Mrs NgSK Butter Cake☆バターケーキ

Last night, after my baby sleep, finally, I got time to bake again.

So, I decided to bake a butter cake which my MIL asked me to bake her since last few months 😁😁Basically, I don’t really like butter cake as I stated previously, because the texture is too dense. 😖

But, this one isn’t. It’s so fluffy and light … Even after I kept it overnight by covering it with aluminium foil, it still taste yummy and fluffy. 😋

Yield: 8 inch square pan (I use 7 inch round pan)
Time: 1 hour
Level: ★★
Recipe source: Mrs Ng SK

Ingredients:

230gm butter (salted), softened (cool at 18-20C, not glossy) (I use unsalted butter)
200gm eggs, no shell (4 grade B eggs)
50gm + 150gm sugar
200gm self raising flour, sifted.
60ml milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

1. Preheat oven at 180C (conventional). Prepare a 8 inch square pan. Line the base and grease the sides (greasing helps the cake’s sides to rise well)
2. Separate the eggs, and place the whites into a medium sized bowl (6 cup capacity)Beat egg whites until soft peaks, gradually add 50gm sugar and beat until stiff. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and 150gm sugar until pale and fluffy (Kitchen Aid: speed 2-4 ). Put in vanilla seeds and and beat for a while. Put in egg yolks one by one and beat well after each addition.
4. Put in half the flour and mix on low speed until incorporated. Put in milk in 2 additions and mix until well incorporated. Mix in balance of flour.
5. Put half the egg whites in and mix on low speed. Pour the balance of egg whites in and FOLD.
6. Pour batter into pan and level.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. (I cover the top with aluminium foil on the last 15 minutes)

Opera Macha Cake☆抹茶オペラケーキ

Hey guys, it’s so hazy on these few days! 😑😑😑

Better all be careful while going out, especially those with baby and old folks along. 😓😓

That’s why I stay at home with my baby now a days but, today I got time to bake!😌

Since mom is babysitting for me, I decided to try on an opera cake.

Opera Cake is a type of French cake. It is made with layers of almond sponge cake (known as Joconde in French) soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze. According to Larousse Gastronomique “Opéra gateau is an elaborate almond sponge cake with a coffee and chocolate filling and icing.”The cake was popularized by the French pâtisserie house Dalloyau.

My husband just loves this after he tried the opera cake that sell at RT PASTRY. I never try before, actually … But I think it should be nice because my husband doesn’t really like dessert. 😩😩

So, I decided to learn it and bake for him. No need buy from RT again. Haha … You see… Women…especially, wife & a mother of a baby … 😁 Calculative! On small tiny things … Stupid me! 😁😁😁

This time, I chose to bake a green tea flavour opera cake after all the search on the Internet. And, I came across this lady, Aran Goyoaga’s website and I found this. It was so beautiful on how she assemble the cake. So…I decided to bake my husband a new flavour of his favourite opera cake. 😁

Opera Macha cake

Photo source: http://www.cannellevanille.com/courses/cakes/matcha-lemon-and-chocolate-opera-cake/

Matcha Almond Sponge Cake

Makes 3 pieces of 1/4-sheetpan sheets(9″x13″)

160 grams almond flour
110 grams sugar
40 grams flour
15 grams matcha green tea powder
4 eggs
4 egg whites
55 grams sugar
30 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the first five ingredients. Whip in high speed for about 5 minutes until it becomes thick and the batter forms a ribbon. Transfer this batter to a large bowl and clean the mixer bowl.
2. In the electric mixer, whip the egg whites until it starts to form a meringue. Slowly sprinkle the 55 grams of sugar. Continue whipping until a stiff meringue forms.
3. Fold a third of the meringue into the almond batter. Add the rest of the meringue and fold carefully not to deflate it too much. Add the melted and cooled butter and fold until it is well incorporated.
4. Divide the batter equally into the 3 quarter sheetpans that we have previously lined with parchment paper and sprayed with pan spray.
5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes until it starts to turn a little brown. We don’t want a brown cake. We want to keep the green color so remove the pans from the oven when the cake is baked and before it starts to change color. Let the cakes cool until we are ready to assemble the opera.

