Another Alternative To Butter Cake–Cream Cheese Butter Cake (奶酪牛油蛋糕）

INTRODUCTION

This is not a difficult bake but it produces a moist texture. Incorporating cream cheese to butter cake is rather uncommon but it help to moisten the cake. On the other hand, it did make the cake a bit denser..It is not the fluffy type of butter cake that you are looking at, it is a more compact type of moist butter cake.

I have really nothing much to write about this recipe. Again, it is my own recipe and from my own experimentation.  I have experimented this at home and if the recipe succeeded, I will share it with readers and for readers to try out..

As the cake is very plain, I have decided to do some pattern with the cake, dusting some cocoa powder in between the cake. However, that is totally not necessary because it is for home consumption. the topographic effect will become more obvious if you divide the dough into 3 portions and have one colour for each portion.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: One 9” x 9” cake

• 250 grams of butter (at room temperature)
• 250 grams of cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 4 eggs
• 300 grams of self raising flour
• 100 grams of fresh milk
• 250 grams of castor sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional and not in picture)
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius

• Lightly grease an 9” x 9” baking tin preferably with a detachable base.

• Cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese until light and fluffy, add in the vanilla essence and eggs and use slow speed to “mix” until well combined. Eggs should be added one by one and scrap the bottom of the bowl to ensure no unmixed egg settled at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Sift in 1/3 of the self raising flour  and milk and use the spatula to quickly fold in the flour.. Continue with the remaining 2/3 until all the flour  and milk are added.

• Transfer one third of the batter to the baking tin, level and dust a tablespoon of the cocoa powder on top of the first layer. Add another one third of the batter on top of the cocoa powder, level and dust another tablespoon of the cocoa powder on top of the second layer. Pour the remaining 1/3 of the flour on top of the cocoa powder, level and bake in the oven (at the lowest shelf) at 180 degree Celsius at 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

• If you noted the surface turning brownish too soon, lower the temperature to 165 degree Celsius and continue baking until the cake is cooked. It may take a bit longer and skewer test is still the final test. You can also turn off the top heat when you sighted the burnt, continue to cook until the last 15 minutes and on the top heat again.

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CONCLUSION

Do give it a try and you will be surprised with the texture. To achieve  maximum topographic effect, you can add some permitted food colouring and that will give you a cake that impress your guest…

Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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For more recipes, you can refer to my RECIPE INDEX (updated as at 10th February 2014)  here and you can follow me at PINTEREST or visit this blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE .  

 

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Lets Have Something Different–Steamed Cream Cheese Layered Cake

INTRODUCTION

I just steamed the cake this morning and I am issuing the post today, which is rather unusual. I usually have the picture taking after at least 8-10 hours of resting. However, I have decided to post it today because some members of a Facebook Group is requesting for the recipe to try out (possibly for their Valentine’s day tomorrow)..

it is a simple cake to prepare though it looked a bit complicated. It is a nice and moist cake since it is steamed. I can tell you very frankly, I like this steamed version of layered cake when compared to the baked version of layered cake. For baked version of layered cake, it was long hours of baking in an oven causing  the cake lost in moisture. In general, what make an oven cake “moist” and fluffy in effect is the butter content in the cake, the higher it is, the “moister” it is..

This is not a new recipe at all, it is the modified, steamed version of my Chocolate Cream Cheese Lapis Cake earlier. I have always wanted to try the steamed version of baked cakes.. Being born and raised in Malaysia, I have been exposed to Malay steamed cakes.. Most traditional cakes are steamed as majority of the families do not have the oven until rather recently. I like the Malay version of steamed cakes because it is very moist.. Unlike traditional Chinese steamed cakes like sponge cake (kuey neng ko) and huat kueh which is rather dry as there were no fats (oils) used,  Malay steamed cakes, on the other hand usually are rich with butter and eggs, so it is moist and a sinful indulgence.

