Baked Cassava / Tapioca Cake

A cake with a difference!  I was thrilled to find frozen grated cassava at one of the Asian shops here.  I was craving for this kuih while we were staying in Ampang and me being pregnant.  I remember I kept going to Sungei Wang shopping mall to look for the Malay store that was selling them.  After moving away from Kuala Lumpur, I never came across a store or shop that's selling this.  :-(

I used frozen cassava for this recipe.  It would be definitely better to use fresh grated cassava.  But I consider myself to be lucky as I'm able to get the frozen ones. :-)



Ingredients:

900g frozen grated cassave/tapioca

200g sugar

400ml (one can) thick coconut milk
1 egg, plus 1 egg york
20g butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.  Line a 18cm square baking pan.

2. In a pot, pour in the coconut milk and warm it with medium-low heat.  Add in the butter and sugar.  Stir until the butter has melted and sugar dissolved.  DO NOT boil it.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg and egg york.  Add in the coconut milk mixture and whisk until well combine.  Finally add in the grated cassava and mix well using a wooden spoon.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for about an hour or until the top has turned golden brown.

5. Cooled completely before cutting into slices.  It is best to be eaten on the same day.

:-)

Quick Mix Chocolate Cake

I made this chocolate cake for my son Andrew's 11th birthday today.  I call it a quick mix chocolate cake because the steps for making this cake are simple and quick.   It's just a plain chocolate cake with no nuts or fruits added.  This cake turn out soft, moist and delicious.  Kids will love it!


A photo of our birthday brunch:

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup castor sugar

3 large eggs

150g butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder
white chocolate to garnish

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C.  Grease a 23cm round springform or a cake pan.  Line with baking paper.

2. In a small pot, place the butter, milk and cocoa powder in and melt the butter in medium low heat.  Using a whisk to stir until the mixture is smooth.  Do not boil it.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat eggs and sugar together until very light and fluffy.  Sift in flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix until smooth.

4. Add in vanilla extract and the cocoa mixture and beat until well mixed.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre and comes out dry and clean.

6. When the cake is completely cooled.  Garnish with shaved white chocolate or sprinkle with icing sugar!

銅鑼燒 Dorayaki - Japanese Red Bean Pancake

The other day my niece tagged me something from Youtube on Facebook.  It was a game that we used to play many years ago.  A Doraemon game!  When I saw the Dorayaki on the screen, I said to myself "I must make this"!  This Japanese red bean pancake was my son's favourite at Dream Food Japanese Restaurant, Centre Point Shopping Mall.

This pancake is Doraemon's (a robot cat) favourite food.  Dora in Japanese means "gong" and perhaps that's how the name Dorayaki originated as the shape is smilar to a gong.

There's a legend saying that there was a samurai named Benkei hiding in a farmer's home and he forgot to bring along his dora "gong" when he left.  The farmer then used the gong to cook the pancake, thus came the name Dorayaki.

Here are the ingredients:

1 cup (160g) AP flour

3 large eggs

120g castor sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

300g red bean paste, or more

makes 8 yummilicious Dorayaki

Method:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, milk and honey until well combine.

2. Sift in flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix well.  Cover and rest for about 20 minutes. 

3. Heat a medium non-stick pan on medium heat. You can wipe the pan with paper towel that is dipped in oil, but I made mine without brushing or wiping oil on the pan.

4. Using a ladle, drop the batter carefully to create a round pancake.  When the surface started to bubble, flip the pancake over and cook the other side.

5. Cover the cooked pancakes with towel to prevent them from drying.  Sandwich two pancakes with the red bean paste.

年宵節吃＂年宵＂（湯圓）Glutinous Rice Balls

Today is the fifteenth day (and the last day) of Chinese New Year celebrations.  This day is called 'Nian Xiao' or Chap Goh Meh in Malaysia.  It's also called Lantern Festival where in China and Japan, thousands of Lanterns are lighted and it's a colourful night!

Chinese New Year is extremely quiet in Germany.  Having no China Town here (the whole of Germany), there is just no CNY atmosphere at all.

But still, we celebrated CNY at our own home.  Having our family dinner during the 除夕 (CNY eve), cooking Chinese food, giving the kids 紅包 (red package), making Yee Sang and wearing something red, etc.   I wanted to make an "open house", meaning inviting friends over for food, food, food and food for this CNY, but I had a flu and was sick for a week.  So I had to skip that this year and hopefully I will have one next year.

During Nian Xiao, the traditional food to eat is 湯圓, which is also 年宵, glutinous rice balls.  Eating Tang Yuan on this day means 團團圓圓, that the family will always be able to get together during these type of special occasions.  My daughter had helped me a few times now with making tang yuan. And she's pretty good at it. :-)

The tang yuan recipe that I want to share today is red bean paste tang yuan in coconut milk syrup with sago and the aroma of pandan leave and ginger.

