons hot water

1½ tablespoons milk, to add with plain cake batter

Methods:
1. Mix cocoa powder and hot water, set aside. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy.

2. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sifted flour and beat well to combine. Fold through the milk and combine well.

3. Beat egg whites in a clean large bowl until soft foam. Gradually add in sugar, and beat till soft peak.

4. Take one portion of the egg white mixture, and use a hand whisk to stir well with egg yolk mixture till combine. Slowly fold in the balance egg white with a spatula till well combine.

5. Divide cake batter into two portions. Add in cocoa mixture in one of the cake batter and lightly mix till combine. This will be cocoa cake batter.

6. Add 1½ tablespoons milk into plain batter, mix well. This will be the plain cake batter.

7. Using a small soup ladle, scoop 3 of plain batter into center of cake pan. Then, scoop 3 of chocolate batter onto the center of the plain batter. Use the back of the ladle, smooth out the batter a bit. Continue to scoop another 3 plain and chocolate batter, then reduce to 2 scoops and continue layering and reduce till 1 scoop towards at the end. The circles become smaller and smaller as you working with the batter. Lightly tap on worktop to remove air bubbles.

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for about 45-50mins or until the skewer insert comes out clean. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack before cut and serve.

Not sure why wrinkles on cake surface? Do you know why?

I am submitting this post to 

~See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/Luv

Whole Wheat Banana Cake (Creaming Method)

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I have some ripen banana in my kitchen. Immediately I think off baking banana cake. This time I choose recipe from one of my favourite recipe books-阿芳老师3杯面粉. The interesting about this book is all the recipes are based on 3 cups flours. It contains recipes like steamed bun, bread, Chinese pastry and cake. Ingredients used are simple and the methods are easy to follow. I still have lots of recipes to try on. For this time I’m going to share recipe on this banana cake.

I half the recipe with minor changes. I replaced portion of flour with whole wheat and used ground brown flaxseed as well. Although the texture is not crumbly soft (with the used of whole wheat) it still great as butter cake. It is firmer and yet moist and packed with banana flavour. Definitely is great as breakfast and snack at any time!

Adapted from 阿芳老师3杯面粉 cookbook with minor modification
Banana Butter Cake (Creaming Method)
Make in L18cm x W10cm x H7cm loaf pan
Ingredients:
(A)
100g butter

60g brown sugar (original used about 120g)

(B)
2 eggs (I used total 2 eggs instead of 1 ½ eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (own addition)

190g banana (mashed, I used 4 medium size)

(C)
1 cup low protein flour

½ cup whole wheat flour (can replace with low protein flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ground brown flaxseed (own addition)

*sift all together except ground flaxseed. Then add in ground flaxseed and mix to combine. Set aside.

Few slices banana for topping

¼ cup walnuts (omit)

Methods:

1. Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs (one at a time) and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.

2. Add in mashed banana and fold to combine. Follow by flour mixture from (C) and walnuts (if using). Fold to combine.

3. Pour batter into the lined pan. Arrange banana slices on top.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for about 40 minutes or until toothpick insert in the center of the cake come out clean.

I'm linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #1 Event hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Marble Crumb Cake

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Can't believe the school holidays is come to the end. Me and the kids enjoying our relaxing time at my mum (kids' grandma) place. My kids are enjoying their outing with grandpa around town and new environment. Being mum around I'm free from household loads :) Missing the time spending with them…

Now back to today recipe! Today dessert is kind of 2 in 1, chocolate cookies on top of buttery cake :) Thanks to Daiydelicious for her great recipe. We love it very much! 

Adapted from Dailydelicious with minor modification

Marble Crumb Cake

Make into 7' round pan 

Ingredients:

~Crumb topping

85g all-purpose flour 

8g cocoa powder

40g brown sugar

50g butter

~Cake

(A)
70g sugar
115g butter

(B)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(C)
115g self-rising flour (can use 115g all-purpose flour + 1 ¼teaspoons baking powder)

60ml whipping cream (divided into 30/30) 

65g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Methods:

1. Prepare crumb topping; In a mixing bowl, add in all crumb topping ingredients. Mix the ingredients with hands until it forms into bread crumbs. Set aside.

2. For the cake batter, beat the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs (one at a time) and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.

3. Add in half of sifted self-rising flour into the butter, fold to combine. Follow by 30ml of whipping cream. Add the rest of the flour, fold to combine. Set aside.

