Mango Coconut Chiffon Cake

I am dedicating this Mango Coconut Chiffon Cake to all my dear blogger friends and readers who have brought so much fun and liveliness to this blog! :)

The cake is endowed with a light and not overpowering coconut fragrance. To top it off, the slightly moist and crunchy dried mango against the soft texture of the chiffon cake is so welcoming and appealing. You are hearing it from someone who doesn't normally eat dried mango: I ate 2 slices of this cake at one go and another slice for breakfast. Hehe... :P

Thanks to Cosy Bake for sharing the recipe. :)

Mango Coconut Chiffon Cake
Adapted from: Cosy Bake

Ingredients (Makes an 17-cm tube cake)
3 egg yolks
70 g sugar
50 ml vegetable oil
50 ml water
4 tbsp (20 g) desiccated coconut
80 g cake flour, sifted
4 egg whites
60 g dried mango, cut into small bits
Some cake flour, for coating mango

Method
1. Coat the dried mango with some cake flour and sift to remove the extra flour.
2. In a bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Add in ⅓ of the sugar and whisk using a hand whisk.
3. Add oil in separate additions and mix well. Add in water and continue to mix using a hand whisk.
4. Add in desiccated coconut and sifted flour and whisk until flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter and the batter is smooth and glossy.
5. In a clean dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric beater until frothy and foamy. Add the remaining sugar in 2 additions and beat until soft peaks form.
6. Add ⅓ of the beaten egg whites to the egg yolk batter using a hand whisk and mix well.
7. Add in the remaining of the egg whites to the batter and fold gently using a spatula until fully incorporated.
8. Add in the dried mango and fold lightly using a spatula.
9. Pour the batter from a height at one go 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.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes or until the cake surface turns golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately. Let it cool completely before unmold.

Matcha Madeleines

The reason why matcha bakes are constantly appearing in my blog these days is because my bottle of matcha powder is going to expire soon! Hehe... And because of that, I finally made my first batch of madeleines. Hurray... :)

I was wondering how madeleines develop the humps since the madeleine batter looks no different from my other cake batters. Will my madeleines develop the characteristic humps too? I stood in front of the oven, keeping my fingers crossed. To my surprise, it happened amazingly within split seconds after 5 minutes or so into baking. Imagine my excitement when I saw the humps unfolding before my eyes!! :) Although some of the humps are not so prominent, I am happy enough.

Aren't these madeleines pretty? I can't help but took a few more photos of these petite cakes.

Thanks to 袅袅烘焙香 for sharing the recipe. :)

Matcha Madeleines
Adapted from: 袅袅烘焙香

Ingredients (Makes 20)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
60 g castor sugar
1 tbsp honey
115 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp matcha powder
Pinch of salt
115 g butter, melted and cooled

Method
1. Sift plain flour, baking powder, matcha powder and salt together. Set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs, sugar and honey until pale and thick.
3. Add in the flour mixture and mix until well-combined.
4. Add in the melted butter gradually and mix until smooth.
5. Cover the bowl with a cling film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
6. Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1-cm round tip and fill the batter in a buttered and floured madeleine mould about 80% full.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 10 minutes, or till the madeleines have risen well and the edges are golden brown.
8. Invert the madeleines onto a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes
- For best results, refrigerate the buttered and floured madeleine mould for 10 – 15 minutes each time before use.

Matcha Mochi Cake

Using the same recipe as Red Bean Mochi Cake, I went on to explore the matcha version with red beans. This time round, I am using a muffin/cupcake mould. The texture seems slightly more dense and chewier than the previous Red Bean Mochi Cake, as shown in the photo below. :)

Thanks to My Buttery Fingers and Lemonpi for sharing the recipe. :)

Matcha Mochi Cake
Adapted from: My Buttery Fingers and Lemonpi

Ingredients (Makes 12)
2 eggs
100 g castor sugar
85 g unsalted butter, melted
180 g fresh milk
220 g mochiko / glutinous rice flour
5 g matcha powder
1 tsp baking powder
140 g sweetened red beans

Method
1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line the cupcake mould with paper liners.
2. Gently rinse the red beans in a sieve and let them drip dry. Pat them dry with a paper towel, and toss with around ½ - 1 tsp mochiko.
3. Sift mochiko, matcha powder and baking powder together. Set aside.
4. With an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Fold in the melted butter and milk.
6. Fold in the flour mixture.
7. Fill the cupcake mould with some batter, followed by the red beans and fill with more batter.
8. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
9. Cool the cake on a rack, then remove from pan.