Ingredients:
for tang yuan
200g glutinous rice flour, with 100g in each bowl
170ml water, with 85ml in each glass
100g red bean paste
Food colourings

for the syrup
1 can coconut cream 400ml
600ml water
1 pandan leave, tied
Two slices ginger
5 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sago, soaked in water

makes 32 balls

Method:
1.  If you don't want to use food colours, then you don't need to separate the flour and water.
2.  Add the colour you desire into the water and mix well. I used purple and yellow. Mix the yellow colour water with 100g of flour well until they are a smooth dough and do not stick on your hands.  Repeat the same with the purple colour water and the remaining 100g flour.
3.  Divide each colour dough into 24 equal pieces and roll them into a ball shape.  Using your fingers, flatten the ball and place some red bean paste in the middle.

4.  Fold the edge to seal the dough. Using both palms, roll the dough into a ball shape gently.  The red bean paste should be completely wrapped by the dough.  Do not put too much fillings though as the ball may burst while boiling.

5.  In a pot boil the 600ml water with pandan leave and ginger for about 5 minutes.  Pour in the drained sago.  When the sago is almost cooked through, add in sugar and salt.  Then add in the coconut cream.

6.  In another pot, add in enough water to boil the balls.  Drop the balls into the hot boiling water.  They are done when they float to the top.  Transfer them to the coconut syrup and serve the tang yuan with coconut syrup hot or warm.



German Cheesecake with Mandarin Orange and Blueberry

I've made the basic German cheesecake many times now and always received good compliments from it.  For this cheesecake, I'm using the same recipe with mandarin orange segments added at the bottom of the filling and then garnish with blueberries on top of it.

Serving it with or without cream, this cake looks and tastes great!

For the recipe of the basic German cheesecake please click here.

Ingredients:

Crust:

85g butter, soften

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

Filling:

500g low fat quark

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolk

1 egg

3 tbsp melted butter

1 package vanilla sugar (about 2 tsp)

1 cup milk

1 package vanilla pudding mix (37g)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about half of a lemon)

1 small can of mandarin orange segment, drained

300g blueberries to garnish

some icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 175C
2. Grease a 22 x 22cm baking tin with butter or oil.  Line with baking paper for easy removal, longer on both sides as shown on photo.

3. For crust, mix the butter and sugar until smooth.  Mix in 1 egg and follow by baking powder and flour.  Knead together until it form a dough.
4. place the dough on the tin in batches.  Then using fingers, press them evenly covering the bottom and the sides of the tin.

5. Lay some mandarin orange segment on the crust.

6. For filling, mix together quark, melted butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and the pudding mix in a large bowl until smooth.
7. Blend in egg yolk, egg, milk and lemon juice and mix well.
8. Pour the filling into the pan.  After knowing the level of the filling in the form, trim the dough at the sides evenly.  It is OK if the filling is a little bit over the dough.  For more photos and details please refer to the basic German cheesecake recipe here.

9. Bake in the middle rack for about an hour or until the filling no longer move when shake gently.
10. After baking for about 40 minutes, the filling will rise.  Don't worry, this is normal and it will fall when cooling down.
11. And finally leave the cake in the oven for 10 minutes after turning the oven off.

12. When the cake is completely cooled, garnish the top with blueberries and icing sugar.  Keep the cake in the refrigerator until serve.

Strawberry Shortcake



After our trip to the strawberry farm, I had made jam, tarts and this strawberry shortcake.  I like the biscuit to be a little softer.  So I've made some changes with the ingredients. 

For me, it is better to make a smaller size biscuit type strawberry shortcake.  I've tried making one with 2 layers of 20cm biscuits but find that it was not so easy to cut it.  Or after cutting, it didn't look so nice anymore.  So if I were to make a 20cm 2 layers strawberry shortcake again, I would choose to make one with a spongecake.

Here are the ingredients for the shortcake:

400g strawberry, cut or sliced

170g all purpose flour

40g sugar

85g butter

1 organic egg

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

300ml whipped cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.  Lay grease paper on a baking tray.

2.  In a mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until combine.  Mix in egg, vanilla extract, then baking powder and flour until just combine.

3.  It will form a dough.  Roll the dough into a long round shape.  Devide the dough into 12 equal pieces.

4.  Using the palms, roll each individual dough into a ball. 

5.  Place the 12 balls on the tray with 4cm space apart.  Bake for 15 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool biscuits on wire rack.

6.  Whip the whipped cream together with the icing sugar.  To serve, place a biscuit on a serving dish, spread some whipped cream, layer with strawberry, top with another biscuit and finish with more whipped cream and strawberry.  Or you can be creative and serve them your own style and creation.  

