Pumpkin White Chocolate Cake with Coconut Lemon Icing

Hi, it has been a while since my last post. Had been busy to settle some personal stuff, however, i will never forget to create someting new to you guys. The recipe i am going to share is a cake i m pretty proud of. I made this cake for my colleagues and they love it. One of my colleagues even tried to make it and her son love it. She doesn't like pumpkin but she love this cake. Her son doesn't like cake but he love this cake.

If your kids or you are having problem to take vege, maybe this is a good option for you to eat some vege. It is a simple cake to make. You only need to use and wash one mixing bowl, then when it is baking, you are free to do other houseworks. Alright, let start the recipe:

Pumpkin White Chocolate Cake with Coconut Lemon Icing

Ingredient:
250g butternut pumpkin, seeded, peeled and chopped into small cube
150g salt reduced butter (plus extra to grease)
½ cup raw sugar
½ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup coconut milk
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup white chocolate chip

For Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 lemon zest
½ lemon, juice
2 tsp coconut milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180oC.
2. Put chopped pumpkin in a deep ceramic bowl and fill with water to cover the pumpkin, put into microwave on HIGH for 5-8 minutes until pumpkin is tender, drain and mash the pumpkin until no chunk. Leave it to rest and cool. (Be careful that the bowl and the water will be very hot, put the bowl under cold water before drain it)
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan until liquid then remove from heat. Use some butter to grease and line the base and grease the side of a 25cm round cake tin.
4. In the remaining melted butter, mix it sugars, eggs, and vanilla essence. Beat with a whisk until all ingredients are well mixed.
5. Stir in coconut milk and mashed pumpkin. Sift and add the flours and baking powder, then mix thoroughly (don’t over mix it).
6. Stir in white chocolate chip.
7. Pour the mixture into prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes, then cover with aluminium foil and bake for another 30 minutes until a metal knife inserts into centre come out clean.
8. Cool in pan for 5 minute, and then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

To make Icing:

1. Sift icing sugar in a mixing bowl, and then stir in zest.
2. Add the lemon juice and coconut milk, and then stir until a good consistency.
3. Spread the icing mixture onto the cooled cake and wait till it set.

Ok now the cake is ready, cut it a wedge-size and serve it with a cup of hot tea/coffee. Want a enjoyable day !!!

Hope you guys will like it. See you soon.

Xmas dessert: Chocolate Pudding and Cranberries White Chocolate Slice served with Vanilla Ice Cream and Mango Puree

Ho Ho Ho.....Christmas is coming. I think i should create a dish for this festive season. Last Saturday, I had an early Xmas celebration with my mates and i made this dessert. That was my first time to prepare a proper dessert. Luckily, it came out well especially the slice, it looked gorgeous and tasted well. The chocolate pudding is moist and just nice to go with the slice. The most dissappointing part was the weather was too hot, the ice cream couldn't come out a total eclipse shaped and was melt very quick. Anyway, my mates enjoyed the dessert, of cos i am so happy with my dessert. That is really my honour to prepare something nice to my friends and seeing them enjoy it, Yeah. Hope you will like it too. You can prepare any individual component from this dessert. I will highly recommend the slice, heheheh.......

For Cranberries White Chocolate Slice
Ingredients:
100g butter, cubed
15 Marie biscuit
150g white chocolate, break into pieces
2/3 cup (200ml) condensed milk
100g cranberries

Method:

1. Greased and line a 21x13x4.5cm baking dish with baking paper.
2. Break the biscuit into small sized like 10 cent coin, then add cranberries and toss with the biscuit, set aside.
3. Combined chocolate and butter in a separate bowl. Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water, leave on the water for 1 minutes then remove from the water. Melt the chocolate and butter until well mixed.
4. Slowly pour in condensed milk while stirring the chocolate mixture, until a slightly sticky mixture and constant consistency.
5. Pour the chocolate mixture over the biscuit, and well mix until all biscuit are coated with chocolate.
6. Spoon the mixture into baking dish, then cover with plastic wrap and press the mixture to make sure no gap and the chocolate is well distributed.
7. Store the mixture in fridge at least 2 hours until set.
8. Using the baking paper to pull out the slice and cut it into 12 pieces.

For Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients:
180g butter, cubed
180g dark chocolate
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
½ cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour, sifted
Icing sugar to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220oC, greased 6 ramakin with melted butter.
2. Melt butter and chocolate over simmering water.
3. In a separate bowl, beat sugar, eggs, egg yolks with electric mixer until pale and thick.
4. Fold in chocolate mixture and flour into egg mixture, until well combined.
5. Divide the mixture into 6 ramakin and bake for 15-20 minutes and the middle of the pudding is still soft.
6. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
   

For Mangoes Puree
Ingredients:
1 mango, sliced into pieces
¼ cup caster sugar

Method:

1. Puree the mango in a blender.
2. Heat the mango puree in a saucepan and add in sugar, until sugar dissolved. Set aside.
   
