Spiku/Kue Lapis Surabaya

It is good to know the fact that the name of this cake 'Kue Lapis Surabaya' is unknown to the citizens of the city of Surabaya, Indonesia.  So, don't go around asking about Kue Lapis Surabaya if you meet anyone from Surabaya, they will be just as blank as you are.  Ask them about 'Spiku' and there will be a conversation until the cows come home  I have seen many types of 'Spiku' and they all look great but since this is the first for me have to have a go for the original which consists of three layers of very moist and dense sponge type cake with the chocolate layer cake in the middle, sandwiched between two golden sponge cake.  Every layer require 10 egg yolks!!!!!!!.  Shocking but yes, without any egg whites, the texture of the cake is soft, moist and rich.  Good european butter added extra richness and i should say, it's a requisite.


Continue to read and for recipe HERE

Step-By-Step Easy Christmas Fruitcake

IF a picture is worth a thousand words, then i would like to share my pictures on HOW To bake this Easy Christmas Cake and also this song which is titled "IF" by David Gates 1971. 

The Step-By-Step Pictures are HERE

Easy Christmas Fruitcake

The weather has turned colder and looking west, i can see that snow dusts the tops of the mountains, reminding me to start baking, so go and get out the fruitcake recipe.

Recipe for Easy Christmas Fruitcake is HERE

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes, it is Santa's new favorite, so i better make some and make Santa happy so that he will bring me what i wished for. My grandson, Alexander has been asking me - what i want for Christmas and i told him that i have only 1 thing i wanted - I wanted him to be 'kwai-kwai' and he said that there is no 'kwai-kwai' at the store and went away grumbling about Popo being crazy.

The recipe is HERE

A Special Birthday Cake

Ngoc, is a child with 'special needs' and she is so lucky to be in the United States where so much attention and care are given to children like Ngoc. Unlike my nephew, Eugene, who is in Malaysia - my brother could not find any special attention even when he is willing to pay for it. Preparing for the future is important but so is enjoying the pressent. Guessed my brother would have to 'focus on today and not tomorrow.

I found this Article so well written and meaningful and to all parents who have a kid with special need, please do spend a moment to read this and also to enjoy your child's speciality. I salute all you parents who are doing all the best you can and you are doing a really great job.  All of us could learn a thing or two as they are so special, actually at times, we are the handicapped ones.

Continue for recipe HERE

Cheesecake with Ganache

Have you ever thought that a sunken cake can be a success?  I was in this situation when i had to think fast to complete this birthday cake in time. .. 

 

It was the morning of the birthday and the cake has sunk to half of what it was when i turned off the oven the night before.

It was left it in the oven with the oven door ajar and meant to be taken out as soon as it cooled slightly.  But ...... i fell asleep and woke up hours later.  OMG  - think fast - Lily

Continue to recipe HERE

20 Layers Crepe Cake

I was asked to do a demo for crepes using The Scanpan Crepe Pan, so i had to do a pre-run at home and what a good timing it was - I killed 2 birds with one stone - i get to make crepes and then turned the crepes into a cake.  I have heard of the popularity of The Mille Cake aka Crepe Cake and had wanted to make one.  This first attempt's taste needed tweaking,  1/4 cup of filling for a layer was not enough or it would have been enough if it has a stronger flavor - sweeter perhaps.  We had to eat the cake drizzled with Strawberry Syrup.

I have doubled the pastry creme and added more sugar to make it sweeter, now there will be enough to layer and coat the cake as well.

Ingredients:

French Crepe Batter:

3 recipes of French Crepe Batter

Crepe Batter can be made several hours or leave overnight in the refrigerater.

Pastry Creme Filling:

2 eggs

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp granulated sugar
2  cups milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp heavy cream, whipped

Method:

In a small bowl, add eggs, flour,cornstarch , and sugar ; beat until smooth.

In a saucepan over low heat, bring milk almost to a boil (simmer). Immediately remove from heat and slowly whisk the milk into the egg mixture. Return all ingredients to the saucepan, while constantly stirring, for about 5 minutes, until thickened and comes to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add vanilla extract, stir until dissolved into the mixture. Set aside to cool until firm.

When the Pastry Creme has cooled, fold in the whipped cream. Refrigerate mixture until thick (best if refrigerated overnight).

Assembly of 20 Layers Crepe Cake:

French Crepe Batter

Pastry Creme Filling

4 cups heavy cream

2  tablespoon granulated sugar

Powdered sugar

Strawberries

Method:

To prepare and cook the crepes:

Remove the French Crepe Batter from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a nonstick or lightly-oiled crepe pan over medium-low heat. Pour in 1/4 cup of French  Crepe Batter; swirl to cover the surface of the pan. Cook just until the bottom of the crepe becomes lightly browned. Using your clean fingers, gently and carefully turn the crepe over. Cook the other side of the crepe for no longer than 5 seconds. Remove the cooked crepe onto a prepared baking sheet (do not stack the crepes on top of each other). Repeat this process until you have 20 perfect crepes. (You might need to prepare a few practice crepes in the beginning.)

