Chiffons - Improved version

Since I have my last box of eggs sitting on the kitchen top, I decided to continue baking chiffons... My last batch of chiffons was a success,but a little too 'short' compared to the chiffons sold at the bakeries... I increased all the ingredients and it yield a nice tall chiffon...

The earl grey one was good as usual... it certainly did not disappoint me... the pandan one certainly improved from the previous time I baked it.. But I know there are areas for improvements... The proportion of pandan, coconut and sugar has not been perfected... Well, I'm gonna try again... But I do pity the tasters coz they have been eating the same cakes... oh gosh...

2 failures, 1 Success, all in a day!

I went Cold Storage today... and as usual, I would browse around in the fruit section since it is nearest to the entrance... I would look around for nice fresh fruits for baking... Wanted to buy some strawberries and continue with my chiffon 'adventure'... then punnets of blueberries attracted my attention... I have always failed with blueberries recipes... failed with blueberry muffins.... failed with blueberry chiffon... But since I bought my new blender, I have been having fun blending various fruits for use in cakes... My previous attempt at baking blueberry chiffon resulted in the blueberries sinking to the bottom of the tin... and I had also underbake it... so when I overturned the tin, the cake dropped out and crumbled into a mess... a disgusting mess... Eeew... Anyway I blended a punnet of blueberries and prepared the usual ingredients... The cake turned out well... Nice and tall... Soft and Fluffy... But when I tasted it... sighz... it has this "raw" smell... Not sure if it is the smell of blueberries or not... but the cake just don't taste nice... I consider it failure, taste-wise...

then I tried baking the black sesame chiffon cake... I have tried it before... my tasters said it was nice... But it appeared too dense to me... So I wanted to make it fluffy... to cut the story short, I failed again... I altered the recipe a little and the result? the cake was not only dense... it was tasteless... duhz... Guess the next try will be many weeks later...

And I threw both cakes away...




Before I retire for the night, I must bake something "edible"... I decided to bake lemon-earl grey chiffon cake... previously, I had baked the earl grey tea pound cake and it garnered many positive reviews... but the tasters said it is a little oily... I decided to "transfer" the pound cake into a lighter, fluffier chiffon one... And it did not disappoint me... nice and light with a lemony aroma... beautiful... Ok I can at least sleep soundly tonight and look forward to a nice breakfast tomorrow...

Chiffon Madness

I am crazy crazy about baking chiffon cakes these days... Previously, I failed many times baking pandan chiffon... Ever since I used the earl grey tea cake recipe and "transferred" the ingredients to baking Lemon Earl Grey Chiffon Cake and getting good feedback from my family and friends, I am encouraged to bake more chiffon cakes... Since I am free today, I tried Milo Chiffon, Banana Chiffon and Rum & Raisin Chiffon... the last one being a sudden thought... I was thinking what other flavours can I try... and it occurred to me that I could add rum and raisin to the normal chiffon cake... instead of using just water... I added honey to it and reduced the sugar amount... how's the taste? Not bad... Heard from my husband it is 'edible'... hmm... I should take it as a positive feedback huh... Since it was just my 1st try... My helper said it was 'not bad' (usually she hates the smell of rum and dislike raisins)...

Gonna bring all these cakes to my 'tasters' tomorrow... Thinking of new flavours already... Wish me luck...

Happy 80th Birthday, Ah Kong!

I have just realised that past few weeks passed really quickly... first it was Ethan's birthday celebration, then Ah Kong's 80th birthday celebration, than few days later, it was CNY... and now, I finally have the time to sit down and update my blog... I was part busy, part lazy to update...

I was in fact baking everyday and for half of the products, i did not even have the time to take pictures of it, let alone post it... Well, before Chinese New Year, I was crazy about bread baking... Now,I am crazy about chiffon cakes... I will be getting really busy from next week onwards... I do hope to be able to find some time to bake...

This is the 1st birthday cake that I bake for Ah Kong's celebration... Last year, my auntie asked if I could bake a cake for him...But it was ridiculous.... I was due to give birth in a week's time and with my bulging tummy, it would be a miracle if I did not give birth while baking...haha... Anyway my gynae did ask me to stop carrying heavy stuff 2 months before my due date coz baby was already in a "nice" position... facing downwards and ready to slide out... So I had to "control" my urge to bake and just pray hard that baby would be good and come out only on his due date... Well, it's been a year since... and Ethan's already ONE... Time flies huh... Oops, better not digress... back to Ah Kong's cake... the usual mangoes that I use for my cakes are not in season and the only mangoes that I could find was the Aussie ones... So I told my aunt I would make a mixed fruit cake... tadaa... this was the creation... The sponge was soft and fluffy... Lotsa fruits... But well, I eventually succumbed to buying 2 Aussie mangoes which cost me $8 and to addinsult to injury, it was SOUR! Duhz... But again, for Ah Kong, I don't mind spending the money... He suffered a stroke about 3 years ago and his memory has deteriorated and actions have become slower... It really hurts to see Ah Kong like that... He was really handsome, strong and talkative before that... I guess we should not take our loved ones for granted coz anything can happen... So I just wana do whatever I can for my lovely grandparents while they are alive :-D

I am glad everyone likes the cake and some even "tabao-ed" home...

Orange Pound & Banana Loaf

Soft and light banana cake... Not too sweet... and still soft by the next day... Really loved it... Can't help baking another loaf and I hope my 'tasters' will not be put off by yet another banana cake :-D

And since I have some eggs left, I wanted to use the orange in my fridge... Have not baked a pound cake for a long time... and it's time to refresh my memory... Although I have added the rind of 1 orange, I decided to be more use 1/4tsp of orange essence to help enhance the taste :-D Well, the cake turned out well too... Had an unhappy day today, but it was a great baking day... So I guess it compensated for everything... YEAH!

Pandan Loaf

After the unsuccessful loaf I baked a few days ago, I have decided to try baking a loaf again... This time, I would like to use the smaller Pullman Tin... I divided the dough into 2 pieces...I added pandan essence into one of the dough and put it back into the stand mixer... Yes, I have not given up hope of having some 'colours' into my bread... haha... Anyway, the final dough product was really satisfactory and I was positive this bread would be a success... After 1 proofing it in the tin and it was ready to be put into the oven... I waited in anticipation... Not sure if it would rise to the top... and 1 thing about Pullman Tin is that you can't see how it has risen and how 'brownish' is the crust... I took the risk and opened the tin... it has already risen near to the brim but still pale brown... I left it in the oven to bake for a further 30 mins and pulled the cover again... This time it was a nice light brown... but I left it in the oven longer... When I could smell the nice aroma of freshly baked bread, I took out the tin and turned out the bread immediately...

I had to control myself and not cut the bread too soon... I was really curious to see how the internal part looked like... I waited till the bread was only slightly warm and I cut it... It was soft and fluffy with a nice tinge of green colour on the bread... My helper and Husband both loved it and savoured it on the spot... With their favourite nutella spread... By the next day, it was slightly dry and not as fluffy... But still edible... I will try it again... and experiment to see how it can be softer... Another recipe for keeps...