First Cake of 2010? Nah..
Monday, April 05, 2010
Whaddya know.. we're already into the 2nd quarter of 2010. Ack! Who ever says that?? I only picked it up during my working days, where we need to do a review of the business at the end of every quarter. Bad habits break hard.. :P
Strange that the older I get, the faster time seem to fly. The weeks just seem to swoosh by - we start off slow on first day of school/work on Sunday but in a blink of an eye, it's already Thursday, the last day of the week! I remember how I used to moon and daydream in class, wishing and hoping it's already the last day of the week/term and how the days always seem to crawl at a snail's pace. Maybe it's because as a child, we don't have much to think about other than day to day stuff like homework, exams, parties...^_^ As adults, there always seems so much to think of and plan and worry about...
That's why I like baking. It's my form of escapism. I don't have to do any major thinking or planning. Just flow with the moment - follow the recipe, execute the instructions and by the time you clear up, the cake is done. And then bump! - back to reality..
Here's the recipe for a very rich Sugee Cake by Betty Yew in Asian Delights, All-Time Favourite Recipes.
300g butter
200g + 100g sugar
1/2 cup milk
300g sugee/semolina
14 med egg yolks
4 whites
A:
120g ground almonds
60g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp vanilla essence
Cream butter and 200g sugar til light and fluffy. Add milk a little at a time. Beat in sugee and stand for 1 hour.
Whisk yolks with 100g sugar until thick and light yellow. Add to butter mixture a little a time, beating well with each addition.
Whisk whites until stiff and carefully fold into butter mixture. Fold in A and mix in brandy and vanilla.
Pour mixture into a 25cm square cake tin lined with double sheet of greased greaseproof paper. Bake in 175C for approximately 60 - 70 minutes.
Note:
My small handmixer was barely enough to make this quantity of cake batter. It will be much better to use a stand mixer as the butter-sugee and egg yolk mix becomes quite substantial when you mix them together. I was kind of worried I might burn the motor as in addition to the heavy load, I also had to whisk the whites. Better to halve the recipe next time as I have only a 20cm square tin too.
And with 10 egg whites leftover, what can you do with them? These..
Almond Crisps from Agnes Chang, Baking Made Easy
4 egg whites
160g sugar
100g plain flour
200g - 250g almond flakes
2 tsp vanilla essence
Method:
1. Add sugar to egg white, stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Mix sifted flour and almond flakes in a bowl. Add to egg-sugar mix and stir in vanilla. Mixture should look creamy.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put a few dollops of mix on the baking (silicon) paper, well spaced apart and use the back of the spoon to flatten the mix as thin as possible on the paper.
4. Bake in preheated oven 180 C for about 12-15 minutes or golden brown. Remove and cool slightly before removing each cookie from baking paper.
Note:
I took the easy way out and made my biscuit in one big thin layer. But it did not bake evenly and the sides got slightly burnt before the middle was baked through. So it's better to make individual biscuits. Size is entirely up to you. Just make sure it is very thin, otherwise it will end up hard although still crunchy. I found it easier to remove from the paper after it cools down as the biscuit will harden upon cooling.
I must warn you, these almond crisps are incredibly addictive because they are so deceptively light and crispy. :)
Strange that the older I get, the faster time seem to fly. The weeks just seem to swoosh by - we start off slow on first day of school/work on Sunday but in a blink of an eye, it's already Thursday, the last day of the week! I remember how I used to moon and daydream in class, wishing and hoping it's already the last day of the week/term and how the days always seem to crawl at a snail's pace. Maybe it's because as a child, we don't have much to think about other than day to day stuff like homework, exams, parties...^_^ As adults, there always seems so much to think of and plan and worry about...
That's why I like baking. It's my form of escapism. I don't have to do any major thinking or planning. Just flow with the moment - follow the recipe, execute the instructions and by the time you clear up, the cake is done. And then bump! - back to reality..
Here's the recipe for a very rich Sugee Cake by Betty Yew in Asian Delights, All-Time Favourite Recipes.
300g butter
200g + 100g sugar
1/2 cup milk
300g sugee/semolina
14 med egg yolks
4 whites
A:
120g ground almonds
60g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp vanilla essence
Cream butter and 200g sugar til light and fluffy. Add milk a little at a time. Beat in sugee and stand for 1 hour.
Whisk yolks with 100g sugar until thick and light yellow. Add to butter mixture a little a time, beating well with each addition.
Whisk whites until stiff and carefully fold into butter mixture. Fold in A and mix in brandy and vanilla.
Pour mixture into a 25cm square cake tin lined with double sheet of greased greaseproof paper. Bake in 175C for approximately 60 - 70 minutes.
Note:
My small handmixer was barely enough to make this quantity of cake batter. It will be much better to use a stand mixer as the butter-sugee and egg yolk mix becomes quite substantial when you mix them together. I was kind of worried I might burn the motor as in addition to the heavy load, I also had to whisk the whites. Better to halve the recipe next time as I have only a 20cm square tin too.
