BERRIES WITH YOGURT BUNDT CAKE

I had been sourcing for my ideal bundt cake mould for the longest time. I did not want to settle for silicone ones although they were more affordable, neither did I want to get mini or large ones, so I really took my time to search for the right size with a pattern that I liked at a cost that fitted my budget. After months of searching and drooling, I finally got my Chef Made's 7-inch non-stick kugelhopf mould via online from China. (Happy Little Mouse!)

There are no special recipes for bundt cakes. Most cake recipes can be used except for ones that are similar to chiffon cakes where greasing of moulds are forbidden. It is called a bundt cake because of its unique pattern and shape. Do ensure the mould is well greased so that the cake can slide out easily.

It has been quite warm lately, going to supermarkets' cold section is so welcoming. My boy and I went shopping for ingredients, not knowing what to get. Our feet naturally brought us to chiller section where the yogurt was, instinctively I grabbed one pot of mixed berries yogurt. Then it hit me. We should get frozen berries to make this cake! We were spoiled for choice as we giggled by the freezer door. In the end, both of us agreed to get this frozen cranberries and blueberries because it had the lowest retail price. (Well, I must spare a thought for my hubby's wallet when I indulge myself, right?)

This recipe is adjusted from a blueberry muffin recipe by Bear Naked Food (http://www.bearnakedfood.com/2015/09/11/best-blueberry-muffins/). I used frozen berries, but fresh ones work fine too. At first I thought the cake would not cook well as the added frozen berries caused the batter to turn cold almost like ice cream. To my dismay, the skewer came out very wet after 30 minutes of baking. No choice but I had to summon for patience card by extending baking time with lowered temperature, which helped to cook further without darkening top of cake. The result was simply fantastic! The tartness of cranberries and milder taste of blueberries were perfect, not to mention the fragrance which the yogurt emitted!  I had wanted to make a drizzle of icing or chocolate ganache, but hubby preferred its natural taste. (Maybe next time ^0^)

BERRIES WITH YOGURT BUNDT CAKE (after adjustments)

Ingredients

115g salted butter, softened

140g caster sugar

2 eggs (I used 50g eggs)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

100g low protein flour

140g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

125g mixed berry yogurt

225g frozen cranberries + blueberries

Method

1. Preheat oven at 190C. Grease bundt cake mould well with butter.

2. Sift flours, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar till light and pale. Scrape down a few times to ensure even consistency.

4. Add one egg and 2 tbsp of sifted flour into creamed butter. Beat till incorporated, and repeat for the next egg. 

5. Add in vanilla extract. Scrape down batter and beat till well combined.

6. Add 1/3 of remaining flour into batter. Using low speed, beat for about one minute. 

7. Add half of yogurt into batter and beat for one minute.

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7.

9. Stop the mixer. Now fold in the last 1/3 flour with spatula till well combined.

10. Fold in all the fruits into batter. The batter feels cold and thick now.

11. Pour batter into mould. Level top and tap on counter top a few times to release air pockets.

12. Bake at 190C for 20mins, then lower to 160C for 30 min. Cake is done when skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre or when cake shrinks at the side.

13. Cool cake in mould for 5min, and then remove to cool completely on wire rack.

Looks like ice cream!

Velvety texture with perfect taste of sweet and sour elements

Extra batter in cupcakes. Love the different colours the berries produce.

CARAMELIZED PASSIONFRUIT MUFFIN

Passionfruit season is almost over. Thankfully I still have a packet of six passionfruits in the fridge. Better use them before they become bad. Since my son is not able to come home because of school's open house, and he requests for breakfast for the next day, I think I can put these passionfruits into good use.

Let's create some muffins! Muffins are super easy to make. Just place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and wet ingredients in another container. Then mix and bake, that's all! The only things to watch out for are DO NOT OVERMIX and DO NOT OVERBAKE. Simple =D

This is my own creation. To give this muffin a little more excitement, I decide to sprinkle some brown sugar on top to give a crisp to the otherwise soft muffin. What a great combination! It is crispy on top, crunchy as you bite into the cake, and the sour taste blends so well with the sweetness! Wow, I will miss passionfruits when they are out of season soon.....

CARAMELIZED PASSIONFRUIT MUFFIN - LITTLE MOUSE CREATION

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

185g low protein flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

185g caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

120g melted butter

2 passionfruits' pulp

full cream milk (enough to make up 250ml with pulps of 2 passionfruits)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Brown sugar to sprinkle

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 170C, line muffin tray with liners.

