Rhubarb-Vanillacream-Streusel Cake

Rhubarbs have season during spring and are available in abundance everywhere. They are known to be sour in taste but in this recipe, they are not sour at all.  After they were peeled and cut into pieces, fine sugar was sprinkled on them and left aside.  The vanilla pudding in the middle helps to balance the taste.  One thing to remember is to let the cake cool down completely before removing it from its springform due to the presence of the vanilla pudding.

Ingredients:
750 g rhubarb (Rhabarber), to be peeled & cut into small pieces
2 tbsp fine sugar

Bottom Layer:
100 g butter
180 g plain flour
1 tsp (heaped) baking powder
80 g fine sugar
1 pkt (1 tsp) vanilla sugar
2 eggs
75 ml fresh milk

Vanilla Cream:
500 ml fresh milk
40 g fine sugar
1 pkt vanilla pudding powder

Streusel:
200 g plain flour
150 g butter
100 g sugar
1 pkt (1 tsp) vanilla sugar

Garnishing:
2 tsp icing sugar (confectioner's sugar

Method:
Add rhubarb in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar.  Leave aside for half an hour. Then, drain through a sieve.

In a small bowl, empty contents of packet and mix with sugar. Then, add 6 tbsp of milk and mix well until there are no lumps.  Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once the milk starts to boil, remove from heat and add the vanilla pudding mixture.  By using a whisk, stir until pudding mixture is smooth.  Return saucepan to stove and let it simmer for about one minute over low heat. Remove from heat and leave aside to cool down.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, vanilla sugar and sugar together.  Add eggs one at a time & whisk well. Then, add flour and milk.  Mix to a smooth batter.  Pour into a greased 28 cm diameter springform cake tin.  Level the surface by using a spatula. Bake in a preheated fan oven at 180° C for about 15 minutes.

Spread vanilla pudding onto baked cake.  By using a spatula, level the surface.

Then, arrange rhubarb pieces on top.

In a mixing bowl, add all Streusel ingredients together.  Then, sprinkle on top of rhubarb pieces.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.  Leave the cake to cool down completely before removing from springform.  Cooling time is approximately 3 hours.  Sprinkle top of cake with icing sugar before serving.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

One of my favourite local cakes back home!  When one is far away and has cravings for such a cake, especially a Chiffon Cake, one must die die bake it!  This time, it turns out well with no ugly "scratches".  Thanks to a "well seasoned" cake tin which has been used several times.  My next project will either be the Orange Chiffon Cake or the Blackcurrant Chiffon Cake.  Do keep tuned .....

Ingredients (for a 22 cm diameter chiffon cake tin):
7 egg whites (large size)
100 g fine sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

7 egg yolks (large size)
200 g fine sugar

To be mixed together:
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp pandan paste or 2 tbsp pandan juice
1 tsp pandan essence (optional)
100 ml corn oil
150 ml thick coconut milk

200 g plain flour or cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder

Method:
As a rule, please ensure that your chiffon cake tin is not greased.  Preheat your oven to a temperature of 170° C.  In a bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix coconut milk, corn oil, pandan paste, vanilla essence, pandan essence (if using) together.  In a clean mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light & creamy.  Add mixture to the egg yolks mixture slowly and continue whisking. Then, fold in flour mixture in portions.

In another mixing bowl which is free from fat, whisk egg whites.  Add sugar & cream of tartar gradually.  Continue whisking until egg whites are stiff and hold its shape.

By using a spatula, slowly fold in the egg whites mixture in portions to the egg yolk mixture.  Ensure that you fold in one direction.  It does not matter whether you add the egg yolks mixture to the egg whites mixture or otherwise.  I have tried both methods and I still get the same result.  Just remember not to overmix!

Before pouring batter into the chiffon cake tin, give your batter bowl a few blows by dropping it from a low height onto the worktop in order to get rid of the bubbles.  Pour batter into an ungreased chiffon cake tin.  Ensure that the batter is spread evenly by using a spatula.

Give the cake tin another blow by dropping it from a low height onto the worktop. Bake in a preheated oven for about 50 to 55 minutes.  Once done, invert cake tin over a rack and leave to cool down completely.  Your chiffon cake will come out easily without any scratches if your cake tin is "well seasoned"!  I had to "season" my cake tin a few times before my chiffon cake comes out intact. My tip:  Do not wash your cake tin with any detergent.  Simply wash it with hot water and dry well.

Voilà!  Here is the Pandan Chiffon Cake completely out from the cake tin!

Happy Baking!

Apple Cream Cake

Originally, this cake is known as Apfelkuchen mit Rahmguss.  Hubby bought lots of apples on his way home from the countryside during the week - to be exact 3 bagfuls of apples, each weighing about 3 kgs each.  The following recipe is another version of the famous German apple cakes available.  To give the cake a shine, I brushed the top and edges with warm apricot jam and sprinkled roasted almond slices.  Kurzum (in short), another moist and tasty cake for teatime today!

Ingredients:
160 g cold butter
80 g fine sugar
250 g flour
1 medium-size egg
a pinch of salt

8 medium-size apples
50 g ground almonds
1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 medium-size eggs
a pinch of salt
1 vanilla pod, to be halved and seeds scraped
150 fine sugar
50 g vanilla pudding powder or cornflour
250 g fresh cream

110 g apricot jam
30 g sliced almonds

Method:
Grease a 26 cm diameter springform with a little butter and leave it aside.  In a mixing bowl, mix together cold butter, sugar, flour, egg and salt.  By using the kneading hook, knead dough until well mixed.  Wrap in cling film and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Then, line the springform with dough as shown below.

