Monday 18 February 2013

Cappuccino Cake


Found this recipe online and I am a coffee addict, therefore decided that I must make this cake...lol

This coffee cake is light, moist and frothy just like a cappuccino. This sponge is easy to make and is one you will end up baking again and again. It tastes great served warm from the cake rack or after cooling to room temp. Keep it in an airtight container and it will last for at least 3 days.

Ingredients:
  • 300g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 110g unsalted butter
  • 250ml milk
  • 2 tbsp instant coffee
  • 4 eggs
  • 375g castor sugar
Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C and prepare a 22cm round tin with butter and flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a saucepan, warm the milk until just below boilling and stir in the instant coffee.

Add the butter to the milk and gently warm until melted and then remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, whick eggs with an electric whisk until frothy.

Gradually add the sugar and continue to whisk until light and fluffy. This step should take about 10 minutes. Then add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture and fold in until just incorporated.

Add the milk and butter and mix with a spatula until smooth, then pour the mixture into the tin.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool fully.

 

Almond cookies


Decided to bake something different for the year of the snake. This is a traditional chinese new year cookies. This cookies remind me of my childhood days back in Penang. These Almond Cookies are the easiest cookie recipe I've tried. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl, make the dough into a small balls, apply some egg wash & bake in the oven. These cookies are exceptionally addicting that I can't stop helping myself with it.

Ingredients:
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 150g plain flour
  • 75g castor sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 110ml corn oil
  • 1 egg york, beaten
Method:

Sieve the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Add in the ground almonds to the flour/sugar mixture.

With the mixer on a medium speed, slowly trickle in the corn oil into the bowl containing the flour/sugars/almonds. Mix until a cohesive dough forms. You may need to add more oil-the aim is to reach a dough which is just able to hold it's shape ( and does not crumble) when you attemptto roll it into a ball.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C for fan assist oven.

Roll the dough into a 2cm balls and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the tops of the cookie balls with the beaten egg yolk.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies become slightly golden.

Leave to cool on a wire rack, then tuck in.

Friday 1 February 2013

Blueberry Yoghurt Cake



This cake is moist and full with fruits, one of your five a day. The yoghurt adds a creamy texture and compliments the sharp bluberries perfectly. If you have not tried baking with yoghurt before, give it a go, it's really easy way to cook.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 500ml plain yoghurt
  • 150g melted butter, allowed to cool
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 300g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 200g blueberries
Method:

Grease a bundt tin or a deep 24cm round cake tin and line with baking parchment.

Mix the vanilla extract into the yoghurt, then add the cooled melted butter and eggs and mix until combined.

Stir through the sugar, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Stir through the blueberries and pour into the prepared cake tin.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the centre of the comes out clean. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack and allowing to cool fully.