Bake Along #21 : Fresh Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Chips

When I first saw this post , I was thinking " Man, this is gonna be one of the normal butter cake with addition of strawberry and white chocolate chips " . So now the true story is " never judge a book by its cover " really applies . LOL... This is indeed a very tasty cake .

While baking this cake in the oven , mom was snoring on her lazy chair . Then I was thinking , this smell should wake her up in no time. That's when I heard mom mumbling about me baking cake at wee hours and disturbing her sleep . Heehee .....

I am not a fan of square pan as I always prefer round baking pan. I have baked my cake in this 8" round pan instead of 8" square pan . It turn out to be prefect and pretty . This is definitely a keeper . Mom can't wait till the next day to taste it . She " drown " 1 slice of this pretty cake before continuing with her snoring ... She is really comfy sleeping on her lazy chair ya know ...... Makes me really wanna dump all things aside and go to sleep. Well , I still manage to stay up and snap a few photos of this deliciously yummy cake .


FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE with WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS  
( from Cake Keepers Cakes by Lauren Chattman)
Ingredients 
1 large  Egg
1 large  Egg yolk

1/2cup  Sour cream ( I use yoghurt )
1/2tsp   Lemon zest
2 tsp     Pure vanilla extract
187gm  Unbleached all purpose flour ( I prefer cake flour so I substitute with cake flour )
1 1/2tsp  Baking powder
3/4tsp   Baking soda
1/4tsp   Salt
85gm    Unsalted butter, softened
100g    Sugar ( original recipes calls for 1cup )
8 oz     Strawberry , stemmed and sliced
1cup    White chocolate chips or chunks ( I used white chocolate buttons )

Method 

1.Preheat the oven to 175C. Grease an 8" square/round baking pan and dust with flour, knocking out any extra. Combine the egg, egg yolk, sour cream/yoghurt, lemon zest and vanilla in a large glass and lightly beat. Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until flufy, abt 3mins, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

3.With the mixer on low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the bowl.

4.Put the mixer on low speed and add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, mix for 30 secs on medium speed.

5.Combine the strawberries and remaining 1/4 cup of flour in a bowl and toss to coat the strawberries evenly. Fold the flour coated strawberries and the white chocolate chips into the batter.

6.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes till the cake turns golden and a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool in pan for 5 mins, invert cake and turn right side up on a rack to cool completely. Cut into 9 squares and serve.

Enjoy your cake with a cup of hot tea !!!!

                                                               
I am joining Bake Along No. 21 which is organise by Frozen Wings , Kitchen Flavours and Bake for Happy Kids. Enjoy !

Cai Dao Peng [ Long Bean Rice ]

One of my old time favourite , "Cai Dao Peng " [ Long Bean Rice ] . I have always love this rice whenever mom cook it for me for dinner . Mom used to say " how come you can remember those dishes I used to cook for you ? " and I will just smile .. I won't describe my childhood as happy , but I will always remember when mom cook my favourite food .

I can really eat a few bowls of this when garnish and serve with crispy fried shallot and cili padi from my garden. Yummy yummy ... This is a very common dish among Hokkien. While eating it, it makes me feel " home" as if I were years younger when mom used to prepare food for all of us . Heehee..........

I cook these dishes based on my own memory of the taste of each and every dish . After mom tasting it , that is when she will give me her comment whenever needed . Heehee. As such , I really do not have exact measurement for all the ingredients . 

( Long Bean Rice ) Cai Dao Peng 

Ingredients 

3 cups    Rice Grain 

Water [ water enough o cook 3 cups of rice ]

20         Chinese Long Bean ( Cai Dao ) [ clean and cut into 2 1/2 cm length ] 

20 buttons  Chinese Black Mushroom [ soak and thinly slice ] 

150g     Pork [ cut into strips or bite sizes preferred ]
2 tbsp   Oyster Sauce 

2 tbsp   Light Soya Sauce

1 tbsp   Dark Soya Sauce 

2 shallots and 5 pips of garlic [ peel and chopped finely ] 

Some Crispy Fried Dried Prawns or Anchovies for Garnishing 

Method : 

1/  Wash the rice grains , drain and set aside for later use.

2/  Fry mushroom over medium low heat in a sauce pan together with 1 tbsp of corm oil/olive oil until fragant . Lower heat and add in 1 tbsp of light soya sauce . Stif fry for further 2 min. Dish up and set aside for later use   

3/ Heat up a wok and add in 2 tbsp of olive / corn oil [ anything that suits your preference ] . Sauté chopped garlic and shallot till fragrant. Add in pork stir fry till dry and brown. Add in long beans. 

