Chocolate Loaf Cake

I love chocolate and any product made from chocolate or cocoa powder like chocolate butter cakes, brownies, chocolate fudge cakes, chocolate breads/buns, chocolate drinks, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate muffins, chocolate cup cakes, chocolate waffles and so on. While it is easy to buy these from cafes or bakeries, I find more satisfaction making them myself as I can control the amount of the ingredients that go into making them, for example, sugar. I will always use a lot less sugar in my cakes, etc. than the amount called for in the recipes.


When I bake any cake, I usually use the traditional creaming method. However, it is a more time-consuming method. An easier method is the mix and bake method. However, the texture of the cake using creaming method is finer than the mix and bake method.



Ingredients:

• 125 ml melted salted butter
• 170 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 120 g cake flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 5 g instant coffee powder
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 180 deg. C.

• Grease and line an 8 inch x 4 inch x 4 inch pan with parchment paper. (You may use a shorter pan for a higher cake.)

• Mix melted butter and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

• Add the eggs, one at a time. Whisk till the eggs combined with the melted butter and sugar.

• Sieve the dry ingredients - cake flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder and baking powder.

• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a third at a time. Mix till the wet and the dry ingredients are well combined before adding the second third and the last third.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

• Run an oiled knife along the middle of the batter to have nice crack on top. (See the photos above which show the natural crack i.e. I did not run an oiled knife along the top of the batter.)

• Bake the batter for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

• Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.

• Remove the parchment paper and let the cake cools down completely before slicing it.

Poppy Seeds Buns/Bread (2)

 

We can vary the texture and taste of buns/breads by varying (either adding, subtracting or reducing) the amounts and types of ingredients that go into making them. In this second version of my poppy seeds bread, I added some baking soda and it became much more delicious. As I also vary the other dry and wet ingredients, this bread is not as soft as the first one.

Ingredients:

• 500 g bread flour
• 30 g sugar
• 25 g poppy seeds
• 3 g salt
• 5 g baking soda
• 225 g warm milk
• 75 g butter
• 1 egg
• (Optional - 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk for egg wash)

Method:

• Activate the yeast - add sugar to some of the warm milk, stir to dissolve the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.

• Add the dry ingredients - bread flour, poppy seeds, baking soda and salt into the yeast mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer. 

• Once the yeast has been activated (there are bubbles in the yeast mixture), pour it into the bowl of the stand mixer.

• Then add the remaining warm milk and egg to the bowl.

• Mix and knead the ingredients.

• When the dough has formed into a ball, add the butter to the bowl.

• Continue to knead the dough till it is smooth and elastic. Then transfer it to an oiled bowl.

• Cover the bowl with cling wrap and put a damp towel over it.

• Let the dough proof in a warm place till it has doubled in size.

• Lightly flour or grease your table top.

• Remove the dough from the bowl onto the floured / oiled surface.

• Punch out the air from the dough and knead it for about 5 minutes.

• Divide the dough into two.

• Roll them up into balls and place each ball into a round pan which has been greased and lined with parchment paper.  

• Let the dough proof until it has doubled in size.

• Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees C.

• Bake the dough for 28 - 30 minutes until the buns are golden brown.

• You may:

• Eggwash (just egg yolk with some water) the dough just before baking.
• Brush the bread with butter immediately after you take the bread out of the oven.

•  Let them cool down on a metal rack before slicing or cutting them up.

• Enjoy.

Cheesey Garlic Butter Green Onion Buns

Cheesey Garlic Butter Green Onion Buns are good for breakfast and teatime. They are savoury and delicious to the bite. My second daughter said that it was so good. So I guess I will be making them more often for my children to enjoy.

Dough

• 325 g bread flour
• 30 g sugar
• 7 g yeast
• 1 egg
• 7 g salt
• 1 egg
• 160 g milk
• 50 g butter

Filling

• 25 g green onions
• 30 g butter
• 15 g garlic

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk

Method:

• Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.

• Knead till a smooth dough ball is formed.

• Add butter to the bowl.

• Continue to knead till window pane is achieved.

• Transfer the dough to a greased clean bowl. Cover the bowl with a moist towel.

• Let the dough proof till it is double in size.

• While waiting for the dough to proof, prepare the fillings:
• cut the green onions into 0.5 cm length,
• chop the garlic,
• mix the green onions and garlic with butter,
• set the fillings aside.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a counter top.

• Punch out the air from the dough.

• Knead the dough back into a round ball.

• Divide the dough into the number of buns that you want. Roll each piece into a dough ball.

• Flatten each piece into a flat round dough.

• Roll it up into a small rectangular dough.

• Place it onto a tray lined and greased parchment paper.

• Once all the dough balls have been shaped, cover them and let them proof till double in size.

• Once the shaped dough has double in size and ready for baking, use a sharp knife or a lame to make a slit on top of the dough.

• Use a small spoon to fill the slit or for a cleaner job, pipe the filling into the slit.

• Egg wash the top and sides of the dough. (If you do not wish to egg wash the dough, you may immediately brush the baked buns with melted butter when they are out of the oven.)

• Bake the dough in a pre-heated oven at 175 deg C for 18-20 min or till the buns are golden brown.

• When the buns are done remove them immediately onto a wire rack to be cooled down.

    

Chocolate Cornflakes

Chocolate cornflakes are very easy to make.  I usually make them for my own consumption; I consume them after lunch and dinner. I also make them as gift to relatives and friends especially those with children when I plan to visit them. Chocolate cornflakes are good snacks to be made available when relatives and friends visit us with their children. During Chinese New Year, bottles of chocolate cornflakes go into my hampers for relatives, friends and neighbours. I will make them plain if they are for my own consumption. However, if they are to be gifted, I will sprinkle them with colourful sprinklers or put a golden raisin or a white chocolate chip on each chocolate cornflake to make them look more interesting.

Ingredients:

• 350 g cornflakes
• 400 g semi-sweet chocolate coins/bars/chips
• 100 g salted butter
• 25 g sugar
• Cupcake liners (diameter up to you)
• Colourful chocolate rice / golden raisins / white chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

• Add semi-sweet chocolate, butter and sugar to a bowl.

• Put the bowl over a pot of boiling water (bain-marie).

• Stir the ingredients till the ingredients melt.

• Remove the bowl from the pot and let the mixture cool down slightly.

• Add the cornflakes to the mixture. Mix them up thoroughly.

• Scoop the cornflakes into the cupcake liners.

• Optional: Sprinkle the chocolate rice on top if you wish or put a piece of golden raisin or a white chocolate chip on top.

• Put the chocolate cornflakes into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

• Remove from the refrigerator and store the chocolate cornflakes in a bottle and put it into the refrigerator.