Orange & Poppy Seed Cake

I always thought poppy seeds were banned in Malaysia. The version I've heard is that the country has strict regulations against substances that may cause anyone to suffer from symptoms of extreme-happiness. Poppy seeds were one of them. So for the longest time, I've never had anything to do with poppy seeds.

Of course, this could be totally fictional and Mom might have been lying to me all my life but hey, all is well. I love Mom too much to care.

The recipe is from my bible: Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2. I'd borrowed it from my former workplace. But I now take that it was a gift. Again, I believe that I'm doing it justice by having its pages covered in batter. Better batter than dust I'd say. I'm sure Donna would appreciate that too. The eggs agrees ---

Orange & Poppy Seed Cake (serves 8 - 10)
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• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 3/4 cup milk
• 200g butter, softened
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup shredded orange rind

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160*c.
2. Place milk and poppy seeds in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Beat butter, orange rind, and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before putting in the next.
5. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture.
6. Add orange juice, poppy seed & milk mixture into the batter.
7. Spoon into a 20cm round cake tin.
8. Bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until cook when tested with skewer.

Syrup

1. While cake is baking, place sugar, orange juice and rind in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Increase heat and boil for 5 - 6 minutes or until syrupy.
4. Pour half of the hot syrup over the hot cake.
5. To serve, cut the warm / cold cake and pour over remaining syrup.

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Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

That's quite a mouthful isn't it? This is a cross between a butter cake and ... a lemon. It's from Mr. M's French cook book (yes, the one that I 'borrowed'). And I should have guessed, somehow, that it would be a big cake. How big? Well, let's put it this way, after I put the cake in the oven, there was still some leftover batter to make 12 cupcakes. So if you don't have an army to feed, please cut the recipe down according to your belt size.

My kitchen resembled a war zone with lemon cream cheese plastered all over the wall, my shirt, the sink, the floor, the cupboards, the kettle, the cups and much, much more. This is of course is probably due to my lack of skill - or perhaps, lack of equipment. One should not attempt this with a hand held mixer. I wish I had me one of those beautiful Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixers (vocabulary input thanks to google).

The girls and I are heading out for dinner tonight and leaving the boys at home. I've made this cake and Tim Tam Kahlua ice cream for dessert. Seeing that it's going to be a cold night, we're having hot spicy cocoa with marshmallows. It's pure evil. I know. But an All-Girls'-Nite deserves this. We're worth it. ;P

A girl friend and I had a conversation about weight (as women do) and she said to me, "No one ever gets fat from enjoying food" (She heard that on Oprah). "It's usually a deeper meaning - a more emotional and psychological reason - why people reach out for food especially during in a stressful situation." I, too, read somewhere that, we equate food to love and whenever we feel 'unloved' - whether by parents or partners, we reach out for the next available thing - food. Hence the term "comfort food".

What's your vote on that?

Baked Lemon Cheesecake
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450g unsalted butter, softened
3 cups self-raising flour, sifted
2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp salt
3 cups caster sugar
250g cream cheese, softened
5 eggs, room temperature
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla essence

The Method
1. Preheat oven 160c. Butter tins.
2. Whisk flour, zest and salt together.
3. At medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy for about 5 mins.
4. Add cream cheese. Beat till smooth. Reduce speed to low.
5. Add eggs, one at a time. Incorporate one egg before you beat in another.
6. Beat in flour in 3 batches alternating with lemon juice and vanilla.
7. Pour batter into baking tins
8. Do the smell and skewer test i.e. when the scent of lemons fill the room, it's time to test it with the skewer.

Ugly Black Forest with Chocolate Ganache

My brother, Mr. M, loves black forest cakes. Or so I think anyway. Whenever it was his birthday, my parents would always get him a black forest cake (Hmm... come to think of it, maybe he didn't have a choice).

I have to say that this did not turn out the way I would like it to. I was complaining to Mr. G so much he said, well, why don't you just call it an ugly black forest cake? And so it should. If I had it any other way, I would go back and improve on the method of the cake. The cake tasted fine but it was rock hard. The ganache did good for the cake. And I would have liked more kirsh in it. It was a time-consuming recipe and I would like it fluffier. It's back to the drawing board with this one.

If you have a black forest cake recipe that is to die for, please, please, let us try it. And if you have any tips on how to cut a cake into perfect halves - do please let me in to the secret. I'm dying to know.