For my photo taking purposes, I need to use some colour to show the effect. However, if you are not fancy of food colouring, just omit it, Instead of putting colouring in one portion of the batter, you can always use cocoa powder or coffee paste.. Colouring is totally optional, For the topping, I have sprinkled some edible rose petals. That is optional too… It is purely for decoration and it wouldn’t seriously affect the taste. As I was preparing in a rush, I have made a mistake of using an 10 inches diameter round baking tin. Making it slightly thinner. However, if you used an 8 inches diameter round baking tin, it should have 2-3 layers more.

How does it taste like? It tastes like a moist but dense butter cake with cheesy flavour.. If you use cocoa powder or coffee paste, it will become chocolate or coffee flavoured layered cake.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Serving: 8 inches diameter round baking tin or baking tin of your choice

• 150 grams of butter (牛油）– softened at room temperature
• 200 grams of cream cheese （奶酪）
• 4 whole eggs （鸡蛋）
• 300 grams of self raising flour （自发面粉）
• 300 grams of icing/powdered sugar (not in picture) （糖霜/糖粉）
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional) （香精）
• 200 grams of fresh milk （新鲜牛奶）
• Some permitted colouring (optional) （食用色素）

 

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

• A lightly greased 8” diameter cake tin or any other types of baking cake tin .

• A steamer with adequate hot boiling water for steaming about 30 minutes.

• Cream the cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and pale. Add in vanilla essence, followed by one egg at a time and ensure that the egg and cream cheese mixture are well mixed.

• Take out the mixing bowl and fold in 1/3 of the flours followed by 1/3 of the milk.. Repeat for the other 2/3 portion. Divide the batter into 2 equal portions. For one portion, add in some permitted food colouring and stir until well mixed.

• Heat the greased baking tin for about 1 minute in the steamer. Put 2 ladles of red batter in the tin and ensure that it is equally distributed in the tin. Steam for 4-5 minutes or until the surface has dries up.  If you note of some bubbling, use a toothpick to poke the hole and let the trapped air escape. 

• Put another 2 ladles of beige batter, steam until dry. Repeat the same procedures until all the batters are finished. After all the batter have finished, for the last layer,  you can sprinkled some edible rose petals if desired or create some pattern of your choice. Cooled completely  before cutting into smaller pieces. Can keep in refrigerator for at least up to 2 weeks in an air tight container. If it turns hard, just re-steamed for a few minutes before serving.

 

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CONCLUSION

No beautiful pictures in this post as I was posting in a rush. In fact, if I cut the cake after resting for one day, there should be no debris and the cutting should be smooth since the cake has set.  Do pardon me for this. All the basic complaints of cakes of being too dry, no butter aroma etc. had been addressed in this cake.. If you have not try a steamed cake, you may wish to give it a go. Chances of failure are low as there are no complicated procedures. In addition, since it is cooked layer by layer, it do not have the problem of uncooked cake and cake shrinkage etc.…

Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

 

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For more recipes, you can refer to my RECIPE INDEX (updated as at 10th February 2014)  here and you can follow me at PINTEREST or visit this blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE .  

 

If you are a Pinterest user and you are interested to have more recipes, you can join or follow this Pinterest Board set up by me  where there are more than 1500 recipes worldwide and pinned by various bloggers: FOOD BLOGGERS AND FOODIES UNITED PINTEREST BOARD. You can also join the Food Bloggers and Foodies United Group Facebook Group to see more recipes.

Banana Cream Cheese Cupcakes–One Number Baking Ratio Adventures No. 10

INTRODUCTION

It is fun and easy to make, you can ask your kids to help out as it is just mix and bake. It is tasty, moist and cheesy. I should have put more cream cheese in it.

The inspiration of this recipe comes  from one of the entries in the FOUR SEASONS BLOG HOP #22 – Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. The blog owner, Ms. Christian had her version of pumpkin cream cheese muffins. In her muffins, she put one tablespoon  of cream cheese in the batter and the muffins looks extremely delish. I commented on her post that since pumpkin prices in Singapore appeared to be unaffected, I will try her recipe by substituting using carrots. She is unsure but she offered alternatives to substitute with sweet potatoes or yams! How kind is she! I wanted to take this opportunities to thank her for her kind advise.

