Monday, October 25, 2010

Pandan Chiffon Cake


This Pandan Chiffon Cake is quite fragrant, probably because of Koepoe-Koepoe Aroma pandan paste that I am using. However, I find that it is not as light and spongy (or "chiffon") as those from the bakeries. If you were to ask me, I will say that the texture of my earlier Matcha Chiffon Cake is better than this Pandan Chiffon Cake.


I would like to ask a favour of my dear readers. If you happen to see a 18-cm chiffon pan selling in Singapore stores, kindly drop me a note on where to find it. I went to a number of baking supply stores, including Phoon Huat and Sun Lik, but I did not manage to find a 18-cm chiffon pan. Many thanks in advance! :)

Update on 06 Nov 2010: I have finally found my 18-cm chiffon pan. Thanks to all for your helpful responses! :)

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Ingredients (Makes an 8-inch tube cake)
35 g corn oil
100 g coconut milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pandan paste
100 g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 egg whites
100 g sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Method
1. Sift cake flour and baking powder together. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, place egg yolks, 50 g sugar, oil, coconut milk, salt and pandan paste and mix well using a hand whisk.
3. Add in the flour mixture and whisk until flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter.
4. In a clean dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until foamy. Add the remaining sugar in 2 additions and beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Add 1/3 beaten egg white to the yolk mixture and mix using a hand whisk.
6. Slowly fold this mixture into the remaining 2/3 of beaten egg whites.
7. Pour mixture into the ungreased pan. Tap the pan lightly on a table top with both hands to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for about 45 minutes or until the cake surface turns golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately. Let it cool completely before unmold.

Notes
- I omitted the cream of tartar.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Matcha Pound Cake


I love to eat my slice of pound cake with a cup of milk. The amount of matcha in the cake is just right for me. If only I have the red bean paste, that will be heavenly perfect!

Thanks to Happy Home Baking for sharing the recipe. :)

Matcha Pound Cake
Adapted from: Happy Home Baking

Ingredients (Makes a loaf)
120 g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp matcha powder
100 g sugar
100 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200 g red bean paste

Method
1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a loaf pan.
2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and matcha powder together. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns pale and fluffy.
4. Add in the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition.
5. Sift over the flour mixture in 3 separate additions. Each time, gently fold with a spatula until flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter.
6. Spread 1/3 of the batter evenly into loaf pan, spread a layer of red bean paste on the batter. Cover with 1/3 of the batter and spread another layer of red bean paste. Spread the remaining 1/3 of the batter.
7. Smoothen the batter evenly and make a slit in the centre (length-wise) with the tip of the spatula.
8. Bake at 170°C for 35 – 40 minutes or until the cake turns golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Notes
- I omitted the red bean paste.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Carrot Cake


This Carrot Cake has a great mix of healthy ingredients: dried fruits, nuts and vegetables! 

To speak the truth, I am never a fan of most dried fruits which include raisins, cranberries and mangoes, but I love their fresh counterparts. Whenever I eat buns or cakes with dried raisins from the bakeries, I will carefully remove the raisins or eat with a disdainful look and wash them down my throat with a mouthful of water. The same fate applies to other dried fruits (berries included). 

However, after seeing so many bloggers baking with cranberries, I decided to give cranberries a second chance, Perhaps because I am starting to appreciate the different types of food in my daily diet or maybe because it is homebaked, I thoroughly enjoyed the presence of cranberries in the cake. As for the carrots, even though I can see them all over the cake, I could hardly taste them. Oh yeah, the nutty diced almonds certainly added a special touch to this Carrot Cake.  

I omitted the cream cheese frosting as it seems a bit too sweet to my liking. Hmm, is this how a carrot cake should taste like? :)

Thursday, October 7, 2010

French Almond Cake



Months ago before I started blogging, I saw this cake at Happy Home Baking. I was drawn by the simple yet elegant look of her cake. On top of that, I was curious about how ground almonds would taste like in a cake. Shortly after, I went to get a packet of ground almonds and flaked almonds, telling myself I will bake this cake soon.

However I did not. Not until I saw it again recently at Hearty Bakes. Her cake seemed to beckon me to "bake me, bake me". Without further ado, I digged out my equipment, gathered the ingredients and baked this French Almond Cake to cheer up the otherwise gloomy day.

It is indeed a light moist cake with a subtle buttery ground almond fragance. I simply love the crunchy bite of the flaked almonds!



Thanks to Happy Home Baking and Hearty Bakes for sharing the recipe. :)

French Almond Cake
Adapted from: Happy Home Baking, Hearty Bakes and Easy Cakes by Linda Collister

Ingredients (Makes an 8-inch round)
110 g unsalted butter, cubed and softened at room temperature
120 g castor sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
90 g ground almond
40 g self-raising flour
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (Optional)
1 tbsp flaked almonds, for sprinkling
Some icing sugar, for dusting 

Method
1. Preheat oven at 180°C. Grease the sides of an 8-inch round pan and line the base with a parchment paper.
2. Toast ground almonds at 100°C for 10 minutes, stirring in between. Let it cool.
3. Place butter, sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl.
4. Add almond powder, flour, milk, vanilla extract (optional) and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread the batter evenly.
6. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of the batter.
7. Bake at 180°C for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the sponge just springs back when pressed, or a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Run a thin bladed knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake, then turn out onto a wire rack and let it cool.
9. Dust with icing sugar before serving.  

Notes
- If the top of the cake turns brown too quickly (after 15 – 20 minutes), cover the top with a foil. I did not cover with a foil as the top of my cake was just nicely browned.
- I run out of milk at home. Hence I replaced milk with the same amount of water and 40 g self-raising flour with 40 g plain flour, ½ tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.