Steamed Haw Flakes Layered Cake - Apam Style



Steamed Haw Flakes Layered Cake -"Apam style"



 I had this craving for this Steamed Haw Flakes Layered Cake a few days ago. Thus, I went through many recipes from books and the net and eventually came out with my own version of steamed layered cake. I did not want to go through many tedious process of layering and steaming this cake, so I made my own experiment and sailed through. Huh... This was my first time of doing a layered cake, so forgive me of the not-so-neat visual effects of this cake. The result was marvellous. Son took many pieces of this cake and gave two thumbs up. Eventually, by day two, it was all gone. This cake is like an "apam style" cake, as it is not that really moist, but it stays soft even the day after. Keep this in your fridge and have it with a cup of black coffee or not- so- sweet black tea and you will definitely fly to heaven. All right, let me share the recipe with you ;

Ingredients

5 eggs (large or medium)

1 cup of unsalted butter ( I used SCS) -room temperature

1 cup of caster sugar ( you could reduce it to 3/4 cup)

2 cups of superfine flour ( you could use cake flour)
** (You could also use plain flour, but please make sure you sift it for three times)

2 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk ( I used F&N brand milk- and not the creamer)

**( You could add in 3 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk- but remember to reduce the caster sugar

by 1-2 tbsp)

1 packet of haw flakes ( containing 10 small tubes)- ( you could use two packets as well...)

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of vanilla essence

1 tsp of apple green colour essence (I used Star brand) ( you could add in 2 tsp )

How

##Heat your steamer. (Moderate heat).

1) Separate the egg whites and yolks.

2) In a separate bowl, using the hand mixer, mix the white eggs and caster sugar until stiff.

3) In another bowl, mix well the egg yolks with butter. Add in the sweetened condensed milk.

4)Then, add in the vanilla essence. Mix well again.

5) Pour in the stiff egg whites into the butter mixture. Mix well.
6) Sift through superfine flour and baking powder into the mixture. Mix well again.
7) Grease your baking pan with butter. ( I used a round baking pan). Put a  round-sized baking paper on the base of the pan.

8) Divide the batter into two bowls. Put the green colour essence into one bowl. Leave the other one on its own. (original colour).

9) Using a spatula, spread the green batter evenly into the baking pan. Then, arrange the haw flakes on top of the batter. Steam it for 5 mins. (Remember to cover your baking pan with a plastic sheet, aluminum foil or kitchen cloth, so that the water from the cover of the steamer will not drop down onto your cake).

10) Then, after 5 mins, (or when the cake is ready), take out the baking pan from the steamer. Put another spatula of the original- coloured batter into baking pan. Arrange haw flakes on the original- coloured batter. Steam it for another 5 mins.

11) Do this process again, alternating the green and original batter. You will have the original batter as the last layer.

12) Check if your cake is ready by inserting a skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready.

Notes:

1) Eventually it will only take 5 mins to steam each layer.

2) The overall process will take you more or less two hours. (I started the mixing of batter from 7 p.m. and finished my steaming process by 9.30 p.m. It was worth the wait as the cake was soft and fluffy).

3) Cut your cake when it is already cool.

4) The heat from the steamer, could be very hot and dangerous. Use appropriate kitchen mittens when transferring the baking pan from the steamer.

5) Cover your steamed cake with a cling film and keep it in the refrigerator. (this is to keep the moisture of the cake).When ever you want to serve the cake, you could steam it again. However,  remember to take out the cling film from the pan before steaming it.



You would not stop at one slice.



Well, nothing beats the taste of a homemade apam-styled steamed layer cake. If time permits, I will do the moist-styled steamed layered cake post in another entry. Till then, have a marvellous Sunday. Happy days ahead...