Mandarin Orange Chiffon Cake

Make 1 x 20 cm chiffon tin cake

Ingredients:
(A)
Egg yolks (about 20g each) - 5
Corn oil - 80 ml
Orange Juice - 160 ml
Grand Marnier OR vanilla essence - 1 tablespoon (15ml) this is optional
Orange zest - 1 orange
Cake flour (sieve) - 130g

(B)
Egg whites (about 30g each) - 5
Cream of tartar - 1/4 tsp
Caster sugar - 75g

Steps:
1) Preheat oven at 160C.

2) Whisk egg yolk, orange juice, oil, Grand Marnier or vanilla essence and orange zest until well combined.

3) Fold in cake flour and mix well till all flour is mixed well to form a thick batter.

4) In a clean dry bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy.

5) Add in sugar gradually and continue to beat until just before stiff peak.

6) Take 1/3 of egg whites and mix well with egg yolk batter with hand whisk.

7) Repeat the above step with remaining egg whites and fold gently untill you get a light foamy batter (texture is in between egg yolk batter and egg white batter). Note: Do not overfold which will turn into same viscosity as original egg yolk batter. This cause the cake to be dense and not rise as high.

8) Pour into a 20cm tube pan.

9) Use a spatula to gently cut the cake in the position of the middle of the cake batter at the direction along the tin's circumference for 1 or 2 complete cycles. Note: This step is to futher even out the batter without over folding and helps to flatten big bubbles in batter.

10) Lift up the cake tin and give it a few gentle bangs (I usually do it upto 10 counts depending on the bubbles release from the action). Note: This is to further eliminate bubbles in batter to produce a finer and closer cake crumb texture.

11) Bake for 50 - 60 mins at 150 degree or until inserted skewer comes out clean OR gentle tap on the cake top. If finger dents are formed and cake remain dented fm the tap, means cake is still dense. If the finger dent slowly rise up after the tap, meaning the cake is ready.

12) IMMEDIATELY remove from oven and REVERSE the cake tin onto a rack to let it cool. Note: This is to prevent the cake from shrinking.

13) Unmould the cake only when it is cool and Bon Appetit!

Note:
1) This recipe yields a v moist chiffon cake due to its high liquid to dry ingredients ratio. Thus, paying attention to the notes is important. Also, temperature setting depends on each individual oven. However, suggestion for high liquid recipe to bake at lower temp 140 - 150 is possible but longer time. Refer to the finger tap steps for testing of cake readiness as it is very reliable.

2) Pls adjust recipe accordingly to 7 eggs for 23 cm chiffon tin.

Tang Zhong or Water Roux

Make 300g

IngredientBread Flour x 50g
Milk x 125g
Water x 125g (or can use all water at 250g and omit milk)

Steps
1) Mix bread flour with water and/or milk.
2) Cook over low heat and stir continually to prevent burning.
3) Cook until boiling and keep stirring until the bubbles disappear and streaks appear in the mixture for every stir you make
with the spetula. Remove from heat immediately.
4)Pour the hot Tang Zhong into a bowl and cover it with cling wrap (touching the surface of TZ) when it is warm.
5) Leave to cool down at room temperature before use.

Tips :
- Leftover Tang Zhong can be store in container or plastic bag, kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
- All chilled Tang Zhong must return to room temperature before use.
- If chilled Tang Zhong has turned grayish in colour, discard it.
- Weight will varies after cook due to water evaporate during the heating process.

Chocolate Crumble Marble Cake

Make (15x15 cm)
Adapted from Dailydelicious

Ingredients
Crumb topping
Plain flour x 85g
Cocao Powder x 8g
Butter x 50g
Brown sugar x 50g

Cake

Butter x 115g
Sugar x 115g
Whipping cream x 30 ml
Eggs x 2
Vanilla extract x 1tsp
Plain flour x 115g
Baking powder x 1¼tsp

Dark chocolate (chopped) x 65g
Whipping cream x 30 ml

Steps

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C
2) Line the pan with baking paper.
3) Make the crumb: Mix all the ingredient together until it looks like bread crumbs and set aside.
4) Beat the butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
5) Add vanilla extract and egg beat bit by bit to combine.
6) Sift the flour with baking powder and add half of it into the butter mixture and fold to combine.
7) Follow by 30ml of whipping cream and fold to combine.
8) Then add the rest of the flour and fold to combine.
9) Melt the chocolate with 30ml of the whipping cream.
10) Scoop 1/3 of the cake batter into chocolate and mix until combine.
11) Pour both of the batter into the prepared pan and use a chopstick to create marble effect.
12) Put the cake into the oven middle rack and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
13) Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the cake and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick insert in the center of the cake come out clean.

Lemon Curd

Make 1 bottle of 600ml.