4. Melt the chocolate with 30ml of the whipping cream. Scoop 1/3 of the cake batter into chocolate and mix well.

5. Pour plain batter into the 7’ round lined pan. Scatter droplets of chocolate batter on top. Then create marble effect with a tip of knife.

* Mine marble is not obvious. Next time will mix the batter first then pour into baking pan.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the crumbs on top of the cake. Return bake to oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until toothpick insert in the center of the cake come out clean.

I am submitting this post to 

~See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/Luv

Deep Chocolate Pound Cake

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I'm sure most of us are excited when knowing Deep Chocolate Pound Cake is this month Bake-along#42 theme. In this chocolate cake recipe, honey is used as part of sweetness. Some bakers reviewed that the honey is a bit overwhelming and lack of chocolate flavour. Since this is my first chocolate cake using honey I stick with the quantity of honey used in the recipe. I cut down the sugar to reduce overall sweetness. In order to get the cocoa powder mix easily I take extra effort heating the honey water mixture.

I baked batter into loaf and few muffins. And I’m serving my muffins with cream cheese frosting :) On the first day I’m not really enjoying this cake. The honey flavour is indeed strong. Surprisingly this cake taste better the next day. Cocoa flavour has developed and honey taste is milder. However I still prefer the one with frosting. Taste great in that way. Next time if happen to bake will reduce the honey. Overall is a great chocolate pound cake. Do bake and find out!

Recipe from bon appetit Desserts with modication

Deep Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients:

(A)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (I used ½ teaspoon)
¼ teaspoon baking soda


½ cup sour cream (replace with yogurt)
½ cup whole milk

(B)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons boiling water

(C)
¾ cup sugar (reduced to 1/3 cup)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Methods:
1. Whisk flour, baking powder, coarse salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. Whisk sour cream (replace with yogurt) and milk in small bowl.

2. Add honey and water in a heatproof pan. Cook and stir as heating the mixture. Once combine, off the heat (no need reach boiling point). Add in cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Cool completely.

3. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

4. Beat in vanilla. Add cocoa mixture; stir until smooth, occasionally scraping down bowl.

5. Fold in flour mixture alternately with sour cream (yogurt) mixture in 2 additions each until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Pour batter into lined baking pan or muffins mould. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for about 45 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean.
*muffins took about 20 minutes.

7. Remove cake from pan and cool on wire rack. 

I'm submitting this post to 

~We Should Cocoa April challenge, chocolate with honey organised by Chocolate Teapot and Chocolate Log Blog

~Bake Along #42 organised by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours, Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids

Butter Cake with Pickled Roselle

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I love using pickled roselle as dried fruits in my favourite cake-butter cake! Sweet sourish taste of the pickled roselle really goes well with rich buttery cake. I had been using it many times in my cake.

For this recipe I had try using self-raising flour and low protein flour. I noticed the one with self-raising flour yield softer texture! I guess the store bought self-raising flour has special ingredient that give better result :D  

Butter Cake with Pickled Roselle

Ingredients:
(A)
100g
70g sugar
2 eggs

(B)

150g self-raising flour

Pinch of salt

* sift together and set aside

40ml water (can replace with milk)

(C)

40g homemade pickled roselle

* cut into smaller pieces

2-3 tablespoons roselle syrup (from pickled roselle)


Methods:
1. Cream butter and sugar till soft and fluffy. Add in one egg at a time, mix well.

2. Add in the sifted flour. Gradually add in the water and fold to combine.

3. Pour few tablespoons batter into cake pan, scatter some pickled roselle on it. Cover with batter and repeat this process till batter finish.

*Do not add and fold/mix pickled roselle directly into batter. The colour won’t be bright red, it turns dark purple instead.

 4. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. While the cake is hot poke several holes with cake tester. Pour and brush the roselle syrup around the hot cake.

5. Leave the cake in pan for about 10 minutes before unmould and cool on rack.

I am submitting this post to 

~See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/Luv

Banana Nut Bread

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I love to bake with banana. Therefore I very eager to try out this banana nut bread which happend to be this time Bake Along recipe- Wiliams Sonoma's Banana Nut Bread. As the name stated it is more on bread texture, firm but yet moist with full of banana flavour. I love to have it along with some spread on top...peanut butter and jam.

I used whatever I have in my pantry, pistachio nuts and black currants. Love the 'green' and 'black' on the bread. I also sprinkle some white sesame on top for more fragrant.