Awards (Stylish Blogger and One Lovely Blog) and 6-month Blog Anniversary

I would like to thank Lena of Frozen Wings for passing these lovely awards to me. I am really honoured to receive this recognition. :)

Incidentally, yesterday marks my blog's 6-month anniversary. Hehe... On this special day, I would like to extend my thanks to all of you for your continuous support and guidance! ^-^

Matcha Chiffon Cake II

This matcha chiffon cake is so "springy" that upon pressing the cake, it will "rebounce" back to its original height. Ok, I admit I am crazy over "springy" chiffon cakes. And hehe, this reminds me fondly of Tigger from Winnie-the-Pooh series. *Bouncing is what Tiggers do best~* Is anyone following me? :)

When one gets to enjoy the perfect combination ever (Matcha and red bean) and the softness of a chiffon cake all on a single plate, what more can one ask for? :)

On another note, I don't seem to be able to capture a photo that best showcases the actual colour of the matcha chiffon cake. Hmm, I tried my best and these are the closest that I can get.

Thanks to Cosy Bake for sharing the recipe. :)

Matcha Chiffon Cake
Adapted from: Cosy Bake

Ingredients (Makes a 17-cm tube cake)
(A)
3 egg yolks
20 g sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) water
30 g vegetable oil
50 g cake flour
4 g matcha powder
50 g sweetened red beans
(B)
3 egg whites
50 g sugar

Method
1. Sift cake flour and matcha powder together. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add in water and mix well, followed by oil.
4. Add in flour mixture and whisk until flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter and the batter is thick yet runny.
5. Add in red beans and mix well.
6. In a clean dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric beater until frothy and foamy. Add sugar in 3 additions and beat until soft peaks form.
7. Add ⅓ of the beaten egg whites to the egg yolk batter using a hand whisk and mix well.
8. Add in the remaining of the egg whites to the batter and fold gently using a spatula until fully incorporated.
9. Pour the batter into an ungreased 17-cm pan and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 30 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately. Let it cool completely before unmold.

Blueberry Lemon Cake

Immerse in the wonders of lemon. A small amount of lemon zest can make a big difference to a bake: Refreshing and makes one feel so much less guilty when indulging in a rich buttery cake. Hehe... Next time when a recipe calls for lemon zest, I hope I can duly follow without omitting this ingredient. Well, grating lemon zest is one of the most dreaded tasks that I find in baking.

I have finally used up all the frozen blueberries that I have stocked up in the fridge. One of the most useful tips that I have learnt from various bloggers is on freezing blueberries. With this, I can satisfy my craving for blueberry bakes anytime. :)

The same cake seems to look different even though I did not change the camera setting. Well, I am a camera-idiot and just used the auto-mode. Hehe... Which photo do you prefer? :)

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5: Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by Bakericious.

Blueberry Lemon Cake
Adapted from: Easy Cakes by Linda Collister

Ingredients (Makes a 9-inch loaf)
125 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100 g sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest, grated
2 extra-large eggs
Pinch of salt
110 g self-raising flour
70 g frozen blueberries
Some icing sugar for dusting

Method
1. Put the butter in an electric mixer and beat at low speed until creamy. Increase the speed and gradually beat in the sugar, followed by the lemon zest.
2. Put the eggs and salt in a large measuring cup with a lip, beat lightly, then add to the creamed mixture, 1 tablespoon or so at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon flour with the last 2 portions of egg to prevent the mixture from separating.
3. Sift the rest of the flour onto the mixture and gently fold in with a large metal spoon. When you no longer see streaks of flour, mix in the blueberries.
4. Transfer to the greased pan and spread evenly. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
5. Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.

Notes
- I replaced 110 g self-raising flour with 110 g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder.
- I omitted the icing sugar for dusting.
- Can consider to use a smaller loaf pan.

Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar Crust

The main highlight of these muffins is the crunchy lemon sugar crust! Plus, the refreshing lemon and the fruity blueberries are so welcoming in these muffins. :)

These blueberry muffins are extremely soft and fluffy and the credit goes to *drums rolling*... Yogurt! I never know that yogurt makes so much difference to the texture and these muffins have definitely changed my opinion of yogurt in bakes.

Thanks to Table for 2 or more for sharing the recipe. :)

Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar Crust
Adapted from: Table for 2 or more

Ingredients (Makes 6)
125 g cake flour / superfine flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
100 g sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
60 g blueberries
1 egg
40g butter, melted
100 ml (150 g) plain yogurt

Method
1. Prepare the lemon sugar topping by removing 2 tbsp of sugar and combine it with 1 tsp lemon zest. Set aside.
2. Sift cake flour with baking soda and baking powder together into a bowl. Mix in the balance of sugar and lemon zest.
3. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs and combine with melted butter and yogurt.
4. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in wet ingredients. Give it a quick mix using a spatula. Do not over-mix; mixture should be lumpy.
5. Add in the blueberries and mix lightly.
6. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle with some lemon sugar.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Pandan Chiffon Cake II

I think I have found the keeper recipe for Pandan Chiffon Cake. I shall let the photos speak for themselves. :)

Just like DG of Tested & Tasted, this cake was finished within a day. Needless to say, Pandan Chiffon Cake is my family's all-time favourite.

