The Waitakere Redneck's Kitchen: cake n muffin

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

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

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

Christmas Fruit Cake

Have you made your christmas cake yet ? If you haven't, it is time to get cracking. Christmas is but just 6 weeks away. This leaves you with enough time for the fruit cake to mature ensuring the best possible flavour.

This the second year running I am making the cake from this recipe. Lovely and moist and the steps are easy and straight forward. From now till christmas, it will be dribbled with rum or brandy every week.

Fruit cakes are best made a few weeks or 2 months in advance.

christmas fruit cake

Makes : 3 x 6" (15cm)round cake

Ingredients
225g softened butter
200g sugar

6 eggs

2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 orange, grate rind and juice (¼ cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond essence
½ tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

400g flour
1.5kg dried fruit mix

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Whenever I serve this cake and later tell the guest that they were eating a healthy yoghurt cake with no butter, their eyes will open wide in disbelief. And their hand will reach for another slice to analyse it better.

I have tried making cakes with yogurt and most often their texture is usually denser. This recipe however makes an incredibly light cake. It is almost like a sponge cake. Very lemony and quick and easy to make. I can usually bake one in time for morning tea. As the taste is not boring, you can do away with icing the cake.

Ingredients
2 large eggs
200g caster sugar

zest from 1 lemon, finely grated
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

280g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder

250ml low fat greek yoghurt
120ml oil

icing sugar for dusting

Fresh Strawberry Rosemary Muffins

Fresh strawberry and rosemary in a muffin....I have never tasted that combination before. I was a bit hesitant but thought I would brave it.

When I took it out of the oven it had a banana fragrance. Even Mr Redneck asked me whether I made banana muffins. Maybe it was the rosemary combined with the strawberry which made it smell like it had banana in it. But whatever the fragrance, the muffin was moist the crumb soft and tender.

Definitely worth making especially since strawberries are in season. The strawberries and rosemary are fresh from my own garden.

Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients
185ml yoghurt
2 eggs
185ml oil or melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Spicy Date and Ginger Bars

Mr Redneck saw this Spicy Date and Ginger Bars in one of the many monthly magazines we borrow from the library and was literally drooling.

I had a look at the recipe, it was do-able and not overly laden with artery clogging stuff. I made it for Father's Day since there would be many 'guinea pigs' as well as to spread the calories around. The ginger bars were well received.

It is quite rich and sweet so cut it in small dainty slices and serve with coffee or tea. The base is actually a light textured cake. The Ginger Slices freeze well.

Makes : 1 tray 25cm x 30cm

Ingredients
200g chopped dates
250ml milk
1 tsp baking soda

315g plain flour
¾ Tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice

TradeMe Chocolate Cupcake

I made these cupcakes on Mother's Day for the family gathering. The feedback was positive.

I like making cakes that are not fussy about how it is mixed and yet turns out with a nice texture. Best of all, cakes that can be mixed with a hand mixer from start to finish and this is one such cake. Easy peasy. And it is a beauty. The cupcakes were light, fluffy, rich looking and so yummy.

For now.....I can stop trying out chocolate cake recipes. I have found the ONE ! I have named this Trademe Chocolate Cake to differentiate it from the thousands of recipes out there for chocolate cake.

Makes 23 cupcakes

Ingredients
100gm butter, softened
200gm sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup (125ml) milk,
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup boiling strong coffee (1 tsp coffee powder)

190 gm flour
¼ tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
40 gm cocoa

Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

This choc banana cake is nice and soft with a lovely banana flavour. The recipe is from my niece Jessica who baked it in her cookery class in school. When it comes to icing I believe in the minimalist approach as cakes by itself is already full of calories without topping it with even more.

Makes 10 cupcakes

Ingredients
50 gm butter (melted)
90 gm sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
130 gm flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup milk
1 banana, mashed
¼ cup chocolate chip

Louise Cake

Louise Cake is a kiwi favourite. It has a cake base with raspberry jam in the middle and a crusty coconut topping. The slice is quite sweet and is best eaten with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Makes 30-40 slices

Ingredients
125gm butter
80gm sugar
1 egg
230 gm flour
2 tsp baking powder
approx 1 cup plum or raspberry jam

Topping
1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Chocolate Brandy Muffins

Alcoholic muffin anyone! Nice soft texture with a distinct brandy taste. Make them into mini sizes and these chocolate brandy muffins will be a great accompaniment with after dinner coffee. Freezes well too.

Makes 12 muffins or 24 minis

Ingredients
160 gm flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp cocoa
75 gm sugar
¼ cup or 35 gm chocolate chips
75 gm melted butter
125 ml milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp brandy

choc chip for topping (optional)

Carrot Cupcake with Passion Fruit Glazing

I usually do not ice or glaze my cupcakes (healthier on the waistline) but since I had lots of passionfruits from my plant, I decided to do a thin glazing on these muffin size carrot cakes. These are adapted from my previous mini carrot cake but have reduced the sugar to compensate for the additional glazing.