This morning when I woke up, I looked at the whole bunch of bananas “sitting” quietly in my dining table. It was ripe and I did not foresee we were able to finish all within a day. Then it stroke my mind the above recipe. I told myself that I should try to get rid of these overly ripe bananas by making some banana cream cheese muffins/cupcakes utilizing my proposed “one number baking ratio” theory…. and I am glad that the results were very satisfactory as you can see for yourself in the picture.

One number baking ratio basically means that using equal portion of the ingredients to prepare the baked products. If you are interested to read more about my “one number baking ratio” adventures, you can refer to the following posts –Basic Pound Cake, Peanut Butter Muffins, Fruits Dates Cakes, Zebra Patterned Pound Cake, Grapefruit Cognac Pound Cake，Almond Sugee Cake and Yoghurt Marble Cupcakes.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED?

Servings: about: 12 medium muffin size cup cakes

• 250 grams of cooking oil or melted butter (I used half each because I have some melted butter left)

• 250 grams of self raising flours

• 250 grams of castor sugar or brown sugar

• 250 grams of eggs (or if you want to use actual weights of 5 eggs, any excess weights from 250grams will have to be deducted from 100 grams of milk) – see explanation below

• 150 grams of ripe bananas (or if you want to use actual weights of 3 ripe bananas, any excess weights from 100 grams will have to be deducted from 150 grams of milk) – see explanation below

• 100 grams of milk (or subject to excess volume of bananas and eggs)

• 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon spice mix (or the spice mix for cakes)

• 1 additional banana for decoration toppings.

Cream Cheese Fillings

• 100 grams of cream cheese, soften

• 50 grams of icing sugar

CACULATION OF ACTUAL MILK VOLUMES USED

My actual eggs volumes used are =5 eggs x 53 grams per egg = 265 grams and my actual banana volumes used are 175 grams. Therefore milk volume = 100 grams – excess egg volumes (265-250) grams – excess banana volumes (175-150)grams = (100-15-25) grams = 60 grams. Therefore my actual usage today is 265 grams of eggs used, 175 grams banana used and 60 grams of milk.

Of course you can just stick to the exact volumes as stated above without performing the above calculations.

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

Preparation

• Pre-heat oven to 180 degree Celsius

• Line 12 medium sized muffin tins with muffin cups or slightly greased the muffin tin with butter.

• Lightly beat the cream cheese and sugar using the machine whisk or manual whisk until smooth and not lumpy. Set aside for later use.

• Mesh the bananas using a fork until it is soft and fine.

• Sift the self raising flour, baking soda, cinnamon powder (spice mix) into the big bowl. Add the sugar and make a well in the centre.

• In another bowl, mixed all the liquids ingredients (eggs, meshed bananas, milk, melted butter or cooking oil) together, stir until well mixed.

• Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use the fork or a big spoon to quickly mix the batter. It is okay if there are some lumps in it.

• Scope 2 tablespoons of batter into the muffin cups. Add in one tablespoon of beaten cream cheese. Ensure that the cream cheese does not touch the walls of the muffin cups. Fill in additional batter until it is about 80% full.  Cut 2 thin slices of bananas and placed on top of the batters.

• Baked in the oven for 15-20 minutes or when a skewer inserted the skewer comes out clean. But note that there are melted cream cheese inside the muffins, so it is best that you inserted near the muffin cups.

Note: make sure all the batters have cover the cheese and so that there is no chance for the hot cheese to leak out. Otherwise, it will resulted in an elephant muffin like this.

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CONCLUSION

This is a bake that I will strongly recommend. Easy, fast and tasty. Be it a muffin or a cup cake is up to you to call it though there is a thin line to differentiate a muffin from a cupcake. This bake however felled in both muffins and cup cakes categories. It is a muffin because there is no creaming but a simple mix and bake. It is not a muffin because it’s fat content have reached the cake level and its flour is relatively less than what is usually used in a muffin….Sound confusing, never mind, me too. Since I have to give it a name, I have decided to call it BANANA CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES. 

Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day. For more recipes, you can refer to my RECIPE INDEX here and you can follow me at PINTEREST or visit this blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE.

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