2. Prepare milk-passionfruit mixture first. Place pulps from 2 passionfruits into container. Fill up to 250ml with full cream milk. Stir it really well to break up pulps. Set aside for a few minutes.

3. Sift all dry ingredients once in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

4. Mix all wet ingredients in another container. Stir well to combine.

5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Use a hand whisk to stir and  just combine. Do not overmix.

6. Immediately pour batter evenly into muffin liners to 80% full. You may have some extra batter, pour into cupcake holder.

7. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of each muffin. 

8. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

9. Increase temperature to 190C and bake for 5min to crisp the top.

10. Remove muffins and cool completely on wire rack.

that extra cup...

Love the crisp on top!

Beautiful texture inside - soft and moist

PANDAN CHIFFON CAKE - LITTLE MOUSE'S FAVORITE RECIPE

Most Asians love chiffon cakes, especially pandan-flavoured ones! A good chiffon cake is very light, soft like a souffle and it stands tall. Baking it can be intimidating for some, but once the skill is acquired, there is no turning back. My cakes used to shrink, so I took some time to understand where I went wrong. There were many trials before I finally succeeded, and still I felt that all efforts were not wasted. 

Pandan chiffon cake is usually the first chiffon cake to attempt. I think this is the only green bake one can find in Asia apart from matcha green tea. Hmmm.... However, there are other exciting flavours too, once we conquer this basic chiffon!

"Definition: Pandan (Scientific Name: Pandanus, also known as screw pine or palm pine) is a herbaceous tropical plant that grows in Southeast-Asia.  In Chinese, it is known as 'fragrant plant' because of its unique, sweet aroma. The cultivated plant features upright bright green leaves, and it's the leaves that are desired for cooking up many Thai and Southeast-Asian dishes. (https://www.thespruce.com/cooking-with-pandan-3217067)"

Pandan leaves are rampant in Southeast Asia. Even in cities such as Singapore where land is scarce, it is common sight to see these plants outside homes along corridors or balconies. Many will prefer to plant our own pandan leaves, since we use this in many other Asian dishes as well, and ensure that they are fully organic!

one of the pots of pandan leaves I have along the corridor

This recipe is not my own. A relative passed this to me where she learned from a baking teacher when she was younger. Many who had tasted her pandan chiffon cakes would tell me how good they were! She sold them mostly during Chinese New Year. Naturally, being one of her favourite nieces, she was so very willing to share with me. I had her permission now to "expose" it to friends since she had retired from selling her bakes. 

Notes:

Amount of sugar can be reduced slightly, but reduce from (A) only. However, I find the sweetness just nice for me.

The original recipe called for cream of Tartar which I replaced with white vinegar and salt. 

I replaced pandan essence and pandan paste with real pandan extracts. (Always try to avoid chemicals if possible)

Baking powder is optional. Omitting it will not affect texture and taste, just that it might not be as tall as it should be.

It is best to use fresh coconut milk cream, however I use UHT cartons ones.

PANDAN CHIFFON CAKE - LITTLE MOUSE'S FAVORITE RECIPE
Ingredients
(A)
4 egg yolks (from 60g eggs)
85g caster sugar

(B) 
85g coconut cream (pandan leaves infused)*
50g corn or canola oil

(C)
115g low protein flour
3g baking powder (optional)

(D)
7 egg whites (from 60g eggs)
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
57g caster sugar


Method
1. Preheat oven at 150C, with rack placed at lower level.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk (A) well with a hand whisk. Do not whisk to thicken the yolks.

3. Add in (B) and mix well.

4. Sift (C) into yolk mixture, with the hand whisk, mix gently until no lump can be seen.

5. In another dry, grease-free mixing bowl, whisk egg whites till foamy. Add salt and vinegar. Continue whisking while slowly adding all sugar by tablespoons and whisk until 70-80% stiff. This is meringue.**

6. Scoop 1/3 of meringue into yolk mixture. Fold in gently.

7. Pour yolk mixture into meringue balance. Fold in gently until no white streaks can be seen.

8. Pour into 21cm chiffon mold to fill up to 80% of mold. Give a few taps to remove air pockets. (make any batter excess into cupcakes)

9. Bake at 150C for about 80 min. Cake is done when golden crust is formed around the raised inner hole.

10. Remove cake from oven and drop chiffon to ground from height of 1 feet. This is to shock the cake to prevent shrinking.

