Recipe: Berry poke cupcakes

A while ago my friends I and C came to me and said "if you don't make cake for us, we will put your name on the ice bucket challenge." I was dumbfounded for a while, and the three of us laugh hysterically. Those two are among the perkiest people in the department, and I knew they didn't really mean what they said. However, I did bake cake for them and others in the department as I love baking, and it was fun succumbing to their crazy 'threat' ;)

This cake is a modified version of the Victoria's sponge cake, and it is one of my favorite! To have fluffy cake, use cake flour instead of normal flour, and whenever you mix eggs one by one in the batter, always put a tablespoon of the dry ingredients to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Berry poke cupcakes 
(make 2 9' cake or 18 large cupcakes)
[click for printable version]

Cake
300 gm cake flour
300 gm unsalted butter
300 gm castor sugar
6 eggs (or 300 gm eggs)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla powder

Blueberry compote
200 gm blueberries
4 tablespoons castor sugar
1 cup water

400 ml whipping cream - whipped until fluffy
250 gm fresh berries of your choice (I used strawberries)

Method:

To make the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Mix baking powder, vanilla powder and cake flour in a small bowl, set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy and fluffy (about 10 minutes). Beat eggs one by one into the butter mixture with one tablespoon of dry ingredients for each egg to avoid the batter from curdling.
3. Fold the rest of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with wooden spoon, and pour the batter in the cake pans or cupcake liners. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

To make blueberry compote:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a large pot on a high heat until boiling. Reduce the heat until the compote becomes thick

To assemble:
Poke the cake/cupcakes several times with a fork. Pour the blueberry compote on top of the cake followed by the whipping cream. Decorate with fresh fruits

I'm glad you guys love the cake! :D And happy belated birthday to I (I baked the same cake for her) ;)

p.s: Fun facts - in the Netherlands, when it is your birthday you are the one bringing the cake to the office and people will shake your hand and congratulate you. In Malaysia on the other hand, your close friends bring the cake for you to celebrate your birthday. So I (if you read this post), you should be prepared for my cake next year hehe

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Recipe: Triple Strawberry Cake & Selamat Hari Raya! Eid Mubarak!

It was breaking fast together with the Malaysians at Wageningen last week. The host prepared delicious chicken biryani rice and kuih, and the rest brought other foods and drinks. Knowing there will be lots of food (if it is Malaysian get-together, there WILL be plenty of foods), I decided to bake strawberry cake for dessert. It is not heavy and filling like chocolate cake, thus it is perfect for such event.

I was full from gorging over the delicious biryani, but I had to try a small slice of the cake that I made. It was awesome! Not that sweet and moist, and I had to take another small slice of the cake haha.

This cake will be perfect for Hari Raya open house- in Malaysia the Muslims invited their family and friends for small (or big) feast to celebrate Eid-fitr (a celebration that marks the end of Ramadan).

Triple Strawberry Cake
[click for printable version]

Strawberry Cake (white cake recipe adapted from add a pinch)
1 ½  cup butter, softened
12 tablespoons castor sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped strawberries

Strawberry sauce
4 cups water
2 tablespoons castor sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberried

Strawberry cream cheese frosting
400 gm cream cheese (I used 60% fat content)
60 gm icing sugar
5 tablespoons strawberry sauce

Method:

For cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line four 6-inch cake pans.2. In a large bowl cream butter until light and fluffy with a hand mixer. Slowly add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time making sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another.
3. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, buttermilk and vanilla beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir until well combined and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and mixed well.
4. Divide into 4 cake pans evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool slightly in cake pans for about 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

For sauce
1. Combine everything in a large pot on high heat. Once the water boil, turn the heat to medium-low. Mash the strawberry using potato masher. Simmer the sauce until thickens (approximately 15 minutes or more)

For cream cheese frosting
1. Put everything in a large bowl and mix well.

To assemble: Level the cake using serrated knife or cake cutter, put strawberry sauce on top of the cake and strawberry cream cheese frosting. Repeat for every layer. Cover and crumb coat the cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting for an hour, and cover the cake with the rest of the frosting. Decorate with slices of fresh strawberries and strawberry sauce.

Eid Mubarak in advance guys! Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all :D

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Recipe: Vegetarian lemon tea cake with berry sauce

The unstable weather in Wageningen drives me crazy sometimes. Davis has unpredictable weather too, but only in few seasons (and not all four of them). I can experience all hot, cold, sunny, cloudy, windy and rainy weather in one day here in Wageningen. Looking at the weather forecast website is an hourly routine, and it is my new best friend. Good thing I have bought new rain jacket so I can bike to the campus without being irritated when it suddenly rain (maybe haha).

