Category Archives: Cake

Cake

Hong Tang Ba Ba

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It’s a sweet Chinese snack in Southwestern China area, I think. Hong Tang means brown sugar in Chinese. Ba Ba refers to cake made from glutinous rice flour.

This summer holiday when my husband and I were in China. My friends there treated us Xiao Long kan hotpot. One dish is Hong tang baba. And their Hong Tang Ba Ba is very different. Outside skin is very crispy. Both of us loved them.

Here is the one we had in summer:

Like small balloons. Really really nice.

I tried to make this dish in my way.

1. Mix glutinous rice powder with water. To make a dough.

2. Divide dough into smaller ones. Make them into the shape you like.

3. Dip small doughs in water. Then roll in bread crumbs.

4. Deep fry them with low heat till golden brown. Air in Glutinous rice dough will burst out. So be careful when frying.

5. Add 2 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in saucepan. Heat to condense the sauce.

Serve hot with brown sugar sauce.

Mine are not even close to the ones we had. But my husband still loved my ones.

I really can’t figure out how Xiao Long Kan Hotpot made such wonderful shape of Hong Tang Ba Ba. If anyone knows, please tell me. 🙂 thanks!

Cake

Fried Carrot Cake

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1. Cut carrot cake into medium cubes. I bought carrot cake from local supermarket.

2. Place them in a big bowl. Add in corn starch. Shake a little bit to let carrot cake be coated with starch evenly.

3. Fry carrot cake in oil till starch layer turns hard. Set them aside.

4. Heat a little oil. Sauté 2 cloves of chopped garlic till aromatic. Add in shreds of 1 small carrot. Stir fry for 2 mins.

5. Add in chopped cabbage, bean sprouts and spring onion. Stir fry for 2 mins.

6. Add in 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon chili sauce and 1 tablespoon Thai chili sauce. Stir fry evenly.

7. Add fried carrot cake in. Mix evenly and season with a little salt.

baking, banana, Cake, chocolate, Uncategorized

Chocolate Banana Cupcake

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I got this recipe from

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 small mashed bananas

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup milk

3/4 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree C.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt) in a big bowl.

3. In another bowl, mash 2 small bananas with a fork. It’s ok if there’s still lumps. Beat in 1 egg. Stir well.

4. Pour in water, canola oil, milk and vanilla. Mix well.

5. Pour wet ingredients mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well.

6. Pour batter into muffin pan. Bake for 20 mins. Test with a toothpick. If toothpick comes out clean, then they are done.

Super moist and soft. Banana lumps turn to be creamy in the middle.

baking, Cake, chocolate

Cocoa Chocolate Cake

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Last night, I saw a picture of chocolate cake online. And I really really wanted to have a piece of it. So I decided to make my own chocolate cake by myself. Remember my husband bought a pack of Starbucks cocoa before? There’s still some left. So I’m gonna use it to make my cocoa chocolate cake.

I referred to the recipe:

http://www.recipe4living.com/recipes/satin_moist_chocolate_cake.htm?format=print

The first time I saw this recipe, I was wondering is it true that boiling water is required in it? I was not so sure about it. But after I tried it, I realized how great this recipe is.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar ( cocoa powder I used from Starbucks already contained sugar. So I cut off the sugar in original recipe)

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup canola oil (original recipe said vegetable oil)

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 175 degree C.

2. In a big bowl, mix sugar, flour and other 4 dry ingredients.

4. Add in eggs, milk, oil & vanilla.

4. Add in boiling water. Stir well till smooth.

5. Pour batter into greased baking pan. Bake for 30-35 mins.

You can add frosting you like. I like this cake very much. Soft and moist.

baking, Cake

Carrot Cake ( with Pineapple & Walnut)

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I found this great recipe about carrot cake:

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/why-i-joined-zaar-carrot-cake-73825?ref=amp&ftab=reviews

I baked carrot cake before. It was good.

Carrot Cake

I tried this new recipe and I loved this one. Very moist and taste better. Pineapple also improves the texture. My husband also likes it very much.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar ( I cut the sugar, because I don’t want it to be very sweet and also the canned pineapple I used were sweet).

1/2 cup vegetable oil ( I used canola oil)

2 small eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup shredded carrot ( I also chopped them to make them shorter)

1/2 cup chopped walnut

1/2 cup chopped pineapple

1. Preheat oven to 175 degree C.

2. In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.

3. Add in oil, egg & vanilla. Mix till smooth.

4. Fold in carrot, walnut and pineapple.

5. Pour batter into greased baking pan.

6. Bake for 45-50 mins.

You can also do the frosting. But I’m too lazy to do that. And plain cake is good enough for me. :p

Breakfast, Cake, Pancake, Quick recipe, Uncategorized

Quick Breakfast – Pancake

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In a bowl, mix 90g flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt.

