Pumpkin Cottony Cake

After baking the cottony cake with purple sweet potatoes, I attempted baking another cottony cake, this time using pumpkin puree.  The cake turned out beautiful not only in looks but texture and taste wise - thumbs up.   Spongy, cottony and firm to touch.  I can say I have no complains about it.  I brought some to share with friends at the health centre and the feedback 'it's good'.  Lovely yellow colour comes from the pumpkin and custard powder.  I added poppy seeds too [can omit if you don't have it].

In this post, I'm sharing quite a number of photos to accompany the various steps of baking this cake.  Hope they are of use and help to some readers who have not tried baking this cottony cake before.

Ingredients

[9 inch square baking tin]

5 egg yolks

1 egg

2 tbsp castor sugar

60 ml corn oil

30 ml milk [depends on pumpkin puree] - can omit

60 gm cake flour  - sifted - set aside

1 1/2 tbsp custard powder

50 gm pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg whites 

4 tbsp castor sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp poppy seeds [optional]

1. Line base of a 9" square tin with grease proof paper.   I greased the sides, too and sprinkle lightly with a little flour [this way, the cake sides are a little crusty and can be easily removed from pan after cooling].
   
2. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.    Place a baking tray on the lowest rack, pour in enough water [about 1.5 cups] for steam baking, then place a baking rack over it.  
3. Whisk egg yolks and 1 whole egg until creamy then gradually drizzle in the corn oil followed by milk.    Whisk until well combined.
4. Fold in pumpkin puree and sifted flour, stir until batter is smooth.  Add in poppy seed [if using].  Set aside. 
   
5. Use a cake mixer, whisk egg whites until frothy, then add in cream of tartar.  Beat until soft peaks then gradually add in the sugar in 3 batches and whisk until stiff peaks formed.  Do not over beat egg whites otherwise it may be difficult to fold in to egg yolk mixture.
6. Fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture until combined.   Then fold in the rest of the meringue lightly in two portions until well combined. 
   
7. Pour the batter into prepared cake tin [smoothen with a spatula].   Tap baking tray on work surface a few times to release trapped air bubbles before baking. 
8. Place it over the baking rack to steam bake cake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 70 minutes [by then the water bath would have dried up] OR bake at 160 degrees C for 10 minutes, lower temperature to 150 degrees C, continue to bake for 50-60 minutes until cake is done.
   
9. Remove cake and invert it to cool for about 5 minutes [otherwise the cake base may be moist because of vapour from steam-baking].   Remove baking tin and the paper linings immediately and leave cake to cool on a wire rack [base facing upwards].  The cake may shrink a little when cooled because of less flour used [low gluten cake].
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   
10. Turn the cake over when cooled completely. Slice to serve or refrigerate before slicing if preferred.  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Notes:

Cake keeps well in an airtight container if refrigerated [about 10-14 days].

Nyonya Style Meat Rolls [Loh Bak]

Considered a very popular snack or appetiser of Nyonya cuisine, which is also my family's favourite dish for any festive seasons.  My mum would also prepare this whenever she has ample stock of meat in her fridge.  This recipe is a keeper.  As awesome as my Family Style Meat Rolls [Penang Lor Bak].

These meat rolls can be prepared, fried and served immediately or packed and freezed until required.  To serve frozen meat rolls, just thaw to room temperature then reheat in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 100 - 120 degrees C.  They will be as crispy as just fried.

Ingredients

[makes about  20 rolls]

600 gm pork [tender meat] - cut strips

150 gm water chestnuts [nett weight without the skin] - smashed and chopped

1 big onion- chopped

3 cloves garlic - chopped 

1 egg

2 heaped tbsp tapioca flour or cornflour

Marinade

2 tbsp sugar

3 tsp 5 spice powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt

1 tsp chicken stock granules

1 tbsp margarine/butter

1 big piece beancurd skin [foo peh] - cut 20 equal size pieces

1. Season meat with marinade.  Add in onions, garlic, water chestnuts, egg, butter and cornflour.  Marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
   
2. Wrap marinated meat into meat rolls [like spring rolls].
   
   
   
   
3. Deep fry in medium heat till golden brown.  [Tips: can fry meat rolls from cold oil].  Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
   
4. Sliced and serve immediately with chilli sauce and cucumber slices or pickled radish.

QQ and Soft Sago Kuih

Anything cooked with sago [sweet or savoury] is always my favourite.  This is one of them which I loved to buy from the kuih vendors [be it Malay or Chinese] but nowadays  kuihs are getting expensive in terms of the costs of ingredients.   An easy dessert to prepare yet nice to serve as snack or dessert for gatherings.  