11. Immediately invert cake to cool completely in mold. Cake should invert at a height of at least 15cm to ensure good heat dispersion. (Try to let cake cool normally on its own, avoid fan or air-conditioning)

12. Once it is completely cooled, remove chiffon cake from mold and serve.

*Snip pandan leaves and add into coconut cream. Using a blender, blitz well, strain through cheese cloth to achieve 85g coconut cream.

** Whisk egg whites at high speed at first. When meringue turns stiff, whisk at low speed for a few minutes to reduce air bubbles. 

Pandan leaves infused coconut cream

槟城叉烧肉 PENANG SWEET PORK

My neighbour introduced this old school dish to me. I loved it at my first try. The pork slices were sticky, chewy and sweet. The slightly charred meat tasted so good! She assured me it was not difficult to make the dish, but I must watch the heat carefully and not walk away. So I picked up the courage to finally try my hand. First attempt was pretty close to hers, except that I could push caramelizing  a bit further. 

Select pork belly with even fats and meat. Try to go for those without soft bones. The steps are really simple, but some patience is required.

PENANG SWEET PORK 槟城叉烧肉
Ingredients
500g pork belly (skin removed)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
8 tsp sugar
2 tbsp water

8 cloves garlic (optional)

Method

1. Clean pork belly. Slice pork about the size of index finger. Each slice should have the layers of meat and fats.

2. Marinate sliced pork with light soy sauce, sugar and water for 30 minutes.

3. Remove garlic peels. Keep the cloves whole.

4. Heat non-stick pan with high heat on stove. Do not add oil.

5. Place marinated pork slices and garlic cloves in hot pan. Stir fry until pork is lightly cooked. At this point, moisture from pork will be drawn out.

6. Cover pan. Turn down heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 min.

7. Remove cover, moisture should be almost reduced. Turn down heat slightly and stir fry until oil is drawn out. You should get about 1/2 cup of oil drawn out. (This is where watchful eyes and patience are required.)

8. When pork is well caramalized and take on a darker colour with some look a little charred, it is done!

9. Scoop out pork with a strainer to let excess oil drip off. Place on plate to serve.

After removing cover, moisture was almost reduced

Could still caramalize a little further

Oil drawn out from pork. This was about half cup of oil.

PASSION FRUIT CHIFFON CAKE

It is the season for passion fruits. Personally I do not really fancy the fruits on their own due to sourness, but my children love them! However, I love the taste when it is made into desserts. The fragrance and sweet-sour taste is absolutely my all-time favourite. 

Using recipe from my favourite pandan chiffon cake as reference point, I came up with this amazing cake. The result is a fragrant, moist and soft cake, and I simply love the crunch from the seeds. No essence is required, only real fruit pulp is used. If you are into all-natural cake, then just omit baking powder. The cake may not rise as much without baking powder, but the texture and taste is not compromised. 

To ensure softness of cake, make sure the egg whites are whipped nicely and gluten is not activated from flour.  It may look like a lot of sugar, I assure you the taste is well balanced. But if you still wish to reduce sugar anyway, please only reduce from the 63g that is to be mixed into egg yolks. Refrain from reducing from egg whites portion.

This recipe is for 21cm chiffon mould or 2 x 16cm chiffon moulds. Cake not stored in fridge must be consumed in three days. Can keep for a week in fridge.

PASSION FRUIT CHIFFON CAKE
Ingredients

4 egg yolks (from 50g eggs)
63g caster sugar

36g canola oil
70-80g fresh passion fruit pulps and seeds (abt 2 fruits, do not exceed 80g)

82g low-protein flour
2g baking powder (optional)

5 egg whites (from 50g eggs)
43g caster sugar
Pinch of salt and dash of vinegar

Method

1. Preheat oven at 150C using conventional mode and place rack at lower level. 

2. In a clean, grease-free, water-free mixer bowl, place in egg whites and whisk at medium-fast speed till foamy. Add a pinch of salt and dash of vinegar.

3. Add sugar from 43g by the tablespoons slowly. When the egg white is whisked to 70-80% stiffness, switch to whisk at low speed for 3 minutes to reduce air bubbles. My mixer takes about 10 minutes to make this meringue.

