Pumpkin Raisin Cake

I always look for simple and fuss free recipe since I only have a few hours to spare after work for my baking endeavor. With some pumpkin left and not looking for anything fancy to bake, this is  indeed something practical and healthy for my morning cravings.

Those raisins are popping out..jeez

(Recipe adapted from YumYum magazine, Edition 64)

INGREDIENTS

250g butter

180g brown sugar

4 medium eggs

270g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tbs full cream / fresh milk 

300g pumpkin, shredded

100g raisins

METHOD

1. Line a 8 inch square pan and preheat the oven at 180 Celsius. I used two 9x5 inch loaf pan to make two separate cakes for giveaway later, hehe.

2. Using a electric hand-mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth and pale.

3. Add in egg one at a time and mix well after each addition.

4. Sift in the flour, ,baking powder and cinnamon powder into the egg mixture.

5. Add in the milk and stir well using a spatula.

6. Then mix in the pumpkin and raisin until fully combined.

7. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

8. Remove and cool on wire rack.

Fresh from oven and smells so good!

Sakura Cheesecake

Yeah, its cheesecake again which I can't get tired of. This cheesecake is also known as Japanese cotton cheesecake due to its light and soft texture. You'll be craving for another piece when you finish eating your first piece. I think it tastes better than those sold at Jusco.

Try the recipe and you'll never regret it.

INGREDIENTS

250g cream cheese
100ml fresh milk or full cream milk
1 tsp lemon juice
60g cake flour
20g cornflour

50g butter

120g granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

METHOD

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Stir it well and let the mixture cools down.

2. Fold in the cake flour, corn flour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.
3. Using a electric hand-mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Turn speed to medium and add in cream of tartar and sugar gradually. Beat with high speed until soft peaks form.
4. Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and mix well. Pour into a 8-inch round lined cake pan 

5. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 70 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C.

6. Once done, remove out the cake and let it cools off completely on a wire wrack. Do not leave the cake in the pan or else bottom of the cake will be ruined by the moisture.

7. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.

NOTE: This recipe is taken from two sources which I have no ideas where it originates from, Diana Desserts or Bake With Yen recipe book. Doesn't really matters as long as it taste good!

Green Tea Chiffon Cake

I'm making chiffon cake again and this time its the Matcha, which means green tea in Japanese. Not many people likes the green tea flavoring and I'm happened to be one of them. But, I can still take it if the flavor is not too strong. Matcha is also said to boost metabolism and helps to reduce cholesterol levels when consume regularly. Well, I guess its not too bad to have a taste of green tea once in a blue moon.

INGREDIENTS

PART A

5 egg yolks

1 tbs honey

40g granulated sugar

PART B

50ml warm water 

2 tsp green tea powder

4 tbs corn oil

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

PART C

100g cake flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

PART D

5 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

30g granulated sugar 

100g chopped walnuts

METHOD

1. Cream part A ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and looks creamy pale yellow. You may use a hand whisk or electric mixer.

2. Mix the green powder with warm water and stir until combined. Then add in the corn oil into the creamy batter together with the green tea powder mixture and vanilla essence.

3. Sift in the cake flour and baking powder into the batter. Mix until no lumps are seen using the whisk.

4. Its time to beat the egg white until stiff peak. When the egg white starts to become frothy, add in the cream of tartar and sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks are form.

5. Fold in the egg white into the earlier egg yolk mixture using a spatula. Fold slowly until they are well combined.

6. Add in the chopped walnuts and give it a few stirs.

7. Pour the mixture into a 22cm tube pan and give it a few bangs to release any air bubbles.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

9. Once done, invert the cake on a wire to cool completely.

10. Serve and enjoy!

Thorny Dual Chip Cookies - It Hurts !

Its gonna hurt your waistline without you feeling any pain haha. This type of cookies are the dough type which are slightly thicker as compared to those thin and crispy type. The cookies still yield darker color than I expected, must be due to the cheaper cocoa powder brand that I bought. One key ingredient that can really affect the smell and taste is really the type of cocoa powder being used  (If can, try to use Van Houten or Hershey). And you need to bite to see the hidden treasures inside. 

INGREDIENTS

110g butter

200g granulated sugar

150g cake flour

30g cocoa powder

100g coffee chips

50g grated Cadbury milk chocolate

100g white chocolate chips

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

Almond nibs for coating

METHOD

1. Using a whisk, mix the cake flour, cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium bowl.

2. In a big mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a hand electric mixer.

3. Add in the vanilla essence and eggs. Mix them until combined.

4. Now, add in the flour mixture and mix again. The result is a sticky dough-like texture.

5. Stir in the coffee and white chocolate chips and grated chocolate.

6. Roll the dough into small balls and coat them in almond nibs before arranging the cookies in a lined baking pan. Make sure the almond nibs are slightly pressed into the dough, else they will drop off later.

