Pandan Chiffon Cake without the oil

I chanced upon Table for Two website and she has a recipe for oil-less Pandan Chiffon Cake.  I have another recipe for Pandan Chiffon from Creative Culinaire. It yields nice and soft chiffon but I hesitate to bake it frequently due to the amount of oil added to it.  What greater chance for me to try for an oil-less recipe.  The original recipe from Table for Two calls for cream of tartar but since I do not have it, I made do without. Result of the cake - Nice and tall.  I used a lazy method to whip up the cake hence was rather surprised it turns out well.  I believe the importance is how you whip the egg white and ensure light folding so you do not deflate the air.

Here is the recipe (with slight variation and ommission of Cream of Tartar in the egg white):

5 egg whites
100 gm sugar

5 egg yolks
60 gm sugar (original calls for 100 gm)
150 gm cake flour
180 gm coconut milk + pinch of salt
Pandan paste (original calls for concentrated pandan juice)

Method:

1. Stir Pandan paste into coconut milk.
2. Whip egg yolks and sugar till ribbon stage.   Pour cocnut mixture into it.
3. Separately whip egg whites and sugar till peak stage.
4. Mix (3) and (2) with light strokes. Add in flour gradually. 
5. Pour into 25 cm chiffon pan and bake for 25 mins at 180 degree celcius.

Butter Cake

After a break of more than half a year, I finally gotten the chance to start baking again.  To kick start my baking journey in 2012, I started off with a basic butter cake which I learnt from Jia Lei.  This recipe yields a very soft and fluffy butter cake.  I added in raisins for added flavour.

Top View of the cake

See how fluffy it is

Here is the recipe:

Egg - 6 nos.

Sugar - 140 g

Self Raising Flour - 260 g (or 260g plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder)

Butter (Cold) - 350 g

Icing Sugar - 120 g

Butter essence - optional

Method:

1. Sift flour. Separate egg white and egg yolk.

2. Beat butter and icing sugar till light and fluffy.

3. beat egg white & sugar till fluffy. Add in egg yolk and beat for 2 mins.

4. Combine (2) and (3) together and mix well. Slowly add in flour and mix well.

Pour into cake tin. Bake for 25 mins at 180 degree celcius.



Mini Chocolate Muffins

Yet another attempt from Dailydelicious blog.  Her bakes just look so tempting that you would never want to skip giving a try. However, I pick those easy ones as I am still a greenhorn in baking. Here is what I derived at:

 These are the mini muffin. Just pop right into the mouth :)

Slightly bigger version.

Here is her recipe:

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90 g	Cake flour
1 tsp	Baking powder
20 g	Cocoa powder
1	Egg
60 g	Sugar
60 cc	Whole milk (just fresh milk from the fridge)
50 g	Butter
25 g	Semisweet chocolate chip
25 g	White chocolate chip (I didn't use this)
	Extra chip for sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 180 °C.

Sift together cake flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.

Line tins with cupcake papers or use paper baking cup.

In a bowl, cream the butter on the medium speed of an electric mixer, until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well. Combine the flours and add in 3 parts, alternating with the milk, on the last portions of flour add both chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full. Sprinkle with chocolate chip.

Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 17-20 minutes. (Be careful not to over bake, the muffin will be too dry). If using mini muffin the baking time will be about 15 minutes.



Chocolate Rice Swiss Roll

It had been a while since I attempted to bake a swiss roll.  I saw the swiss roll made by Happy Flour and decided to give it a go.  Instead of using buttercream (was just too lazy to whip up some), I just whip up some whipped cream and spread on the sponge.  Taste wise was still acceptable although I will have to improve on the rolling skill. 

Here is the recipe from Happy Flour:

Ingredients
3 eggs
55g fine sugar
2tsp cocoa powder
1tbsp milk
1/2tsp chocolate paste
65g cake flour
1/4tsp baking powder
35g veg. oil

butter cream (I used a small pack of President's whip cream instead)
chocolate rice

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Warm up the oil, remove from stove and stir in cocoa powder, chocolate paste and milk and leave it aside to cool.
3. Sift the cake flour and baking powder together and set it aside.
4. Use a cake mixer to whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Gently fold in the flour until well blended.
6. Pour some batter into the cocoa mixture and mix well.
7. Pour the cocoa batter into the the plain batter and fold until well combined.
8. Spread batter in a lined and greased 10" x 13" tray.
9. Bake in a preheated oven for 10mins.
10.Remove cake from tray immediately and cool on a rack with the skin facing up.

Assemble the cake:
1. Carefully transfer the cake onto a greaseproof paper.
2. Spread the butter cream on the cake.
3. Gently roll the cake by using the paper to lift the cake and guide roll.
4. Wrap up the swiss roll in a greaseproof paper.
5. Rest the roll in the fridge to stabilize it shape.
6. Pour chocolate rice on a tray.
7. Spread some butter cream on the surface of the roll and roll it in the chocolate rice.
8. Slice and serve.



Oreo Ice Cream Cake

I was browsing through Happy Home Baking blog and came across the Oreo Ice Cream Cake.  As usual, she always has her steps so clearly detailed out and with the very tempting photo, I decided to make my very first ice-cream cake.  Yippee... I made it and for the first time ever in my bakes, my son asked me to make this for your forthcoming birthday next week.  Condition was however that the ice cream has to be Udders and not home made.  Well, I guess this type of no-brainer cakes for an amateur like me works really well, just have to ensure you put in quality ice-cream.

Again, photos were taken with my phone but I will certainly find time to take more professional photos like the other bloggers.  Hop over to Happy Home Baking and the pictures will delight you :)

Top view

I made use of the cream and folded into rose petals for decoration.

Side view

Here is the recipe from Happy Home Baking:

Ingredients
110g oreo cookies (finely crumbled)
40g butter, melted and cool
about 1 tub of ice cream (1.5 ltr)
1 cup Nestle pouring cream (or heavy cream) (I used whipping cream)
150g dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used a bar of Hershey's chocolate, about 137g)

Method:

1. Line the sides of a loose bottom pan with plastic sheets. Set aside.
2. Place oreo crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Use the back of the spoon, smooth out the crumbs and press firmly. (I put on plastic glove and use my fist to press on it) Freeze the base for at least 1 hour.
3. Soften the ice cream at room temperature. When the ice cream is soft enough, place it in a mixing bowl. With a spoon or spatula, stir the ice cream until it is spreadable. Spoon the ice cream over the oreo base, ensure all gaps are filled. Depending on the depth of the pan, fill it with enough ice cream till it reaches about half to one inche before the rim. Cover with a cling wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours.
4. When the ice cream layer is set, prepare the chocolate ganache. Place cream and finely chopped dark chocolates in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir till the chocolate melts complete. Leave to cool off. (Instead of simmering over pot of water, I put it into the microwave. Heat it up for 2 - 3 mins)
5. This step has to be done as quickly as possible. Spread the chocolate ganache over the ice cream layer. Decorate as desired.
6. Cover with cling wrap and freeze for at least another 6 hours before unmolding. When ready to unmold, dampen a kitchen towel with hot water and wrap it around the pan and hold it there for about 10seconds. Remove the towel and unmold. After unmolding the cake, return it back into the freezer to firm up before serving.