Recipe by Williams Sonama
Banana Nut Bread (One 9x5 inch tin)
Ingredients:
(A)

6 Tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar (I used 70g brown sugar)

(B)

2 or 3 very ripe bananas, coarsely mashed (about 1 1⁄2 cups)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1⁄2 cup buttermilk

*I added 1 teaspoon vinegar with milk and set aside for about 15 minutes before used

(C)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used ½ teaspoon)
1 teaspoon baking powder (I used 1 ½ teaspoons)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts (replace with ½ cup pistachio nuts)
Handful of black currants (my own addition)
2-3 tablespoons white sesame seeds for topping

Methods:
1. Preheat an oven to 350°F (180C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the bananas and eggs and beat until smooth. Add the buttermilk and beat just until combined.

3. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, salt and nuts. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and beat just until combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It should be no more than two-thirds full. Sprinkle white sesame seeds evenly on top (if using). Bake until the loaf is dark golden brown and dry to the touch and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, 55 to 60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Let the bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into thick slices to serve.

*Mine took about 40 minutes

Storage Tip: Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I am submitting this to Bake-Along hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Lena of Her Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids

Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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This pound cake has great ranking among blogger friends. Without much hesitating I decide to bake mine. The steps are simple just ordinary cake creaming method. The only different is baking without preheat the oven (as recipe). Some said the cake still turn out great although baking in preheated oven :D 

The cake looks quite pale after done. Texture is great as a pound cake, creamy with soft and fine texture. I might bake this as one of my Chinese New Year giveaway for friends ^^

Recipe from Cake Keeper by Lauren Chattman

Reference from Lena, Frozen Wings

I used half of the recipe and bake in small bundt pans and cupcakes

Ingredients:

(A)

113g butter, slightly softened

113g cream cheese, room temperature

90g sugar

3 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

(B)
187g cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
*sift and set aside

Methods:

1. Position the oven rack to the lower middle position, grease and line the pan and flour the sides of the pan. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

3. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, ginger and lemon zest.

4. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture in batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, mix of 30 seconds on medium speed.

* I mix by folding with spatula

5. Place the cake in the cold oven. Turn the oven to 160C and bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. My mini bundt pans and cupcakes take about 25 minutes.

6. Cool the cake in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely.

Thanks to Sabrina of kingdom of tasty life for her lovely mini bundt pans!

I am submitting this to :

~ Tea Time Treats hosted by Lavender and Lovage and What Kate Baked

~Bake-Along #38 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Lena of Frozen Wings and Bake for Happy Kids

White Chocolate Banana pistachio cake

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This cake actually is a mission to clear stuff from my pantry. Pistachio nuts which leftover from Chinese New Year (Yes! more than 6 months :p It is not nice to consume directly). White chocolate which I bought quite sometimes and still nicely sealed untouched. I have some very ripe bananas in fridge too. So in order to get rid of them I bake this white chocolate banana pistachio cake.

Believe it or not this is my 1st time adding nuts inside my cake. All along I thought I dislike nuts inside my cake just like I dislike nuts inside my chocolate bar. This cake proves me wrong as I like the texture of nuts in my cake bites! Next time going to bake more with nuts! :D

I use very little sugar as the sweetness from the white chocolate is sufficient to sweeten the whole cake.

This cake is very moist and soft. Do you agree?

Ingredients:
(A)
80g butter, softened
20g sugar
2 eggs
100g white chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g banana (mashed)

(B)
1 1/2 cups low protein flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

50g pistachio (lightly crushed)
*I use ready to eat type. Remove the hard shell. Put into plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.

Methods:
1. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. With double boiler method melt chocolate until smooth when stirred.
*or heating in 30 second intervals in microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval. Cook until chocolate is smooth when stirred.

3. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.

4. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Follow by melted chocolate, vanilla and mashed banana.

5. Add in dry ingredients and fold to combine.

6. Pour batter into lined baking pan (I baked in L21cm x W10cm x H11cm  sandwich tin) and sprinkle top with some crushed pistachios nuts.

7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 40-45 minutes or until done when tested with a skewer.

8. Remove from mould and cool on wire rack. Like other butter cake it is best to serve the next day. Enjoy!

 

 

 

I'm sharing this post at:

~Recipe Box 10 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv

~Muhibbah Malaysian Monday hosted by Sharon of Test with Skewer

~My Sweet and Savoryhosted by Chaya Selig

~Cast Party Wednesday: Link Party #55 by Lady Behind the Curtain