7. Bake in a preheated 180 Celcius oven for 10 minutes.

8. Cool the cookies before storing.

Just nice with golden brown toasted almond

Wow, look at those chips!

I've baked some drop chocolate chips cookies (thin and crispy type) before but I've yet to start blogging at that point of time. Nonetheless, I will definitely baking them again for sharing.

Oreo Cheesecake ( Non-bake)

This is really a tested recipe and it works really well, as shared by many aspiring bakers in their blogs (Small Small Baker, Baking Mum, Bakericious, Do What I Like, just to name a few). Even kids can make this simple cheesecake too, a good and fun family activity. I attempted this recipe since I need a break from real baking and of course saving a few bucks off my electricity bill. What makes this cake a popular choice is really the scrumptious Oreo cookies that almost nobody can resist. Not to mention the dual layer of creamy and not-too-sweet cream cheese.

Here's my very own adapted version, delicious dual layer Oreo cheesecake. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Biscuit base

110g digestive biscuits (8-10 pcs, crushed finely)

50g melted butter

Creamcheese filling

250g cream cheese, (I use Philadelphia)

50g icing sugar
60ml milk
1 tbsp gelatine powder  

75ml water

250 ml whipped cream (whipped until medium peak)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tbsp golden syrup (you may substitute with maple syrup/ honey)

10 Oreo cookies (crushed)

Toppings

Extra crushed Oreo Cookies for sprinkling

 

METHOD

1. Line a 8 inch spring round pan with aluminum foil (optional, as I hate washing later)

2. Pour the melted butter into the digestive biscuit crumbs and mix well. Then press the crumbs firmly onto the base of the cake pan using the back of a spoon. Chill the base in the fridge until we prepare the cheese filling.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatine powder in the 75ml water and let them swell. To make sure the gelatine melt completely, you can either double boil or microwave at high heat for 1 minute.

4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar until smooth and creamy.

5. If you have yet to whip your whipping cream, its time to do so.

6. Now beat in the the milk and gelatin into the cream cheese mixture, which will look watery.

7. Fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese until well combined and divide into two portions.

8. For the first portion, add in the golden syrup and vanilla extract. Once combined, pour the mixture into our chilled biscuit base and let it set in the fridge for about 15 minutes. You may put it in the freezer too to speed up the process.

9. For the second portion, mix in the crushed Oreo biscuits and pour onto the set first layer. Level with a spatula or shake it gently to form an even surface.

10. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before decorating with Oreo cookies toppings.

11. Serve chilled and enjoy.

Sugar Butter Cookies

Butter! Its either you love it or hate it for some reasons. The great things about this butter cookie recipe are easy to made and the cookies taste sweet, buttery, extremely crumbly, light and airy. A good choice for gifts or snacks during TV.

INGREDIENTS

400g cake flour

200g salted butter at room temperature

150g brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg white, mix with 2 tsp water

1/4 tsp baking powder

Some castor sugar for sprinkling

METHOD

1. Sift the cake flour and baking powder into a bowl, mix well and set aside.

2. In a big mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until well combined. You can either use a electric hand mixer or a whisk to do this. If you are using whisk, just make sure that the butter is melted and soft completely. I use whisk to avoid messy cleaning later.

3. In a small bowl, crack the egg and add in the vanilla essence. Stir well and pour into the butter-sugar mixture earlier.

4. Add the flour half at a time into the liquid mixture and mix lightly until it forms a mass. Using your hands, knead the dough until it become smooth.

5. Divide the dough into 4 portions and chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes for easier cutting.

6. While waiting for the dough, lay two pans with baking paper and preheat the oven to 180 Celcius.

7. Now, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm thickness. Using your desired cookie cutter, cut out the cookie and place it onto the lined baking pan earlier. Repeat with the rest of the dough until you have all the cookies cut out.  I made about 120 cookies using my teddy bear shape cookie cutter ;-)

8. Brush the top of the cookies with the egg white and sprinkle with some sugar.

9. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

10. Cool the cookies on a wire rack and store in an air-tight container.

Carrot Fruit Cake

I saw this recipe in newspapers and decided to give it a try, but with slight modifications of course. Knowing my dad likes carrot cake a lot and being health conscious, the sugar was reduced in this recipe. And the cake turns out to be nice and yummy with a nice scent of cinnamon.

INGREDIENTS

200g plain flour

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp soda bicarbonate

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon powder

4 eggs

120g granulated sugar

150ml corn oil

200g grated carrot

100g mixed dried fruits

50g toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

METHOD

1. Line a loaf pan with baking paper and preheat oven to 180 Celsius

2. Sift flour, baking powder, soda bicarbonate and cinnamon powder into a medium mixing bowl.

3. Mix eggs, sugar and oil in a separate bowl and stir until well combined.

4. Add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it becomes a batter.

5. Stir in the grated carrot, walnuts and mixed dried fruits and mix well.

6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until cooked through when tested with a skewer.

7. Let the cake stand in the oven for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack

8. Serve while it’s warm which taste best.