On a good note, the crazy weather is the only thing that I don't like about Wageningen so far, the rest is awesome! People are friendly - strangers greet me whenever I pass by them, sometimes they even greet me in Bahasa which I find adorable.The nature is so pretty, and this place is calm and peaceful. Fresh produce is a lot, and you can even buy it for cheap.

Owh talking about local produce, I was going gaga over the fruits sold at the market. Lots of summer fruits and I can't help buying many varieties. We bought 2 kg of fresh cherries last week, and was planning to make cherry pie but had to change my plan as 'dear' hubby ate 1.8 kg of them (literally!) *speechless* -_-!!! We didn't buy any cherries this week though but I managed to grab few berries for my own use.

I baked vegetarian lemon tea cake as I wanted something refreshing, and lemon goes well with blueberries, or even with other berries. I have a lot of Greek yogurt left so I used that to make delicious and moist vegetarian cake. The recipe below is something that I created myself, it might not be perfect but I find the cake to be not that sweet (just the way I like it), has light flavor, moist and taste delicious. A perfect tea cake to serve to quests plus easy to prepare :D

Vegetarian Lemon Tea Cake with Berry Sauce (Click to print the recipe)

Vegetarian Lemon Tea Cake 

125 gm unsalted butter
4 tablespoon castor sugar (you can add more if you want)
200 ml Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour (cake flour is better)
2 teaspoon baking powder
100 ml corn oil
Finely grated  zest of 1 lemon (you can add/reduce this if you want)


Berry Sauce (Serving: Two people)

7 large strawberries, cut into quarters
15 pieces blueberries
1/2 tablespoon sugar (or more)
1 cup water
A dash of salt
A dash of nutmeg

For serving: 1 cup whipping cream - beat until fluffy (I don't like to put sugar in my whipping cream, you can do that if you want it to be sweeter)


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add Greek yogurt and vanilla extract and mix until combine. Put flour, baking powder in the mixture and mix, add oil and lemon zest and continue beating for one more minute until everything is combined. Pour the batter in 8' x 8' square pan and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool off the cake to room temperature.
3. To make the sauce: Combine everything in a medium pot on a medium to high heat, mash the berries using potato masher and cook until the sauce is thicken (you can add or reduce the water if you want, and you can also add corn flour to thicken up the sauce).
4. To serve: Cut the cake into square pieces, serves with berry sauce and whipped cream and garnish with fresh berries. This cake is delicious serving warm or cold.

p.s: Sugar in Europe is less sweet than the one in Malaysia, so I advice you to reduce the amount of sugar if you follow this recipe and adding more little by little if you want it to be sweeter. 

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Strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting ordered by Samira

Samira, my lab mate, requested a special cake for her. I asked her what she likes and and she listed few things: banana, nuts, strawberry etc. I recommended her the hummingbird cake initially, then I changed my mind as I think this would be a great opportunity for me to bake a new cake.  One thing for sure, I want to use only fresh ingredients for this cake. I look at several options and decided to make strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese (using fresh strawberry of course :D) since I have never tried it before.

As I took out the cake from the oven, I was drooling like hell (oops pardon the word :D) because of the delicious aroma of the cake. The cake was really fluffy as well, I had to be gentle to cut the cake in half.

When I prepared the strawberry cream cheese frosting, my eyes sparkled looking at the color formation of the frosting- really nice natural pink color :D and yes, I couldn't stand with the delicious smell that I had to try some, and OH MY GOD it was the yummiest cream cheese I have tasted so far!! better than Philadelphia strawberry cream cheese spread!

While spreading the delicious frosting on the delicious cake I couldn't stop drooling and cursing myself for not making extra. If I had known it smelled this delicious, I would have baked some for myself *grrr*

The next day I passed the cake to Moloud, my lab mate as well as Samira's housemate. She shrieked with joy looking at the cake and she told me she can't wait to eat the cake :D

2-layer strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese using fresh strawberry

Weight: 500 gm

RM 50

After iftar (breaking the fast) Samira and Moloud sms-ed me and said they love the cake so much and it was delicious. Awww, thanks guys, and I am happy that both of you love it :)

Thanks for the order Samira, and glad that you love it :)

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Hummingbird cake and mini pavlova with strawberry ordered by Suffi

This was Suffi's third order from me (thanks Suffi :) ) She ordered hummingbird cake with pecan and extra cream cheese frosting and mini pavlova with strawberry for her sister in law engagement ceremony. Since I was in Shah Alam visiting my sister, I dropped by her place and delivered the goodies.