4. While the egg whites are mixing in low speed, we can prepare the egg yolks.
In a separate mixing bowl, put in egg yolks and sugar. Use a hand whisk to stir till combined. The yolks do not have to thicken.

5. Stir canola oil and fruit pulps together. Add into egg yolk mixture and stir well to combine.

6. Sift in flour and baking powder mixture (if using baking powder) into egg yolk mixture. Use hand whisk to just combine. There should be no lumps and flour is not overworked.

7. Scoop a third of meringue into egg yolk mixture. Fold in gently.

8. Pour egg yolk mixture into the gap left in meringue. Fold in gently until no white streaks is seen.

9. Pour into chiffon mould(s). Level top and give a few taps to pop air pockets.

10. Bake for 70-90 min. You should see golden crusts around the raised hole in middle of cake. Remove from oven and drop mould to ground from height of 1 feet to shock the cake. Quickly invert cake to cool completely in the mould. Then remove cake from mould and serve.

Tip: It is important that the cakes are inverted with at least 15cm height so that heat is dispersed well and not sweating the cake. Try to let cake cool in normal circumstances without fan or air-conditioning.

KAHLUA CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

Little Mouse cannot resist chocolate anything! Been trying to find a recipe for rich chocolate cake without baking soda aftertaste, and this is it!! This is Little Mouse's own version, and the cake is good even as layered cake. My kids and I love it so much that we made it again the next week. It is so simple, anyone can do this! 

You can bake in one deep round 8" or two round 8" for layered cake or half the recipe to make one shallow cake. Yumzzzzz! 

KAHLUA CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE
Ingredients
250g salted butter
200g chocolate couverture chips (dark preferred)
250g full cream milk
80g kahlua or any coffee liquor
280g light brown sugar
1 tsp salt

2 eggs

252g plain flour
5g baking powder
3g baking soda
40g unsweetened cocoa powder


Methods

1.  Melt butter, chocolate couverture chips, milk, kahlua and brown sugar over low heat. Add in salt. Let it cool.

2.  Preheat oven 150C. Line baking tins with non-stick baking paper.

3.  Once mixture is cooled, add in eggs and stir to combine well. 

4. Combine well flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder. Sift into chocolate mixture.

5.  Pour batter into tins, bake for about 80 min for single deep tin, or about 60 mins for two tins. Cake is ready when skewer comes out with a little crumb when poked in middle.

6.  Cool cake completely in tin.

7.  You may brush top of cake with cocoa powder + sugar + hot water mixture, or pour ganache over. Decorate as desired.

Best eaten before chilled

CROISSANT - EASY METHOD

Simply love croissants!! Tried to make a few times using different recipes and methods, by far this is the easiest! The only hard work is to roll out frozen dough, the rest are super easy! Try it =)

CROISSANT - EASY METHOD
Ingredients
(A)
120ml lukewarm milk (I use full cream)
45g caster sugar
7g dry instant yeast

(B)
150g butter, cold, cubed
250g bread flour
1/2 tsp salt

Methods
1.  Stir (A) in a cup and set aside for 5 min to bloom.

2.  Cut butter into flour and salt mixture till crumbly. Lumps of butter should still be visible.

3.  Mix bloomed (A) into (B). Form into a rectangular dough (NO KNEADING REQUIRED, yeah!!), clip wrap and freeze for 30 min.

4.  On a lightly floured counter top, roll out frozen dough into a long rectangle. This is the hardest part of the whole process, keep on rolling, it will work out. (Tip: place a large plastic sheet on top of dough and roll to prevent dough from sticking on pin)

5.  Fold 1/3 dough at the long side toward centre (left to centre, right to centre). Do the same for short side. (Up to centre, down to centre).

6.  Flip over. Make a quarter turn. Lightly dust counter top when necessary to prevent dough sticking onto it.

7.  Roll into long rectangle and repeat steps 5 and 6 at least four to six times. The more repetitions, the more flakier it will be. Remember to make a quarter turn each time to ensure even flakes.

8.  Clip wrap and place in fridge to chill for at least 4 hrs or overnight.

cut broader bases for bigger croissants

9.  On lightly dusted counter top, roll out dough to long rectangle again to about 3mm thick. Cut out triangles (with a broader base) and roll up each triangle from base to tip. Place on prepared baking tray, allow to proof till doubled in size.

10.  Preheat oven to 190C. Egg wash croissant (optional), bake for 8 min. Reduce temperature to 160-170C and bake for another 10 min.