4/  Fry for another 5-6 minutes , add in rice grains . Add in light soya sauce and dark soya sauce . Stir to combine all ingredients before adding in mushroom . Stir fry for further 5-6 minutes before transferring the long bean rice to a rice cooker. 

5/  Add in enough water for 3 cups of rice and cook in a rice cooker 

6/ Serve immediately when its done , garnish with crispy fried shallot, dried prawns or anchovies  [ own preference ] 

Voila... Enjoy your dinner yeah !!!!!

Cook Like A Star : Chicken Pot Pie

To "  Cook Like A Star" again  .......... I am kind of excited with Donna Hay's recipe. Mom was complaining again about being hungry at 10.30 pm, then I went ransacking my fridge for anything to cook when I remember Donna Hay's Chicken Pot Pie . Yummy as it sounds , I have to substitute some of the ingredients. I just use whatever ingredients that I have in the fridge at that moment.

It turns out to be a very delicious supper meal for mum . Guess what ?  Mom says " Can you bake this again tomorrow ? " ... Everyone went laughing out loud as in ...LOL... I didn't have any leek so I substitute with bombay onion . Since I can't drive out to buy heavy cream at that time , I made my own heavy cream instead. Heehee... you can get the recipe for heavy cream over here .

                               
I love the taste of this chicken pot pie with my home made substitute for heavy cream . I added capsicum , cherry tomato and fresh thyme which enhance the taste of the chicken pot pie .


Chicken Pot Pie by Donna Hay
Ingredients 
200g  Boneless chicken fillet, cut to bite size
1        Leek, sliced thinly ( I substitue with bombay onion )
1tbsp Olive oil
2tsp   Herbs (sage, rosemary or thyme/ I use fresh thyme )
1        Potato, peeled and diced
1 2/3 cup Chicken stock
3tbsp Heavy/thickened cream
150g  Frozen vegetables (I use fresh capsicum and cherry tomatoes )
         Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
250g Frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in fridge or at room temperature for about 1/2 to 1 hour
1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and add leek. Stir-fry for 4 minutes, or until soft.

2. Add chicken, potato, herbs and chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes (with lid partially closed) 

3. Add the frozen vegetables.

4. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken are cooked and potatoes are soft. Stir through the cream and season with salt and pepper.

5. Transfer the filling into an ovenproof dish.

6. Dust the roller pin and surface with some flour. Cut a portion of the puff pastry.

7. Roll out the dough as thinly (about 1 to 3 mm). Cut out a piece of rolled puff pastry dough to cover the dish. Seal the edges with water.

8. Crimp the edges with a fork and poke holes (very gently) all over the top with a fork.

9. Brush egg all over the puff and bake at preheated oven at 200 C for 15 minutes , till puff pastry is puffy and golden brown . 

Enjoy your delicious chicken pot pie !!!

Recipe adapted from noobcook

I am going to link this with "Cook Like A Star" blog-hop featuring Donna Hay as the celebrity for the month of March, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids. Please drop by Bake For Happy Kids for the full details and join in the blog-hop!
                                                 

Cook Like A Star : Blueberry Almond Cake

Does Blueberry Almond Cake rings any bells ? Heehee....  I was looking for some new recipes to bake when I saw this post on La Mia Vita Dolce . The presentation of the cake really makes me wanna try this recipe . I was actually taking a break after dinner when I stumble upon this interesting recipe . Reading thru the post really makes me trying hard to hold my saliva. Heehee...

This is one cake that I will definitely bake again maybe tomorrow or so.. Tasty and simple. I am starting to love Donna Hay more and more each day , each time I try her recipe. Brilliant , simple and tidy .... Heehee .

The moment mom bites on it , she went like " is it almonds in it ? But I dun see any of the almond nibs ? " .... I went laughing out loud ... Well she couldn't be bothered too much tho, as she indulging herself with this Blueberry Almond Cake. Mom actually request for a second slice the moment she finished the first slice. 

The nutty flavour of the cake really makes me having hard time holding my saliva .... Maybe the next time I will add some toasted walnuts instead of blueberry . Those blueberry that I bought seems to taste sour . Heehee.. I love sour but Nat, my daughter seems to dislike it tho. 