   
   Final Step: Plate up the dessert with one pudding, one chocolate slice, one scope of ice cream and pour the mango puree over the ice cream and slice.

Here, I wish you a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year !!!

Orange Pandan Pancake

I like to make pancake for breakfast as they are easy to make and they always can satisfy my craving and hunger. For your information, Pandan is a more Asian's ingredient while pancake is a more western thingy. As I love both, i blend both of them into my over-supplied oranges. Hope you will like the combination of the Asian and Western.

Orange Pandan Pancake (to make 8 pancakes)

Ingredient:
1 cup sifted wholemeal flour
½ cup raw sugar
1 tbs sifted baking powder
1 orange (finely zest)
1 cup milk
1 egg
½ tbs pandan essence

Method:

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and orange zest.


2. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, egg and essence until combined.


3. Slowly pour the wet mixture into dry mixture, stir well until a smooth batter.


4. Cover batter with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.


5. Heat 1 ts olive oil on frying pan on medium heat, then remove the pan from the heat and pour around ¼ cup batter and shake the pan to spread out the batter and return the pan to the heat.


6. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles burst on the surface and edges are set.


7. Turn and cook other side for 30 – 60s or until golden brown.


8. Cover the cooked pancake with aluminium foil to keep warm.


9. Repeat from Step 5 for the remaining batter to make 8 pancakes.


10. Serve with golden syrup or to make orange sauce using the juice from the orange by mixing the juice with ¼ cup sugar and boil until slightly thickened.
    

Chicken Satay with Cashew Sauce

Hei I am back. Busy with work recently, had not been cooking and creating dishes recently. The recipe i am going to post is a recipe i like especially the sauce. I cant have peanut so this is really an excellent replacement for satay sauce. It is actually a modified recipe from Masterchef Magazine. However, the satay are not as nice as the one selling in Malaysia's stall, they at least can satisfy my craving. Hope you will like it too.

Chicken Satay with Cashew Sauce

Ingredient:
800g chicken breast of thigh, cut into 2cm x 2cm cube

For marinate
½ cup light soy sauce
¼ cup honey
1 orange, juice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 thumb size ginger, finely grated
2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
1 tsp sesame oil

For Cashew Sauce
1 cup roasted unsalted cashew
1 tbs oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbs fresh chilli flake
180ml coconut milk
½ lemon, juice
2 tbs honey
2 tbs light soy sauce

Method:
1. Combine all the marinate ingredient in a bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Season with pepper, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours (overnight will be the best)
2. To make sauce, using a zip-lock bag and coarsely crush cashews (alternatively, process the nuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped). Place oil and garlic and chilli in a saucepan over medium-high heat and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add nuts, coconut milk, lemon juice, honey and soy sauce. Bring to boil, then simmer, stirring until slightly thickened. Season and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 200oC (or chargrill pan or barbecue on high). Reserve the marinate, thread 3-4 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Line a baking tray with a lightly greased aluminium foil, then place the skewers without overlapping each other. Cook for 15 minutes then turn and brush with the reserved marinate and cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Reheat the sauce if you like, if not they are ready to be serve with steam rice or salad.

You can make salad as you like. For the simplest one, you can eat with fresh cucumber or tomatoes. Here is a salad i ate with the satay.

Cucumber and tomatoes salad

1 cucumber, cut into long strips
1 tomato, cut into wedges
Pinch of sugar
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs fresh chilli flake (can use the leftover from the sauce)

Method:
1. Combine all ingredient in a bowl (it is so easy !!!)

I had made this twice and I will never get enough. For those who are allergic to peanut, this is really a good replacement. Enjoy Reading !!

Tangy Lemon Cupcake with Liquid Chocolate

For those who love lemon or cant resist the aroma of lemon, these cupcakes are a good blast. If you are a chocoholic like me, blend in the liquid chocolate is sure a good choice as lemon and chocolate make a perfect team.

Some of my friend like to eat them without the icing but other do like to eat with the icing. You can take out the liquid chocolate from the recipe if you only want to make Tangy Lemon Cupcake. Those cupcakes are good to be eaten at the same day they are prepared. They are not really suitable for storing in fridge. It dint taste great after fridge and reheat from the microwave.

