Chestnut Year Cake

This is a Chinese New Year traditional cake.  Its texture is chewy and soft.  The pronunciation in Chinese is the same sound with higher, so it means better.  It’s also traditional to serve this cake in front of the kitchen God statue.  The chewy year cake will glue his teeth before he goes into heaven to tell on the family it watches over. And also hoping the sweetness of the year cake will make him want to say good things in front of the Mighty King Jade.  What a cute story!!!

A Ingredients

Sweet rice flour     400 g

Wheat starch          135 g

B Ingredients

Brown sugar          180 g

Coconut milk             1 can (480 ml)

C Ingredients

Vegetable oil               ¼ cup

Chestnut,chopped         1 package

Directions:

1. Measure and soft all A ingredients into a big mixing bowl. 

2. Measure all B ingredients into a small soup pot, heat while stirring until all sugar dissolves, remove from heat and let col.

3.  Pour the cool B ingredients into the big mixing bowl with A ingredients.  Stir until all powder dissolves into liquid.  Sift the batter again to avoid lumps.

4. Add the C ingredients and mix well.  Pour the batter into an oiled 8x2 inch cake mold. Tap the cake mold on the counter to tap out the air bubbles. 

5. Steam with the lid on for about 30-45 minutes depending on the container used.  Let cool 15 minutes before inverting the year cake onto a plate to cool completely.  Store in frig for about a week. 

Serving: 8

Sweetheart Popcakes

 This recipe is just like the cake pops in the stores, minus the sticks.  So I made up a new name for it, Popcakes!!!

So far I’ve made this recipe of popcakes for quite a few occasions and it’s been great so far.  I can make a peppermint cake with white/red candy melt for Christmas, or a pink and chocolate one for Valentine’s Day.  Not to mention it tastes so much better than the ones from Starbucks.  Seriously, it’s tasty!!!  You’ve gotta try it!!

Step I – Baking the cake

A Ingredients

Shortening                        55 g

Sugar                               240 g

Eggs                                    2 heads

Raspberry preserve             ½ cup

B Ingredients

Flour                              220 g

Baking powder                    1 tablespoon

Salt                                   ¾ teaspoon

C Ingredients

Milk                                110 g

Directions:

1. Beat the shortening and sugar with a mixer until incorporated.  Add the egg, one at a time until fluffy.  Then stir in the raspberry preserve. 

2. Measure all B ingredients into a bowl and sift.  Preheat oven 350°F/180°C

3. Add the flour and milk alternately into the batter, finish with flour.  Do not overmix. 

4. Pour the batter into an oiled 9 inch cake mold, bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Invert the cake into a big mixing bowl, break the cake with a fork.  Let the cake crumbs cool in the mixing bowl. 

Step II – Making Buttercream Icing

A Ingredients

Water                                   40 g

Sugar                                 125 g

B Ingredients

Egg white                             1 head

Salt                                       1 pinch

C Ingredients

Unsalted butter, cubed           ½ cup (115g)

Vanilla extract                       ½ teaspoon

Directions:

1. Measure all A ingredients into a small pot, cook on medium heat until the sugar measures 238-242°F(114°C-116°C)

2. While the sugar cooks, beat the B ingredients in a stand mixer until foamy.  Turn the mixer off to wait for the sugar to cook. 

3. After the sugar reaches 238-242°F(114°C-116°C), turn the mixer back on, medium high, add the sugar in a small stream into the egg white.  After adding all the sugar, beat for an additional 8-10 minutes to reduce temperature. 

4. Feel the mixing bowl to see if the sugar mixture is still hot.  If it’s warm to the touch, then it’s safe to proceed.  Turn the mixer on medium high, add butter one cube at a time.  Add the next cube only when the previous cube is fully incorporated into the batter.  Beat the icing for 3-5 minutes until smooth. 

5. Beat in the vanilla extract.  Scoop out the icing into a bowl, set aside.

Steps III – Combine Cake and Frosting

Combine the cooled cake crumbs and buttercream frosting with a fork.  Try not to use the food processor or mixer because it breaks the cakes too fine.  Scoop the cake mix with a cookie dipper or with a spoon, about two tablespoon full, then roll into a ball by hand.  Let set in the frig while melting candy melts. 

