Batik Cake

There was once I ate this cake and remembered it every year must go to this friend’s house for the cake during Chinese New Year.  No doubt Sarawakian can make a good cake without using an oven.

The very first time I made this cake was 12 years ago. That time, I was trying to make a cake for myself. However, the outcome was too sweet because I put too much condensed milk into it. 

I heard that my sister will come to visit me and want me to prepare some desserts for her. Suddenly think of I have been long time did not make this cake.

Here is the recipe.

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Mould: 8-inch with removable bottom

Ingredients:

500g    Marie Biscuits

5          Eggs

250g    Margarine (I use Buttercup)

½ Tin   Full Cream Condensed Milk (1 tin about 375g if not mistaken)

1 tsp     Vanilla Essence

1½ cups Superfine Flour

½ cup   Castor Sugar

5 tbsps Cocoa Powder

5 tbsps Milo Powder

½ cup   Boiling Water

Method:

1. Put all Marie Biscuits into a plastic bag and crush them into small pieces.
2. Dissolve cocoa powder and Milo powder with boiling water. Set aside to cool.
3. Grease the mould with baking paper.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat margarine with sugar until well mixed.
5. Add in eggs one by one. Add in Milo mixture, milk, flour and vanilla essence. Mix well.
6. Transfer the mixture into a saucepan and cook at the low heat until it becomes soft dough. You must stir it non-stop to prevent the bottom becomes burnt.
7. Add in crushed biscuits and stir well.
8. Transfer the cooked dough into the mould and press it till firm.
9. Leave it cool down then store it into the fridge for at least 5 hours.
10. Cut the cake into small pieces to serve.
11. Serve best when chilled.

Marble Chiffon Cake

Hooray … I just had my oven repaired. Now, the first pastry I want to try out from this oven is the simple chiffon cake. No no no, I want to have more than just a plain chiffon cake. Marble chiffon cake it is.

Baking Temperature: 200C without fan

Baking Time: 30 minutes

Mould: 8-inch chiffon mould

Ingredients:

(A)

150g     Superfine Flour

1 tsp     Baking Powder

1 tbsp   Milk Powder

½ tsp    Salt

(B)

45ml     Sunflower Oil

4          Egg Yolks

100ml   Water

1 tsp    Vanilla Essence

90g      Castor Sugar

(C)

4          Egg Whites

40g       Sugar

¼ tsp   Cream of Tartar

(D)

2 tbsps Cocoa Powder

2 tbsps Hot Water       

Method:

1. Dissolve cocoa powder in hot water. Set aside.
2. In a clean bowl, mix egg yolks with water. Then, add in 90g sugar until sugar is dissolved. Then, add in sunflower oil and mix till well-combined.
3. Sift in superfine flour, baking powder, milk powder and salt. Fold till well-balanced.
4. In another clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites. Add in sugar gradually when you see bubbles appear in egg whites. Then, add in cream of tartar.
5. Whisk until soft peaks is form.
6. Fold 1/2 of egg whites mixture into egg yolk mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites mixture into egg yolk mixture. Mix well.
7. Roughly fold in cocoa mixture into the batter. (* I made a mistake which I only fold in cocoa mixture in ½ of the batter. It ended half of the cake with pattern and another half is totally plain.)
8. Bake at 200C for 30 minutes.

Phoenix Kueh (Honey Comb Cake)

When I was a kid, I liked to eat Phoenix Kueh (a.k.a honey comb cake). Every year during Chinese New Year, my mom would buy me this cake from the wet market. The traditional aroma is still fresh in my mind.

I try to bake this cake today. However, the outlook is not as beautiful as I expected. I might have over-stirred the egg mixture which has caused it did not raise as high as it could.

Baking Time: 45 – 50 minutes

Oven Temperature: 180C

Mould: 9”

Ingredients:

250g    Sugar

225ml   Warm Water

90g      Butter

65ml     Condensed Milk (should be reduced to 50ml)

6          Eggs

160g    Superfine Flour

1tsp      Sodium Bicarbonate

1/4tsp   Vanilla Essence

1tsp      Cocoa Powder (dissolved in 10ml warm water)

Method:

(1)   In a stainless steel saucepan, stir fry sugar until golden brown, then pour in water to cook become thick syrup. Leave cool.

(2)   In a clean bowl, beat butter and add in condensed milk gradually. Beat till well combined.

(3)   In another clean bowl, whisk eggs until light and fluffy.

(4)   Fold in sifted superfine flour and sodium bicarbonate into thick syrup. Add in vanilla essence and cocoa mixture. Mix well.

(5)   Fold in butter mixture and egg mixture. Mix well.

(6)   Pour the batter into cake mould.

(7)   Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 45 – 50 minutes.

Chocolate Muffins

I just upgraded my oven from 18L to 42L. Now, I have difficulty to handle this new oven. She is totally different from my previous oven. All the timing and temperature are not the same. I baked the first cake by using this new oven, and it is only cooked after 2 hours. :`|

I was trying to bake some nice muffins for tomorrow's charity sales but ended up all burnt. First all 20s were totally not edible and thrown into dustbin.

For the second attempt, luckily I managed to get 20 edible and cooked chocolate muffins.

Oven Temperature:  180C
Baking Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 20 muffin cups (38x30mm)


Ingredients:
(A) 100g   Butter

(B) 80g       Castor Sugar
      1/2 tsp  salt

(C) 120g     Superfine Flour
       1 tsp    Baking Powder
       1/2 tsp Baking Soda
       60g      Ground Almonds

(D) 80ml     Fresh Milk
      20g      Cocoa Powder
      100g    Chocolate Chips
      1 tsp    Vanilla Essence

(E) 2  Eggs (lightly beaten by folk)


Methods:
(1) Beat butter for about 30 seconds, and then add in ingredients (B) and beat for 3 minutes on high speed until it becomes light and fluffy.
(2) Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
(3) Fold ingredients (C) and stir well. Add ingredients (D) and mix till well combined.
(4) Pour batter into paper cups and bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes.

Choco Chiffon Cake

I made one choco chiffon cake for today's breakfast which is made from dark cocoa powder and unsweetened cocoa powder. Not everyone likes dark chocolate because it is bitter and not sweet. Luckily, my daughter likes it.

Oven Temperature: 180C
Baking Time: 45 minutes
Mould Size: 9"

Ingredients:
(A) 4           Egg Whites
      1/2 tsp  Cream of Tartar
      100g     Castor Sugar

(B) 1 tbsp   Dark Cocoa Powder
      30g      Cocoa Powder
      60ml    Warm Water

(C) 50g       Castor Sugar
      1/2 tsp  Salt
      100g     Superfine Flour
      1/2 tsp  Sodium Bicarbonate
      1/2 tsp  Baking Powder

(D) 50ml     Cooking Oil
      1 tsp     Vanilla Essence
      4           Egg Yolks
      50ml      Fresh Milk


Methods:
(1) Whisk ingredients (A) till stiff peaks form.
(2) Mix ingredients (B) till well combined.
(3) Pour dry ingredients (C) into the big bowl. Mix thoroughly with an egg whisk. Gradually add in ingredients (D) and ingredients (B), mix till well combined.
(4) Fold in 1/3 (1) into the egg yolk mixture, blend gently. Then pour in the balance 2/3. Blend in the mixture with a plastic spatula so as not to over-mix.
(5) Bake at 180C for 30-35 minutes.