Black Forest with Chocolate Ganache
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• 2 1/4 cups (340g) self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
• 350g dark chocolate, chopped
• 250g butter, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
• 1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream
• 1/3 cup (80ml) kirsh
  
• 300ml container Pure double thick cream
• 2 x 425g cans stoneless black cherries, drained

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 22cm round cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
   
2. Combine 2 1/4 cups (340g) self-raising flour, 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar and 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder in a large bowl.
   
3. Melt 200g dark chocolate, chopped and 250g butter, chopped in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
   
4. Add to the flour mixture with 3 eggs and 1/2 cup (125ml) milk. Spoon into pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
5. To assemble the cake once it is completely cooled, melt 150g dark chocolate, chopped and 1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool slightly and thicken. Alternatively, place the chocolate and cream in a large heatproof microwave bowl. Heat in the microwave on medium/50 per cent power, stirring every minute until melted and smooth.
6. Cut the cake in half horizontally, brush both cut sides with a 1/3 cup (80ml) kirsh.
   
7. Lightly whip 300ml container Pure double thick cream.
   
8. Place the bottom piece of the cake on a serving plate.
   
9. Spread the cut side with the cream.
   
10. Top with 2 x 425g cans stoneless black cherries, drained.Top with the remaining cake.
11. Spread over the ganache.

Recipe from: Taste.com.au

Apricot & Mango Yoghurt Cake

To break the chocolate spell (and a break before attempting the blackforest) I decided to do a fruity. The original recipe called for just apricot but I thought: "Why not be greedy?" The result? Absolutely soft, moist cake with bits of chewy apricots and juicy mango.

As a little girl, I used to sit under one of the seven mango trees in my parents' garden and pluck one drooping ripe mango, peel of the green leathery skin and bite into the sweet orange flesh. The sour yellow semi-ripe mangoes, we'd make a salad or dip in a dark caramelized spicy peanut sauce - giving it a sour, sweet, spicy, nutty flavour. I know it's hard to imagine but it is absolutely delicious.

The yoghurt in the recipe, I believe keeps the cake moist and milky. I really like this recipe and will definitely try it again.

Apricot & Mango Yoghurt Cake
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* 425g can mangoes halves, drained
* 125g butter, softened
* 8 dried apricots, chopped finely
* 1/2 cup caster sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
* 250g apricot and mango yogurt
* 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease base and sides of a 6cm-deep, 20cm (base) springform cake pan.
3. Sprinkle the coconut and arrange mango slices at the bottom of the cake pan.
4. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, caster sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Stir in flour and yoghurt until well combined.
7. Add the chopped apricots and stir with a spatula until well combined.
8. Spoon the cake mixture into prepared pan. Smooth surface.
9. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Flourless Orange Chocolate Cake

Happy Mothers' Day to all the mom's out there. Special note to my sisters: Michelle, Bee, and, especially of course, my mom, for being such incredibly awesome women! You've done a wonderful job bringing great kids up into the world (which means also, me).

This cake was pretty easy, however, no flour means a longer baking time. Mr. G and family had some for tea and Mr. G couldn't resist having seconds even when his mom was saving it for dessert later tonight.

As usual, I'd improvised. The original recipe was without orange (or cream and Cointreau) so you can omit the orange juice and zest and replace it with two (2) tablespoons of vanilla extract instead. You can also add some nuts like macadamia or walnut. They would go well. I would say be bold and go wild with this cake. There's plenty of ways to make it your signature cake.


Flour-less Orange Chocolate Cake
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280g of dark cooking chocolate, chopped
250g unsalted butter
5 eggs
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
juice of an orange
zest of an orange
300ml double cream
3 tsp Cointreau or orange liqueur (optional)

The Fun
1. Preheat the oven to 180c
2. Lightly butter the baking tin and sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar around the tin and shake off excess.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double pan until smooth. Stir frequently.
4. Beat the eggs (one by one) in with the sugar until fluffy.
5. Add cocoa, half the juice and 3/4 the zest (keep the rest to decorate).
6. Slowly add in the chocolate mix.
7. Pour into baking tin. Tap gently to release air bubbles.
8. Place cake tin in a roasting pan covered 3/4 inch up with boiling water.
9. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour.

The Cream Top
1. Beat cream till thick and ... you know... whippy.
2. Spread on cake.
3. Add zest, orange juice and liqueur.

Have small dosages of the cake first because it's truly rich. So rich that you'll be blessed with an extra inch to your tummy, hips, hair, arms (put wherever applicable). But hey, if you think it's bad... that's why it's awesomely good.

