Revisited ~Coconut milk and pandan steam cake- the recipe

Cut into squares- this is a picture from my album...

The whole cake- if you want to have a smooth texture- cover the cake with a muslin cloth..

Time after time, I always wonder why this cake become one of the top posts in my blog. Apparently, when I first did the post on this cake in February this year, I did not  include the recipe. I thought it was just a no big deal cake- but the popularity of the post had me thinking. So, here I am - spending time to rewrite the recipe, admist my ever mounting work chores. I am sorry if the pictures are old ones taken from my old archive, however- with this entry, I have included the recipe. Sometimes, the idea of sharing the recipe was always in my mind, but I kept thinking of other recipes that I wanted to do. So, here I am- sharing the recipe. I hope you will try this. Double the recipe if  you want to steam it in a round baking pan just like the above picture. The recipe will be very suitable for small cupcake cases. Here goes;

Ingredients

5 pandan leaves, cut into small parts
1 cup of coconut milk ( freshly squeezed - you should get the medium thick liquid)
* If you should use the canned coconut milk- add 1/2 to 1 tbsp of water, (so that it does not become too thick)
1 cup freshly grated coconut - the usual dessicated ones will not bring the flavour and aroma needed in this cake
100g margarine ( I used PLANTA brand)
100g caster sugar ( I have reduced the amount of sugar -originally, it was 150g)
2 eggs
250g self-raising flour- sieved twice
** 1-2 tbsp of plain water (optional)


How

1) Using blender, blend pandan leaves with the coconut milk. Sieve to get rid of the pandan leaves- make sure you get a cup of sieved coconut milk. The colour now, should turn into greenish milk.
2) Beat margarine and caster sugar- until fluffy. Add in eggs one by one- Stir the mixture well.
3) Add in half of the flour and another half of the greenish coconut milk. Stir well.
4) Then, add in the last batch of flour, followed by another half of the greenish coconut milk, at this stage- you can add in the plain water ( if you want to). Stir well. Get ready with your steamer. Make sure that the water is heated moderately well for about 7-8 mins, before you put in your baking pan into the steamer.
5) Grease the baking pan with margarine. Put the mixture into the baking pan. Cover baking pan with muslin cloth or aluminium foil, so that the water from the steamer will not drop into the cake. Steam your cake (45 mins for the round baking pan), please do not attempt to open the cover. After 45 mins, you can test your cake by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready.
6) Cool your cake for about 5 mins. Then, it is ready to be cut into squares.

Pandan leaves ( Google Picture)

Pandan shrubs ( google)

Fresh coconut- (google)

Happy baking, everyone.....

Life Is.......Hope



I love pink....Pink has different meanings to me- it can be girlish, sweet, full of hopes and happy moments.



Not forgetting shiny, satin pink ribbons



Pink gerberas are definitely pleasant to the eyes



Life is like autumn.. the leaves are first green, after that they become red, turned into yellow and then brown. Next, they become dry and the leaves fall from the trees...

  

As the little bird rummaging its two little feets in the snow flakes of winter

 

We dream of the beautiful white and yellow  daisies in the spring- we hope for good days to come and blissful and sunny days to celebrate

Life is hope, obviously. I say that life is hope as I got to know that a friend has contracted breast cancer- today. A few years ago, I had a cousin who passed away due to cancer. She left six children, all deprived of her love. Last year, I had visited a college friend who was dying from cancer- at the age of 34. Then, my friend, Elly, brought me to visit her cousin who was suffering from cancer too. Recently, Elly's cousin whom I had visited passed away. I was sorry to hear that. Do you know that October is actually the Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Not many are aware of the significance of this month. We are so caught up with our own moments, we think that we have face many difficulties in life, that we forget some people are suffering from this illness. I have called up my friend and told her that I always think of her, and hoping for the bests. Life is hope, we do not just give up easily...We must achieve what ever that life is offering. Everybody has their own ups and downs, my test may come in another form. In the mean time, let's think that life is hope cornering in every tests that we may face... All hopes for my friend and Doa ( prayers) for her speed recovery....

