Coffee-Walnut Cupcakes

Calling all coffee lovers, this is the cake for you! The combination of coffee and walnut is quite delightful and there is no better aroma to fill your home than with coffee in the form of cakes.  This cake is moist, buttery with a soft texture and packed with coffee flavour.  It is deliciously satisfying, especially with a cup of steaming coffee.

[4 Eggs (with shells) weighed 230g]

Ingredients:  Makes 12 cupcakes

(A)
180g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
45g caster sugar

(B)
4 egg yolks

(C)  Mix together:
150g self-raising flour
20g milk powder
30g almond meal
1/8 tsp sea salt (omit if using salted butter)

(D)
55g espresso coffee

(E)
30g walnut, toasted and chopped
extra whole walnuts, for topping

(E)

4 egg whites, bring to room temperature

45g caster sugar

• Preheat oven to 170°C.  
• In a clean, oil-free mixing bowl, beat egg whites using an electric mixer until soft peaks formed.  Gradually beat in sugar until medium peaks formed.  Set aside.
• Using the same beaters, cream butter and sugar until light and pale in colour.
• Gradually add in egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl).
• Add in flour mixture and coffee in 3 additions, starting and ending with flour. Combine until just incorporated.
• Finally, fold in beaten egg whites in 3 additions, ensuring the batter is well mixed.  Gently fold in chopped walnuts.
• Divide batter among cupcake cases, filling each case about 3/4 full.  Place a whole walnut on top of the batter.
• Bake for about 25 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Transfer the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry Sauce:
2 cups chopped strawberries
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

• Blend strawberries and sugar until smooth. Pour it through a sieve to remove the seeds and some of the pulp.  
• Pour the strawberry puree into a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until purée thickens.  Add in lemon juice and stir to combine.  Cook until the purée is reduced down to 1/2 cup or slightly less. Set aside the strawberry reduction sauce to cool.
  [You'd need 60ml for the cupcakes and 3 tbsp for the frosting]

Cupcakes:

(A)
200g unsalted butter, softened

80g caster sugar

4 egg yolks, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

200g self-raising flour
60ml strawberry sauce

red food colouring (optional)

(B)
4egg whites, room temperature 

80g caster sugar

• Preheat oven to 170°C.  
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks, one at a time until well combined.  Beat in salt and vanilla extract.
• Fold in flour (in 3 batches) alternating with strawberry sauce, beginning and ending with flour. (Add a drop of red food colouring if desired).
• In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks formed, then gradually beat in sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks formed.
• Fold meringue into egg yolks mixture.
• Divide the batter among the 12 paper liners and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Set the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

110g unsalted butter, softened

220g cream cheese, softened

375g icing sugar

pinch of salt

3 tbsp strawberry sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese for 30 seconds or until combined.  Then add in icing sugar and salt; beat until light and fluffy.  
• Beat in the strawberry sauce and vanilla extract until combined.
• Spread frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Before serving, bring the cakes back to room temperature.

Sponge Cupcakes

Recipe Source:  Nasi Lemak Lover

[Makes 13]

Ingredients: 
(A) Using large eggs
3 egg whites
65g icing sugar (I used 55g caster sugar + 5g rice flour  (sifted together)

(B)
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
50g corn oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
65g self-raising flour (I used 65g plain flour + 1/2 tsp baking powder)

(C)
13 paper cups

• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
• Using an electric beater, whisk egg white until foamy.  Gradually add in sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks formed.  Set aside.
• Using the same beater, beat egg yolks, whole egg and oil until light.  Then add in sifted flour and mix well to form a smooth and thick batter.
• Add 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter and stir to combine.  Then lightly fold in the rest of the meringue.
• Spoon the batter into the paper cups about 2/3 full and bake for about 30 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and set them on a wire rack to cool.

Orange Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients:  (Makes 15 cupcakes)

150g butter - softened
120g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour 
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 eggs, at room temperature - separated
50ml orange juice
zest of 1 orange



Method:

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. 
• With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolks, one at a time and make sure that each egg is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next one.
• Fold in flour alternately with the orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir until just combined and the batter is smooth.
• Beat egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form.
• With a rubber spatula, gently fold about a third of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it; then fold in the remaining whites until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Pour batter into paper cases.
  
• Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

Please refer to Wendy's beautiful and smooth Swiss Meringue Buttercream 
 

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes

Recipe Source:  Mui Mui

Ingredients:  (Makes 12 cupcakes)

(A)

60g corn oil (I used Rice Bran oil)

80g milk

100g top flour (I used plain flour)

5 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(B)

5 egg whites

90g caster sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

• Mix oil and milk together in a medium bowl, place it over a double-boiler, cook under low heat.  Stir well.  Remove the bowl from the heat when the mixture turns warm.
• Add in egg yolks, one at a time, whisking well with a balloon whisk.  Add in vanilla extract and stir well to combine.
• Fold in sifted flour and mix until the mixture is smooth.
• In a clean and dry mixing bowl, whisk egg whites with a handheld mixer until soft peaks form.  Add in sugar, in three additions and  whisk until stiff peaks form.
• Add one-third of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture and whisk lightly until it is well incorporated.  Next, using a rubber spatula fold in gently the remaining meringue in two batches.
• Fill the cupcake casings up to 3/4 full and bake in a preheated oven at 140 deg C for 20 minutes, then 150 deg C for 15 minutes.
• Once the cupcakes are removed from the oven, bang the cupcakes on the benchtop once - to prevent the cupcake from shrinking. Set aside to cool completely before piping the whipped cream into the cupcakes.

Whipped fresh cream:

150g thickened cream

14g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

• Beat cream with icing sugar until firm.  Transfer into a piping bag and pipe the whipped cream into the cupcake.

Cupcakes With LOVE

`

This year Valentine's Day coincides with Chap Goh Mei (which is Hokkien for 15th Night  - which marks the last day of Chinese New Year celebration).  Chap Goh Mei is also known as the Lantern Festival Day/Yuan Xiao Festival in China.  Both Valentine's Day and Chap Goh Mei are associated with romance.

Valentine's Day is a day for lovers to express their feeling for one another.  Chap Goh Mei (unofficially known as the Chinese Valentine's Day) is a day where the young unmarried ladies participate in the ritual of tossing  mandarins or oranges (inscribed with their contact number) into rivers in the hope that they will be fished out by the love of their lives.  It is said that this custom was originated in Penang, Malaysia.  

How do you celebrate this double celebration of love?   Do you splurge on expensive dinner and gifts for your loved one or the other way around?  Personally I find that Valentine's Day has become too commercialised and vastly overrated.  I would prefer my loved one to express his love everyday and not only on this specific day. 

And this is how I express my love ~

I halved the recipe from my Tri-Colour Butter Cake and made into 6 plain vanilla cupcakes. 

• Once the cupcakes are cool, slice off the tops with a sharp knife and cut out a heart shape using your pastry cutter.  Set aside.
• Spread your favourite buttercream icing onto the bottom half of the cupcake, making sure not to spread too close to the edge of the cake.
• Put the cupcake back together again (by placing the sliced top onto the iced bottom half of the cupcake)

Please refer to Cookies Cupcakes & Cardio on how to make these pretty cupcakes. 

Meyer Lemon Sponge Cupcakes

Happy New Year! 

I see many fellow bloggers already busy cooking and baking and some even started making cookies for the coming Chinese New Year.  What have I been doing after the festive season?  Nothing!  The after-effects of the Christmas and New Year festivities made me feel so lazy to do anything;  I think I need to recharge my internal battery for 2014. 

Last year I have a bumper crops of Meyer lemons from one single lemon tree, so I have a lot of  frozen lemon juice cubes sitting in my freezer.  After seeing AnnCoo's Grapefruit Sponge Cupcakes, I decided to make lemon sponge cupcakes instead.  The cakes turned out very light and taste good too, although  they looked a little pale.  Another 5 more minutes of baking would be perfect?  

Adapted from Ann's Grapefruit Sponge Cupcakes



(Makes 6 big cupcakes)

Ingredients:

25g Rice Bran oil

40g freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

3 large cold eggs (straight from fridge)

80g caster sugar

100g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

zest from 1 orange

• Preheat oven at 170 deg and line muffin pan with paper liners.
• In a cup, mix rice bran oil and lemon juice together and set aside.
• Sift flour and salt together, set aside.
• Using a stand mixer, whisk cold eggs and sugar together at high speed for 3 minutes, until thick and fluffy.  Then reduce to medium speed and whisk for 10 minutes.  Continue to whisk for another 1 minute at low speed.
• Add in orange zest.  While continuing to whisk at low speed, gradually add in flour, followed by oil and lemon juice mixture.  Do not over mix.  Use a spatula to fold the batter until well combined.
• Spoon batter into paper liners until 90% full.  Tap the muffin pan on kitchen bench to remove air bubbles.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown.

