It was the photo above, posted barely an hour after baking, that sparked off quite a bit of interest within my little Twitter circle. I received requests for the recipe, any extra slices lying around, and even a pact that I’d eat another slice for breakfast the next morning in exchange for another baker eating a second portion of what she had in the oven that day. Attention on the cake didn’t even wane the next morning as the mother casually commented about the slice(s) she finished off, leaving none for the next day.

I found interest in the cake not the least surprising because you see, the reason I baked it was really an aftermath of being smitten myself. Its classic simple appearance, the soft fluffy texture, the unadulterated rich chocolate flavour, and the oh-to-die-for frosting;– the cake had been on my mind ever since I tasted a slice at the niece’s 2nd birthday party.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’m guilty of bookmarking more recipes than I could possibly bake, and I concomitantly forget some of these bookmarks. Well, this was one of those instances. I had noted this recipe from Nigella a couple of months back, but only got reminded of it when I asked my sister for the recipe source of that beautiful two-layered chocolate birthday cake you see above. (Aside: Don’t you think she did a wonderful job with the cake?)

However, as much as I wanted to recreate the cake, I had to take into account that I’m in a 5-person household, of which only two of its members (current company included) are chocolate fans, and the thought of a fully frosted two-layered chocolate cake might be much too daunting for the rest. It was then that I remembered reading that a layered cake recipe (preferably 2 round 8-9 inch pans) makes for a great bundt cake.

And a frosted chocolate bundt cake is less intimidating than a two-layered frosted-outside-and-inside chocolate cake, no?

Lucky for me, the answer is evidently yes, as the non-chocolate-loving mother confessed to finishing off 3 slices.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Bundt Cake
(adapted from Nigella’s Feast)

200g + 2 tbsp cake flour¹
200g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
40g cocoa powder
175g butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
150ml sour cream

For the icing:
25g butter
60g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
100g icing sugar²
2 tsp golden syrup
40ml sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to180°C and grease a bundt pan.
2. Beat all the cake ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarb, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream) together, using a mixer or food processor, until the batter is smooth and thick.
3. Scrape and spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan, and bake at 180C for 25 – 35 mins, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
4. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, in the pan. Place the rack, upside down, on the top of the pan (the open end) and carefully invert the cake onto the rack.
5. To make this icing, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool for a bit.
6. In another bowl, sieve the icing sugar.
7. Add the golden syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla.
8. Whisk in the sieved icing sugar until there are no traces of icing sugar.
9. At this point, you’ll have a fairly thick icing, and you may need to add a little boiling water (1 – 2 tsp) depending on whether you want the icing to be runny or thick. It should be liquid enough to coat easily, but thick enough not to drip off.
10. Frost the cooled cake with your chocolate icing, and be prepared to be dreaming of it in days to come.

Recipe Notes

¹ If using plain flour, just use 200 grams.
² I found that the icing is a tad too sweet (but still divine nonetheless!!!), so I applied only a thin layer of frosting. You may wish to use 80g icing sugar first, and if it’s not sweet enough, add in the remaining 20g.

If you notice the right navibar, I’ve included a section called The Week’s Read, featuring cookbook(s) I’ve purchased or borrowed from the library. As a new resolution to push myself to try out more recipes in the books, and to ease the guilt of cookbook purchase, I will occasionally post a review on a book I’ve gotten hold of, or share any of my personal favourites.

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I must be honest in that I almost always judge a book by its cover, and with the hundreds of new cookbooks in the market every year, it is no surprise that I am lured in by beautiful photography. Domestic Goddess boasts a clean style with minimal props and styling, primarily with a light background and centralised subject. The plain fairy cake adorned simply with a pastel sugar rose on the cover is as enticing as its title, and definitely appeals to the modern woman seeking recognition in the kitchen.

The book is divided into categories: cakes, biscuits, pies, puddings, chocolate, children, Christmas, bread and yeast, and what she calls The Domestic Goddess’s Larder.

The recipes sound fairly simple, even with the occasional uncommon ingredients like Italian 00 flour;– which Nigella seems to have a fascination with;– but what really sets this cookbook apart from others for me would be her little personal anecdotes before each recipe, and the informal tone she opts for in the instructions. One can’t help but feel as though she was literally guiding you throughout the process, recommending variations for each recipe. As she mentions in the preface, it is not about “being a domestic goddess exactly, but feeling like one”.

But how far does feeling like a domestic goddess go, in terms of reality check?