Lemon Buttercream

60 grams egg whites
120 grams sugar
180 grams butter, softened
25 grams lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon oil or 1/2 tsp lemon extract

1. Mix the egg whites and the sugar and place them over a double boiler while you whisk them together. The sugar will start to dissolve and the egg whites will start to turn white and fluffy. Continue whisking until the egg whites feel hot to the touch.
2. Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer and whip in high speed until light and fluffy and the bottom of the bowl doesn’t feel hot anymore. About 3-5 minutes.
3. Start adding the softened butter by the tablespoon. Keep adding more butter as it is incorporated into the meringue. Once all the butter has been added, add the lemon juice and the lemon oil. It might look as if the buttercream has separated. Don’t worry, keep whipping it because it will come together. Reserve until ready to use.

Chocolate Ganache

170 grams bittersweet chocolate (58% cacao)
170 grams heavy cream

1. Chop the chocolate into a bowl. Boil the cream and pour it over the chocolate. gently whisk the cream and the chocolate until the ganache is formed. Do not over whisk or it might separate depending on the type of chocolate you have used. We want the ganache to be liquid when we assemble the cake so I recommend making this right before or make it ahead of time and remelt it right before we are going to make the cake.

Lemon Simple Syrup

100 grams water
100 grams sugar
2 tsp lemon extract

1. Boil the sugar and the water until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add the lemon extract. Set aside.

Chocolate Glaze

110 grams bittersweet chocolate
110 grams coating chocolate
35 grams vegetable oil

1. Melt all the ingredients together over a double boiler and keep warm until we are ready to assemble.

Assemble the Opera Cake

1. The most important thing when you are building a cake with many components, is to set your self ready for success. That means, get your mise en place ready. Clean your work area of pots and pans and line all your components in front of you so you don’t go crazy and you work clean. Working clean is 75% of the success in your final product. I promise!

2. So get your sponges ready, the melted chocolate glaze, the melted ganache, the room temperature buttercream, the simple syrup, an offset spatula and a rubber spatula.

3.Place the first sheet of matcha sponge on your working surface. It will still have parchment paper on the bottom of the cake. Spread a very very thin layer of chocolate glaze on the top of the sponge cake. Spread the chocolate very thinly over the entire surface of the cake with a metal spatula (offset spatulas work best). let this glaze harden.

4. When the glaze has hardened (you can even put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes), turn it over onto a sheetpan that is also lined with parchment paper. So at this point, the glazed side of the sponge is down and you are left with the old parchment paper facing you. Remove this paper and discard.

5. Soak the cake with the lemon simple syrup with the help of a pastry brush. Then spread a third of the buttercream over the cake with an offset spatula. It is important to have an even layer because when we cut the cake, we want it to look clean and straight.

6. After the buttercream, pour a third of the ganache over the buttercream and spread it evenly. Place a second sheet of matcha sponge over the ganache making sure that the parchment paper that was on the bottom is now facing up. Remove the paper and brush the top of the cake with the lemon simple syrup. Spread half of the remaining buttercream over the cake, then spread half of the remaining ganache over it. Place the last sheet of sponge on top. Brush with simple syrup, spread the last bit of buttercream on top and finish with the ganache. There will be a total of 3 layers of sponge, 3 of buttercream and 3 of ganache.

7. Refrigerate the cake until the ganache sets. Then, flip the cake onto the back of another sheetpan so it is raised and we can glaze it. Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate glaze over the top and let the excess run off the sides. Refrigerate it again so the glaze sets.
Cut it into rectangles and decorate with a dusting of sifted matcha powder and gold leaf. This is optional, of course.

Above recipe author is ARAN GOYOAGA. Trained pastry chef, blogger, and mother of two Aran Goyoaga turned to gluten-free cooking when she and her children were diagnosed with gluten intolerance. Combining the flavors of her childhood in Bilbao, Spain, with unique artistry and the informal elegance of small-plate dining, Aran has sacrificed nothing.

Dishes range from soups and salads to savory tarts and stews to her signature desserts. With delicate, flavorful, and naturally gluten-free recipes arranged by season, and the author’s gorgeously sun-filled food photography throughout, SMALL PLATES AND SWEET TREATS will bring the magic of Aran’s home to yours.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Note: Below is the Opera Macha Cake of mine. 😁

P/S: I use two 10″x12″ Swiss roll flexipat as below…

and a 18cm x 18 cm square cake ring for cake assemble as below.

Oil-free banana chiffon cake

Finally, I have some time to bake again. 😊

Been busy taking care of my baby who stick to me every minutes … Guess it’s the fault (?!) of long-term breast feeding….😔

Of course, it is a good sign…my baby is always mine. 😍😁😍😘

During my baby nap time, I happened to come across this recipe through Rakuten Japan where the shop that I bought my 17cm non stick chiffon cake mould.