This QQ kuih is cut into bite size pieces, then coated with freshly grated white coconut with a little salt added to taste.  As I say, nice and suitable for all ages.  The kuih texture was more Q [chewy] the next day and it stays soft when chilled in the fridge.

Ingredients

300 gm sago soaked with 700 ml water for 5 hours

60 gm castor sugar

100 gm palm sugar [gula melaka] - finely chopped

1 freshly grated white coconut mix with 1 tsp salt - steamed for 5 minutes

1. Divide soaked sago in 2 equal portions.
   
2. Mix castor sugar to 1 portion and gula melaka to the other portion.  Stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Scoop the white portion into a steaming tray [can use an 8" steaming tray] and steam for 15 minutes.  I used the steaming tray from my electric steamer [the kuih doesn't stick to the base or sides after steaming].
   
4. Pour the gula melaka portion over the steamed white portion and continue to steam for about 40 minutes or until sago is clear.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Remove from steamer to cool completely before cut into bite size pieces [best  to cool for several hours or overnight].
6. Coat sago pieces with grated white coconut before serving.
   
   
   

Pandan Vegetable Paus

A very fragrant pandan steamed pau with vegetable filling [vegetarian stir fry turnip - see recipe here].  I didn't purposely cook this vegetable to make these paus.  Usually this vegetable is cooked in quite a big quantity especially during festive times.  I set aside a portion to use a filling for this pau.  

  

These paus are soft and fluffy.  Tasted savoury sweet.  

Ingredients

[makes 24 paus]

500 gm pau flour - sifted
100 gm caster sugar 
240 ml pandan juice/water [*] 

1/2 tbsp instant yeast
1.5 tbsp shortening [original uses 3 tbsp]

[*] 6 blades pandan leaves [screwpine leaves] - blended with 240 ml water - strained to obtained 240 ml pandan juice/water then add a drop of green colouring [optional]

1 tbsp double action baking powder

Filling - Vegetarian Stir Fry Turnip [recipe here]

Using a Dough Mixer or Hand Knead

1. Combine all the ingredients [except shortening] in a mixing bowl.  Knead until soft [about 5-10 minutes].  Then add in the shortening, continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.  [Note: double action baking powder can be added after kneading dough until soft and smooth - this I believe is to prevent yellowish looking paus]
   
2. Shape into a ball and cover to rest for about 15-20 minutes or until double in size.
3. Punch down dough and remove dough to a floured surface, divide into 2 round balls.   Then divide each ball into 12 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, then roll into flat circle.
   
4. Wrap filling with each flatten dough.  Gather the edges and shape into pleated paus or round balls.  Place on parchment or greased proof  paper in the steaming tray.
   
5. Leave to prove for 15 - 20 minutes or until double in size.
   
6. Steam over high heat for 10-12 minutes in a steamer.  Off heat and leave paus for a further 3 minutes before uncovering to cool on rack. This is to prevent wrinkle, rough skin [sometimes  they may be a little wrinkle - probably because of proofing time but the texture is unaffected].
   
   
   
   

I'm sharing this post with Aspiring Bakers#31 - Bao Ho-Chiak -  May 2013 event hosted by Miss B of everybodyeatswell in Flanders.

Thai Fried Crab Rice

This is a Thai style fried rice with crab meat and the main seasoning is Fish Sauce.   It is served with Chilli Fish Sauce and cucumber slices [a wedge of lime - optional].  Here, I added some french beans, carrot and fresh corn kernels [all these are optional ingredients].   

Basil leaves can also be added for fragrance.  The fried rice served with the Chilli Fish Sauce was surprisingly good if you love the sliced shallots and small chilli bits.  Hmmmm.....satisfying.     

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

6 cups of cooked rice

3 cloves garlic - chopped

2-3 stalks of spring onions - chopped

1 cup crab meat

2 eggs

3-5 tbsp oil

1-2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp pepper

some carrot [diced], french beans [finely cut], fresh corn kernels [optional]

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil to fry garlic until aromatic.  Add in all the vegetables [if using, fry for a minute], then add in the rice.  Stir to mix well.     
2. Add in the crab meat.  Push ingredients aside.  Add in 2 tbsp oil to scramble eggs, one at a time.
3. Add in fish sauce and pepper to taste.  
4. Fry until all ingredients are cooked and rice is fluffy.  Off heat and stir in the spring onions.
5. Dish out to serve with Chilli Fish Sauce.

Ingredients for Chilli Fish Sauce [mix together]

2-3 Thai red/green chillies - cut

2 shallots - sliced thinely

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp fish sauce

Thai Chilli Fish Sauce