BLACK BEAUTY YEMA CAKE

The global situation pave way to the emergence of start up businesses particularly food -- baked goodies especially. This resulted to a massive shortage of ingredients and disappearance of its popular brands BUT at the same time, unfamiliar brands and versions of those lost ingredients entered the market. The reason i discovered unusual ingredients for our kitchen needs.

This recipe is not new nor unusual but still sharing this creation using my newly discovered super dark colour cocoa powder. 😉 

I must admit, this black beau is pure decadence!😊

BLACK BEAUTY YEMA CAKE

Ingredients:

Cocoa mix

½ c black cocoa powder

½ c boiled water

Dissolve cocoa powder in hot water.

 

Cake Batter:

4 eggyolks

½ c milk

¼ c oil

¼ c caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c cake flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

 

In a bowl, using a whisk and manually combine the wet ingredients, followed by dry ingredients, then add dissolved cocoa. Stir to combine. Then add meringue and fold.

Place in a pan/ baking tray and bake at pre-heated oven at 165°C for 20 minutes.

Then cool and ready to use.

 

Meringue:

4 egg whites

½ c caster sugar

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Place egg whites in a stand mixer. Add cream of tartar and whisk at high speed.

At soft peak, add sugar in stream around the bowl and continue mixing to reach stiff peak.

Ready to use.

 

Condensed milk Buttercream

Using a stand mixer--

200 g butter

½ c condensed milk

1/8 c cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter, then add condensed milk and mix.

Then add cocoa powder and mix to incorporate.

Continue mixing and add vanilla.

Ready to use.

 

Yema:

1 can condensed milk

200 ml whipping cream

4 eggyolks

100 about (1/2 bar unsalted butter)

1 tsp vanillaMix milk, eggyolk, cream and vanilla in a bowl.

In a pot under medium heat, melt the butter.

Then add milk mixture.

Simmer to thicken.

Ready to use.

EARL GREY CHIFFON CAKE

Boba Teas or Boba Pearl Milk Teas are the new craze in town for quite sometime now. When the circuit breaker took effect and the Boba Tea shops were about to close down, Boba Milk Tea enthusiast went on buying spree like as if the shops would not open anymore. That's how they love their Boba Milk Tea.

Luckily, I am not a boba pearl fanatic, I am more of a grass jelly person 😁, i love my milk tea with grass jelly instead. BUT, once in a while i do like pearls on desserts and i thought of cooking my pearls and top it on a tea cake. Hhhhmmm tastes interesting!  With the earl greys' appetizing aroma, it's the best flavour for my cake.

To make it less tasking, bake the cake a day ahead, chill and finish it the next day before serving.

EARL GREY CAKE

Ingredients

5 eggyolks

½ c oil

1 tsp vanilla 

2 tsp grits of earl grey tea leaves/ 2 bags of earl grey tea

½ c earl grey tea (3 tea bags infused in 2 c boiled water), cooled

¼ c caster sugar

1 c cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

Meringue

5 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ c caster sugar

Using a baking tray (12x 16cm)

Bake at 160° C for 25 minutes

Cook and ring out 3 round cakes

Condensed milk Buttermilk Frosting:

1 bar unsalted butter (200g) 

½ c condensed milk

½ c earl grey tea

1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter. Then add condensed milk, tea and vanilla. Make sure to cover the mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed then increase to high speed.

As the cream comes together it will curdle first, but continue beating at high speed until you attain frosting consistency. This will take a while ;-) be patient.

When done ready to use.

Place it in the fridge for pouring the boba pearl the next day ;-)

BOBA Pearl

Proportion is 7:1 (7 c water: 1 c pearl )

Boil water

Add pearls and wait til it floats. Stir once in a while to prevent the  pearl from sticking at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 45 minutes covered while stirring once in a while.

When done remove from heat and let it sit to rest for another 15 minutes, still covered.

When done, drain the water and run tap water over pearls.

Place boba pearl in sugar syrup (1 c water, 1 c muscovado sugar,  simmer til thickens)

PIANONO

The lightest, simplest and easiest cake i made so far with just few and not so complicated ingredients. An economical cake indeed!

A recipe perfect for small family in just one seating.  Yielding a small cake roll, too small that i was not able to grab a bite😅.  Got so excited writing the recipe that when i return to the table, all was left were sugar crumbs. BUT, thankful cause it means I can bake some more!!!

Pianono

Makes an 11” log, 11 slices @ 1”

3 tbsp cake flour

3 tbsp caster sugar

3 eggs separated

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp baking powder mix with flour

1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling/ dusting: 

Margarine

White Sugar or can be caster sugar too 

Make Meringue: 

Place egg whites  and cream of tartar in a bowl beat to soft peak ,  slowly add sugar and beat to stiff peak.

Stop the mixer and add beaten eggyolk and vanilla. Turn on the mixer to low speed and mix then slowly add flour mixture (flour + baking powder), continue mixing to combine.

Pour into the baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Pre-heat oven at 175degrees.

Bake cake for 15 mins.

Remove from oven, invert directly on a cooling rack.

Slowly peel the parchment and sprinkle the cake with sugar then cover with parchment and invert the rack. 

From the long edge, slowly roll the cake and let it cool for 5 mins. 

Unroll and spread butter and sprinkle with sugar. Then roll it back.  

Brush Pianono with margarine and sprinkle with sugar. slice and serve.