Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake, My Version

Remember I once (or twice) blogged about red velvet cake? There are so recipes out there.
But nothing really fits my tastebuds. Until, my birthday last year. Everyone said Anis’ cake was the best.
And I can’t agree less… It’s moist, it’s has that balanced taste of tanginess and cocoa.
But it was on the sweeter side for me. So I decided to try that recipe and altered it according to my taste.
And so, this is what I ended up with:

And little note before we start:

1. This version is a recipe that I altered from Rima’s blog.
2. For this recipe, I separated the egg whites from the yolk, an idea I got from the book, the Undomestic Goddes by Sophie Kinsella. I like the outcome of cakes from this technique as cakes become from fluffy and less dense. But some people prefer rich and dense cake (especially butter cake), so you may not want to use this technique. Or if you’re a LB like me, can just dump the single egg at one go like the original recipe.
3. It is best to use a mixer with a power of 250watt above, so that you don’t have to whip you egg whites forever to achieve the desired result.
4. I prefer to add color to the yogurt / buttermilk because it is less messy.
5. I’ve converted the measurements to metric so that I aim to get the same result everytime. But it’s ok if you want to stick to cups/spoons for quick and easy measure (like the original recipe).
6. This is just the recipe for the cake, not inclusive of the frosting/icing (typically me).

Enough ramblings, here ist the recipe:

Part A
113g / 4oz flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (skip if using salted butter)
1 tbsp (about 3g or so) cocoa powder
——————
Sift and set aside

Part B
1 plain yoghurt (1/2 cup) (or buttermilk: 1/2 milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
1 tbsp red coloring
——————
Mix well, set aside

Part C
1 egg white
——————
Beat till stiff, set aside

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part D
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 oz butter
100g / 3.6 oz sugar
——————
Beat butter and sugar till soft and fluffy (basically the coarse sugar)
Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until well mixed.

Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture (Part A)
Mix well.
Aid 1/2 of the yoghurt mixture (Part B)
Mix well.
Repeat (A, then B) until for remaining mixture.

Fold in the white egg mixture (Part C) just till combined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part E
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar
——————
Mix the baking soda and vinegar and with all that fizz, pour in to the cake batter.
Mix well.

Bake for 35- 40 mins for an 8×8 pan.
Or 20 mins for cupcakes.

Being 33

Yes, I am 33. And it’s great.
I don’t know why, but I think it’s better than 32 and I feel way more confident than 30.
Yes, I still have a lot of unorganized and unmaterialized plans, hopes and aspirations in head but I am more at peace with myself.
Today is not my birthday. Neither it is this month. It was last month. On the 2nd to be exact.

And typically me, I did not do an entry on that day, as I hadn’t the past years. Just so I would not forget, here’s to what happened, on and around my birthday month.

1. I decided to celebrate my birthday by sharing cakes I bake with friends at the workplace. At first I planned to bake 6 cakes. Why six? To commemorate my 33rd birthday 3+3=6. Alas, I can only plan. Dalam keheningan pagi (4 am), I realized I was out of eggs.. Hmm, so I stopped at 5. There was 2 cheesecakes, a marbled cheese chocolate cake, carrot cake and vanilla – coffee sponge cake.

2. Since I wasn’t expecting to receive any cake (the very reason to bake my own cakes), I was so surprised to find a red velvet frosted with cream cheese on my desk that morning. I was sooo touched, beyond words. Hampir menitiskan air mata. Seriously. (Plus everyone at home, my mom and sister said it’s one of the  best RV cake they’ve ever tasted. Compliments to the chef).

3. Not only that, someone else also baked me chocolate chip cookies. As she had remembered I love eating cookies, just too lazy to bake them. Thank you, Eny.. I really appreciate the thought.

4. Mom, last year gave me this beautiful embroidered telekung. This year she gave a pair of clothes (to be made into baju kurung) with matching scarf. Thanks Ibu, for always remembering.

 

5. Encik Suami, as usual did away with the surprise and just told me he’d buy me the iPhone for my birthday. But due to the hassle at his office, I received the phone 2 weeks after my birthday. Thank you, I love you.

6. And after so many years (3, or is it just 2) of planning an outstation birthday celebration with my birthday buddy (first it was Bandung, shortened to Singapore and finally settling on Batu Pahat), we managed to go on a road trip together. It wasn’t on our birthday, but the weekend after our birthday. And the agenda was of course, makan, makan and makan. I would do an entry on that some day.

So there, my 33rd birthday to remember by. ☺

3 Cake Recipes to Share

Here are my top three favorite cake recipes because it’s easy. I’m such a lazy baker that I only do easy cakes. And more often than not, they are the stir and bake type. What’s that? Well, for S&B cakes, (if the term is correct), you just dump all the ingredients in a bowl and stir, then you bake and done. So here are the recipes:

1. Easiest Cheesecake

Before Baking

The Oreo Bottom

Baked.. all the m&m's color had ran out

 

I got this from the Internet, as I was looking for a quick and easy cheesecake to whip. But unfortunately, I totally forgotten the source. So sorry.. x dapat bagi credits.

Ingredients: Oreo Biscuits, 250g cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence, chocolate chips.

Method:

• Put half of an oreo biscuit in a baking cup (for cupcakes).
• Mix cream cheese and sugar till white and fluffy.
• Beat in egg and vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into the cups filled with oreo, sprinkle some chocolate chips* and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
  *Alternatively, you can top with blueberries or any other topping.
• The cake is best eaten when cooled and chilled overnight.

2. Carrot Cake

The Carrot Cake in Cups

I got this recipe from youtube. But I altered it a little bit, reducing the sugar and replacing pecan with walnuts.

Ingredients: 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, 1 1/2 cup of oil, 2 tsp vanilla essence, 1 cup of chopped walnut, 1 cup of raisins, 3 cups of grated carrot

Method:

• Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Combine in sugar.
• Mix the dry ingredients with eggs, one by one.
• Pour in the vanilla essence and the oils. And stir.
• Fold in the chopped walnut and raisins, and lastly fold in the carrot.
• Pour into a baking pan and bake for about 30 – 40 minutes.
• Cake is best eaten with a cream cheese topping. (Which I am so lazy to prepare, as usual).

3. Easiest, Tastiest Chocolate Cake

chocolate cupcake

Inspired by Anna from Bake-Freshly

This recipe was passed down to me by my mother. She gave it to me when I was in search for the yummiest chocolate cake recipe. I was considering whether or not to share this, but I thought, what the heck.. if I don’t, the internet is so full of it, anyway. What have I got to lose. As if I’m on cake business pon. If people make money out of this recipe, Alhamdullillah for them. Adalah “share” aku dalam menambah rezeki orang.

Anyway, what I love about this recipe is that, not just that it’s easy.. but it’s also flexible. Eh, panjang, nanti entry lain, saya cerita pasal recipe ni. So, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients: 1 cup superfine flour (I’ve tried ordinary, superfine tastes better), 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 cup cocoa powder (use the better brand to guarantee a chocolicious cake), 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1/2 cup boiling water (must be boiling, ya).

Method:

• Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder.
• Pour in the sugar and salt.
• Pour in all the wet ingredients (egg, oil and milk) except boiling water and stir.
• When everything is evenly mixed, pour in the boiling bit by bit and stir until all the water have been mixed.
• You should have a flowy mixture.
• Pour into a baking pan (I use and 6″ round pan) and bake for about 40 minutes.
• Cake is best eaten with a chocolate topping or ganache.

So, happy baking and all the best!