Chocolate Minicakes (chiffon method)

I was in the mood for chocolate.

 
Chocolate with something else.
But I couldn't decide on that 'something else'. 
So I made them all!

Chocolate cake with Ferrero Rocher.
Chocolate cake with almonds.
Chocolate cake with chocolate chips.

This time round, I decided to try my usual cupcake recipe with a twist.
Instead of the usual creaming method, I made these using the chiffon or egg separation method.

The result: a lighter fluffier cake but a little drier.
I reckon it's the meringue.

I can't say if this yielded a better result or not. It's really a matter of personal taste. If you like lighter cakes, this is the way to go; but if you favour denser, richer, moister cakes, then the creaming method would be your choice.

CHOCOLATE CAKE (chiffon method)
Makes 8 regular sized cupcakes.

50g chocolate, plus milk to make 1/2 cup or 120ml volume
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
30g sugar
80g butter
70g sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
120g plain flour
10g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder

In a glass measuring cup, measure 50g of chocolate.
Then pour in milk till it reaches the 1/2 cup or 120ml mark.
Microwave the mixture, stirring frequently, till the chocolate is melted and thoroughly mixed with the milk.
Set aside to cool.

Combine egg whites, cream of tartar and 30g sugar in a mixing bowl.
Whisk till soft peaks form.
Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks one at a time till well combined.
Add vanilla extract.
Add cooled chocolate milk mixture and mix well. 

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
Add to batter and mix on low till just combined.
Add the meringue and mix on low till just combined.
Or for an even lighter cake, fold in the meringue using a spatula or balloon whisk.

The batter is now ready for the cupcake liners.
For the Rocher cake, fill cupcake liner 3/4, then place a Rocher on top.
For the almond cake, sprinkle some sliced almonds on top.
For the triple choc chip cake, stir some choc chips into the batter, then fill the cupcake liner. Sprinkle top with more choc chips!

Bake at 150*C for about 25 mins.
Best served warm.
Or better still, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream :)

Enjoy!

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More cake recipes can be found HERE.

Cheese-less Crust-less Quiche

What? No cheese? No crust? Can you even call that a quiche?

First, let me tell you why it's crust-less...
I was simply too lazy to make pastry dough. (I'm sure many of you out there are guilty of this too. Right?)  So I pulled out some tortilla wraps from my freezer, searched my drawers for a suitable sized bowl, and delicately pressed one wrap into each bowl.

Now, why is it cheese-less?
Because I plain forgot. Yes. Forgot. Silly reason, but I'm sure it happens to all of us as some point.

Nevertheless, despite the laziness and the boo-boo, it still turned out ok.
Quite pretty in fact, if I may say so  :)  And certainly less sinful than a traditional buttery crust.


TOMATO BACON BROCCOLI QUICHE
Serves 2.

2 tortilla wraps
A handful of cherry tomatoes
3 rashes of bacon, sliced into 1cm strips
Some broccoli, chopped to small pieces
1/2 tsp dried basil
150ml milk
2 eggs

Press tortilla wrap into a greased oven-proof bowl.
Slice tomatoes in half and scatter onto wrap.
Cook bacon in a pan for about 5 min, then add the broccoli and cook for another 5 min till broccoli has softened slightly.
Scatter on top of tomatoes and sprinkle the basil over the top.

Combine milk and eggs, then pour on top of filling.
Sprinkle with pepper and parsley flakes if desired.

Bake at 170*C for 25 min.
Carefully remove from bowl and cool on a wire rack for about 5 min.
Serve while still warm to hungry tummies, in the hope that they won't realise that the dish is missing some cheese.

Oatmeal Loaf

How to make an Oatmeal Loaf.

20g bread flour
100ml water
100ml milk
30g sugar
240g bread flour
30g wholemeal flour
10g milk powder
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
20g butter or margarine

In a saucepan, whisk together 20g bread flour and water over low heat till it thickens.

Remove from heat, add milk and sugar and stir till well incorporated.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir till a dough forms.

Knead till dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and allow to rise for about half hour.

Punch down dough. Let it rest for about 5 min. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.

Let dough rise for about half hour.
Bake at 170*C for 25-30 min.
Cool completely before slicing.

Water Roux Bread

I've finally found a bread recipe that works well for me. Or maybe it's the method.  Either way, I'm sticking to this recipe/method, as it has turned out so well for me.  