Steps IV – Assembly Popcakes

 

Special equipment: Peanut butter cup plastic candy mold (Wilton)

Ingredients

Candy melt, white               180 g

Shortening                               5 g  

Red food coloring, gel               to taste

Directions:

1. Chop the candy melt into small pieces, put in a glass bowl with shortening, double boil until melted.  Add enough red food coloring to make a desired color pink.  Then scoop a small amount into each slot of the peanut butter cup candy mold, about 2/3 full. 

2. Top one cake ball onto each slot right from the frig. 

3. Place the whole mold to set in the frig, 30 minutes. 

Steps V – Coating Popcakes

Candy melt, chocolate color            240 g

Shortening                                          10 g

Directions:

1. Chop the candy melt into small pieces, put in a glass bowl with shortening, double boil until melted.  

2. Remove the popcakes from the frig.  Wriggle the plastic mold so the popcakes are easily removed from the mold. 

3. Hold the base of the popcakes, dip the cake part into the melted candy melt, swirl to coat, shake off excess candy melt, invert and put it on a surface to dry.  Sprinkle the top of the popcakes before the candy coating dries.  Repeat to finish all popcakes. 

Serving: 32 pieces

Breakfastyaki Crepes

This crepe was created when there’s not much in the frig.  But it turned out to be so delicious.  It proves that with a creative mind, anyone can turn out a good meal on the table.  Seriously, try this with anything you might have in the pantry or frig or with your favorite ingredients.  This crepe has endless possibilities!!

A Ingredients

Eggs                              2 heads

Milk                             ¾ cups

Water                           ½ cups

All purpose flour          1 cup

Sugar                            1 tablespoon

Butter, melted              3 tablespoon

B Ingredients

Persian cucumber, shredded           1 cup

Dried fish floss                              ½ cup

Eggs over medium                          4 pieces

Mayonnaise                                      ¼ cup

Takoyaki sauce                              ¼ cup

Seaweed Mix Sprinkle                    2 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Measure all A ingredients into a blender, blender in medium high speed until well blended.  Pour batter into a big measuring cup and cover with plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour, up to 48 hours. 

2. After one hour, heat up a 10-12 inch flat bottom frying pan, rub some butter on the surface, ladle in the batter, swirl to evenly coat the bottom, cook until the crepe looks dry. Then flip, cook an additional several seconds, remove from pan and place on a clean working surface. 

3. Place the crepes flat on a surface.  Drizzle with mayonnaise.  Imagine a pie chart divided into six portions, on one of the triangle, place the egg, top with some shredded cucumber and dried fish floss.  Fold the crepe across in half, so the filling is in the middle triangle, then fold in the left and right triangle.  Place the crepe in the middle of a plate, then drizzle with mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce.  Finish with some Seaweed mix sprinkles and serve hot.     

Serving: 4

Related Recipe

Tacoyaki Sauce

Dessert Crepes

Princess Castle Cake

My friend Carla and I created this cake together.  It was certainly a lot of work.  But this cake is completely original.  What do you all think? 

I met Carla while working the seasonal at a cookware store.  I spent some time explaining how to bake a cake to her, and ended up going to her house to show her a few basic steps.  We made two beautiful cakes that day.  A rose cake and a Minnie Mouse cake.  Carla did most of the piping.  She's super talented!!

 

We designed a princess castle cake together in November and it came to life in front of us.  We both had so much fun designing this cake.  It's completely original!!!  We're talking about designing another huge wedding cake.  But hey, no wedding!!!  Just for fun then!!

  It was a lot of work making this cake.  I practiced making the checkerboard but it all came out swirly.  It was super frustrating.  I made four 9 inch practice cakes to finally come up with such beautiful checkers!!! What can I say...I am an incurable perfectionist!! Carla and I are both artists, so we go over the top making this cake perfect. 

 I love the final product.  It was such a lovely party.  I hope you all enjoyed the video clip.  The first half is in Mandarin but the second half is all in English!!!

How to Top a Two Layer Cake

It wasn't until I attended a professional cake decorating class that I realized there's more steps than simply placing a smaller cake on top of a big cake.  So here it is!!!