I asked Sufi's feedback for both goodies and she said that she loved the pavlova :) Hummingbird cake was okay for her. It is good, but it didn't give her the same 'kick' like my red velvet cake or chocoreo cheez cake. I asked her whether she likes it more than carrot cake, and she said that she loves carrot cake, but this one have more banana taste and she does not really favor it. Thank you so much for the honest feedback Suffi, I really appreciate that. I'm gong to recommend her and my other customers the types of goodies that are suitable for their liking :)

The taste of hummingbird cake is a combination of carrot cake and banana cake, but bare in mind that the banana taste is intense in this cake. If you don't favor banana taste, then I won't recommend this cake for you. If you on other hand like me who loves banana, then this one is for you :) 

I find it funny that most Malaysians don't really like banana and coconut flavors while it is the other way around in the US. I guess because banana and coconut are at abundance in Malaysia, lots of people don't really appreciate the taste like in the US.

2-layer hummingbird cake with pecan and extra cream cheese frosting

Weight: 2+ kg

Price: RM 80

16 2.5 inch mini pavlova with strawberry and chocolate shaved

RM: 45

Anyway thanks for the order Suffi, and thank you for the honest feedback :) Next time I would recommend something chocolatey and cheesy because I think that suit your taste more :)

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Strawberry sensation for Munirah's solemnization

Strawberry sensation became one of my specialty cupcakes after Munirah requested it few months ago. She wanted something special for her hantaran (gift for the groom) for her solemnization. I test baked the cupcake and asked her feedback on it and she said she love it. 

This is so far the most famous specialty cupcake. If you have a bite of it you will know why. Strawberry rich cake with yummy biscuit base and creamy cream cheese frosting. 

So there you go Munirah, specialty cupcake for your hantaran. I hope your new family members love these cute cupcakes just like you do :)

16 pieces Strawberry sensation cupcakes

Size: 2 oz

Price: RM 70

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Mini pavlova ordered by Sarah

Sarah Baharudin- my dear friend, former housemate, and colleague, ordered mini pavlova for her beloved family and in laws :) She ordered 9 mini pavlova with strawberry and kiwi toppings. 

I asked her for her feedback and this is what she and her whole family replied:

Her mom: sedap gile (really yummy)

Her brother: marvellous

Her dad: boleh tahan sedapnya. nak lagi! (the taste is not bad, another one!)

Her husband: wow! Nice

Sarah: All of the above. Lov it darl! couldn't stop! <3 

9 mini pavlova

Size: 4'

Toppings: Fresh kiwi and strawberry with chocolate shave

Price: RM 53

Note: The price of pavlova depends on what kind of fruits you request :)

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Ying and Yang cupcakes, and vanilla cupcakes with strawberry ordered by Dr Siti

My supervisor came to me and said "Mas, I want to order cupcakes from you for my brother's birthday, what would you recommend?" Just imagine if the same thing happened to you, how would you react? I was speechless at first, then my mind was blank thinking the suitable cupcakes for him. I gave several suggestions then she was like "I want 20 cupcakes, 10 with chocolate, and 10 with the frosting that tastes like ice cream with strawberry on top"   she was referring to my vanilla frosting btw.

I suggested to her Ying and Yang cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and she agreed with it. When I was preparing the cupcakes, I was really scared that I might mess up the cupcakes.

The day when I gave her the cupcakes, she was really happy and said cantiknya (so pretty). I hope she and her family love the taste as well :)

10 vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and fresh strawberry in 2 oz cup

10 Ying and Yang cupcakes in 2 oz cup

Price: RM 90

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Strawberry sensation cupcakes ordered by Nazira

Nazira and her friends from Faculty of Science, UPM, ordered 34 strawberry sensation cupcakes size 2.5 oz. She requested the cupcakes to be put in 4 holes box, so I gave them 2 cupcakes for free and make it 36 cupcakes total.

 

I kind of like this picture, a ray of light shining the cupcakes and yet the background was shadowed

34 2.5 oz cupcakes

RM 4.60 each

Thanks Ira for your order :) I hope you and your friends love them even though they were a bit dense :)

ps: minimum order of cupcakes is 16, PM me for quotation or details :)

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Specialty cupcakes - Strawberry sensation

Munirah Faudzi from Science Faculty, UPM asked me to bake something special for her hantaran (Malay tradition; gift for the groom) . She told me what she likes and I tried baking the cupcakes based on her liking. The result was AWESOME. I didn't expect it to taste sooo GOOD (okay I'm not exaggerating). The combination of fresh strawberry, cheese, yummy crackers made this cupcake one of a kind. 

 I gave her some to taste and asked her opinion on the cupcakes. She sms-ed me and she said she really love them! She was really satisfied and she even told me that her friend love it too :) yeay~ another happy customer :)

This cupcake is filled with strawberries, not only on top but inside as well. If you are a fan of strawberry, this cake is for you :)

Free samples for Muni to try :)

You can PM me to bake something based on your liking, I will bake it and give you free samples F.O.C for you to try, and I need your feedback so that I can improve it better :)

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