A Specially Brewed Cake

Living with him or not, I have been baking him birthday cakes for the past few years. This time I was too busy to bake one. Felt so guilty about it. Thus baked a cake the next day. It is a favourite flavour of mine; coffee. Just love the aroma of coffee. I incorporated some chopped almond to give the cake a bite and additional flavour.

Coffee Almond Cake

What do we need:

1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
2 eggs

1 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp hot water

2 tbsp chopped almonds

How do we do it:

Dissolve the instant coffee granules with the hot water. Leave to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Stir in the cooled coffee. Fold in the sifted flour mixture.

Pour the mixture into a greased and flour or paper lined pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 175° C for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Fill and/or frost the cake with your favourite frosting. Decorate as per desired.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAREST BROTHER

Happy Deepavali 2009

This year is a special Deepavali to me as I get to celebrate it for the first time in my own place after marriage. Though busy at work, I still managed to make some festive delicacies.

Clockwise from top: Ghee Balls, Achi Muruku, Pineapple Jam Tarts & Muruku
Centre from left to right: Blackforest Cookies, Orange Cookies & Custard Cookies

Wishing Hindus Thoughout The Globe a Very Happy & Prosperous Deepavali

For Chikie

It is my sister’s birthday today. Though Suganthi is her name, I call her Chikie and she calls me Chumie. Well, the story behind these nicknames goes back to about more than 25 years ago. There was this Malay language puppet show on television called Chumie dan Chikie, which means Chumie and Chikie. We both were fans of this show. Hence, our father said that I am Chumie and my sister is Chikie. Since then, those names stuck. It’s just the both of us who call ourselves by those names. The rest of the family does not.

I thought of baking something for her. After a lot of thinking, I decided to bake mango cake. I have never baked this cake before but then, it turned out to be very soft, light and moist with a mild mango flavour. For the aroma, I have added mango essence. The reason is because the aroma of mango comes solely from the skin. The flesh does not have any aroma.

Mango Cake

What do we need:

1 cup plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup mango purée
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp mango essence

How do we do it:

Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Stir in the mango purée, lemon juice and the essence. Add in the sifted flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour the mixture into a greased and flour or paper lined pan. Bake at 175° C for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, cool completely on a wire rack.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIKIE

Mahisha Turns 3 Part II

Today was another busy day. Assembling and decorating another cake for Maylisha's birthday celebration at the Day Care Centre was today's task. Yesterday, I had already baked a very simple chocolate cake, prepared chocolate mousse filling and butter cream. I did not plan ahead of how to decorate the cake. Just simply wacked it. I came out like this.....



Also made a few party packs filled with some chocolates and sweets. Once a upon a time, making paper bags used to be a passion of mine.




Finally, all the tasks for Maylisha's birthday celebration has come to an end. I am now on with my normal routine.

Maylisha Turns 3 Part I

It seemed liked I just gave birth to her but my little princess has turned 3 already. Its unbelievable how fast time flies. At times it scares me as well. I has been a custom that I always bake the cake for her birthday. Her past 2 birthdays were also the same. Maylisha loves Spongebob Squarepants and never misses the cartoon show. Therefore, the father insisted to have the cartoon character on the birthday cake. We planned to hold a small birthday party. My hands were tied the whole week preparing for the party.

Being a food lover, I prepared quite a number of food items. Ya.... ya.... all by myself. I was so very tired and exhausted. "Though small, it was a grand birthday bash." That was what my guests said. It made my tiredness to eclipse. The work does not end just there. Today I am busy preparing another cake and some party packs for the Day Care Centre as they will be celebrating Maylisha's birthday on Monday evening.

Spongebob Squarepants Cake


Chocolate Sponge Cake with Chocolate Mouse Filling and Buttercream Icing


Clockwise from top: Vegetable Briyani, Sticky Chicken,
Cheesy Vege Murtabak, Acar, Pineapple Pajeri, Prawn Sambal, Zuchini Sambar
Middle: Onion Pickle


Clockwise from top: Kuih Lapis, Sweetcorn Pudding, Tiramisu and Chocolate Sponge Cake

Celebrating 50 Years of Nationhood

Today is a momentous day to all Malaysians as Malaysia celebrates her Golden Jubilee. Malaysia's 50th year of independence is the grandest celebration that marks a significant milestone in the history of the nation that has a unique multicultural populace living in peace and harmony.



It’s sad that I have missed the one month celebration of spectacular and colourful events throughout the nation in conjunction with the Independence Day. Whatever it is, may I take this great opportunity to wish Malaysia and Malaysians scattered around the globe a very happy Merdeka Day.

Merdeka!!! Merdeka!!! Merdeka!!!

More details on the National Day Celebration

Ponggalo Ponggal!!!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Ponggal. Like what they say "Thai piranthal vazhi pirakkum", I hope that this ponggal brings all the luck and prosperity to everyone in the whole.

Iniya Ponggal Nal Vazhthukkal

Weekend Baking Session # 26

After such a long gap, I am so glad that I could continue with our Weekend Baking Session. Besides the traditional delicacies, Malaysians and Singaporeans bake cookies for their respective festivals. Therefore, I would like to share a cookie, one of my favourite, which I baked for Deepavali. Despite not feeling well, I still fought with myself to bake them. Though I could not bring the Deepavali spirit that we experience back home, I wanted to create a different environment than any other day.

This is a slightly different kind of cookie. Icebox cookie also known as refrigerator cookie is a type of cookie that is made by forming the dough into a log or a rectangle or a cylindrical block and chilling until firm, for 12 or more hours. This stiffens the dough, making them easier to slice them into rounds or squares. After they have been sliced, the cookie dough is then baked in a moderate oven. When baked, icebox cookies are buttery and usually thin and crispy, showing off a bit of a chew inside, especially when just baked.

Icebox cookies are a great prepare-ahead-of-time dough because it can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for a month or so. Then, cookies can be cut and baked at any time, even if directly from the freezer.

We could use any dried fruits for this cookie. I have used a combo of dried cranberries, raisins, candied pineapples, dried apricot and glazed cherries in this cookie. I have also used desiccated coconut as a main ingredient to create a light and crispy texture.

Tutti-Frutti Cookies

What do we need:

1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup mixed dried fruits

How do we do it:

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat again. Stir in flour mixture, coconut and mixed fruits. Mix until dough forms.

Divide the dough into 2 portions. Shape into rolls and wrap them in wax paper or cling film. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Slice the dough logs into thin slices with a serrated knife. Bake them at 175° C for 10 to 12 minutes or until pale golden.

Remove and let cool on wire rack.