Most of her cake recipes call for ingredients you’d probably already have in your pantry. They are generally easy beginner recipes that result in either homely comfort food you’ve grown up loving, or a new twist to a classic tradition. The best part about them is that you’ll notice how some recipes, like the fairy cakes, involve dumping all the ingredients into a food processor while other recipes like her banana bread, only require a wooden spoon and a bowl.

Given how seemingly simple the instructions are, you can’t help but expect either one of two: the resulting dishes would be somewhat lackluster; or there must be a fair bit of read-between-the-lines required for you to bring the dish from page to plate.

For some, the road to being a domestic goddess may not be all that smooth-sailing. As easy as the recipes may sound, it presumes a prior knowledge of your oven’s temperament, as well as a fair bit of baking knowledge. A common sentiment of many who have tried some of the recipes is that many a time the recipe requires a longer baking time, or that Nigella’s style of instructions are not as precise as the typical numerically-indexed cookbook steps. As mentioned by Nigella throughout the book, the recipes may be altered according to your own preference (particularly in terms of sweetness), and that there may be differences in altitude and temperature baking.

Having said that, How To Be A Domestic Goddess is a definite must-have that bakers and bakers-to-be will constantly revisit. It is a treasure trove filled with recipes simple enough to entice new bakers wanting to contribute for the next potluck party, while the more time-consuming excuisite recipes serve to add to the repertoire of experienced bakers. At the end of the day, from the easy food-processor recipes to the more lengthy and intricate ego-stroking recipes, the result, if not the journey itself, will be nothing short of making you feel like a domestic goddess yourself.

Featured Recipes from HTBADG:-
Rainbow Cupcakes
Banana Nut Bread
Granny Boyd’s Biscuits

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If there was another flavour besides chocolate that would definitely entice me on a dessert menu, it would be the mysteriously olfactory word ‘cinnamon’. More often than not, it would either be accompanied by its famed frolicking fruit partner, or seeking comfort in every curve of a fluff.

However, I’m pretty sure that any cinnamon fan can attest to those days when you just wish to embrace the seemingly unadulterated taste of cinnamon. A dessert that would boast its spicy sweet scent, flatter its deep golden brown freckles, and evoke comforting reminiscence of simplicity. And when one of those quiet afternoons drop by, one must surely allow vivid specifications of the mental palate take reign over the day’s epicurean escapism.

While it is none too many, I am absolutely relieved that the texture and taste I had envisioned manifested itself immaculately within the wedges of a 7-inch pan. And it is definitely heartening to discover that for all of the times I’ve blasphemously pictured cinnamon instead of chocolate amidst forkfuls of my brownie, the vision was not too far off. I used my favourite chewy brownie recipe as the base, tweaked the ingredients, and found myself resisting eating two slices in one sitting.

Moist and chewy with the sharp tang of cinnamon wafting through every refreshing bite, only one slice was left after three hours. And that was just between the parents and myself. Despite its appearance (wedge/slice vis-a-vis square), I’ve decided to call these blondies, rather than cinnamon flop or cinnamon coffee cake, because its chewy texture lies somewhere between a brownie and a cookie, yet its tight crumb is reminiscent of a coffee cake and a fudgey brownie.

Chewy Snickerdoodle Blondies

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg

Topping:
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 – 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 7-inch round pan, or 8-inch square pan.
2. Melt the butter over low heat. As soon as melted, turn off the heat and stir in the sugar. Leave to cool for a minute.
3. Add in the egg, and beat the mixture until smooth.
4. Stir in the flour and baking powder until there are no longer traces of them in the mixture.
5. Spread the mixture (it will be very thick!) into the prepared pan.
6. Combine the white sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over the surface of the batter.
7. Bake for 15-22 mins, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

- Cupcake photos courtesy of the client (I didn’t have time to photograph them!) -

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As you would have probably noticed, now and then I will decide to address certain queries I’ve received via e-mail in specific posts I call From The Mailbox (FTM), and of a greater frequency (too frequent I wonder if readers are bored of them by now) are my Wordless Wednesday posts where I mainly share photographs of some of the cupcake orders I’ve worked on recently.

And now, I’m introducing a new category of posts aptly called Surplus Sunday, where I intend to share ways of using up those leftover ingredients or dishes you’ve whipped up over the weekend. Afterall we all tend to be a lil indulgent (and over-enthusiastic with the serving) over the weekend, and plummet to a state of what-to-do-with-all-the-leftovers when Monday comes spilling by.

