MINI GOLDEN CHEESE CHOCOLATE CAKES

Have this recipe in my must try list for a long, long time eventhough I have all the ingredients ready. Also wanted to bake these to share with Little Thumbs Up May 2015 Event on Yoghurt but somehow, never hit the dateline. I should have done it soon enough cos’ these mini cakes turned out well and tastes good. Moreover, the preparation is easy and quick.

This recipe is a keeper and thanks to Ann [Anncoo Journal] for sharing this lovely recipe. I assure you that I will be baking these often as I like the cheesy, buttery and chocolaty combination of flavours. Ann managed to make 24 cakes from this recipe but I only got 12 pieces [maybe my cupcake cases are bigger].

Recipe Source – adapted from [Anncoo Journal]

Ingredients

[makes 12]

120 gm plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

15 gm Golden cheese powder

80 gm butter at room temperature

80 gm castor sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp natural yoghurt or sour cream

2 large eggs [about 70 gm each]

60 ml fresh milk [I used natural yoghurt]

1 tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 1 ½ tbsp hot water into a paste

1. Sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add in the salt and golden cheese powder. Mix well.
2. Line muffin trays with cupcake liners or greased them lightly. Set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in 2 tablespoon of yoghurt, vanilla essence, then 1 egg at a time. Beat well after each addition. 
4. Fold in the flour and milk/yoghurt alternately into butter mixture. Mix well.
5. Divide batter into 2 portions. Keep one plain and add cocoa paste to the other. Lightly mix to combine.
6. Scoop both batters alternately into prepared baking moulds until 90% full.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes on middle rack. Test with skewer before removing from oven. 
8. Remove mini cakes from baking trays to cool completely on wire rack. Serve.
   
   
   

Posted Updated 26 July 2015 

How The Cupcakes Look [Double Portion of the recipe-makes 12 big cupcakes]

STEAMED CHEDDAR CHEESECAKE IN CUPS

Can say this is a long outstanding steamed cheesecake which I have listed to do, probably since 2012. Several blogger friends have also shared this recipe since then. The original recipe is from Alex Goh's Magic Steamed Cakes. Instead of steaming in a cake pan, I steamed them in plastic cups since I have it. I'm not sure if it is healthy to do so, but once in awhile should be alright after all most 'Huat Kuih' sellers use plastic cups to steam their huat kuihs. Safer side, avoid using them or don't use. Advisable to use paper cup cases, porcelain or stainless steel moulds.

The steamed cheesecake has a smooth surface, fine texture and buttery flavour.  Soft and moist, taste like steamed egg cake [Ji Dan Gao] with a hint of cheese.  These can be reheated before serving too.   

Ingredients

[makes 24 small shallow 'Huat Kuih' plastic cups]

3 eggs
80-100 gm castor sugar 
4 slices of cheddar cheese [about 80g]
80 gm butter
125 ml milk
220 gm cake flour
1 tsp double action baking powder

1. Melt cheese, butter and milk by double boiling or steaming. Set aside to cool.
2. Sieve the flour and double action baking powder in a mixing bowl.  Set aside.
3. Whisk eggs and sugar until sugar dissolves and thick with an electric hand mixer.
4. Gradually drizzle in the melted cheese mixture into the beaten egg batter.  Mix using the lowest speed until well blended.
5. With a spatula, fold in the sifted flour into the cake batter in a few additions until well combined.
6. Scoop the batter into cupcake liners until 90% full.
7. Steam over medium high heat for 20 minutes for cup cakes or 30 minutes if using a pan.
8. Remove from steamer and cool on wire rack.

I'm submitting this post to the Best Recipes for Everyone May 2015 Event (Theme: My Favourite Desserts) organized by Fion of XuanHom's Mom and co-hosted by Aunty Young. 

ORANGE BREAKFAST MUFFINS

This is one of the lovely muffin recipes which I have bookmarked to try since last year.

Recipe is by Nigella Lawson from Nigella Bites but I followed the recipe posted by Mimi [Mimi Bakery House].

Fully agreed with Mimi, these muffins are soft and light even though they look a little crusty on the top. Very aromatic with the orange zest and juice.

Moreover, it is easy to prepare the batter for baking.  Just combine the dry and wet ingredients with quick mixing [batter is lumpy] and you get lovely muffins within 20-30 minutes.

I added some dried strawberries which I had lying in the fridge for quite awhile now to the flour before mixing in the liquid ingredients [optional].
BTW, my family had this as a sweet dessert after a light dinner [noodles].

Ingredients

[makes 12 muffins]

75 gm unsalted butter - melted

250 gm self raising flour

25 gm ground almond

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

75 gm caster sugar

zest of 1 orange

100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

100 ml full fat milk

1 egg
some chopped dried strawberries

1. Melt butter and set aside to cool.
2. Mix together the flour, ground almond, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and orange zest in a large bowl.
3. Measure the orange juice and milk in a jug and whisk in the egg and then the cooled melted butter. 
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing with a spatula [the batter will be lumpy, do not over mix the muffin mixture].
5. Spoon the mixture equally [about 90% full] into the muffin cases and bake in preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes on middle shelf.
6. Remove to cool on a wire rack before serving.
   
