A loaf of bread, wrought with mistakes..

Been itching to bake ever since I got back from my holiday. Finally got a chance to bake some raisin bread. I decided to use a recipe from my beloved Bread Bible (by Rose Levy Beranbaum). Due to time constraints, I did not follow the recipe closely and made a lot of mistakes in the process. Argh. Will definitely try it out again soon. Won’t be posting recipe this time round. The bread still taste good though. Thank god.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

I had a pretty much stress free childhood. I was a good kid, obedient as can be. Growing up, I start to veer away from this perfect image and became the person I wanted to be. I didn’t exactly turned into a crook and committed crimes, but more like I did what I wanted. Naturally my gradual change upset them. They couldn’t really accept that this is the way I am and I probably can never be the way they want me to be. Which is why I try to make them happy whenever I can. As I grow older, I try to give them less grief (although sometimes it can’t really be helped).

My parents are typical asians who prefer light sponge cakes to buttery pound cakes that are common in western style baking. Therefore, when I started baking, the many pound cakes (they were easy to bake for a novice baker like me) that came out of the oven were not exactly a treat to them. As I became more adventurous, one of the few things I vowed to master was chiffon cakes. Similar to angel cakes, these cakes are feathery light and not as sweet. I made a pandan chiffon cake last monday and Mother share some with her friend. Her response during dinner was ‘Hey, you know what? My friend actually thought the cake was nice!!’. Yes, she can be unbelivably rude at times. Hmph. I decided give it another try yesterday to try and correct the mistakes encountered before. The result was a tall and fragrant cake, with just the right amount of sweetness. My parents loved it. I am happy.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

(A)
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar

(B)
3/4 cup thick coconut milk
100ml vegetable oil
1/2 tsp pandan paste
1 1/2 tbsp fresh pandan juice (if not using fresh pandan juice, add 1 1/4 tsp pandan paste instead)
6 egg yolks

(C)
7 egg whites
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp caster sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 175C. Sift cake flour and baking powder. Whisk in sugar and salt to combine thoroughly.

2. Add all the ingredients in (B). With a paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until a smooth batter is formed. Add some water (1 tbsp at a time) if the batter seem too thick.

3. In a separate bow, beat the egg whites till foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the sugar and continue to beat until stiff and shiny peaks are formed.

4. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Then fold in the remaining egg white quickly. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 60 – 65 minutes. Cool the cake inverted on a wire rack to prevent it from sinking. Remove cake after it is thoroughly cooled (1 – 2 hours). Makes 1 10-inch cake.  

 

Banana Goodness

Been craving for banana cake for quite some time. It was one of the comfort foods I rely on during my uni days. I tried them from various places and felt that the one offered at Gloria Jean was the best. Poor student that I am, I couldn’t afford to eat these thick slices of banana breads often. If I knew that they were so easy to make them, I probably bake a loaf every week.

I used this recipe from Dorie’s Baking: From my home to yours and the cake turned out perfect. It was moist, tall and full of banana flavour. Couldn’t really taste the sour cream in it though. Only major changes I did was to use margarine instead of butter, and lowered the amount of sugar used in the cake. I also added a tablespoon of oil while mixing in the flour as I felt that the batter seemed slightly dry. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee while watching the rain falling. That’s a perfect way to relax for me.

Classic Banana Bundt Cake
(Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup margarine, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature

About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups)

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1 tbsp vegetable oil (optional)

 

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 175C. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

 

3. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.

4. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. 

 

5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half of the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture (and oil, if needed).

 

6. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to de-bubble the batter and smooth the top.Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. Check the cake after about 30 minutes – if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent.

8. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature.

9. If you’ve got the time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit on the counter overnight before serving – it’s better the next day.