Citrus olive oil cake

This cake gets its fat content from the healthier option of olive oil. Along with the citrus flavours of lemon and orange, this cake is light and zesty. It only takes 55 minutes to rustle up and is full of flavour. If you fancy jazzing this cake up a bit, top with a light icing and grated orange zest for the prefect finish. If you are on a dairy free diet, substitute the milk for soya milk.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 150g castor sugar
• 190g self raising flour
• zest and juice of one orange
• zest of one lemon
• 125ml olive oil (not extra virgin)
• 60ml milk
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/160C for oven assist. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line with baking parchment.

Whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the zest of the orange and lemon, and the oil  and mix until combined. Stir in half of the flour, mix well. Stir in half of the milk and orange juice. Stir in the remainder of the flour. Add in the remainder of the milk and orange juice. Pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool fully. When fully cooled transfer to a serving plate and dust with icing sugar.

Raspberry & Blueberry Lime Drizzle Cake

I was greedy the other day & bought too much fruits from the farmer market. Who can blame me as the fruits looks so delicious and mouth watering. Decided to google & found this recipes on BBC Goodfood.  This cake is perfect for teatime treat, this moist and fruity cake is easy baking at its best.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 225g butter, softened
• 225g castor sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 2 limes, grated zest and juice
• 250g self raising flour sifted with a pinch of salt
• 25g ground almonds
• 100g each blueberries and raspberries

For the syrup:

• 5 tbsp lime juice ( about 2 limes)
• 1 lime, grated zest
• 140g golden castor sugar

Method:

Line the base and side of a 20cm/8in square cake tin with greaseproof paper and butter the paper. Set the oven to 180C/160Cfor fan oven.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually bet in the eggs, adding a little flour towards the end to prevent curdling. Beat in the lime zest, then fold in the flour and almonds. Fold in enough lime juice, about 3 tablespoons to give you a dropping consistency ( the mixture should drop easily from the spoon when tapped)

Fold in three quarters of the blueberries and raspberries and turn into the prepared tin. Smooth the surface, then scatter the remaining fruit on top, it will sink as the cake rises.

Bake for about 1 hour (cover with foil if begining to brown too much), a skewer pushed into the centre should be clean when removed.

Meanwhile make the syrup: put in the lime juice, zest and sugar in a small saucepan. Put over a gentle heat and stir, without allowing to bubble. The sugar should dissolve a little. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick all over with a skewer then spoon the syrup over it.

Carefully remove the cake from the tin, discard the lining paper and cut into 12 pieces to serve.

To store, cool before wrapping in paper and or foil.

Tiramisu Cake

These coffee infused cupcakes are easier to make than they look. With an extra soft and moist sponge and a creamy coffee-infused topping, these cupcakes only take 15 minutes to bake. Not only the look impressive, they tast delicious too with an extra strong coffee flavour. These cupcakes are elegant and would make a great food gift for friends and family.

Ingredients:

• 30g plain flour
• 30g sel raising flour
• 15g corn flour
• 15g custard powder
• 3 eggs
• 70g castor sugar

For the topping:

• 200ml double cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 250g mascarpone
• 60ml espresso coffee or strong coffee
• 25ml Masala wine
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C and lone the trays with 12 cupcake cases.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the eggs for 1-2 minutes using electric mixer on medium speed, then turn up the speed and whisk for a further 10 minutes. Add the castor sugar gradually, beating until the sugar has dissolved, then beat on high for a further 10 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Fold the mixture into the flour until just combined.

Fill the cupcakes cases to three quarters full and bake for around 15 minutes. Test they are cooked by inserting a skewer, if it comes out clean, thet are done. Remove from the tray and cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.

For the topping:

Using a skewer or toothpick poke holes almost through to the bottom of the cupcakes.

Mix 30ml of cold espresso and 10ml of Masala and using a teaspoon or syringe or brush, dribble a little of the mix into the hole in the cupcakes.

Place 2 tbsp of cold espresso, 1 tbsp Masala, the mascarpone and double cream and icing sugar into a large bowl and whisk until the mix is stiff enough to pipe. Stop mixing just as its thickening or it will be too thick to pipe.

Pipe or spread the cream on to the top of the cupcakes. If you would like to pipe the topping, just snip the end off a disposable piping bag, there is no need of a nozzle. Start in the centre and pipe up around into a spiral, finishing by pushing down a little and pulling up quickly.

Dust with the unsweetened cocoa powder just before you serve them.

Apricot and Banana Loaf

A lovely cake to eat with a cuppa. This loaf is not too sweet but super moist and packed with fruits and nuts.

Ingredients:

• 175g butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 75g light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175g self raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
• 100g ready to eat apricot, chopped
• 75g pecan nuts, chopped

Method:

Pre heat oven to 170C or 150C for fan oven. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line the bse and the side with baking paper.

Place the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat together until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs about 1 tbsp at a time. Sift over the flour and cinnamon and gently fold into the mixture then fold in the apricots, mashed banana and half the pecan nuts.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, gently level the surface and scatter over the remaining of the pecan nuts. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Leave in the tin for 15-20 minutes then carefully turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

 

Bubur Cha Cha

This dessert is generally served during festival seasons in Penang, and a must have on Chap Goh Meh (the 15th and the last day of Chinese New Year) This dessert is basicaly made fom a medley of sweet potatoes, black-eye peas, yam or taro, banana and cooked in a sweet coconut milk base. There is many variaton of this dessert. For me the tapioca jelly, chewy & stretchy in its texture is the best part of it all.

Ingredients:

• 100g sweet pototoes in each colours, try to get the orange, purple & yellow.
• 150g yam or taro
• 20g sago, soaked for 30 minutes
• 75g black-eye beans, soaked for 1 hour

Tapioca jelly

• 100g tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• red colouring

Coconut milk base

• 3 liter water
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 100g sugar
• 3 bananas, slice about half inches thick
• 2 pandan leaves
• salt to taste

Method:

In boiling water, boil black-eye peas until soft.

In another boiling water, boiled sago until translucent and cooked.

Peel and cut all potatoe and yam into cubes or desire shapes. Steam separately until cooked.

To make the tapioca flour jelly, place the flour in mixing bowl. Pour in boiling water. Mix the flour and water until well incorporated. When the dough is cool, roll it out evenly on a well floured surface and cut into cubes or desire shapes.

Bring a pot of water and add in 1 tbsp sugar, pour in the banana and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Boil the 3 liter water then add in the thick coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaves and cook over low heat about 10-20 minutes.

Pour in all the ingredients, together with the sago, tapioca jelly into the coconut milk base and mix well.

Serve hot or cold as you like.