This time round, I found myself with some leftover linguine (already cooked al-dente) on hand following a pasta meal I had the night prior. I had kept the linguine in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator, and I guess this is more of a pantry raid type of casserole dish, since I practically threw in what I had in the pantry/refrigerator. I reckon this would be great if you had broccoli or spinach on hand, or even some meat like turkey bacon, or chicken ham.

Oh, and I’m sure you can easily do this with leftover cooked pasta as well, since it would only add more flavour to your quiche.

Crustless Mushroom & Linguine Quiche

1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup mozarella cheese, grated¹
1 cup boiled linguine, cut roughly (I just ran a scissors through the pasta)
1 1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp paprika (optional) ²
pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Line the bottom of a greased 7-inch round pan, or 8-inch square baking dish (if you prefer the quiche to be thinner) with the cut linguine.
3. In a bowl, mix milk, flour and eggs well.
4. Add in the mushrooms and tomatoes, and pour into the prepared pan lined with linguine. Give the pan a little shake to ensure that the mixture seeps through the linguine to the bottom.
5. Sprinkle the grated mozarella on top of the mixture.
6. Bake for about 35-45 mins, until it looks set and the top is golden brown.

Recipe Notes:
¹ Try it with different types of cheese (e.g. cheddar, Swiss, monterey) to suit your tastebuds.
² Try different seasonings (e.g. parsley flakes, rosemary, mixed spices) to take it up a notch and change its flavour the next time you make it!

I must admit that I have quite a poor memory;– albeit not so much in terms of mugging for school examinations as movies I’ve watched, books I’ve read, and (un)fortunately, some of life’s events. Of course I attribute it to having selective memory which often times prove to be of an advantage, particularly in the event of the latter. I’d like to believe, however, that what was lacking in the physical memory repository was made up for by a heightened sensory-centric memory of sorts.

I still remember the exact taste of the “Biskut Dam” (checkerboard cookies) that I brought to pre-school every day for lunch break, always picking out the exact same thing each time my mother brings me to the bakery near the school. I still remember the exact taste of the chocolate milk that I used to drink in primary school, which was given free to all the not-so-meaty little kids. And I still remember the rushed mornings I’ve had as a teenager, the breakfasts I’ve tried to skip when the mother’s not watching, but she would somehow always know, and already pack me a few slices of the moistest chocolate loaf cake that I now have grown to miss.

And my dear readers, that’s where I’ll need your help.

As in the case of all the aforementioned palate-related memories, nothing could come close to what I’ve had as a child, and I’m sure almost everyone can attest to that (let’s face it, nostalgia occludes our senses, mostly). But with your varied baking adventures, I appeal to anyone who has had success with a moist and dense chocolate loaf cake. One with a very tight crumb. Rich and most definitely chocolatey. Almost as of a pound cake texture. But rich as of a fudgy brownie. Nothing with frosting, just a simple homely chocolate loaf cake.

I would love to give any of the loaves a try, and while I may not have anything in return for your kind recipe share, you would certainly make me the happiest young lady who in turn hopes to share that same chocolate loaf cake memory with my future teenager who says she’s not hungry for breakfast, but never turns down the chocolate cake.

Chocolate Yoghurt Loaf Cake
(adapted from here)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and resembles wet sand.
4. Beat in egg and egg white.
5. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together water, cocoa powder, vanilla and yogurt until mixture is smooth. Add half of this mixture to the sugar mixture, followed by another 1/3 of the flour mixture.
7. Stir in remaining yogurt and remaining flour, stirring only until no streaks of flour remain.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
9. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Let cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully cut along the sides of the pan to release the cake and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Note: Although this recipe was not the one for me (I found it a tad dry with loose crumbs), it made a good side-of-the-saucer cake slice. It received a couple of great reviews, so maybe you’d like it! Too bad it wasn’t what I was looking for

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Last Sunday marked the end of Ramadan here in Singapore, and in the last week, Muslim households have been abuzz with activities. Every year, there always seems to be a mad last minute flurry of baking, cooking, cleaning, decorating, and for some, it includes trips to the bank to change money to smaller denominations for the visiting little ones;– the culture here is for the working adults to give the young and elderly token sums of money when they go/come visiting.

Times may have changed, and societal culture definitely has evolved over the years, but Hari Raya Aidilfitri here never fails to bring out the purest and most colourful of traditions in all Malays, be it the older generation or the younger ones. Decked in ethnic clothes, families and relatives visit one another, exchanging well wishes and more importantly, seeking forgiveness for past wrongdoings and mistakes. In a way, Hari Raya Aidilfitri inadvertently becomes a pinnacle and manifestation of the individual’s self-reflection and repentance following the prior month of fasting.

