Strawberry Shortcake!

Strawberry shortcake is one of my favourite because of the light texture. The cream is light and not buttery. The sponge cake soft and fluffy. And the strawberries gave a sweet and sour sensation. This cake is well liked by most people.  In one bite, you can experience the cool and lightness of the cream, the soft and fluffy cake and the sweet and sour strawberries, with a hint of rum. It just taste heavenly!

Ingredients:

Sponge Cake

2 eggs (Room temperature)
60g granulated sugar
60g cake flour
20g melted unsalted butter

Syrup

20ml hot water
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
11 tsp rum

Decorations

Fresh strawberries
300ml whipping cream
1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
A few drops vanilla extract
1 tbsp rum


Directions

Sponge cake

Line the side of the  round cake pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 170 Degree Celcius (338F)

Beat the eggs with whisk in a bowl. Mix sugar and place it over a bowl of hot water and melt the sugar and warm them up to body temperature. Remove from the hot water and beat the batter on high speed with an electric mixer until white and fluffy. Then beat on low speed for about a minute to set the texture.

Sift in the cake flour and gently mix the batter with a whisk. Sprinkle the melted butter and gently mix the batter

Pour the batter into a 7 inch pan and drop the pan lightly on the counter to raise the air bubbles out of the batter.

Bake at 170 Deg C for 25 minutes.

Place a cutting board and a paper towel on a wire rack. Purpose of the paper towel is so that the cake doesn't stick. Then place the cake pan upside down and cool with the pan on top

When it is completely cool, wrap with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 or 2 hours. You may also keep them in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days and decorate when needed.

Syrup

Mix granulated sugar and hot water until dissolved. Then mix in the rum.


Decoration

Combine whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract and rum in a dry clean bowl. Ensure that your whipping cream is chilled so that it will be easier to whip. Alternatively, you can place your bowl in ice water. Whisk until it forms a soft peak.

Slice the sponge cake into 2 layers. Gently brush the sponge cake with syrup. Brush all the surface which will be coated with the cream.

Place one layer of the sponge cake on a plate. Coat the surface evenly with cream. Place cut strawberries over the creamed surface. Then coat again with cream. Place another layer of sponge cake and frost the top and side with the cream. Garnish with more strawberries!

Refrigerate the cake for about 1or 2 hours before serving. This will enable you to cut the cake more easily.

Now, enjoy!

Japanese Cheesecake

This is a very light, moist and fluffy cake with a sort of cotton-y texture. If there is such a word to describe. Every bite of the cake will simply melt in your mouth. It's a totally different type of texture from the usual creamy cheesecakes that we usually had.

This is my second attempt and it was a success! My first attempt failed because the cake collapsed. That is because I didn't use parchment paper to line the side of the cake tin. Its always a joy to me to bake a successful recipe.

Ingredients (Recipe from The Little Teochew)

140g fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp cream of tar tar
50g butter
250g cream cheese
100ml fresh milk
60g cake flour (can also use plain flour)
20g corn flour
1/4 tsp salt


Directions

1. Preheat oven at 160 Degree Celcius

2. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler

3. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, corn flour, salt and egg yolks and mix well.

4. Whisk egg whites with cream of tar tar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk till soft peaks form.

5. Add egg whites to the cream cheese mixture and fold well.

6. Pour into a 8 inch round springform cake pan or removable-bottom cake pan. Before pouring the mixture, be sure to lightly grease and line the sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper. This is important! Because the first time I baked without lining with parchment paper, the whole cake collapse!

You may also want to line the bottom of the pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper. I do this because its easier to remove the cake from the pan.

7. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hr 10 mins or until set and golden brown.

8. Leave to cool in the oven with door ajar for about 30 mins to 1 hr. This is just so that the cake doesnt come into contact with cold air too quickly and ends up collapsing.