These happy quotations may set us on a positive path in life ;

True happiness is not attained through selfgratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
Helen Keller

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.
Mark Twain

The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.
Richard Bach

The supreme happiness of live is the conviction that we are loved.
Victor Hugo

We must laugh before we are happy, for fear of dying without having laughed at all.
Jean de La Bruyere

Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy.
Cynthia Nelms



Live life to the fullest, the best is yet to come .....

Blame it on the weather man....

The weather's been fine in Teluk Cempedak, Kuantan, Pahang- last two weeks....

 

I've been dreaming of doing something sweet with fresh strawberries- but somehow, rather- ended up buying a pack of strawberries and found them rotten in the fridge after  two weeks...



Missing the moments when I could do nice frosting with cupcakes... Now, time is spent doing house chores.



I really need fresh vegetables in my diet- my immune system is very low due to stress and work commitments



I dream of something like this in the future- a bake shop full of baking delights and sweets- This is my cousin's small quaint  gift shop in Putrajaya. You should see the decor inside- will rave about it in my next post.

 

Missing macarons or French macaroons- these little sweet pleasures as found in Whisk, Empire Gallery, Subang Jaya.. Since the catastrophe/explosion in Empire Gallery, Subang Jaya, on 28 September 2011- I couldn't go to Whisk to unstress my ever wandering tired mind .I am too lazy to attempt doing macaroons, as I know there is always Whisk to cater to my sugar rush for macaroons. Now, I have to do macaroonage any way, any how...



I've been caught sick for these few weeks...and today  I have been down with a very bad cold or flu or influenza. What with the weather- it's raining one day, then hot and sunny the next day.When ever I am sick, I think about those pleasurable moments, I think about baking sweet things or even a trip to the mall to cure my boredom. But, I am so tired and sick  to do all the activities....I've been wanting to eat macaroons in Whisk, but that seemed impossible nowadays. When was the last time I had a good, healthy meal with lots of vegetables, greens and fruits? I am totally at my wit's end. Maybe, I am stupefied for these past few weeks. I needed the rest, but I resisted it, thinking that rest could wait, work couldn't. Now, I am paying the price for not listening to the call. The call to take a rest and have a break. Last two weeks, I had been to Kuantan, Pahang and attended a friend's wedding, before that  there were two mornings when I woke up at 3.30  so that I could bake cakes. Yesterday, was spent tripping the mall, to cure my stress  and today I found myself not really feeling vivacious and lively usual. So, I needed a break. I am no superhuman, those work loads could wait- now, when was the last time, I had a holiday? I wonder... yes, holidays should be the cure, not work or the never ending paper chase... hmmmm... 

Carrot and Walnut Cake

 Carrot and Walnut Cake

- frosted with cream cheese icing, topped with roasted walnuts, silver beads, chopped roasted walnuts and maraschino cherries.



I went rustic this time..... Again, it's a 3.30 in the morning- baking mission



Carrots are said to have beneficial effects to our health- eating carrots will reduce the risk of CVD (cardiovascular diseases)



This is definitely a postponed entry. I have baked this cake two weeks ago, as requested by my elder sister, N- who wanted to bring this to her potluck party. She asked me to bake Carrot Cake, it meant specifically THE Carrot Cake...from the recipe that I had given her before. I had given her the recipe, taken from my book CAKE, as she was failing in her attempt to bake an ideal  carrot cake, by following a recipe from the net. She almost gave up, until I searched for the recipe in my book. Well, truthfully, I have so many baking and cake books in my book shelves, that sometimes I do not realise some hidden gems right in front of my eyes. I had baked this cake before, and it received very warm reviews from friends, that is why when ever I think of carrot cakes, I always think about this cake. This cake does not use vege oil/ corn oil as usually found in any normal carrot cake- it uses butter. I do not know how to describe the texture of this wonderful baking joy, as I seldom having the last piece,  it's always a hit with everybody including my sister's friends in the office. Up until today, one particular friend kept saying all the good things  about this cake when ever she mentions Carrot Cake to me... Since, it's a winning, fail-proof cake, what better way to share this recipe, so that everybody could whip this any time they  want to have a melt-in the mouth sweet experience.... Here goes :-