In the meantime, prepare cream filling - in a bowl, light whisk eggs, salt, vanilla seeds and sugar together.  Add vanilla pudding powder and fresh cream alternately.  Mix well and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix ground almonds and cinnamon powder together and set aside. Quarter 3 apples, core and peel the skin.  Slice each quarter into 4 slices lengthwise. Arrange apple slices on base of dough as shown below.  Sprinkle the ground almonds/cinnamon mix on top and then, pour 1/3 of cream filling over them.

Quarter, core and peel the balance of apples.  It is advisable to work with one apple at a time in order to avoid the peeled apples turning dark.  Slice thinly and arrange as shown below.  Repeat procedure for the next layer.  Altogether, there should be 3 layers.

Pour the balance of cream filling over the apples and bake in a preheated oven (do not use fan) at a temperature of 200° C for about an hour.  If the top of cake gets brown before the baking time is up, cover top of cake with a piece of aluminium foil.  Note:  I had to cover the top of my springform about 20 minutes before baking time is over.

Leave cake in its springform to cool down completely before removing the ring.  In the meantime, roast almond slices in a small pan without oil until almost golden brown.

In a small pot, heat apricot jam over low heat.  Pass through a sieve into a small bowl.  Brush top and edges of cake with apricot jam and sprinkle the roasted almond slices along the edges as shown below.

Cut into serving portions!

Happy Baking!

Käsetorte (Cheese Cake)

Another version of German cheese cake which does not contain milk or vanilla pudding.  It is known to be a "difficult to bake" cake i.e. it will rise nicely in the oven but once it is taken out of the oven, it will collapse.  To avoid this from happening, the trick is to remove the cake during half-time and run a sharp knife between the pastry shell and filling.  Let it rest for about 5 minutes before returning it to the oven.  Give the recipe a try!  You will love the taste!

Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients:
150 g plain flour
50 g fine sugar
100 g cold butter
1 egg yolk

Filling Ingredients:
500 g Magerquark (curd cheese)
grated zest of 1 lemon
7 g vanilla sugar
150 g fine sugar
1 tbsp (heaped) plain flour
1 tbsp (heaped) cornflour
7 egg yolks

7 egg whites
50 g sugar

50 g melted butter

Method:
In a mixing bowl, add all shortcrust pastry ingredients together and by using the hook, knead into a dough.  Form dough into a ball and wrap in cling film.  Store in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Grease a 26 cm diameter springform (with loose bottom).  Line springform and its sides with dough. It will be easier if you roll out the dough between two plastic sheets to the size of the springform beforehand.

Place a baking paper over dough and ease it into place around the base and sides as shown.  Add baking beans and spread evenly.  Bake in a preheated fan oven at a temperature of 160° C for about 15 minutes.  Once done, remove baking paper and beans.

In a bowl, add curd cheese, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla sugar, lemon zest, flour and cornflour together. By using a whisk, mix thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and sugar until stiff.

Carefully fold in egg whites and melted butter portionwise alternately.

Pour filling into shortcrust pastry shell and spread evenly.  Return springform to oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and run a sharp knife between the pastry shell and filling all around.  Let it rest for 5 minutes before returning to oven.  Bake for a further 20 minutes.

Once done, remove cake from oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before removing the springform ring.  Leave cake to cool down completely before serving.  Note:  If it sank a little with the edges still high up, then your cake is perfect!

Happy Baking!

Cherry-Marzipan Cake

Baked this cake using fresh yeast instead of the usual baking powder for tea on a cold and windy Saturday afternoon.  A mixture of marzipan, butter and sugar is "injected" into the dough and then, topped with cherries and almond slices before baking.  Tastes good when served both warm or cold!

Ingredients:
400 g plain flour
2 sachets of Bourbon vanilla sugar
80 g sugar
a pinch of salt
42 g fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar (extra)
200 ml warm milk
75 g soft butter (at room temperature)
2 medium eggs

200 g marzipan
175 g soft butter
50 g fine sugar
400 g cherries (from a 850 g glass), to be drained
70 g almond slices
50 g sugar

a rectangular baking tin (24 x 36 cm) or your oven's deep baking tray

Method:
In a mixing bowl, mix flour, Bourbon vanilla sugar, sugar and salt together.  Make a well in the centre and crumble yeast into it.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar and a little flour from the sides.  Stir with a wooden spoon and cover with bowl with a cloth.  Leave aside for 10 minutes.

Then, add soft butter, eggs and rest of milk.  Knead by using the hook for about 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic as shown below.  Cover bowl with cloth and leave aside for about 40 minutes.  One may place the covered bowl in an oven (no fan) at a temperature of 30° C.

In the meantime, add marzipan, soft butter and fine sugar into another mixing bowl. By using the whisk attachment, mix until smooth.  Then, transfer to an icing bag with a plain nozzle.

This is how the dough looks like after 40 minutes.

Transfer dough onto the baking tray which is lined with baking paper.  By using your well-floured hand, spread dough into all corners evenly.  Cover with cloth and leave aside for 10 minutes.

By using your fingers, make deep hollows all over the surface of dough as shown.

Pipe out the marzipan mixture into the hollows as shown below.

Arrange cherries on top.  Then, sprinkle almond slices and sugar as shown below.

Bake in a preheated (no fan) oven at a temperature of 200° C for about 25 minutes or until done.  

This cake tastes great both warm and cold!  If you wish, sprinkle sugar powder on top before serving!

Happy Baking!