Christmas 2014 (Part Four): Death By Chocolate

Ingredients:

A. For the cake:

1. 200gm of good quality dark chocolate
2. 200gm butter (softened at room temperature)
3. 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
4. 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
5. 3 eggs (room temperature)
6. 1 1/2 cups of organic self-raising flour
7. 2 tablespoons of good quality cocoa
8. 1/2 cup of full-cream milk

B. For the icing:

1. 200gm of good quality dark chocolate
2. 1 cup of whipped cream

C. For decoraton:

1. Chocolate curls or shavings

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1. Place the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. You can either place the bowl over a steaming saucepan filled with boiling water or a microwave. Once it has melted, set it aside to cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eegs, one at a time while stirring continuously.

4. Add in the melted chocolate. Mix well.

5. Sift the flour and cocoa together into a bowl.

6. Add half the flour/cocoa mixture and fold it into the mixture.

7. Add half the milk and stir gently.

8. Add the remaining flour mixture. Fold again.

9. Add the remaining milk and stir gently again.

10. Preheat oven at 160C.

11. Line a spring cake pan with baking paper.

12. Pour the mixture into the baking pan.

13. Place the baking pan onto a larger baking tray. Fill half of that tray with water.

14. Bake for approximately an hour.

15. Once it is done, allow it to cool.

16. Remove the cake from the spring pan and place on serving dish.

17. Make the chocolate icing. Melt the chocolate as in point 1. Then beat the whipping cream until it has thickened.

18. Mix the melted chocolate with the whipping cream.

19. Spread the mixture all over the cake generously.

20. Place the whipping cream into a plastic bag and turn into a pipe to make swirls decoration on the cake.

21. You can use a peel to make chocolate curls as decorations too.

22. Chill in the fridge before serving.

Bon appétit!


P.S.: I did not eat this cake either.

Christmas 2014 (Part Two): Classic Vanilla Pudding

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of milk
2. 1/4 cup of sugar
3. 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
4. A dash of sea-salt
5. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
6. 1 tablespoon of butter

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1. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a separate bowl.

2. Heat the milk in a medium sized saucepan or pot over medium heat.

3. Do not allow it to boil!

4. Once you see bubbles form at the edges, turn the fire to small and slowly add the combined ingredients in the bowl (in point 1) while stirring continuously.

5. Continue to stir until mixture thickens.

6. Turn off the heat.

7. Add the vanilla and butter and stir until well blended.

8. Pour into small cups or serving dishes.

9. Place in the fridge to chill before serving.

Bon appétit!

Gluten-Free Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1. 50gm of glutinous rice flour
2. 150gm of white rice flour
3. 25gm of brown rice flour
4. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
5. 4 eggs (room temperature) - beaten
6. 5 medium sized bananas (mashed)
7. 1/4 cup sugar
8. 1/2 cup of rice milk (for recipe, click on LINK)
9. 1/3 cup of sunflower oil
10. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
11. 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

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1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and sunflower seeds.

2. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, bananas, sugar, milk, oil and vanilla until combined.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all are mixed well.

4. Preheat oven to 170C.

5. Line baking tray with baking paper.

6. Pour mixture into baking tray and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

7. Allow to cool.

Bon appétit!

Gluten-Free Moist & Fluffy Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm salted butter (melted butter)
2. 50gm of fine sugar
3. 50gm of sweet rice flour (this is also known as glutinous rice)
4. 250gm of white rice flour
5. 8-medium sized eggs
6. 1 teaspoon of baking powder
7. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

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1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and the sugar together. 

2. Separate the egg whites and yolks.

3. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

4. In another bowl, beat the yolks.

5. Add the egg yolks into the butter/sugar mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

6. Then add in the egg whites into the mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

7. Add in the vanilla extract.

8. Fold in the flour, baking powder and baking soda little by little and mix with the spatula.

9. Preheat oven at 170C.

10. Line a cake tray with baking paper.

11. Pour mixture into it and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Set aside to cool.

Bon appétit!

P.S: I'm beginning to get the hang of gluten-free cooking!

Moist & Super Fluffy Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 80gm fine sugar
3. 250gm organic self-raising flour (sieved twice)
4. 8 medium-sized eggs
5. 2 teaspoon of baking powder
6. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
7. * Milk (optional - unless cake batter is too thick)

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1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Separate the egg whites and yolks.

3. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

4. In another bowl, beat the yolks.

5. Add the egg yolks into the butter/sugar mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

6. Then add in the egg whites into the mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

7. Add in the vanilla extract.

8. Fold in the flour little by little and mix with the spatula.

9. If the mixture is too thick, add in about 4 tablespoons of milk.

10. Preheat oven at 170C.

11. Line a cake tray with baking paper.

12. Pour mixture into it and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

13. Set aside to cool.

Bon appétit!

I started to cut the cake before I suddenly remembered that I haven't taken a picture of it!

Moist & fluffy!