It’s very nice of them as they will provide recipe for every mould they are selling and this is one of the recipe I found at their recipe library.

This recipe is quite unique, “oil-free banana chiffon cake” 【オイルフリーバナナシフォンケーキ】and the texture is slightly dense than standard chiffon. Still, it taste yummy. 😊

Yield: 17cm chiffon mould
Time: 1 hour
Level: ★★

■Ingredients:

Egg yolks 3
Granulated sugar (A) 30g
Banana 1pc
Milk 30g
Rum 1/2 Tbsp
Plain flour 75g
Egg white 4
Granulated sugar (B) 30g

■Decorations: (optional)

Powder sugar
Fresh cream
Banana

■Preparations:

1. Smash the banana with fork and set aside.
2. Sift the plain flour and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven at 170 degree C.

■Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar A well.

Whisk till slightly white …

2. Combine banana, rum, milk and whisk well.

3. Sift in plain flour and whisk well.

Whisk well after combine all the ingredients …

4. Make meringue: In a mixing bowl, put cold egg whites. Use hand mixer low-speed and whisk until lightly fluffy.

First portion of sugar …

Change to high-speed and add in sugar in about 3 times. Make a stiff meringue.

5. Take one scoop of meringue and combine it with egg yolk bowl. Gently whisk.

Change to spatula and combine the rest of the meringue.

Gently mix….

6. Pour into a 17cm chiffon cake mold and bake for 35-40 minutes in a 170 degree C preheated oven.

7. Take out from the oven and cool it on a tray upside down. Leave it for few hours in a room temperature.
8. Once the cake is completely cooled down, remove from the mould and decorate it. Serve.

Nutty brownie☆ナッツブラウニー

Father’s Day is coming soon. 👪

How are you going to celebrate it? 🎆🎈🎉🎇

Any plan? Any good ideas?

This is the 2nd year of my husband to celebrate his father’s day!✨

Last year around this period, our baby was only 3 months old.☺👪😍

It’s really time files…Isaac is a big boy now … 😊

While I was thinking of the present, this dessert just came into my mind. I still remembered, this was the first dessert that I baked for my husband. Because my husband ain’t fancy at sweet stuff, so I decided to bake him something that can eat together with his flavour drink,COFFEE.It turned out super duper great, and my husband did like it.

So, I decided to bake it for this year Father’s Day …hope he will love it.

Lou gong, happy Father’s Day! 😘😍😚

Yield: 18cm square mousse ring
Time: 1 hour
Level: ★

Ingredients:

Whole egg 2
Unsalted butter 80g
Plain flour 80g
Cocoa powder 20g
Chocolate 100g
Walnut 90g
Granulated sugar 80g

Preparations:

1. Keep the egg and unsalted butter in room temperature 10 minutes before using.
2. Sift the plain flour and cocoa powder, set aside.
3. Slice the chocolate.

4. Place a baking sheet on the baking tray. (I use this 24 holes brownies silicon mold)

5. Preheat the oven at 170 degree C.

Directions:

1. Roast the walnut at 160 degree C for about 10 minutes, set aside.

2. Melting the chocolate in double boiler with 50-60 degree C hot water.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the unsalted butter until smooth and creamy.

4. Add in sugar and whisk well till creamy “mayonnaise” colour.

5. Add in the egg mixture into batter a little by little.

Half portion of egg …

6. After adding in half of the egg mixture, pour in the (2) melting chocolate and mix well. Add the rest of the egg mixture and gently mix.

7. Add in sifted flour mixture and half of roasted walnut (dice it) into the batter, mix well.

For me, i didn’t add the dice walnut. I was putting in this cocoa nibs.

Mix well with cocoa nibs.

8. Pour the batter into a square pan and decorate it with whole roasted walnut.

I use piping bag to pipe the batter…it’s very convenient and the batter can be very even.

It looks so nice after decorate the walnut … Looks like a butterfly bed 😁

9. Bake at 170 degree C preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

After 15 minutes ….

After 20 minutes …

10. Once it’s done, take out from the oven and place it on top of the cooling rack for awhile.

11. Slice it into the cube size and serve.

Lemon curd cake☆レモンカードケーキ

Lemon….lemon…lemon…I just realised, my mother and I bought so many lemons separately. So….so…so…I decided to bake this cake which I found it at ABC COOKING STUDIO online recipe library. 😁

Basically, this cake base is a plain pound cake which we called it BUTTER CAKE in Malaysia. Actually, both of them are the same, just called it with different name. Pound cake is from UK where butter cake is from USA

When I was studying in Japan, I always wonder, how come the bakery shop doesn’t sell any butter cake?! 😕The fact is, they do. But, they named it POUND CAKE … パウンドケーキ, just the same as British.