Remove the Pastry Creme Filling from the refrigerator. Whip the 4 cups of heavy cream with the 2  tbsp sugar. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled and thickened Pastry Creme Filling.

Using a round cake pan base or a round plate as a guide, trim the crepes with the sharp tip of a paring knife.

Place one trimmed crepe on a serving plate. With a small spatula or wide blade knife, completely cover the crepe with a thin layer of the pastry cream mixture (approximately 1/4 - 1/2 cup).

Cover with another crepe and repeat covering with the pastry creme until you have reached 20 layers. The 20th crepe will be the last or top layer. (Cake can be coated all over with pastry creme filling, dusted with powdered sugar, garnished with strawberries)

Refrigerate the prepared cake for a minimum of 2 hours. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar.

When ready to serve, slice into individual servings. Garnish the plate with fresh strawberries or seasonal berries of your choice.

Serves

Alexander's 5th Birthday = R2D2 Cake

Today is Alexander's 5th Birthday - Happy Birthday Buddy!!!  We had a birthday party for him on Saturday and i don't know if the guests had fun, i did and the important thing was, Alexander had the most fun.  With this posting, i would like to thank all the guests for their presence and presents and hope you all enjoyed yourself.  Thank you too to all your food contributions which made the party a success.  This year's theme, Alexander chose 'The Star Wars'  and i made him this R2D2 cake  - he sure was grinning happily at his cake - look at that smile, it melted my heart.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

3 1/2 cup bleached all-purpose cake
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups milk
2 recipes of Buttercream

 Method:

Grease and line the base of 2 - 9 inch by 13 inch cake pan.

Preheat oven to 350f.

Sieve flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Put sugar and eggs in the food processor and pulse till sugar has dissolved.

With food processor, add in the oil in a steady stream.

Stop the food processor and add in the sieved flour, pulse until well combined. Scrape the sides if you must.

With the food processor on, add in the milk and process until cake batter is well combined.

Pour into the 2 prepared cake pans  in equal portions and bake for 15 minutes at 350f, then reduce oven heat to 325f and bake further for 20 - 25 minutes.  Check for doneness.

Leave to cool before icing with buttercream

 Serves

Sarawak Serikaya Cake

This cake is so rich and moist, no wonder the recipe is so closely guarded.  I was able to make this cake for my dear friends, nellie and juliana's birthday, due to the generousity of Florence, who gave me the 'Gula Hitam'.  Thank you, Florence, my friends really loved this cake.  You should see the expression in their faces at the first bite, with eyes close, savouring the richness of this cake and on opening their eyes, expressed - umm, this is delicious, can i have another piece.?  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Nellie and Juliana.

Ingredients:

Method:

Follow The Secretive Cake and replace the Queen's Browning Sauce with the Original Gula Hitam from Sarawak.

Using a stencil, sprinkle 'snow powder' on top of cake.

Serves

Oil Pound Cake

A very dear friend's son cannot have any milk products and he loves cake, i found this recipe from Alice Medrich’s book “Pure Dessert”, I have changed the ingredients to what i have in hand .  This cake was very rich, moist and not heavy, a perfect characteristics  of a pound cake,

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1+1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup cooking oil
2 tbsp orange zest
3 large eggs
1 cup orange juice + 2 tbsp lemon/lime juice








Method

Preheat oven to   350 F (180 degrees C). Grease, line and flour a bundt pan or a 12 x 4 inch loaf pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

Beat eggs, zest and sugar in the food processor until fluffy.  Then add in the oil.  Pulse to combine.

Add in the sieved flour and pulse.

Lastly add in the juice, pulse a few times until batter is well combined.  Scrap the sides of bowl now and then.

Pour batter into prepared bundt/ loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 40 -50 minutes. Check for doneness.

Remove and leave on rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing cake from pan.

Red Curry/Sambal Banana Cake

Although these summer months bring us juicy sweet fruits and enjoyable arrays of berries, the banana is still hanging gloriously. on my kitchen counter. The bananas are always the loser at the race to the finish line of comsumption, therefore, giving me a chance to give these losers their dignity back by making into something delicious.  Looking at the title of the cake, you must have thought that i have 'gone banana', an expression that the effects of bananas on the brain. To top matter worse, adding in red curry/sambal to the banana cake.!!!! - crazy yes but a very delicious cake is borned.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk/yogurt/sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed banana(about 2 - 3 riped bananas)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp red curry paste/sambal paste(Follow this Garam Assam Paste)
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt





Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the base of 2 loaf pans ( 3 inch by 7 inch) and grease well.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk/yogurt/sour cream,. oil, mashed banana , red curry/sambal and sugar.