Blueberry Almond Cake 

Ingredients 

150 g  Self-rising flour

¼ tsp  Salt

150 g  Unsalted butter

4 large eggs

120 g  Caster sugar ( original recipe calls for 225 g ) 

¼ tsp  Almond Extract [ I omit this ] 

1 tsp  Vanilla extract

150 g  Almonds, toasted and finely ground

280 g  Blueberries, fresh or frozen

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Extra Fresh blueberries, for garnish

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180° C . Line and grease an 8 inch round pan with non-stick baking paper 

2. In a small bowl whisk together flour (reserving 2 tbsp to toss blueberries ) and salt, set-aside.  Melt butter in a  saucepan over medium low heat, swirling occasionally until it begins to brown (the butter will have a nutty flavour), about 5 minutes and set-aside to cool.

3. In the mixing bowl, using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment beat eggs, sugar and vanilla extract ( and almond extract if using) at medium speed until thick, pale and triple in volume, about 10 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer.

Using a fine sieve sift half flour mixture over egg mixture; gently fold in using a large flexible spatula and then sift and gently fold in remaining flour until just combined.

4. Fold in butter and ground almonds.

5. Toss 3/4 of the blueberries in reserved flour (to help prevent blueberries from sinking to the bottom).  Add the flour coated berries to the batter and fold in to just combine.

6. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan top with the remaining blueberries.

7. Bake at preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking, until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

8. Remove pan and leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  If not serving immediately, remove from pan and return cake to wire rack to cool completely.  

9. Serve warm, dusted with confectioners’ sugar and garnished with fresh blueberries.

Enjoy your Blueberry Almond Cake !

Recipe adapted from My Sweet Life

I am going to link this with "Cook Like A Star" blog-hop featuring Donna Hay as the celebrity for the month of March, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids. Please drop by Bake For Happy Kids for the full details and join in the blog-hop!
                                                 

Cook Like A Star : Lemon Tart

Anything Lemony , everything lemony ... seems to be my top rated " I LOVE THIS RECIPE " list. So this time around I have chosen to try Donna Hay's Lemon Tart recipe . I am always making my mom complaining about luring her to eat in the middle of the night . Gosh ..... I don't think its me. I gotta blame it on the lemon this time around. I love lemon ... yummy...

I was surprise to learn that lemon tart really taste good , much much better than egg tart . Heehee.... Ooopss am I offending any egg tart lovers out there . I will definitely gonna bake this lemon tart again . I brought this to the office the next day , and my staff finish it in no time ... LOL ..

For the Lemon Lovers like me ....

Lemon Tart by Donna Hay
Ingredients 
DOUGH:
200g   All purpose flour
100g   Cold unsalted butter, chopped
1tbsp  Caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4tsp Vanilla extract
LEMON FILLING:
1 cup  Single or pouring cream
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
55g    Caster sugar ( original recipe calls for 110g of caster sugar )
1/2cup Lemon juice

Method
1. Place flour, butter and sugar in a food processor and process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add in    egg & vanilla and process in short bursts until the pastry just comes together. Pour out and bring together to form a ball. Flatten the pastry and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate pastry for 15 minutes.
2. Lightly flour work surface and roll out the pastry to 3mm thick. Line a deep 22cm round pastry ring with the pastry, trim and prick the base with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the pastry with non-stick baking paper, fill with baking weights or dried beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and paper and bake for further 2-3 minutes or until golden. Set aside.
4. Reduce the oven to 140°C.
5.To make the lemon filling, add cream, eggs, egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the tart shell and use the back of a metal spoon to skim the surface to remove any bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool and refrigerate until completely set.

Enjoy you yummy Lemony Lemon Tart !!

                                                 

I am going to link this with "Cook Like A Star" blog-hop featuring Donna Hay as the celebrity for the month of March, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids. Please drop by Bake For Happy Kids for the full details and join in the blog-hop!

Cook Like A Star : Four Tier Chocolate Layer Cake

All of Donna Hay's recipe seems to be so simple and tasty. I have hard time trying to pick one tho. Heehee... Well , I always love baking cakes so I have pick one which I think I can handle easily . Simple as it sounds , I manage to complete everything including the frosting within 2 hours .

This is my first time combining cream cheese frosting with chocolate cake. This cake turn out to be moist and just the right mouth-feel . I simply love the cream cheese frosting and not to mention the simplicity that comes with it. Will definitely bake this cake again .. Heehee .........