Thanks to Tested & Tasted for sharing the recipe. :)

Pandan Chiffon Cake
Adapted from: Tested & Tasted and Chef Judy Koh – Creative Culinaire

Ingredients (Makes an 18-cm tube cake)
5 pandan leaves, finely chopped
3 tbsp water
(A)
3 egg yolks
30 g sugar
Pinch of salt
20 g corn oil
36 g thick coconut milk
1/4 tsp pandan paste
54 g cake flour
(B)
3 egg whites
40 g sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Method
1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Blend the pandan leaves with 3 tbsp water to a fine pulp. Wrap the pulp in muslin cloth and squeeze to extract the juice. Discard the pulp and set aside the juice.
3. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, corn oil, coconut milk, pandan paste and pandan juice until well incorporated.
4. Sift cake flour into the pandan mixture and continue to whisk until smooth. Set aside.
5. Whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until stiff, such that a firm peak forms when the whisk is pulled from the mixture.
6. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the cake batter until well incorporated.
7. Pour the batter into a 18-cm tube pan and bake for 40 minutes until the surface is browned.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and invert it on a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the mould by running a palette knife along the circumference of the cake to loosen the sides.

Notes
- I omitted the cream of tartar.

Blueberry Banana Bread

Pardon my ignorance: Is quick bread the same as a cake?

Without a doubt, this Blueberry Banana Bread fulfils the criteria of a healthy bake with the use of bananas and blueberries, as well as its relatively low fat content.

Beside contributing to a moist and soft texture, the bananas fill the cake with their natural sweetness and fragrance. This perfectly compliments the tanginess of the blueberries. :)

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5: Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by Bakericious.

Thanks to Baking Bites for sharing the recipe. :)

Blueberry Banana Bread
Adapted from: Baking Bites

Ingredients (Makes a 9 x 5-inch loaf)
225 g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
135 g sugar
45 g vegetable oil
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
125 g blueberries

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and whisk well.
3. In a large bowl, whisk sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla essence and mashed bananas together until smooth.
4. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined and no traces of flour remain.
5. Fold in blueberries with a spatula.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Unmold from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Mandarin Orange Cranberry Scones

When I first saw these scones at Peng's Kitchen, I bookmarked it immediately. I love the ingenious idea of incorporating mandarin oranges and cranberries into scones.

My baked scones did not have a strong mandarin orange taste and I guess that was due to the missing zest. The mandarin oranges were too soft to grate the zest and I seriously didn't want to squash the fruits into juice with my bare hands. Haha... Thankfully, the cranberries added a delightful dimension to the scones. :)

Somehow, the above picture doesn't look like scones at all to me. Instead it reminds me of croquettes or nuggets. Hahaha... What do you think?

Thanks to Peng's Kitchen for sharing the recipe. :)

Mandarin Orange Cranberry Scones
Adapted from: Peng's Kitchen

Ingredients (Makes 15)
125 g unsalted butter, cold
250 g plain flour
60 g sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp mandarin orange zest
5 - 6 tbsp mandarin orange juice (from 2 mandarin oranges)
1 egg, for glazing

Method
1. In a large bowl, place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix well.
2. Rub in butter with finger tips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the beaten egg, dried cranberries, mandarin orange zest and mandarin orange juice. Reserve 1 tbsp juice, if the dough is too dry, gradually add the remaining liquid. 
4. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly about 10 times. Do not over-handle the dough. Dough should be non-sticky and slightly elastic. Roll dough to ½-inch thick and cut into shapes.
5. Place onto a lined baking tray and brush with beaten egg glaze. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and cool.

Notes
- I omitted mandarin orange zest and egg for glazing.
- I chilled the dough for 1 hour before rolling out and cutting into shapes.

Moist Butter Cake

I almost don't want to post this butter cake. There is nothing wrong with the recipe or the taste. I must do justice to this cake, it tastes great and not too sweet. Just take a closer look at the photos and you will see why.

The cake has many wet areas despite the fact that I have extended the baking time to another 15 minutes and the skewer came out clean. Hmm, this is not the first time I have encountered the same problem. The last time I baked a butter cake using a different recipe, I also noticed the wet areas in the cake. Maybe some kind readers can advise me or point out the mistakes that I have made.

Thanks to The Little Teochew for sharing this recipe. :)

Moist Butter Cake
Adapted from: The Little Teochew

Ingredients (Makes an 8-inch round)
195 g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
170 g unsalted butter, softened
150 g sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
180 ml fresh milk

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan.
2. Sift plain flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy for about 2 minutes.
4. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract gradually and beat until well-combined. If the mixture curdles, add 1 tbsp of flour and continue mixing. 
5. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk, beating at low speed until the flour mixture is fully incorporated in the batter.
6. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat for 10 – 15 seconds, just until the batter appears uniform. The batter should look thick and creamy.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smoothen the top with a spatula.
8. Bake at 180°C for 40 – 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes clean.
9. Leave the cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Unmold and cool on a wire rack completely.

Notes
- I beat the egg, egg yolk and vanilla essence together before adding to the batter gradually.