French Chocolate Cake

What I like do on some nights is to snuggle up in bed, warm and toasty, in my cosy PJs, with a recipe book or two. It is quite comforting especially when Mr. G isn't there to provide me the same service. In bed with my cooking books is almost therapeutic. Gorgeous pictures; fascinating words; fresh, everyday ingredients; I'm as happy as a cat with a saucer of cream.

This recipe is from a French recipe book I stole from Mr. M. I'm sure he won't miss it much. He's hardly got any time to cook anyway. Besides, I'm putting it to respectable use. Poor thing. Never quite understand why people don't use their cooking books.

It's also perfect because I received a 'thank-you-but-no-thank-you' email from a 'prospective' employer (which I was quite keen on) so my spirit fell into self-pity mode. I needed a challenge and comfort. A rich, generous, soothing and delicious suitor to seduce me to a place where rainbows, pink bunnies and fairies lives. This recipe was definitely a worthy experiment. It's more than I usually bother.

It takes a bit more work but all work of effort is a work of art. And I have the proof looking at me on my kitchen bench, smelling like heaven. Sweet mother of sugar, this is one cake you want to bottle up and spray on whenever you need a lift. (And bless those French, they really do know a thing or two about food).

French Chocolate Cake
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1/2 cup caster sugar
280g dark chocolate, chopped
125g unsalted butter, softened and chopped
2 tsp vanilla essence
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup of flour, sifted
3 tsp of instant coffee* (optional)
pinch of salt
3 tbsp of caster sugar, set aside
cocoa powder to dust

The Work
1. Preheat oven to 160c.
2. Butter round baking tin and coat with caster sugar. Knock excess off.

3. Put the chocolate, butter, instant coffee and sugar in a bowl over a pot of hot water. Keep the heat low to medium-low. Stir until smooth.
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla essence.
5. Beat egg yolks into chocolate mix; one by one. Make sure it's thoroughly blend in before you add the next sunshiny yolk.
6. Stir in flour. At this point, the runny mixture will turn quite solid but don't panic! The following steps will guarantee a crusty, chewy exterior but soft and moist insides:

7. In a clean (no grease, totally dry and dustless) bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy.
8. Increase speed, add salt and beat until peak forms.
9. Add 3 tbsp of caster sugar into the mixture. Continue beating until egg whites are stiff and glossy.
10. Fold in the chocolate mix.
11. Pour mixture into baking tin and tap gently to release any air bubbles.

Time:
I won't say how long it'll take to bake the cake. Once the room starts to smell like Charlie's Chocolate Factory, check it with the good-ol' skewer test. It'll take time for this darling to cook so keep watch of it from time to time.

Let it cool and let it sink. It's meant to be. Then, dust liberally with cocoa powder.

Plum Cake

Hello, so I see you've met our other twenty-somethings. They take good photos and most importantly of all, they love food.

I should mention a few things about my baking mannerism. I don't follow recipes. Or at least, I don't follow it to a T. If I feel that the batter (ooo yes, I taste them before I bake 'em) isn't sweet enough I add a necessary amount of sugar. If I feel it's too runny, I add more flour. So you get the idea. Like Nadhirah says, if you want sure fire solid recipes, she's your gal.

But me? I'm your 'screw-those-recipes' type. Go with your instincts. If you mess up, you know what not to do next time. Easy.
As long as it taste good (and if you're cooking to impress, looks good) that's all it takes.

So time for the recipe:
Plum Cake
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100g butter
1/4 caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of self-raising flour, sifted
1/4 milk
4 small plums sliced thickly
1 tsp of cinnamon sugar
1 tsp of nutmeg

Method
1. Preheat the oven at to 190c.
2. Place fruit face down into a plate of brown sugar.
3. Line round tin with baking paper.
4. Arrange fruit in tin.
5. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it.
6. Cut 10g butter into cubes and place on top of the fruit.
7. Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream till light and fluffy.
8. Add egg, flour, nutmeg and milk into the mix.
9. Spoon unto the fruit.
10. Bake for 45 - 50 mins or until skewer comes out clean when tested.
11. Let it cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Note: If you're serving it after dinner, and it's been in the fridge, cut out a slice, microwave it (I hate those things but they do zap fast) for 50 seconds and serve with a generous (LIKE A WHOLE DOLLOP) of vanilla ice cream. Feast on it!

Note 2: Be creative and experiment with other fruits like apples, pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, pear, peaches yada yada yada....