Ingredient
lemon zest x 3 teaspoon
lemon juice x 8 to 9 tablespoon
sugar x 330g
egg x 3
egg yolk x 1

butter x 135g


Steps
1) Mix egg, egg yolk, sugar and lemon juice together.
2) Baine marie over low heat and stir continuously.
3) Cook until mixture started to be thick, add lemon zest.
4) Continue cooking untill thick and add butter.
5) Pour and store lemon curd in hot sterilised bottle for future use.

Tips :
- Add additional egg yolk for thicker constinuency of lemon curd.
- May use Meyer lemon if in season as more fragrance.
- May play around with flavour for orange or yuzu curd for baking or macaron filling.

Milo Eggless Tiramisu

Ingredient
• 12 pcs Italian ladyfinger biscuits (for dipping in coffee solution)
• Milo or Cocoa powder for dusting

• (A) Cream mixture
o 250 grams mascarpone cheese
o 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
o 2 tablespoon vanilla essence
o 2 tablespoon sugar
o 3 tablespoon Milo mixed well with 3 tablespoon warm water (reduce to 2 tablespoon of Milo drink if using vanilla essence instead of vanilla bean paste)
o 2 tablespoon thickened cream

• (B) Coffee solution
o 3 tablespoon instant coffee mix in 150ml hot water
o 3 tablespoon of Kahlua or Tia Maria (can substitute with Milo drink)

Steps
1) Mix instant coffee granules with warm water followed by Kahlua.
2) Quickly heat the coffee mixture to evaporate the alcohol (this step is optional for those do not mind the alcohol).
3) Pour the coffee mixture into a shallow plate for dipping of the ladyfingers.
4) Mix all the ingredients in A together in a bowl until well mixed.
5) Dip half of the ladyfingers and line them at the bottom of cups or dish.
6) Ensure all biscuits are well coated n do it fast else the biscuits will be too soggy to handle).
7) Scoop half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers.
8) Sieve milo power over the cream mixture.
9) Dip the other half of the biscuits and line them on the cream mixture.
10) Spread the balance cream mixture over the second layer of ladyfinger biscuits.
11) Chill the tiramisu in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
12) Before serving, sieve some more Milo powder over the chilled tiramisu and top with Nestle milo cereal.

Fried Tapioca Pancake

Ingredient (serves 10 pcs)

Finely grated tapioca x 300g (drained off excess liquid)
White Coconut milk x 100ml (ask for grated deskinned coconut from wet market; 1 coconut is about 350g grated white coconut)
Pandan juice x 1 tbsp (use water if pandan leaves are not available)
Pandan paste x 1 drop
Sugar x 85g
Corn flour x 1 tbsp

Steps
1) Squeeze coconut milk if not using package one (do not use those thick carton package one as it is too thick but get those plastic pack from chiller section).
2) Grate tapioca and squeeze out the liquid.
3) Add coconut milk and pandan juice into dried tapioca pulp followed by pandan paste.
4) Add sugar and corn flour, then mix well.
5) Lightly grease a non-stick pan and scoop batter into heated pan.
6) Pan-fry till both sides are crispy and golden. Drain well on greaseproof paper.

Nama Chocolate

Nama Chocolate (make 1 tray of 14.5 x 8cm)

Ingredient
Dark Chocolate (min 55%) x 160g
Whipping Cream x 90g
Milk x 10g Glucose
syrup x 10g (if use honey as substitue x 3/4 tablespoon)
Unsalted butter x 10g Cocoa powder x 5 tablespoon

Steps
1) Prepare a tray (14.5X8.8 cm) and line with baking paper (make sure you have excess by the side to help to lift up the chocolatefrom the tray later)
2) Baine Marie (double boil over stove) whipping cream, milk and glucose (or honey).
3) When the mixture begin to boil, remove from stove.
4) Add butter and chocolate to melt in warm mixture.
5) Pour the melter chocolate mixture into the lined tray and leave in refrigerator overnight.
6) Cut into small pieces and then dust and dip in sieved cocoa powder.
7) Keep in refrigerator and serve immediately from the fridge as the chocolates melt fast.

Playing with flavour:
1) Mocca - Add 1 teaspoon coffee granule; balance with additional 1 teaspoon milk or whipping cream
2) Add 1-2 tbsp rum or liqueur.
3) Add 1 tsp coarse sea salt.
4) Infuse 1 - 2 loose flavoured tea leaves while warming the milk and cream. Strain leave before melting chocolate or butter.

Q&A:
1) Milk and liquid glucose - make the chocolate exceptionally smooth but also softer.
1a) Guideline for Nama is whipping cream:chocolate ratio is 1:2 (i.e. 50% cream to chocolate). May play around with ratio up to 60% cream to chocolate for different texture. Personally I prefer 60% but it turns soft very fast immediately out of fridge.
2) For stronger chocolate taste - can use chocolate milk
3) Butter suppose to make the chocolate shine but for this case not much effect but will add smoothness to overall taste.