Strawberry Sponge Cake

This was my first attempt in baking a cake. No kidding. Ok, it wasn't the best shot (taken at night). There was no art direction to bring out the best of this cake. But still, it looked quite pretty, isn't it? I stumbled across this pic (which I have no idea that I ever took one) while I was doing housekeeping of my photos folder. It was probably stashed aside since it was not worthy of any airtime. I wasn't even remotely thinking of starting a blog then.

I chanced upon this recipe while browsing through one of the many cake recipes in Happy Home Baking. The cake looked so lovely and refreshing, plus it didn't seem too daunting to attempt for a novice baker like me (Note: I have NEVER baked a cake before). Oh, it has fresh cream which I preferred, and the best part, no frosting skills required (how convenient!). I used strawberries and sponge fingers to disguise the imperfection of frosting.

Verdict: The cake was not as soft and moist as I had hoped, but the fresh cream and tangy strawberries made this cake light and refreshing.

The Daughter savoured the fresh cream on her plate, while the Son was happily swiping off the strawberries. Even a non cake person like the Hub said it was good for a a first attempt.

Moral of the story: Nothing from the alchemist's kitchen is deemed unworthy in the Household.

Ingredients:(makes one 18cm sponge cake)

100g cake flour
3 eggs, room temperature
90g unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Sift cake flour, set aside. Line bottom and sides of an 18cm (7 inch) round pan with parchment paper, set aside. Pre-heat oven to 170degC. Position rack at the lower bottom of the oven.
2. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on HIGH speed for about 5 to 7 mins, until the batter double in volume and is ribbon-like (the beater should leave a ribbon-like texture when the batter is lifted up). Turn to LOW speed and whisk for another 1 to 2 mins. Whisking at low speed helps to stabilise the air bubbles in the batter.Add sifted cake flour into the batter. With a spatula, gently fold in the flour until well blended. Take care not to deflate the batter.
3. Add the melted butter, fold with spatula until well blended
4. Add in fresh milk and fold in gently with spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30~35 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Unmold and invert onto cooling rack, cool completely.

Assemble the cake:

1. With an electric mixer, whip the whipping cream still stiff.
2. Slice the cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place one of the cake layers cut-side down on a cake plate. Spread the whipped cream over the layer.
3. Arrange rings of strawberries to cover the whole layer.
4. Fill with some more whipped cream. Top with the other cake layer, cut-side up.
5. Spread the whipped cream over the top and side of the cake. Decorate as desired.

First post, first Hokkaido Milky Loaf

This blog celebrates food. Nothing fanciful, just numerous experiments of feeding the Household comprising 2 growing kids, a Hub who loves good food, and yours truly, a skinny cook.

The blog also documents all my kitchen experiments so that the Household can have a library of reference. (And just in case someone in the Household gets poisoned, we know why, and how).

Now, with that out of the way, let's get a move on. Here's my first loaf of Hokkaido Milky Loaf, created with the newly bought Kenwood BM350 bread maker. Compliments from (who else), the Hub himself.

Many food bloggers have been raving about this recipe, so I guess it should be a safe bet to start with my breadmaker. It surely churned out a nice and fluffy loaf. However, this bread is best eaten in the first 2 days, as by the 3rd day, the texture is no longer as soft.

This is a half recipe that yields a smaller loaf, which is just nice for the Household:

Ingredients:
270g Bread flour
30g Cake flour
1 tsp Dry active yeast
15g Milk powder
40g Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1 egg
125g Fresh milk
80g Whipping cream (heavy cream)

Method:

1. Put all the liquid ingredients into the pan of the bread machine, followed by egg. Add sugar and salt. Cover with the flour and sprinkle the yeast over.
   
2. Fit the pan into the bread machine and set to Sweet. Select 1 lb or 1.5lb loaf size and set to light or medium crust setting (depend on your preference).


3. Once baked, remove the loaf from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.