Carrot & Walnut Cake

This recipe has been on my baking list for quite sometime but never gotten round to bake it until recently. For a beginner like me, the various ingredients needed to bake this classic cake was a little overwhelming BUT.....I had a go at it on Sunday after 'accumulating' the ingredients needed bit by bit. This cake will not be complete without the creamy texture of the Cream Cheese as frosting.

The texture of the cake is moist , the arome with a hint of spice top with cream cheese frosting....Do give it a try. Recipe taken from 'The Joy of Baking'.

4 eggs, separated
11/2 cups corn oil
170g fine granulated sugar
140g brown sugar
11/2 cups grated carrots
250g cake flour
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp salt
100g walnuts, chopped

1) In a large bowl, beat egg yolks then add in oil, sugar and carrots. Mix well.
2) Stir in dry ingredients and mix well.
3) Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cake mixture.
4) Pour into greased and lined 9" pan and bake in preheated oven 180 degreeC for 45 mins.
5) Allow to cool before frosting with cream cheese.

Cream Cheese Frosting
120g butter
250g Cream cheese
120g icing sugar

1) Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
2) Add icing sugar and cream until smooth.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I'm sure most children and even adults love Peanut Butter. I myself love the crunchy rather than the smooth ones. I was so tempted to try this recipe out after reading in a blog (http://mumto4angels.blogspot.com/) . I can assure you this cookie tastes so much better than chocolate chip cookies :-)

1 1/4 cup All purpose flour
3/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup Smooth peanut butter (I used Crunchy)
3/4 cup sugar ( I reduced it to 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup light brown sugar ,firmly packed
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut buter chips (I used almond nibs)
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
extra sugar, coarse or fine (for sprinkle)

1) In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2) Beat butter & peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars & beat until smooth.
3) Add the egg & mix well. Add milk & vanilla extract.
4) Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in peanut butter & chocolate chips.
5) Place sugar for sprinkle on a plate. Drop teaspoonsful of batter into the sugar then onto greased cookie sheet leaving several inch for expansion.
6) Using fork, lightly indent with a criss cross pattern.
7) Bake for 10 - 12 mins at 180 degree C. Do not overbake.
8) Cool on wire rack before serving.

Coffee & Cheese....

I attempted to make a baked cotton cheesecake last week using a recipe from a local published cookbook and followed everything to the dot. But.....the bottom part was 'soggy'. I consulted my baker sister and apparently cheesecake is a very sensitive cake and I gave it a 'shock' when I invert it to cool down instead of letting it cool in the oven for another hour or so..Well, I followed what was being told in the cookbook. Hmmm this means we sometimes cannot follow 100% of what is written. From the picture, it looks so pretty but only the top part was edible. Going to attempt again one day.

So...its back to chilled or non-bake cheesecake again and this time I tried out this recipe from a blogger (sorry,,couldn't remember which blog..). The only baking needed here was a sponge cake. Hmmm the taste of coffee is just nice and it goes very well with the cream cheese. For coffee lovers, you might want to give this a try.

Coffee Cream Cheesecake

1 Sponge cake (slice into 2 pcs)
Filling: 250g Cream Cheese
          200g Condensed milk
          150g whipping cream, whipped
          1 tbsp instant coffee + 2 tbsp hot water
          1 3/4 tbsp gelatine + 50ml water

1) Bloom gelatine in water for 2 mins before double boil until gelatine dissolves.
2) Mix instant coffee with hot water. Set aside.
3) Beat Cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth & creamy. Mix in coffee mixture. Mix well.
4) Beat in dissolved gelatine.
5) Fold in whipping cream.
6) Place 1 piece of sponge cake into a spring form pan and pour 1/2 of the filling. Place another piece on top and pour the remaining filling.
7) Chill in fridge 5 hours or overnight and decorate as desire.