Some say that since we fast for a whole month, therefore the celebration should last for the whole month of Syawal. Because of that, Hari Raya visiting usually lasts the whole month, with the first one or two weeks between families and relatives, while the last two weeks are mostly organised visits amongst friends, particularly the younger generation. In light of the month-long visitors, many houses seem to run out of traditional Hari Raya dishes towards the end of the month, so here’s a super easy non-bake cake recipe you can quickly whip up the day before you’re expecting guests.

Kek Batik (Batik Cake) is said to have originated in Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the Borneo islands, and due to its proximity, became a popular fixture in the Hari Raya celebrations on the other Borneo islands as well;– Sabah and Brunei. Batik refers to the symmetric and typically repetitive pattern using a wax-dyeing technique prevalent in Indonesia and the Southeast Asian region. Traditionally, the colours used were dark brown and white, much like the patterns on each slice of this Kek Batik, hence the name.

Truth be told, I’ve never tasted Kek Batik before this, but in my search for cake recipes to bake this Hari Raya, I was definitely attracted to the fact that this was non-bake (yes ladies, you don’t even need the oven for this; just plonk it into the refrigerator!) and absolutely hassle-free. A quick google search would land you with a whole lot of varying recipes, but the fundamental concoction remains;– the dark brown comes from Milo (chocolate malt powder), whereas the intricate white pattern comes from broken pieces of Marie biscuits (a type of graham cracker commonly used in Malay desserts).

Due to the myriad of recipes, I’ve noticed that there are varying descriptions of each slice, ranging in texture all the way from cakey brownie to hard fudge (candy). Three main determining factors lie in the ratio of fat-liquid proportion people tweak with, duration of heating the mixture till the ‘custard’ stage, and the duration of refrigeration. Those who freeze the loaf instead of refrigerating it would describe the cake to be more of a fudge candy, whereas the ones who refrigerate it for a couple of hours described them to be more of a chocolate pudding.

The recipe and method I’m sharing today boasts a great mixture of Milo and cocoa powder for those who fear it being too sweet, with an overnight refrigeration that would yield a soft and fudgey chocolatey cake (it can’t be Kek Batik if it’s not exactly cake, can it?) that proved its worth by being the first of all the cakes to be wiped out clean from the cake tray, lasting only two days. The only gripe is that you really must serve this chilled, which means that you have to keep it in the fridge until the guests arrived, but for something this good, even my mother had no qualms about it taking up her refrigerator space.

Batik Marie Cake
(adapted from here)

100g milo (any sweet chocolate malt powder will do)
25g cocoa powder
125ml boiling water
190g butter
200ml sweetened condensed milk
90g white granulated sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
250g Marie biscuits (any graham crackers will do), broken into rough quarters

1. Grease and line a 23cm x 9cm x 7cm deep loaf tin (or other loaf tin with a capacity of at least 5 cups or 1.25L) with baking paper, extending paper 2-3cm above edge of tin.
2. In a deep saucepan, slowly add boiling water to milo and cocoa, stirring vigorously until it is smooth. Add butter, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and eggs to the mixture.
3. Place the saucepan over moderate heat and cook, stirring all the time with a whisk or a spoon, until you feel the bottom starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn heat down to low, and continue to cook, stirring without stopping, for about another 20-25 minutes until a thick custard forms. (refer to recipe notes)
5. Turn off the heat, and stir in the quartered biscuits. Mix until all the biscuits are coated with the custard.
6. Transfer mixture to the prepared tin. Press down firmly so there are no air pockets in the mixture. Fold the paper extensions over the top and press down to even the surface. Then let cool to the touch.
7. Cover with cling film, and refrigerate overnight.
8. When the cake is firm, use the paper extension as handle to pull the cake out of the tin. Slice and serve chilled.

Recipe Notes:
It may look like the custard will never thicken, and when it already has, you may feel like it has thickened enough. I’ve found that the best way to gauge is when the mixture is reduced to about half of its original amount, and when stirring, you can actually see the mixture coagulate together, scraping off the sides of the pan perfectly; i.e. you don’t see any liquid remnants at the sides of the pan.

Guess whose latest post got featured on the WordPress homepage last night?

A big shoutout to those who dropped by thanks to the feature. Hope you’ll stay on, and find the baking tips in the previous post useful!