Melt 15g butter in another bowl. Add in 20g sugar, 1 egg, 100 ml milk and 1/4 tsp vanilla in order. Add in new ingredient after previous ones mixed well.

Then add dry ingredients into butter bowl 1/3 at a time. Mix till just combine.

Heat a pan. Brush with oil. Scoop one spoonful batter into the pan. When many small bubbles show on the surface, flip it over. Fry till the other side turns golden brown.

Serve with maple syrup.

baking, Cake, Uncategorized

Cheesecake

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Original recipe:

https://www.xiachufang.com/recipe/21424/

Cream cheese: 250g

Digestive cookie 100g

Sugar 80g

Eggs 2

Corn starch 15g

Lemon juice 10g

Milk 80g

Vanilla 1/4 tsp

Butter 50g

Preheat oven to 160 degree C.

1. Mash digestive cookies. Melt butter. Then pour butter into mashed cookies.

2. Press cookie into the baking pan. Then put into fridge.

3. Cream cheese with sugar till light and fluffy.

4. Add in egg one by one. Mix well.

5. Add in lemon juice, corn starch, milk and vanilla alternatively. Mix well before adding new ingredient.

6. Pour the batter into baking pan.

7. Wrap the bottom of baking pan with aluminum foil. Then put it into a bigger pan. Pour hot water into bigger one till 1/2 heat of the batter.

Bake for 60-80mins.

Cool down and put into fridge for several hours.

baking, Cake, chocolate, Quick recipe, Uncategorized

Simple Cocoa Brownie

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Original recipe:

http://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2013/05/lazy-day-brownies.html

Butter 120g

Sugar 110g ( I reduced sugar, because I used Starbucks cocoa, which contains sugar)

Starbucks cocoa powder 55g

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Flour 70 g

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Almond ( optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degree C.

1. Melt butter in a bowl simmering in hot water.

2. Remove butter from heat. Add sugar, cocoa, vanilla and eggs alternatively. Add new ingredient after blend well.

3. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix till just combine.

4. Pour batter into baking pan. Spread almond on surface.

5. Bake for 20 mins. Check with a toothpick.

Cool down and cut into small pieces.

Cake, Potato, Quick recipe, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Japanese Potato Cake

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When my husband and I were in Hokkaido, we went to Hokkaido Historical Village. We had a great time exploring that place and we had a taste of potato cake in the canteen there.


Both of us loved it. Soft, seeet and smells so so good.

After we came back, I searched recipe online. And found this:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11907/japanese-potato-cake

1. I chose 4 medium potatoes. Clean and peel them. Then cut into medium chunks. Boil to soft. Mash them.

2. Add 10 tablespoons corn starch into mashed potato. Mix very well without any lumps.

3. Heat 20 g butter in the pan. When melted, put potato cake into it and fry till both side golden brown. ( I rinse my hand first, and put one spoonful potato dough in my palm. It won’t be sticky since my hands are wet. Make the dough into round and flatter one, then put into pan.)


4. Make the sauce: heat a saucepan. Add in 60 ml water, 2 tbsp brown sugar and 2 tbsp light soy sauce. Turn to high heat and reduce to thick and condensed sauce. Pour over potato cakes.


Taste really like the ones we had in Hokkaido. My husband loves them very much.

bread, Cake, Crab, Quick recipe, Uncategorized

Fried Breaded Crab Cake

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My husband always keeps talking about soft shell crab. So we bought two packs the other day. And I planned to cook them today. Yet, when they were thawed, I found they were not whole crabs as we expected. Shell was removed and crab meat was tore apart. So I decided to change my recipe and cook fried breaded crab cake instead.

1. Sprinkle some salt and black pepper over crab meat. Mix them evenly.

2. In a bowl, pour in 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup milk and beat in one egg. Mix them well.

3. In another bowl, add in 1 cup bread crumbs and 1 1/2 tsp thyme. Mix them well too.

4. Heat skillet on stove. Pour in enough oil.

5. Make crab meat into small or medium balls. Dust them with flour. Then dip in milk egg mixture. Dust with flour again. Dip in milk egg mixture again. Roll in bread crumbs at last.

6. Fry in oil till golden brown.



Serve hot with mayonnaise or salad cream.




Crispy outside, and very tender inside. Yummy!