Pandan Sponge Cupcakes

Adapted from Qi Qi in the house

Ingredients:

4 eggs (66g each), room temperature
90g caster sugar
50g corn oil (I used rice bran oil)
30g pandan juice
10g coconut milk
a few drops of pandan paste - optional
100g plain flour (sifted twice)

• Preheat oven to 120 deg C.
• Put the eggs and sugar in a metal bowl over a saucepan of hot water and whisk with an electric mixer (on medium-high speed) until sugar dissolves.  Remove bowl from the saucepan.  Whisk until mixture triples in volume and is thick enough to hold a trail.  Reduce to low speed and whisk for another minute. Then whisk in pandan juice and coconut milk.
• Using a balloon whisk, gently fold in the flour in 3 or 4 batches.
• Gradually pour the oil around the edge of the mixing bowl and mix well.  
• Spoon the mixture into the patty cases to 90% full.
• Bake in a preheated oven  for about 20 - 25 minutes or until cooked through.
• Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Banana-Orange-Walnut Cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

240g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
170g butter, softened
140g caster sugar
3 eggs (59g each)
zest of 1 orange
125 ml orange juice
20g roasted walnuts, chop coarsely
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
a few walnut halves

• Preheat oven at 160 deg C.
• Sift flour together with bicarbonate of soda.  Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in orange zest.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir in mashed bananas. 
• Add in flour mixture, alternating with orange juice; starting and ending with flour and walnut.
• Spoon cake batter into cupcake casings.  Gently place a few walnut halves on the top.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until done.

Hokkaido Cupcakes

Source:  Nasi Lemak Lover and Lite Home Bake

Ingredients:
 
3 egg yolks
25g caster sugar
35g  oil
60g buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

70g cake flour 
1/2 tsp baking powder 
3 egg whites
20g caster sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
fresh raspberries
icing sugar for dusting

Whipped Cream:

1 cup whipping cream
15 - 20g icing sugar, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Sift flour and baking powder twice.  Set aside.
3. Using a handheld electric beater, beat egg whites until foamy, add in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add in sugar and beat  until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.
4. Beat egg yolks and sugar until pale.  Add in oil,  buttermilk and vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Beat the mixture into flour.  Set aside.
5. Fold 1/3 of the meringue into egg yolk batter. Gently fold until combined.  Add in the rest of the meringue.
6. Fill in paper cups to almost full.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Turn off the oven and leave the cupcakes in the oven with door ajar for 5 minute.
8. Transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Beat  cream with icing sugar until firm.  Transfer into a piping bag and pipe the whipped cream into the cupcake and decorate with a raspberry.  Refrigerate cupcakes.  
10. Dust icing sugar over the cupcakes before serving.

Ma Lai Ko (Steamed Sponge Cake) 馬拉糕

This is the unyeasted and darker version of  steamed sponge cake  also known as Ma Lai Ko (馬拉糕).  Thanks to my friend Linda, the Wonder-Cook who kindly shared this recipe with me -


Ingredients:

(A)
110g caster sugar
230ml water
200 butter
1 tsp dark soy

(B) Sift together:
300g plain flour
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

(C)
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
2 tbsp condensed milk
400ml evaporated milk

• (A)  Heat sugar until dissolves.  Add in water and stir well.  Turn off heat.  Stir in butter and dark soy.  Set aside to cool.
• (C)  Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in milks.  Then add the butter mixture and gently fold in the sifted flour mixture.  Pour into a cake pan or individual moulds.  
• Steam over high heat for about 20 minutes.

Hokkaido Cupcakes

 

Source:  Nasi Lemak Lover and Lite Home Bake with some changes in red. 

Ingredients:
 
3 egg yolks
25g caster sugar
35g corn oil
60g milk (substitute with orange juice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
70g cake flour (substitute with plain flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder 
3 egg whites
20g caster sugar
1 tsp lemon juice (substitute with 1 tsp cream of tartar)
Icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Sift flour and baking powder twice.  Set aside.
3. Using a handheld electric beater, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale in colour.  Add in oil,  milk and vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Beat the mixture into flour.  Set aside.
4. Beat egg white until foamy, add in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add in sugar in 2 additions and beat  until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold 1/3 egg white into egg yolk batter.
6. Fold in balance egg white until well combined.
7. Fill in paper cups to almost full.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes.  I left cupcakes in oven with door ajar for 5 minutes before removing them to cool completely.
9. Transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack and turn them upside down to cool completely.
10. Dust some icing sugar on the cupcakes before serving.