Add the dry ingredients. Stir mixture for a count of 10. Do not overmix.

Pour into prepared loaf pans and bake in preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes. Check for doneness.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out into rack to cool.

Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

It was Uncle Bruce's Birthday and he has always wanted a kiddy cake.  He has mentioned it at every kiddy birthday party that he attended.  I know Uncle Bruce loves cars and since i have a mould of a car - it is one of those tear-away silicone mould which made a pretty good cake.  I can't make the cake from a box, you can fool the kids but not the adults, so, i made a carrot cake with all the works and it will not be complete without cream cheese frosting.  Uncle Bruce was delighted with his car but i told him that he can't drive it in the night though cos i forgot to fix in the lights, front and back of his car.  Happy Birthday again, i am not going to tell how old you are!!!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup. sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cupvegetable oil
4 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dessicated coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Method:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

Combine sugars, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl; stir until all ingredients are well blended.

Add flour mixture, carrots, pineapple, walnuts, coconut and raisins, stirring just until well blended. Do not overmix.

Grease 3 (8 inch) round cake pans(one car silicone mould and 2 tiny loaf pans). Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper.

Pour batter into cake pans.

Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans 10 minutes; loosen cake layers from edges of pans with a sharp knife and invert onto wire racks. Peel off waxed paper and cool completely.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting all over the cake.  Cover and refrigerate overnight before cutting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 egg whites from 2  large eggs
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
8 ozs cream cheese


Place the egg whites in the bowl of your mixer.

Place the corn syrup, sugar and water in a medium saucepan, with a cast-iron skillet at the bottom. Stir until combined and the sugar is dissolved. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, with the pan covered to wash any sugar crystals down from the sides. Uncover and cook to the soft ball stage, 240 f.

Meanwhile, begin to beat the egg whites on slow speed. When they are foamy, add the cream of tartar, Gradually increase the speed to medium and continue beating until soft peaks form.

As soon as the sugar syrup reaches the soft ball stage, remove it from the heat. Turn off the mixer. Very carefully pour about 1/4 of the hot syrup down the inside of the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on high speed, and beat well. Add the syrup in two more additions, stopping the mixer each time, working as quickly as possible. If the sugar is slightly overcooked and hardens a bit, return it to the heat for a moment to remelt it. Do not pour the sugar syrup into the bowl while the mixer is on; you may splash yourself with hot syrup or the syrup will end up all on the sides of the bowl.

Continue to beat the meringue until it cools to room temperature. This takes about 20 minutes of continuous beating. If you need to hurry it along, place the bowl of your mixer in a ice bath for a few moments while mixing by hand, then return it to the machine. If you attempt to add the butter before the meringue is cool, the cream cheese will melt and the frosting will collapse.

When the meringue is cool, beat in the cream cheese a bit at a time. If the frosting starts to separate, continue beating without adding any more cream cheese until the frosting looks fluffy again.  Beat in vanilla and almond extract, if using.

Serves

Ina Pinkney's Famous new Old fashioned vanilla bean pound cake

This recipe is adapted from Ina Pinkney Famous New Old-fashioned Vanilla Bean Pound Cake.  Although Ina's quote "This is a vital ingredient! Do not make this cake without it" -  the vital ingredient is the Vanilla Paste, I was more interested in the method - It is prepared in the food processor and is very easy to make. With such a fantastic praise by Shirley O,Corriher of this cake, I had to bake this recipe even without the vanilla paste.  I used vanilla beans and made into a paste instead and the cake is exactly how Shirley O. Corriher described - "Oh wow! When you take a bite, your whole being is filled with buttery wonderfulness, and then the vanilla hits and everything in your mouth is dissolving, melting tenderness! You've got to have another bite"

Ingredients:

Makes about 10 servings.

8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks), gently melted in microwave or on stovetop
6 ounces cake flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 3/4 oz. sugar (1 1/4 cups)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey or Vanilla.com Vanilla Bean Paste






Method:

1. Position a rack slightly below the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 F.

2. Melt butter and set aside to cool.

3. Grease a 9-by-4 small Pullman loaf pan with butter and flour or non-stick spray. A Pullman loaf pan has straight sides, not slanted. USA Pan has an excellent pan this size. Do not use the top of the Pullman loaf pan.

4. In a medium bowl, beat together well with a hand mixer or vigorously by hand with a whisk, the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.