I used to hate butter cake coz the one that we always see in most of the bakery shop in Malaysia was too oily…maybe their butter was too much???!! 😟

But now, I just love it so much…only pound cake that taste like Japan. Coz the pound cake that I ate in Japan wasn’t oily, it was very light and fluffy and nice. 😋😋😋

That’s why I share this recipe with you guys….butter cake coat with lemon butter cream (lemon curd). The cake taste is sweet and sour combination. It’s quite refreshing taste especially nice for breakfast with a cup of coffee. 😍

Yield: 23cm square pan (mine is 28cm square pan, it turns out a bit flat😁)
Time: 1.5 hours
Level: ★★

Pound cake ingredients:

Unsalted butter 200g
Granulated sugar 200g
Whole egg 4
Plain flour 100g
Baking powder 2 tsp
Milk 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract few drops or vanilla paste 1/2 tsp
Icing sugar depends

Lemon curd ingredients:

Whole egg 2
Lemon juices 100g
Granulated sugar 100g
Unsalted butter 100g

Preparation:

1. Put all the ingredients in room temperature, about 10 minutes before starting.
2. Combine plain flour and baking powder, sift it.

3. Place a baking sheet on the square pan. (For me, I coat it with butter and bread flour, keep it in the fridge to avoid butter melt.)

4. Preheat the oven at 180 degree C.

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, soften the butter with hand mixer. Once it becomes creamy, add in granulated sugar and continue whisk well.

2. Add in egg a little by little. This is to prevent the batter become separation.
First portion of egg…

Half portion of egg …

Last portion of egg…

3. Sift again the plain flour and baking powder into the mixture and whisk well.

4. Add in milk and vanilla paste and mix well.

5. Pour the mixture into the square pan, tap it to distribute batter evenly and remove air bubbles before putting it in the oven.

6. Bake the batter at 180 degree C for about 30 minutes.
7. Cool it down on top of the cooling rack.
The front of the cake …

The back of the cake…

8. Beat the eggs well and add in all the lemon curd ingredients and double boil it with 50-60 degree C hot water until thicken.

9. Once the base is completely cooled down, cut the uneven top of the cake and pour the lemon curd mixture evenly.

10. Cooled it down for about 1 hour, slice it into a cube shape and Coat it with icing sugar (optional) and serve.

清爽檸檬凝乳奶油蛋糕🎂

材料：
蛋糕體：

無鹽奶油 200克
砂糖 200克
雞蛋 4粒
普通麵粉 100克
泡打粉 2茶匙
鮮奶 2湯匙
香草精 少許
糖粉 適量

檸檬凝乳：

雞蛋 2粒
檸檬汁 100克
砂糖 100克
無鹽奶油 100克

做法：
蛋糕體：

1）奶油及砂糖打至鬆發，慢慢加入雞蛋攪拌均勻。
2）拌入麵粉，鮮奶和香草精拌均即可。
3）倒入烤盤裡，放進已經預熱了180度的烤箱烤大約30分鐘。
4）蛋糕熟後用竹籤插洞，放在一旁待涼。

檸檬凝乳：

1）雞蛋打成汁。
2）蛋汁加入砂糖充分混合，再倒入柠檬汁和奶油攪拌均勻。
3）把攪拌均勻的（2），以大約50〜60度的熱水，隔水不断搅拌煮至糊状。

最後。。。

1）切掉蛋糕體凹凸不平的表面，倒入檸檬凝乳，待凝固。
2）當表面的檸檬凝乳完全凝固後，便可切成一小塊，撒上糖粉裝飾即可享用。

注：如有疑問，可參考以上的圖片！謝謝。

Happy Sunday!

It’s Sunday. What’s your plan for today?

I just finished my facial treatment and I feel so refreshing. I had been suffered for almost 2 months with all the rashes and pimples on my face..o(╯□╰)o

Today, I finally got my facial toner after two months. ╮(╯▽╰)╭

It’s a 100% Hydrating intense toner. I love it sooooo much. Really need to Thank you my lovely beautician, Molly at Truely Beauty. o(^^o)

I can continue stay pretty with all her effort always… thanks a lot my sista Molly ♥