As we do not eat the whole batch of cakes at one sitting, this individual mini size cakes are more convenient to freeze and defrost for future tea breaks.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
160 gm sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
1½ cup grated carrot
125 gm flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Icing
1¼ cup icing sugar
2 passion fruit

Method
1. Beat sugar, oil and eggs until well mixed.
2. Fold in all the other ingredients.
3. Pour into paper cases or directly into muffin tins.
4. Place a few walnut pieces on top of the batter.

Strawberry Jam Doughnut Muffin

A deliciously light, jam filled muffin. I prefer the healthier version and did not make the topping. This is a recipe from Nigella's How to be a domestic goddess.

Make 7 muffins

Ingredients
125ml milk
85ml veg oil
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla essence
200g flour
2tsp baking powder
100g caster sugar
strawberry jam

Banana Walnut Cupcake

This recipe posted by MamaC at kc is actually a banana bread but I have baked it as cupcakes. As always I prefer baking as cupcakes as they are faster to bake and no slicing is required when serving. The cupcakes has a nice banana fragrance and a lovely texture. Currently this is my favourite banana cake.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
3 bananas, mashed
150 gm sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil (150 gm)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Banana and Blueberry Muffins

I have made these banana and blueberry muffins several times and they have always come out consistently good. I am actually quite pleased with them, they look like shop ones. They are quick and easy to make.

Fresh out of the oven, the top of the muffins have a very nice crust. I am usually not good at making muffins but have to say these muffins are fool proof and most important, not dense.

Ingredients
1 cup (150g) self raising flour
½ cup (75g) wholemeal flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt

Choc Chip Buttermilk Muffins

These cake-like muffins made with buttermilk are soft and moist. I have made these chocolate chip muffins low fat by using lite margarine and low fat milk to make the buttermilk.

Ingredients
90g unsalted butter, at room temperature
140g sugar
1 egg

190gm all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp sultanas (optional)
choc chips to sprinkle on top

Orange Blueberry Cupcakes w' choc chips n raisins

I have baked this orange blueberry cupcakes before but without the chocolate chips and raisins. This time I wanted to find out whether the texture of the cupcake will still be as soft using plain flour instead of cake flour. I am glad to say it did not make any difference to the texture. These cupcakes should be quite healthy as it uses yoghurt.

Ingredients
225g flour or cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

85g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
160g sugar
2 eggs, beaten

Orange Blueberry Cupcakes

I have not been trying out new recipes recently as I have been busy trying to cope with the apple and tomato glut.

This orange blueberry cupcake is made with yoghurt and the texture comes out nice and soft. The recipe is from coxiella at kc and can be seen here

Friday, March 24, 2006

Mini Carrot Cake with Walnuts

The recipe for this carrot cake was actually given to us by our gym instructor. It is a really easy recipe and the cakes comes out beautifully soft and moist. For lazy people who hates washing up, there is only 1 bowl to clean and wash.

I like baking it as mini cupcakes as it cuts the baking time by more than half and is easier to freeze and defrost for morning tea.

Makes 10 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
½ cup oil
1½ cup grated carrot
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup flour
½ tsp salt

Method :

1. Mix together all the above ingredients.

2. Pour into paper cases or directly into muffin tins.

3. Bake at 180 degress for 15 - 20 minutes.

See here for Mini Carrot Cupcake with Passion Fruit Glazing.

mini carrot cake with passion fruit glazing

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Blueberry Cupcake

This cupcake is soft and light . Easy to make and not fiddly. Best of all, only 1 bowl to wash (good for lazy people like me ). For health reason, I have substituted butter with lowfat margarine.

Ingredients
120g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
185g self-raising flour
125ml milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1/2-3/4 cup(est) blueberries
icing sugar, to dust

Method:
1) Preheat oven to moderate 180C. Line the muffin tray with paper cases. Put butter, sugar, flour, milk, vanilla essence and eggs in a bowl and beat with electric beaters on low speed for 2 mins, or until well mixed. Increase the speed and beat for 2 mins or until smooth and pale.

2)Divide mixture evenly among cases, add in a few blueberries on top of the batter and bake 20mins or until cooked and golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely .

3 )Dust cakes with icing sugar before serving.

*To make icing cup cakes - omit the blueberries, mix ½ cup/60g sifted icing sugar, 1 tsp softened unsalted butter, ½ tsp vanilla essence to 3 tsp hot water to form a smooth paste, then spread icing on cooled cakes.

Note : Raisin, sultanas or other types of dried fruits can be used in place of blueberries.

Store in an air-tight bag in the freezer and microwave as required for morning or afternoon tea.

Recipe : jennifer @kitchencaper (adapted)