Easy Strawberry and Ricotta Cheese Tart

These strawberry tarts made with puff pastry are quick and easy.  Cream cheese or mascarpone can be used instead of ricotta and they taste just as good! 

This is something for the time when you have friends over and you want something quick to fix but look impressive!




















Ingredients:
180g organic strawberry, cut
275g ready-made puff pastry, thawed
180g ricotta cheese

Sauce:
6 strawberries
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp strawberry jam


Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 200 degree C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2.  Cut the puff pastry into little squares.  I used a 25 x 42cm ready-made puff pastry and cut into 15 pieces 7.5 x 7.5cm square.  Fold the square pastry to form a triangle.  Using finger, tap a little bit of water at the edges so that they stick together.
3.  With a sharp knife, make a 1cm triangle border making sure not to cut through.

4.  With a fork, prick the centre of the triangle once or twice.  Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until they are puffed and brown.
5.  Remove pastry from oven, press down the little triangle in the centre and set aside to cool.
6.  Meanwhile, to make the sauce, blend the 6 strawberries until smooth.  Add blended strawberry, sugar and jam in a small pot and cook over medium heat.  Stir and cook for about 3 - 5 minutes or until the sauce thicken.
7.  Once the triangles and the sauce are cooled.  spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese in the middle of the pastry.  Top with strawberries and sauce.

Kuih Lapis (Coconut Layers Cake) with Sweet Potatoes

This is a variation from the tradition Malaysian Kuih Lapis with sweet potatoes added.  The natural orange colour from the orange sweet potatoes looks so pretty.  I made this in just four layers.  Though in the future I will make it only three layers with all the sweet potatoes' part on the top.   For the recipe of traditional kuih lapis, please click here.

After making this kuih lapis, I was wondering if the result is the same if I bake it instead of steaming it?  I will try one with cake base at the bottom and sweet potatoes on the top bake in the oven.  Hopefully it turn out good!  :-)

Ingredients:

1 can coconut cream, 400ml

140g Orange colour sweet potato, peeled and sliced

100ml water

80g rice flour

80g tapioca flour

130g sugar, more if you want it sweeter

1/2 tsp salt

Few drops pandan (screwpine) extract

Green food colouring

Square cake tin 19 x 19cm (I used a round one)

Method:

1.  Steam the sweet potato until tender for about 3 - 5 minutes.  Leave it to cool and then blend it until smooth.

2.  In a pot, mix together coconut cream, water, sugar and salt, in low heat just to dissolve the sugar.  Leave it to cool.

3.  Mix the coconut mixture with both flours and whisk gently until it's free of lump.  Divide the batter into three portions.

4.  Colour one portion green and add the pandan extract as well and mix well.    Add blended sweet potato to the 2nd portion and mix well.  The 3rd portion remain white.  The part with sweet potato will turn out softer and sweeter when it's done.

5.  Pour all the green colour portion in the cake tin and steam in a preheated steamer.  Steam for about 2 - 3 minutes.

6.  Later layer it with half of the orange portion and steam for another 2 minutes or so.

7.  Repeat the same step with the remaining white portion and the other half of orange portion until all are used up.

8.  Leave it to cool completely before cutting into shapes. 

Butter and Chocolate Marble Cake

My boy wanted a chocolate cake for his 10th birthday.  But since I'd made chocolate cakes for the last two occasions, we both agreed on a butter and chocolate marble cake instead.  :-)



This classic cake is great for teatime treat with or without whipped cream!

















Ingredients:
225g plain flour
225g butter, soften
225g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
3 tbsp milk
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 170 degree C.  Grease a 23cm round tin and line the bottom with baking paper.

2.  In a mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time.  Then add in vanilla extract, milk and mix well.  Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.

3.  Divide the mixture into two bowls.  Stir the cocoa powder into one of the bowl and mix well.

4.  With a large spoon for each bowl, scoop the mixture into the tin alternately until all the mixture is used up.  Give the cake tin a tap on your table or worktop to get rid of the air bubbles.  With a skewer, or a chopstick, swirl it around the mixture a few times to create a marble effect.

5.  Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until a skewer or a toothpick inserted into the centre and comes out clean.  Leave to cool on a wire rack.

 

Almond Pithivier

Pithivier (Pithiviers in French) is a round pie usually made by puff pastry.  It is said that this pastry originates from a town in France called Pithiviers.


Ingredients:
275g frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
50g flour
egg for egg wash, lightly beaten

Filling A:
50g butter
60g sugar

Filling B:
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tbsp orange juice
70g ground almond

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven at 180 degree C.  For the filling, beat A until well blended.  Add in B, mix until just combine, then add egg, flour and mix until well incorporate. 