All right, let's start the recipe:

Tangy Lemon Cupcake with Liquid Chocolate (make 8)

Ingredient:
1 cup plain/wholemeal flour
½ tbs baking powder
1 lemon rind
½ cup caster sugar
60g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup milk
Liquid chocolate:
150 g dark chocolate
Pinch of salt
100 ml sour cream

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180oC (conventional) or 160oC (fan) and line paper muffin case in muffin tray
2. Sift flour and baking powder in a bowl, then mix in lemon rind and sugar
3. Whisk butter, egg, lemon juice and milk in a separate bowl
4. Slowly pour in the wet mixture into dry mixture, mix them with a metal spoon until just combined (don’t over mix the mixture)
5. Divide the mixture into 2 batches
6. Place the first mixture evenly into the 8 muffin cases
7. Drop a tablespoon of liquid chocolate on the mixture in muffin cases
8. Top up the muffin case with second batch of mixture (the muffin cases should be around quarter to half full)
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a metal knife goes in coming out clean
10. Completely cool the muffin on cooling rack (around 20-30 minutes)
11. Using the leftover liquid chocolate to do the icing

To make liquid chocolate:
1. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over hot water (not boiling water and the bowl does not touch the water)
2. Remove the bowl from heat then stir in salt and soured cream, stir until well-mixed
3. (optional) if the mixture contain lump, microwave for 30-60s until no lump and with consistency

I did make these for a birthday of my friend. They can be eaten everytime you want as a snack. Hope you will like this recipe. See you next time.

Queen Cakes

Hi guys, Long time no see. I am so sorry for disappearing for so long. My family jst came to Adelaide visiting me and attending my graduation ceremony. Ya, finally after 4 years, i had finished my Master degree. Okie stop long winded, in order to sincerely apologise my MIA, i am going to post 2 recipes today. Here come the 1st one: Queen cakes. Erm....I have no idea why they are called Queen cakes, maybe they are something for Queen to eat during high tea. Tell u a secret, they are also the cakes i baked for my Queen previously for her birthday, she love them and of cos i got a big hug and kiss for return *shame* :p

Oh ya, forget to say, they are also the first cakes since i started my baking journey. As they are easy and delicious, they lead me to bake more cake cos i feel so satistified after baking it. Alright let start the recipe:

Queen Cakes (make 12)
Ingredient:
1½ cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
125g butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ cup milk
2 tbs currants

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Line 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Sift flour into a mixing bowl. Add in sugar, butter, eggs, essence and milk and beat until smooth and pale. Stir through currants.
3. Fill each muffin case ¾ full with the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack.

You can enjoy the cakes as they are now or you can dust them with icing sugar; or you can decorate it as I did to bring for party.

For icing:
150g block cooking chocolate, chopped into pieces
Enough mini M&M
Rainbow sprinkles

Method:
1. Melt the chocolate in microwave according to the instruction on the packaging.
2. Cool melted chocolate slightly. Transfer melted chocolate into a zip-lock bag and cut a small hole on one edge then squeeze it from the hole and design the cake as you like.
3. Before the melted chocolate has cooled completely and solidified, decorate cakes with M&M and sprinkles. Some examples are shown below:

They are a very versatile cake, you can add in anything u like, nuts, dice apricot, apple, etc. They are great for breakfast, snacks or dessert. Hope you will enjoy this simple but super nice cake.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Buttery Ham

Okie, since i have been posting so much sweet stuff (i am sorry cos i do have serious sweet tooth :)). Here is a savory dish i would like to share. It is actually an italian dish, Gnocchi. You can make Gnocchi from plain flour, pumpkin or sweet potatoes. So far i had tried pumpkin and sweet potatoes, both of them are nice. Nonetheless, since i am a pumkin fan, i would love to eat this dish again & again.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Buttery Ham (2 serves)

Ingredient:
100g pumpkin, steamed, mashed & cooled
150g plain flour (extra if the dough is too sticky)
50g butter
100g shredded ham
1 cup baby spinach
½ lemon, juiced

Method:
1. Mix mashed pumpkin with flour until a soft dough is formed, extra flour is needed if the dough is to sticky;
2. Dust a working station (I use chopping board) with flour, divide dough into 4 portions and roll each into log about 2.5cm thick. Cut into 3cm pieces;
3. Bring a large, wide saucepan of salt water to boil. Cook gnocchi in 2-3 batches, until they rise to surface (about 3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.
4. Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add shredded ham and cook for 5 minutes. Add in lemon juice. Add cooked gnocchi and spinach and toss lightly to coat with butter and until spinach is wilt.
5. Spoon onto serving plate and season with cracked pepper.

Does it sound very simple? Yes it is. It is an ideal dish for lunch and dinner. Until next time, hope u will enjoy this gnocchi as main course then the queen cake as dessert. Cheer.