This recipe is an Official MasterChef Recipe for Junior MasterChef 2010  . How amazing watching these young talents cooking like a star . I feel so timid when I watch them cook . Gosh .. How I wish my baby can be one of them .. Heehee ..

I have made some minor changes to the original recipe. As usual , I reduce the amount of sugar required for the cake. I used 1/2 cup of castor sugar instead of 1 cup . Same goes to the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. I have reduced the icing sugar by half.

FOUR TIER CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE 
Ingredients 

1/2 cup  Water
60g        Butter, chopped
2 tbsp    Cocoa, sifted
1 cup     Plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp   Bicarbonate of soda, sifted
1/2 cup  Caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup  Buttermilk
1/2 tsp   Vanilla extract

Chocolate cream cheese frosting
50g        Butter, softened
250g      Cream cheese
1/2 cup  Icing sugar mixture, sifted
1/4 cup  Cocoa, sifted


Method 

1. Preheat oven to 150'C . Lightly greased 2 12cm round pan lined with non-stick baking paper.

2. Place the water, butter and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted. Place the flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in a bowl, add the cocoa mixture and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to combine. Divide mixture between 2 prepared cake pan .

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

4. While the cake is baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Place the butter and cheese in the mixing bowl and beat for 6–8 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa and beat for a further 6–8 minutes or until light and fluffy.

5. To assemble, slice the cakes half horizontally. Place one cake layer on a plate and spread with one quarter of the frosting. Repeat with remaining layers and frosting. Decorate as desired.

                                                 

I am going to link this with "Cook Like A Star" blog-hop featuring Donna Hay as the celebrity for the month of March, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids. Please drop by Bake For Happy Kids for the full details and join in the blog-hop!

ABC MARCH 2012 # EMERGENCY BLENDER CUPCAKE

This is my third post for Avid Baker's Challenge ( ABC )  . I was wondering what does emergency blender cupcakes really looks like. LOL  .In 2012, the ABC Bakers will be baking from The Weekend Baker by Abby Dodge .

                                                         

Chocolate cupcake has become a norm in my kitchen ever since I started this blog. I was surprised to know that quite a number of people surrounding me actually loves chocolate so much . Heehee... Maybe I was really too selfish about not baking with chocolate as I am on diet mode all the time .

I reduce the sugar from 1 cup to 1/2 cup . As I bake this late at night, I was really too sleepy to do the frosting. Since I have some leftover of fresh cream frosting in the fridge , so I guess this white little thingy will look great on cupcakes too. Well its emergency cupcake, so everything which save time will go with it . LOL .... I promise to try the frosting recipe another time .

I am down with fever and flu this time . I really would like to apologise for not being able to follow the recipe for the frosting this time. Overall, all the kids seems to love this cupcake . Its moist and yummy . Will definitely keep this recipe for any emergency occassion .. LOL. I have to take a rest for now . Have a nice weekend yeah ....

                                                                   
This recipe can be found in The Weekend Baker . Go here if you wish to visit other baker's post on this bake.

Free & Easy Bake Along #19 : Lemon Poppy Seed-Sour Cream Cake

As usual, I am always the last one to post or either the second last one to post . Heehee.... Of course I wouldn't wanna miss Baking Along with my fellow bloggers . I am starting to love baking along with them . For this round of Free & Easy Bake Along , everyone is gonna bake or everyone actually baked ( and posted it way earlier than me ) Lemon Poppy Seed- Sour Cream Cake from Roses's Heavenly Cake . Yummy my favourite lemon ...

Just don't laugh at my photos. LOL . As per the recipe, this cake is best prepared a day ahead . As so , I baked this cake at 11.00 pm and by the time finish baking and cleaning everything , it was already 2.30 am . I was so exhausted till I was not in the mood to take any photos . When I woke up the next morning , I nearly wanna faint . I couldn't believe my eyes ................ Huhuhuhuhu............ I dun find any other slices left except for this one poor slice left for me to take photos then eat ........ Poor little cake... Heehee

This is really delicious , with the right lemony taste and moist . I simply love the taste of it. Everything seems to be a perfect combination . Of course as usual , I made some changes to suit my taste buds . I always prefer using yoghurt rather than sour cream . I find cakes with yoghurt turns out to be more moist and tender . No regrets buying the bundt pan tho . Baking this cake in a bundt pan is really a prefect choice after all.

