Kueh Bahlu ~ Mini Chinese Sponge Cake

Chinese New Year is fast approaching. This year it falls on Valentine's Day 14th February. Kuih bahlu is one of the many traditional cakes served during the new year period.

We don't restrict ourselves to having kueh bahulu once a year but make it quite often throughout the year for our morning tea. The tiny cake is spongy and light. With not a trace of fat, butter or oil it is a dieter's dream.

Makes 16

Ingredients
1 large egg
30gm sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract

30gm plain flour
1/8 tsp baking powder

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Date and Ginger Cake

These date and ginger stickies are akin to a pudding except it is very much lighter in texture. Taste magazine kindly tested and published the recipe following a request by a reader who had enjoyed the cake at In Stone Cafe in Cambridge.

We have ours for morning tea with a cup of coffee. You can also serve this as a dessert with whipped cream or yoghurt on the side.

I have told Mr Redneck who incidentally like these little cakes very much, that if he were to pre-chop all the dates on the ready, I can make these as often as he likes. I find chopping the dates a bit of a chore. He very cleverly suggested I stick it into my food processor or the Magic Bullet. Told him I have already tried that. It doesn't work. So....no short cut I am afraid !

Makes : 9-11 muffin size cakes

Ingredients
30g butter
100g dates, chopped into small pieces
¼ heap tsp baking soda
155 ml boiling water

50g brown sugar
2 Tbsp golden syrup, homemade

1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract

90g sifted plain flour
½ tsp baking powder

25g crystallised ginger, finely chopped

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