   
   
   

Baked Cheddar Cheese Chocolate Cheesecake

Baked another cheddar cheese cheesecake again but this time with chocolate flavour.  The cake didn't shrink much.

Ingredients

[use 7" loose bottom round cake tin]

50 gm cake flour - sifted
3 egg yolks
50 gm butter
3 slices of cheddar cheese [about 30 gm]
50 ml milk 
50 gm cooking chocolate - melted

1. Using double boil method, dissolve cheddar cheese with butter, then add in melted chocolate and milk.  Mix well and set aside to cool.
2. Sieve flour into a mixing bowl, add in egg yolks and cooled melted cheese and butter mixture.
3. Whisk on medium high speed until creamy and ingredients are well combined.  Set aside while you prepare the egg white and preheat oven at 150 degrees C.

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
50 gm sugar

1. In another clean bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, add in cream of tartar.  Continue beating and gradually add in sugar in 3 batches.
2. Whisk on medium high speed until soft to stiff peaks formed.
3. Pour half [1/2] meringue into egg yolk mixture.  Mix well to incorporate ingredients.
4. Then pour into balance meringue.  Mix well.
5. Pour batter into a lined loose bottom 7" round cake tin. Smooth the surface with a use of spatula.
6. Steam baked [use 1 1/2 cups water] in baking tray.
7. Baked in preheated oven at 150 degrees for 70 minutes.  Remove from pan immediately to cool on rack [cake base is firm and dry].   This time I left the baked cake in the oven to cool for 1 hour before removing and standing cake on a pedestal to cool further.  Chill cake for several hours before slicing.

Baked Cheddar Cheese Cheesecake

A soft, light and fluffy baked cheesecake using cheddar cheese slices.  Cake shrinks a little after cooling but tasted good with a  nice cheesy flavour.

Ingredients

[recipe adapted from Min's blog with some modifications to the method]

50 gm cake flour - sifted
3 egg yolks
50 gm butter
3 slices of cheddar cheese [about 30 gm]
50 ml milk

1. Using double boil method, dissolve cheddar cheese with butter, then add in milk.  Set aside to cool.
2. Sieve flour into a mixing bowl, add in egg yolks and cooled melted cheese and butter mixture.
3. Whisk on medium high speed until creamy and ingredients are well combined.  Set aside while you prepare the egg white and preheat oven at 150 degrees C.

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
50 gm sugar

1.  In another clean bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, add in cream of tartar.  Continue beating and gradually add in sugar in 3 batches.
2. Whisk on medium high speed until soft to stiff peaks formed.
3. Pour half meringue into egg yolk mixture.  Mix well to incorporate ingredients.
4. Then pour into balance meringue.  Mix well.
5. Pour batter into a lined loose bottom 7" round cake tin. smooth the surface with a use of spatula.
6. Steam baked [use 1 1/2 cups water] in baking tray.
7. Baked in preheated oven at 150 degrees for 70 minutes.  Remove from pan immediately to cool on rack [cake base is firm and dry].

Cream Cheese Chiffon Cake

I have baked this cream cheese chiffon cake several times but was disappointed that the cake shrinks quite a bit using the previous method where I whisk the melted cream cheese and butter with egg. 

This time I used the method below and I'm quite happy with the result. The cake is spongy, soft and moist chiffon with nice cheesy taste.

 

Ingredients - Egg Yolk Mixture
50 gm cream cheese
20 gm butter 

• melt over hot water pan and stir to mix well.  Set aside.

65 gm cake flour

2 tbsp castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
50 ml milk

• Place all the dry ingredients [sifted flour, salt and sugar] in the mixing bowl.  Make a well in the centre.  Pour in all the liquid ingredients [egg yolks, melted cheese and milk].  Beat together using a paddle hook on medium to high speed until well combined and mixture is smooth [takes about 5 minutes].   Set aside.

 

Ingredients for Egg White
4 large egg white

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3 tbsp caster sugar

• Whisk egg white in a clean mixing bowl till frothy, then add in cream of tartar.  Continue beating for a second and add in caster sugar gradually.  Continue beating all the time until soft to stiff peaks formed [Note - it is easier to fold in soft/stiff peak egg white mixture to egg yolk mixture].
• Fold in 1/3 the egg white mixture to egg yolk mixture till well combined.  Then fold into the balance egg white mixture.  Fold till mixtures are well combined.  
• Pour into 7" chiffon pan and bake in preheated oven at 170 degrees C for 30-35 minutes on lower rack.
• Remove from oven and immediately invert pan to cool cake before removing from pan.

I'm sharing this post with BakeFest #12@fun and food cafe  hosted by Mansi

 and also linking to Vardhini's Page @ CooksJoy.