Aspiring Bakers: Matcha and Milktea Chiffon

I don't drink coffee and tea at all. To support this month's Aspiring Bakers #30: It's Tea Time! (April 2013), I tried out 2 types of tea chiffon cakes.

These 2 chiffon cakes are supposed to be my 12th and 13th chiffon cake (my target to do many chiffon cakes). But to avoid posting for Aspiring Bakers too late, I skip my 9-11th chiffon cakes to post up these 2 first. :)

Chiffon Cake #12: Matcha 抹茶

I wonder why my matcha chiffon did not have a nice green colour although I'm using a very good quality matcha powder. If anyone has any idea or suggestion do let me know. I love this matcha chiffon as it tastes so light and refreshing.

17cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
12g sugar
36ml vegetable oil
42ml water
42g cake flour
6g matcha powder

3 egg whites
54g sugar (can reduce a little)
6g cornflour

Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

Adapted from Okashi: Sweet Treats Made With Love

Chiffon Cake #13: Milktea 奶茶

17cm chiffon tin:

1 tbsp tea leaves (I use 2 sachets 2g lipton tea)
30ml water
90ml milk

Heat up water till boiling, add in the tea leaves. Off the heat, cover and steep the tea for 3 minutes.
Add in milk, bring the mixture to a boil again, cook for 2-3 minutes.
Filter the mixture and measure to get 60ml* of milktea. Set aside to cool.
* If more than 60ml, can boil again to reduce to liquid, if less than 60ml, add more milk to get 60ml

3 egg yolks
20g sugar
40ml vegetable oil
80g cake flour
1 tbsp tea leaves, chopped finely (I use 2 sachets 2g lipton tea)

Whisk egg yolks and sugar till sugar dissolves. Add in vegetable oil, followed by 60ml milktea (from step above). Add tea leaves and then sifted flour.

4 egg whites
50 sugar

Beat egg whites till foamy, add in sugar gradually and whisk until stiff peak. Add egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 additions. Pour into the cake tin. Knock the pan a few times to get rid of air bubbles.
Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

Adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手

I am submitting Matcha chiffon cake and Milktea chiffon cake to Aspiring Bakers #30: it's Tea time! (April 2013) hosted by Food Playground

爱上~微波面包 (中种)

做面包真的不是我的强项。因为做面包时间太长，而且又没有机器揉面包团，所以很少做面包。我应该只算是面包初学者。

可是最近开始上了做微波面包的瘾。一个月内竟然就做了三次（我平时三个月都没做一次面包）！说真的，它并不是我做过最柔软的面包。主要是因为好玩。因为这微波面包的杆法好玩，杆了又卷，杆了又卷。最后成型的面包，小小圆嘟嘟的。烘烤以后里面又是一圈一圈的。吃的时候又更好玩，可以一层一层的拨来吃。所以我就这样的爱上了~微波面包。

微波面包的食谱都是从微波面包达人Siew Hwei学来的。自从她在去年开始post了很多口味的微波面包食谱后，中文部落格掀起了微波面包的热潮。简直是，一波未平一波又起。Oops, 用错了！其实微波面包跟微波炉没有关系。至于为什么叫微波面包，我不知道。反正好吃就可以了。

第一次做的是：原味中种微波面包。功夫不到家，表面很粗糙。

第二次做的是：红麴蔓越莓微波面包。有点小进步，颜色很漂亮！

第三次做的是：巧克力微波面包。里面包了巧克力粒。我还特地拍了杆卷的步骤（下）。

Switch channel... haha! Just feel like talking in Chinese just now.

As I was saying, because bread-making takes up so much time and without the help of a mixer/bread machine, I hardly make breads. But recently, I got addicted to making this Weibo bread and made 3 times within a month! The main reason is because I really have fun rolling the dough and the bread looks so round and cute after shaping. And I enjoy tearing the bread layer by layer when eating. :)

There is this Weibo bread craze among the Chinese bloggers. It all started from Siew Hwei who posted the Weibo bread recipes since last year. She is really good at it and created so many different flavours of Weibo bread. In Chinese, Weibo means microwave. But Weibo bread has nothing to do with the microwave oven. As for the reason why it is called Weibo bread, I have no idea at all. I only know it taste good!

My first attempt is the original flavour of Weibo bread. I consider myself still a beginner at breadmaking. See the bread isn't so smooth.

The second time I make red yeast and cranberry Weibo bread. There is a little improvement. The bread surface is smoother and the texture is softer cos I knead a bit longer. The red yeast powder make the bread so lovely in pink!