5. In a food processor, process sugar, eggs and vanilla for about 2 to 3 seconds. (Ina beats a few seconds longer, but I limit to avoid a crust.)

6. Stir the melted butter well to mix in the separated solids. With the machine running, pour butter through the feed tube in a slow and steady stream. Blend for about 3 seconds.

7. Scatter the flour mixture over the top of the egg mixture in the processor. Pulse 5-6 times until the flour is incorporated. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse 2-3 more times.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 and bake until deep golden brown and the tester comes out clean.

9. It should bake about 35 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through the baking.

10. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, unmold, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Toast each slice on both sides before serving.

Ina cuts almost 3/4-inch thick slices, toasts on both sides, cuts at an angle to form 2 triangles, serves with one triangle standing

Serves

Kuih Pandan Lapis Batavia

I was left home alone one day, the silence was killing me.  There were no one to bug me and knowing me, cannot sit still and do nothing - my sister said that 'it must be the catholic schooling' in us - we feel guilty if we are not doing something.'  So, what a good time it was to stand in front of the oven and layer away.  This is a scale down from Kuih Lapis Batavia, not by choice but necessity, cos i had only a dozen eggs.  I have increased the sugar and egg white slightly thus making the batter lighter and the layers browned  faster with the addition of a little baking powder and the batter was sweeter.

Ingredients:

250g butter at room temperature
60g fine granulated sugar

12 egg yolks
60g fine granulated sugar
1 tbsp  brandy
2 tbsp condensed milk

80g cake flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites
30g sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp pandan paste


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350f . Line a 6 inch square baking pan with greaseproof paper, making sure that it fits exactly the base.Grease only the base of pan and greaseproof paper only.  Do not grease the sides of pan..
2. Cream butter with 60g sugar till creamy.

3. Beat egg yolk with 60g sugar till thick. Stir in  brandy and condensed milk.

4. Sieve flour, baking powder and mixed spice.

5. Mix butter and egg yolk mixture well. Fold in flour mixture by thirds and mix well.

6. Whisk egg white with medium speed till foamy, add in cream of tartar and continue to whisk till white in colour then add in sugar and whisk until thick, soft stiff peak.

7. Fold egg white into egg yolk mixture and mix well. Add pandan paste to 1/3 of the batter and leave the other 2/3 plain.
8. Spread 3 heap tbsp of batter evenly and bake for 10 minutes.  Turn on the top fire only and brown the top of the first layer.  For the second layer, spoon 2 heap tbsp batter into baking pan. Spread the batter evenly, put to grill . Grill  till brown.(time for browning depends on your oven and how close the baking pan is placed near the grilling elements)   Remove from oven, use a cake tester or toothpick to prick holes on the top of cake.   For the third layer, use the pandan paste batter. Repeat the layering, 2 layers plain and 1 layer pandan, till batter finish. (Use the same type of spoons for the plain and pandan batter so that the layers will be even)

9. Unmould cake immediately and turn on to wire rack to cool.

Macha/Green Tea Chiffon Cake

I remembered there was a request for Green Tea Chiffon but have not responded until now as i finally got some green tea meant for baking.  This time the cake is green unlike the green tea kasutera which was slightly brown.  This recipe makes a smaller chiffon cake and if you prefer a taller cake, use a 12 cup chiffon cake tube mould and double the recipe.  The green tea is not overpowering, it is just there to tease your palate.  The tablespoon of honey added made the cake moist. 

Ingredients:A:

1 cup sifted cake flour (sift the cake flour, then measure a cup, otherwise use the scale - 100 gm)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp honey
2 1/4 tbsp fine granulated sugar
4 tbsp warm oil (microwave for 30 seconds)
1 tbsp green tea powder (Matcha powder)
1/3 cup hot water (or hot milk)


6 egg whites
3 tbsp fine granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 f for convection, 325 f for convention and for friends at sea-level - 325 f. 

Dissolve green tea powder and honey in hot water (or hot milk).
Combine cake flour, baking powder and salt  and sieve for at least 3 times.

Whisk egg yolks, then stir in sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves. Add warm oil, green tea mixture, and sift in cake flour mixture. Combine and stir well.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium speed until foamy .  Add in the sugar and continue to whisk until thick and in a soft stiff peak.

Temper a 1/3 of egg whites into the batter and mix in well.

Gently incorporate the rest of the egg whites with a rubber spatula by folding in. . Don’t beat or stir too hard, just fold and combine well.

Transfer mixture to cake mould. Run a spatula or butter knife all over the batter to remove air pockets.

Bake on the lower rack in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness.

Remove from oven and invert the mould immediately. Let the cake cool completely. (i like to use a metal funnel and let the tube rest on it)

When cake is cooled, use a knife to run around the edges of mould and take out the cake carefully.