Cake

2 1/3 cups (350g) all-purpose flour (plain)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp  baking powder

1 tsp baking soda ( bicarb. of soda)

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves ( I omitted this- there's no ready made ground cloves, too lazy to ground it on my own)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2  cups( 375g) butter, softened ( I have used SCS unsalted butter - if you use the normal salted butter, please omit salt in this recipe)

2 cups (400g) caster sugar  ( I have used 1 cup of soft brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white caster sugar)

2 tsp vanilla essence

4 large eggs

2 cups ( 200gs) finely grated carrots

1 1/2 cups (200g) fairly finely chopped walnuts ( I have roasted the walnuts in the oven before chopping them) - {You can use pecans as well- they are definitely the bests}

1/3 cup (40g) raisins

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 ( 8 ounce/250g) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup ( 90g) butter. softened

2 1/2  cups (375g) icing sugar

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Walnut halves, to decorate

How

1) Preheat oven to 150C (electric oven, conventional), for about 8-10 mins.... {I have lowered the temperature. Originally it was 350F (180C/ gas 4)}.

2) Lightly grease and flour a 9 inch ( 23cm ) springform pan. {I have greased and lined the baking pan with baking parchment}.

3) Batter- Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, (preferably stainless steel baking bowl), beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and creamy.

3) Add eggs one at a time, into the butter and sugar batter- beating until just combined after each addition. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins.Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

4) Bake for 45- 55 mins. or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 mins. Loosen and remove the pan sides. Invert the cake onto the a rack. Loosen and remove the pan bottom and let cool completely.

5. To prepare the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Spread the cake with the frosting. Decorate as you please...

I have used Sultana raisins in this recipe

  

Walnuts and shells

On a final note, what a better way to celebrate happy moments rather than baking your own carrot cake... Well, "Happy days ahead, every one."... May cakes rule your heart, and carrots and walnuts make you happy and healthy....

Easy Moist Lemon Cake

 Easy Moist Lemon Cake

 I baked this at 3.30 in the morning..

Close up of the cake

I have baked this Easy Moist Lemon Cake for a pot luck party at my work place. Initially, I have wanted to bake Carrot Cake, but since, I ran out of time, I decided then to bake an easy cake, that required minimum ingredients and maintenance. As you could see, it seemed to be a flat cake. Yes, it was a flat cake and it took me about an hour and a half to do all the preparations and baking. This cake is full of lemon zests and is quite moist as well. For this cake, I have doubled the recipe, so that I could cut into several pieces. At the party, some friends complained that they did not even have a bite, as the cake was a sold-out towards the end of the day. Now, here goes the recipe... as adapted from my  recipe book aptly named "CAKES" by Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi.

Cake

1 1/2 cup s (225g) all purpose (plain) flour

3/4 cup (150g) sugar - you can use 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 3 tbsp of fine sugar (to reduce the sweetness of the cake)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup (125g) butter, softened

1/3 cup (90ml) milk

1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tsp of lemon juice

Lemon Frosting

1 1/2 cups (225g) icing sugar

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp freshly squeezed  lemon juice

1 tbsp of fresh milk

2 tbsp shredded (dessicated) coconut

Lemon zest - 2tbsp

1) Preheat the oven 350F (180C/ Gas 4). { I used 150C-electric oven- for about 7-8 mins}.Lightly grease a 9 inch (23cm) square pan.

2) For the cake- beat the flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, lemon zest, baking powder, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until well blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until pale and thick, 3-4 mins. Spoon the batter into prepared pan.

3) Bake for 40-45 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a rack.

4) To prepare the frosting, beat the icing sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Beat in milk, lemon zest and enough lemon juice to make a spreadable frosting. Spread the cake with the frosting, and sprinkle with the coconut.

Happy baking every one...