See?  It even looks like a loaf from the bakery!  I am totally convinced that the water roux method works miracles.

bread dough after proofing, and just before it hits the oven

This recipe makes a standard size loaf of bread (about 20L x 10W x 12H cm).

WATER ROUX BREAD


Water Roux:
20g bread flour
100ml water

Whisk flour and water till lump-free, then heat it over low heat till it thickens and becomes a paste. 

Set aside to cool to room temperature. Or refrigerate overnight for use the next day. Bring to room temperature before use. (Water roux may be chilled for up to 3 days. After that, it will likely turn bad.)

Bread Dough:
Water roux (from above)
4 tbs milk
5g milk powder
1 egg
1.5 tbs oil
270g bread flour
30g sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast

Combine all ingredients till it forms a dough.
Knead till smooth and elastic, and no longer sticky.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to proof in a warm area for about 40 min till it doubles in size.

Punch down the dough and knead it lightly a few times.
Roll out or flatten the dough, then roll it to form a log.
Tuck in the ends, and place it in the middle of a greased loaf pan.
Proof for another 30 min till it doubles in size and fills the loaf pan.

Before baking, brush with eggwash (for a nice golden tan). I like to just dust some flour over the top for a more rustic look.
Bake at 180*C for 25-30 min till the crust is golden brown.
Remove loaf from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. It pays to be patient at this stage. Slicing the bread while it's still warm will only result in gummy sticky slices of bread. Be patient.

Mini Milk Bread

This is my second loaf of milk bread this week. The crust for this bread is very soft, like those little buns sold in local bakeries.

You can find the recipe in here: http://www.thebatterbaker.blogspot.com/2011/01/victorian-milk-bread.html.

The only difference is that I replaced the bread flour with top flour which has supposed to be extra fine and has an extra soft texture. It is usually for soft fluffy chiffon cake or cookies.

I cut three slits on the bread before the final proofing, just for the aesthetics of it.

Freshly baked, out of my favourite shocking pink silicone bakeware.

Time to tuck in!

Victorian Milk Bread

This is a basic bread and it is easy to make. It comes with a soft crust and crumb, perfect for a morning toast with butter and jam.

I divided my dough into 3 equal parts. Having "itchy fingers", I felt that I had to add some extras into my plain bread.

So, each dough had some jam spread randomly on them after knocking down the dough the first time.

My 3-in-1 milk bread in one big loaf.

Not that pretty but well, this was part of the fun of baking. :)

Recipe (without the jam of course):

• 300g bread flour


• 1 tsp of instant yeast


• 15g of sugar


• 180ml of fresh milk (lukewarm)


• 25g butter (softened)

Steps:

1. Mix the flour, yeast and sugar evenly.


2. Add milk and butter.


3. Knead until smooth and elastic.


4. Proof until double the volume.


5. Knock down, roll into desired shape and place into baking tin.


6. Proof until double the volume.


7. Bake at 200 degree celsius fo about 25 minutes.

Assorted Milk Cupcakes

I found a really good recipe for sponge cake, and thought I'd try it out with an assortment of fillings - peanut butter, jam, chocolate chips and nutella.  


While the texture and the flavour of the sponge cake turned out great, the batter was too light to hold the filling and it all sank to the bottom of the batter. (Except for a few chocolate chips.) Nevertheless, they made quite a delicious teatime snack :) 

Marbled Milk Cupcakes

I'm looking forward to dinner with friends tomorrow evening.

And why? Cos I just found a good excuse reason to bake :)  And, of course, because I'll have lovely company to share dinner with tomorrow.

Here's how the Marbled Milk Cupcakes were made:

140g cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)

1 tsp vanilla extract

120g sugar (up to 150g if you like it sweet)

50g butter

120ml milk

Optional for marbling:
2 tbs chocolate chips
2 tbs of milk

Step 1:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt two times.
Set aside.

Step 2:
Whisk eggs and cream of tartar till light and fluffy.







Step 3:
Gradually add vanilla extract and sugar and continue beating till batter is glossy.

Step 4:
Combine butter and milk, and heat till just before it boils.







Step 5:
With a balloon whisk, gently fold in flour, alternating with milk mixture.

Step 6:
For marbled cupcakes, melt choc chips with milk and blend well. Scoop out half the batter and combine with choc mixture.







Step 7:
Fill paper cups, alternating spoonfuls of each batter. Then run the end of a chopstick through the batter to create swirls.

Step 8:
Bake at 170 degC for 18-20 min or until done.



This recipe can be used as a sponge cake recipe too. Just bake for about 5 or more minutes till done.