Chocolate Marble Cake

Ingredients:

1. 225gm of butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 50gm of soft brown sugar
3. 4 eggs (room temperature)
4. 225gm of organic self-raising flour
5. 1/2 cup of milk
6. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
7. 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

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1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time; mixing well after each egg.

3. Add the flour, milk and vanilla and fold until mixture is smooth.

4. Divide the mixture into 2 bowls.

5. Stir the cocoa powder into one of the bowls.

6. Line a baking pan with baking paper.

7. Preheat oven at 170C.

8. Using two different spoons, drop dollops of the chocolate and the plain cake mixes into the baking pan alternately.

9. Take a chopstick and swirl the mixture around to create a marble effect.

10. Bake for 45 minutes.

11. Allow to cool. You can keep it in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for 3 months.

Bon appétit!

Moist Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm salted butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 2 tablespoons of soft, brown sugar
3. 4 eggs
4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
5. 4 tablespoons of milk (liquid)
6. 2 tablespoons of powdered milk (do not mix with water)
7. 6 to 7 medium sized bananas
8. 2 cups of organic plain flour
9. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
10. 1 teaspoon of baking powder

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1. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add in the eggs, one by one.

3. Add in the vanilla essence and milk (liquid) and mix throughly.

4. Add the mashed banana into the mixture and mix well.

5. Add the sifted flour, powdered milk, baking soda and baking powder bit by bit and mix thoroughly.

6. Preheat oven at 160C.

7. Pour the batter into a baking tin lined with baking paper.

8. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

9. Allow to cool.

10. You can slice it and keep it in the fridge or the freezer (if you want to keep it longer).

Moist Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250g butter
2. 1/2 cup brown sugar
3. 4 eggs (room temperature)
4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
5. 1 cup of home-brewed soya milk
6. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 3 cups of self-raising flour (sieved twice)
8. 8 ripe bananas (mashed)
9. A teaspoon of oats

*Note: Bananas contain amines.

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1. Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl.

2. Gradually add the beaten eggs one at a time while continuously stirring the mixture.

3. Add mashed bananas into mixture bit by bit while stirring continuously.

4. Then add the sieved flour and soya milk alternately while mixing continuously until everything is thoroughly mixed.

5. Preheat oven at 190C.

6. Pour mixture into 2 round baking pans which are lined with baking paper.

7. Sprinkle some oats on the mixture before baking the cake.

8. Bake at 190C for 10 minutes. Then bake at 170C for about 20 minutes.

9. Allow to cool.

Bon appétit!

Before baking.

Fresh from the oven!

Rich Vanilla Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm of softened butter (salted)
2. 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
3. 6 eggs (room temperature)
4. 1 cup of soft, brown sugar
5. 3 cups of organic self-raising flour
6. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1 1/2 cup of soya milk (room temperature)

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1. Preheat oven at 180C.

2. Pour all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

3. Beat ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

4. Pour the mixture into two round baking pans lined with baking paper.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes at 180C and then at 170C for 10 minutes.

Bon appétit!

I made 2 cakes. This cake is for my parents. The other one is undecorated. 

Classic Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup of butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar
3. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
4. 2 eggs (room temperature)
5. 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla essence
6. 1 1/2 cups of organic all-purpose flour
7. 3 cups of rolled oats

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1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and baking soda. Mix until well blended.

2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla essence and mix until well blended.

3. Add in the flour and mix thoroughly.

4. Add in the oats and mix thoroughly.

5. Preheat oven at 190C.

6. Drop tablespoons of dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

7. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Allow to cool.

9. The cookies can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Hassle-Free Moist Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 125gm of softened butter
2. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
3. 3/4 cups of soft, brown sugar
4. 3 eggs (room temperature)
5. 1 1/2 cup of organic self-raising flour
6. 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1/2 cup of soya milk (room temperature)

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1. Preheat oven at 180C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat all ingredients until just combined.

3. Pour the mixture in a baking tray lined with baking paper.

4. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Bon appétit!

Apple + Quinoa Cake

Ingredients:

1. 3 large Red Delicious apples (I could not find any Golden Delicious in any supermarket or market)
* Peel, core and dice the apples.
* Soak the apples in a bowl of salt water and place in the fridge before you start preparing the cake.
2. 3 large eggs
3. 1 cup of sunflower oil
4. 1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
5. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
6. 2 1/2 cups of organic all-purpose flour
7. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 1/2 cup of quinoa
9. 1 cup of soft brown sugar

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1. In a large mixing bowl, pour the sunflower oil and eggs and beat until creamy.

2. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.

3. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda into another bowl.

4. Add this mixture to the egg mixture slowly and mix until well combined. The batter will be very thick.

5. Drain the salt water from the apples and fold the apples and quinoa into the batter.

6. Preheat oven at 175C.

7. Prepare a baking tray with baking paper. Pour and spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top of cake with a handful of quinoa.

8. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

9. Allow cake to cool before serving.

Bon appétit!