The third time I make chocolate Weibo bread. I added extra chocolate chips in.

Original Weibo bread recipe

Ingredient (for 12 pcs):

Starter dough (中种)
201g bread flour
4g instant yeast
16g milk powder
50g egg
73g fresh milk

Main dough
67g bread flour
40g sugar
4g salt
27g milk (or water)
30g butter

Method:

1. Mix the starter dough ingredients together until a dough is formed. Cover and proof for 1 hour.
2. Tear the starter dough into small pieces. Mix with all the main dough ingredients (except butter) until a dough is formed. Add in butter and continue to knead until the dough is elastic and can be stretch into a thin membrane without tearing.
3. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (about 40g each). Roll them round and rest for 10 minutes.
4. Roll the dough into a long strip and roll up swiss-roll style. Rest for 10 minutes. (See photos 1-3 above)
5. Roll the dough into a long strip and roll up swiss-roll style again. (See photos 4-6 above)
6. Place them on a baking tray and proof for 50 minutes.
7. Brush the bread with egg.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 175 deg C for 15 minutes.

For red yeast and cranberry version: Add 1/2 tsp red yeast powder to the starter dough and 50g dried cranberry to the main dough.
For chocolate version: Replace 10g of bread flour with 10g of cocoa powder. Add extra chocolate chips during step 5.

Recipes adapted from: Siew Hwei's Kitchen

Chiffon Cakes 5 to 8

More chiffon cakes baked in 2012.

Chiffon Cake #5: Chocolate Marble

I love the swirls in this cake.

18cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
15g sugar
50g oil
50g water
65g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites
65g sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Cocoa batter: (add to half of the plain batter)
10g cocoa powder
1 tbsp hot water

Bake 160 deg C, 40 minutes

From 茄子

Chiffon Cake #6: Sweet Corn

The sweet corn taste is not strong enough for me.

17cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
18g sugar
36g oil
72g canned sweet corn
60g cake flour
12g corn flour

4 egg whites
30g sugar

Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

Adapted from Carol 自在生活

Chiffon Cake #7: Red Yeast Cranberry

This is adapted from the cranberry yogurt chiffon. I just add some red yeast powder for the nice pink colour.

17cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
25g caster sugar
40ml vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon juice
80g plain yoghurt
80g cake flour
1/4 tsp red yeast powder

4 egg whites
55g caster sugar

60g dried cranberries, chopped to small pieces and coat lightly with cake flour

Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

From 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手

Chiffon Cake #8: Chocolate (cooked dough method)

This chiffon cake is made using the cooked dough method. I did this during Christmas, covered the cake in ganache and let the kids put on all the decorations for fun.

17cm chiffon tin:

69ml milk
12g sugar
18g oil
Heat up milk, sugar and oil till the mixture boils. Lower heat.

36g cake flour
12g cocoa powder
Add in sifted cake flour and cocoa powder. Quickly stir the mixture until the mixture does not stick to the pan and a dough is formed. Off the heat.

36g whole egg +
3 egg yolks
When the dough has cooled down, add in the egg mixture slowly, stirring well before each addition.

3 egg whites
36g sugar
Beat egg whites till foamy, add in sugar and whisk until stiff peak. Add egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 additions.

Pour into the cake tin. Knock the pan a few times to get rid of air bubbles.
Bake at 160 deg C, 50 minutes

Adapted from 烘焙新手必备的第一本书

The red radish that did not make it

Just before Chinese New Year, my mum bought a red radish from the market for fun. Just as we were wondering what to do with it, I saw a few IG friends posting about growing radish. Pardon my ignorance cos I have never heard of planting radish before. So after asking, I was told it is grown for its flowers.

After more reading about radish flowers, I then know that radish plants are commonly sold as festive plants during CNY. Because radish is also called 菜头 which sounds somewhat similar to the pronunciation of (好)彩头 which means "good luck"!

We planted our radish on 4th Feb. I was told to put some ice to speed up its growing. Oops, should put it on the leaves instead of on the soil!

On 7th Feb, only 3 days later, it had grown quite a bit of leaves.

Took this photo on 10 Feb - the 1st day of Chinese New Year. Wishing that it will 花开富贵!

Unfortunately, it didn't. On 21 Feb, it was already on the dying side. Not sure if it was due to too much rain.

This was the last photo taken on 27 Feb. The radish had reached the end of its life before it can produce any flowers. :(

So do you want to know how the plant will eventually look like if succeed? Here is a plant taken at my mum's friend's place. It was blooming with flowers for the CNY! So envious! Well, nevermind, I shall try again next year. You too!