Raspberry Muffins

Adapted from Joyofbaking

(Makes 12)

(A)

1 cup orange juice

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 orange zest

(B)

230g plain flour

30g almond meal

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

100g sugar

1/4 tsp salt

125g frozen raspberries

• Preheat oven at 190 degrees C.  Line muffin pan with paper cups.
• (A)  Whisk everything together in a bowl.
• (B)  Sift everything into a  separate bowl.  Toss raspberries in a tablespoon of flour.  Shake off excess flour and set aside.
• Fold wet ingredients (A) into the dry ingredients (B).  Stir quickly.
• Gently stir in frozen raspberries.
• Fill the muffin cups to 2/3 full.  
• Bake for about 18- 20 minutes.

Lime-Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients:  (Makes 13 in muffin cases) 

200g butter - softened
180g caster sugar
200g self-raising flour 
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
5 eggs, at room temperature - separated
1/2 cup coconut cream + lime juice
zest of 2 limes



Method:

• Preheat oven to 150 - 160 degrees C. 
• With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolks, one at a time and make sure that each egg is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next one.
• Fold in flour alternately with the coconut cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir until just combined and the batter is smooth.
• Beat egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form.
• With a rubber spatula, gently fold about a third of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it; then fold in the remaining whites until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Pour batter into muffin cases.
  
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

Dark Chocolate Mini Friands

Ingredients:

220g icing sugar, sift
75g plain flour
185g butter, melted
6 egg whites, whisked until foamy
100g almond meal
20g dessicated coconut (optional)
zest of 1 orange (optional)
dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.  Grease two 12-holes mini muffin pan.
• Combine flour, almond meal, dessicated coconut and icing sugar in a bowl.  
• Add melted butter and egg whites into the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
• Divide mixture among the muffin holes then spoon some chopped chocolate into the centre of each friand. 
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until browned and cooked when tested.
• Allow friands to stand in the pans for about 5 minutes, then run a small rubber spatula around the outside of each friand to loosen before turning them onto a wire rack to cool.
• Dust friands with cocoa powder and icing sugar when served (optional).

Wholemeal Coconut-Pandan Muffin

(Makes 12)

(A)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup rice bran oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pandan extract

(B)
260g wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
50g almond flakes
2 tbsp dessicated coconut
100g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
 

• Preheat oven at 170 degrees C.  Line muffin pan with paper cups.
• (A)  Whisk everything together in a bowl.
• (B)  Sift everything into a  separate bowl.  
• Fill the muffin cups to 2/3 full.  
• Bake for about 18- 20 minutes.

Citrus Cranberries Mini Loaves

A recipe adapted from AWW (April 2005) ...

Ingredients:

125g butter, softened
150g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
40g almond meal
2 eggs
50g dried cranberries, chopped (tossed in flour)
80ml fresh orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to moderate (about 160 degrees C).  Grease an 8-hole mini loaf pan; line bases with baking paper.
• Beat butter, rinds and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add in eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined between additions.
• Fold in flour, almond meals and orange juice.
• Gently fold in cranberries.
• Divide mixture among the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 25 minutes.  

Glace Icing:

120g icing sugar mixture
1 tbsp fresh orange juice

• Sift icing sugar into a small heatproof bowl; add the juice and mix to a firm paste.
• Stir over a small pan of simmering water until icing is a spreadable consistency (do not overheat)
• Spread icing immediately over cold cakes. 

Strawberry Friands

(Makes  10)

Ingredients:

1½ cups (240g) icing mixture, sifted

½ cup (75g) plain flour, sifted

185g butter, melted

6 egg whites

1 cup (125g) almond meal

100g fresh/frozen strawberries (or any other berries)

2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position so that the friands brown evenly.
• Grease 10 friand pan holes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites lightly until foamy which takes about half a minute.
• Add the melted butter, almond meal, icing sugar, desiccated coconut and flour.  Whisk until just combined.
• Divide mixture among the friand pan holes, then push a strawberry into the centre of each friand.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, or until browned and cooked when tested.
• Remove friands from the oven and allow to stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a small rubber spatula around the outside of each friand to loosen before turning them onto a wire rack to cool.

 

Tip: Choc-chips, almond flakes and other dried fruits can be added into plain friands