~~~
And with 10 egg whites leftover, what can you do with them? These..
Almond Crisps from Agnes Chang, Baking Made Easy
4 egg whites
160g sugar
100g plain flour
200g - 250g almond flakes
2 tsp vanilla essence
Method:
1. Add sugar to egg white, stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Mix sifted flour and almond flakes in a bowl. Add to egg-sugar mix and stir in vanilla. Mixture should look creamy.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put a few dollops of mix on the baking (silicon) paper, well spaced apart and use the back of the spoon to flatten the mix as thin as possible on the paper.
4. Bake in preheated oven 180 C for about 12-15 minutes or golden brown. Remove and cool slightly before removing each cookie from baking paper.
Note:
I took the easy way out and made my biscuit in one big thin layer. But it did not bake evenly and the sides got slightly burnt before the middle was baked through. So it's better to make individual biscuits. Size is entirely up to you. Just make sure it is very thin, otherwise it will end up hard although still crunchy. I found it easier to remove from the paper after it cools down as the biscuit will harden upon cooling.
I must warn you, these almond crisps are incredibly addictive because they are so deceptively light and crispy. :)
Labels: almond, almond crisps, cake, sugee cake
idly mused by GFAD on Monday, April 05, 2010, ~ 
8 Comments:
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Wahhh!! Sugeeeeee cake!!! My fav..tho i got to like run double my normal distance aft ONE slice!
Hi, thanks for dropping by my blog! Sugee cake is one of my all time favorite cake and yes it is rich and buttery. That's the reason I made a thin frosting using chocolate ganache. Didn't want all fondant as it will be too sweet. To answer your question, for the ganache, I used about 150g dark baking chocolate by melting it in a dry heat proof bowl over hot simmering water. Then I added some whipping cream (about half cup). That's about it actually. Yes for the letterings and flowers, I used fondant. The chocolate ganache goes very well with the cake. Happy trying!
Sugee cake is my childhood's favourite. Didn't know that it uses so many egg yolks. Yours looks incredibly gorgeous!! Must taste heaven too. Must try out your almond crisps one day. They look beautiful! ;)
Wow, didn't know it takes 14 eggyolks for the sugee cake. it looks so good, and those almond crisps, too... i'm sure they were snapped up in quick time!
Kat, thanks for coming by with your update, i really appreciate it! I've replied re the sugar crystals, hope that and other science experiments will give your two children something fun and meaningful to do indoors on those super hot days esp!
Kat, thanks for coming by with your update, i really appreciate it! I've replied re the sugar crystals, hope that and other science experiments will give your two children something fun and meaningful to do indoors on those super hot days esp!
Hi Kat. I love yr blog and yr header.I am no baker, and I am always amazed at the beautiful cakes you all turn out in your kitchens. I love sugee cake, more than any cheesecake or whatnot. And teh thing with sugee cake is you can't walk into any shop and buy one...you have to be friends with pple who make them :-0
TNG: What you talking about? One slice will barely show up in your little pinky lah!
petitNyonya: Thanks for your ganache recipe. Will try it the next time I make this cake! :)
FFThots: There are recipes which uses less eggs but I find those cakes tastes just like normal butter cake. This is so luxuriously rich you can reserve it for special occasions. Yes, do try the almond crisps whenever you have leftover whites. Easy to make, and absolutely delish to eat! :)
boon: Hahaha.. I had to hide those crisps. Out of sight, out of mind! :D
Yeah, we have to find ways to entertain ourselves now that we have to stay in. Also good to have other activities to distract them from the computer!
HungryC: Hi! Thanks. I'm quite surprised to see so many people actually like sugee cake. You're right, although many bakeries claim to sell sugee cake, it is the quantity of egg yolks in it that makes the difference. Otherwise it will just taste like regular butter cake. And yeah, homemade cakes are the best! ;)
petitNyonya: Thanks for your ganache recipe. Will try it the next time I make this cake! :)
FFThots: There are recipes which uses less eggs but I find those cakes tastes just like normal butter cake. This is so luxuriously rich you can reserve it for special occasions. Yes, do try the almond crisps whenever you have leftover whites. Easy to make, and absolutely delish to eat! :)
boon: Hahaha.. I had to hide those crisps. Out of sight, out of mind! :D
Yeah, we have to find ways to entertain ourselves now that we have to stay in. Also good to have other activities to distract them from the computer!
HungryC: Hi! Thanks. I'm quite surprised to see so many people actually like sugee cake. You're right, although many bakeries claim to sell sugee cake, it is the quantity of egg yolks in it that makes the difference. Otherwise it will just taste like regular butter cake. And yeah, homemade cakes are the best! ;)
The taste from my childhood. I am mad about that cake. Thanks for the recipe!
I am a little ashamed to confess that I still haven't prepared a cake for the almost half- past new 2012! This grandiouse recipe, however, caught my interest and I would surprise my two princess with this irresistible delight.