The lemon zest is really taste good with the combination of poppy seed .  Crunchy , crunchy lemony makes this cake special . 

Lemon Poppy Seed- Sour Cream 
Ingredients 
2 large     Eggs at room temperature
1 large     Egg Yolk at room temperature
200g       Yoghurt ( original recipe calls for 200g sour cream )
1 3/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
250g       Cake Flour
160g        Castor Sugar ( original recipe calls for 250g Superfine Sugar )
1 1/2 tsp  Baking Powder
1/2  tsp    Baking Soda
1/2  tsp    Salt
Lemon Zest from 2 Lemons
50g          Poppy Seed
200g        Unsalted Butter

Method
1.   Preheat the oven at175C twenty minutes before baking and set the oven rack in the lower third of        
your oven    
2.   In a mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs, yolk, 1/4 cup of the yoghurt , vanilla, just until lightly combined.
3.   In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and poppy     seeds on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add butter and the remaining yoghurt. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for another 1 1/2 minutes.
4.   Starting on low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
5.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted comes out clean.The cake should start to shrink from the pan after removal from the oven.

Prepare the Lemon Syrup while the cake is baking
Lemon Syrup 
100g      Sugar
Juice from 2 Lemons

In a small saucepan or microwave, heat the sugar and lemon juice, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved. Do not allow it to boil, cover it tightly to prevent evaporation.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack, poke the cake all over with thin skewer, brush the cake with 1/3 of the syrup. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 min. Invert it onto a serving plate. Brush the top and sides of the cake with remaining syrup. Cool completely and wrap airtight.

Can you see poppy seed left on baby Ryan's cheek? Baby actually ate half of that slice of cake . Hu hu hu hu hu ......  

Baby Ryan actually gives me the courage to explore more baking recipes . He is always my loyal fans ... Heehee

                                                               
I am joining Bake Along No. 19 which is organise by Frozen Wings , Kitchen Flavours and Bake for Happy Kids. Enjoy !

Special Chicken Rendang

I have always love eating rendang. As I grow older and older, I start to be more health conscious , if you know what I mean. LOL. So I have stop eating rendang unless I am attending some Kenduri or so . One fine day , my friend actually " ta pao " / packed Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam , which she claims to be different from the normal rendang. Guess she really meant it , I mean she is serious man. LOL. It turns out to be the most delicious rendang I ever tasted. Heehee....

I have been around searching for this special rendang recipe. I was really lucky when I stumble upon one recipe which I think its the same one that I have tried. The rendang turns out to be a hit . Everyone licking their fingers as if they actually use their fingers to hold the chicken rendang instead of fork and spoon. LOL.

Honestly , I really so love this recipe I dun think I will ever change my rendang recipe ever. 

Special Chicken Rendang 

1kg        Chicken cut into desire size 

2 pckt    Kurma Spice [ Rempah kurma in small packet ] mix with 1/2 cup water 

1/4 cup  Kerisik 

1 cup     Evaporated Milk [ Original recipe calls for coconut milk ] 

A pinch of Salt 

1tbsp    Tamarind juice 

Ingredients A 

2              Big Onion 

5 pips      Garlic

5 stalks    Lemon Grass 

1 1/2cm   Ginger

1 1/2cm   Galangal

 15-20     Dried Chilli [ soak in water for 1/2 hour , drain and set aside ] 

2            Kaffir Lime Leaf [ sliver ]

2            Fresh Tumeric Leaves [ sliver ] 

Method 

1.    Place all ingredients A into a blender and blend till become fine paste . 

2.    Add 1 tbsp oil to wok and saute the chili paste till fragrant

3.    Add in kurma paste and continue to saute till fragrant

4.    Add in the chicken pieces and continue stir frying at medium heat for about 2-3 minutes . Then add in 1/2 

      cup of water and leave to boil.

5.   Once boil, add in evaporated milk and let it simmer at low heat for another 5 minutes 

6.   Season with soya sauce and sugar according to your own taste. Add in tamarind juice. Simmer for further 

      3 minutes 

7.   Stir in kerisik and stir fry till well combine 

8.   Lastly , add in kaffir lime leaves and fresh tumeric leaves and stir fry till thicken . Dish up and serve with 

      steaming hot white rice . Enjoy !!

Recipe adapted from Myresipi