2.  Cut out part of the puff pastry a 15cm circle as the base.  Spread filling on the base, leaving 2cm from the edge.

3.  Then cut out a 17cm circle for the top.  Brush egg on the edge of the pastry base and carefully lay the top over the filling.

4.  Seal and press the edges together with a fork, egg wash the top and line the top with the tip of a knife.

5.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar on top.

Mother's Day Dessert 2 - Chocolate Torte with Raspberry and Blueberry

This torte is moist and chocolicious!  Topped with fresh whipped cream, raspberries and blueberries, it's attractive and presentable. 


Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups (160g) flour
2 large eggs
110g butter, soften
1 cups (200g) sugar
150ml boiling water
1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
250g fresh whipped cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
Raspberries and Blueberries
Serves 8

Method:
1.  Grease and line the springform.  Preheat oven to 180 degree C.

2.  Pour boiling water over cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Set aside and let it to cool.  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and set aside.

3.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.

4.  Add flour mixture alternately with cocoa mixture until smooth and lump free.  Pour the batter into the springform.

5.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or when a toothpick inserted in the middle and come out clean.  Do not overbake.  Cool on a wire rack.

6.  Whip the fresh cream with icing sugar.  Spread on the torte when it's completely cooled.  Arrange the raspberries and blueberries over it.

Mother's Day Dessert 1 - Carrot Cake with Walnut and Cream Cheese Frosting

Mother's Day is just a week away.  Why not show your love by baking her a cake.  This carrot cake is always welcome at birthdays, weddings, gatherings and all special occasions.

Ingredients:
4 medium eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup dark brown sugar or brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped walnut

Cream Cheese Frosting:
175g Philadelphia cream cheese, soften
2 to 4 cups icing sugar
80 cup butter, soften
1 tsp vanilla extract
Serves 12

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 180C.  Line a 9 inch/23cm cake tin with baking paper.

2.  In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla extract together until well mix.

3.  sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, mixed spice and fold in the wet mixture until well combine.

4.  Stir in grated carrot and chopped walnut.  Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until inserted a toothpick and come out dry.  Cool in a wire rack.

5.  To prepare the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and 2 cups of icing sugar together.  Then gradually add more icing sugar to the sweetness you desire.  The cake itself is not so sweet, so you might want to have a sweeter frosting.  Place the frosting in the fridge while waiting for the cake to be completely cooled or for an hour for easier spreading.

Kaiserschmarrn

Kaiserschmarrn, a soft fluffy pancake like Austrian dessert that is ripped into bite size and slightly roasted in a pan, traditionally served with stewed plums.

A legend says that this dessert was invented for Emperor Franz Joseph.  There are many different stories about how this dessert was invented.

The pancake itself is not sweet, so icing sugar and sweet sauce is required to go with it.  I've tried both Kairserschmarrn with and without lemon zest in the restaurants and really prefer the one with a tangy taste.  For that I've added 1 tablespoon of lemon zest in this recipe.

Ingredients:

100g flour

3 eggs, separated

125ml milk

1 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

raisins

1 tbsp lemon zest

30g butter

blueberries, to garnish

icing sugar

Serves 4 as dessert

Method:

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together egg york, sugar, milk, flour, vanilla extract and salt until well combine.

2.  Beat the egg white until stiff and using a spatula, fold the egg white in the flour mixture gently until just combine.

3.  Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and melt the butter.  Pour in the mixture and turn down the heat to low.  Sprinkle the lemon zest and raisins, cook for about 10 minutes, checking the bottom if it turns brown.  Turn the pancake, never mind if it breaks.  Cook for 2 minutes and then started to rip the pancake into bite size.  Keep roasting it in the pan until brown but not over cook.

4.  Sprinkle with icing sugar and garnish with blueberries.  Serve with stewed plum or applesauce.

American Hotcakes

Weekends are the only time my kids and I get to sit down together and have some nice breakfast.  Angelica is always more than happy to help setting the table! 

These American pancakes are perfect for a weekend morning or holiday breakfast.  Serve these delicious pancakes with butter, honey, jam, applesauce, Nutella or your favourite toppings and fruits.  They're also delicious with 'kaya', coconut jam, something we are unable to get here.
















Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 medium eggs
1 cup milk
60g butter, melted
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp caster sugar
Pinch salt
Oil to brush the pan
Serves 3 -4

   

Method:

1.  In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, add in milk, melted butter and stir well.  Sift in flour, baking powder.  Then add in sugar and salt. 

2.  Using a whisk, stir until smooth and batter is free of lumps.  Cover with a tea towel for 10 minutes.

3.  Over medium low heat, brush the non-stick pan with oil.  Pour a level 1/4 cup of mixture at a time.  Cook for one minute or until bubbly, turn and cook the other side.  The second side take shorter time to cook.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm with a tea towel.  Repeat with the remaining batter.

4.  Serve with butter and your favourite toppings.