Category: Bakes

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Oreo & Chocolate Cheesecake

This tri-coloured, light and decadent cheesecake is the perfect weekend treat! It’s double the goodness when paired with coffee or a coffee-flavoured drink.

What you’ll need:

For the Oreo bottom:

  • 3/4 cup finely ground Oreo cookies
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

  • 500g cream cheese, softened
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 11/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs. room temperature
  • 1 cup melted chocolate

For garnishing:

  • 4 oreo cookies (3 cookies quartered, 1 crumbed)

How to make it:

For the Oreo bottom

  1. Line 12 muffin cups on a muffin tray (foil liners are preferred over paper liners)
  2. Put cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl and mix with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
  3. Portion the crumbs evenly among the liners, tightly. Chill in fridge while you make the filling.

For the cheesecake filling

  1. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler, set aside to cool at room temperature.
  2. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 300 deg F/150 deg C.
  3. Beat cream cheese on medium high speed until light and fluffy, and until there are no more lumps.
  4. Add sugar, vanilla and salt, and beat until well combined.
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until just combined.
  6. Scoop out 1 cup of the vanilla batter, set aside.
  7. Add melted chocolate to the remaining batter and stir until well blended.
  8. Portion the chocolate batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
  9. Portion the vanilla batter evenly among the cups. Make sure the cups are completely filled.
  10. Drag and fold the tip of a toothpick through the two batters in a swirled pattern so there are solid streaks visible.
  11. Tap muffin tin on the counter to settle the batters.
  12. Bake in preheated oven until the centres barely jiggle when the pan is nudged, about 20-22 minutes.
  13. Settle the muffin tin on a wire rack to cool completely
  14. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours,
  15. Top with a quartered wedge of oreo cookie and some cookie crumbs.

Notes:

  • This recipe is best made at least a day before serving.

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Beetroot & Chocolate Swirl Bread

Pretty and pillowy soft, this tri-coloured braided bread brings together the delicious combination of beetroot and chocolate!

There are 3 doughs in this recipe – a pink beetroot dough, a chocolate beetroot dough and a white dough. Try it and you’ll fall in love with this delightfully fun and wholesome bake!

What you’ll need:

Starter Dough

  • 50g flour
  • 40ml water (above 90 deg C/190 deg F)

White Dough

  • 150ml milk (room temperature) 
  • 15g sugar
  • 3g dried instant yeast 
  • 10g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 200g bread flour 
  • 5g salt

Pink Beetroot Dough

  • 150ml beetroot juice (room temperature) + 1-2 tbsps lemon juice or vinegar
  • 30g sugar
  • 3g dried instant yeast
  • 10g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 200g bread flour
  • 5g salt

Chocolate Beetroot Dough

  • 150ml beetroot juice (room temperature)
  • 2 tbsps high quality cocoa powder
  • 15g sugar
  • 3g dried instant yeast
  • 10g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 200g bread flour
  • 5g salt

How to make it:

Starter Dough

  1. Combine starter dough ingredients together and mix well. Leave in fridge overnight.
  2. Divide into 3 portions on day of baking.

White Bread Dough

  1. Dissolve sugar in warm milk then stir in the yeast. Rest for 10 mins until mixture becomes foamy.
  2. Add the mixture, bread flour, salt and 1 portion of starter dough into a stand mixer bowl.
  3. Attach the kneading hook onto the stand mixer and combine all ingredients on low speed 1.
  4. When all ingredients are combined, turn the speed up to 5 or 6 and knead the dough for 20 minutes, until smooth.
  5. Roll the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl.
  6. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about 45 min to 1 hour at about 86°F(30°C) or until doubled the size.

Pink Beetroot Dough

  1. While the white dough is resting, make the pink beetroot dough using the same steps for the white dough above. Ensure the beetroot juice + lemon juice mixture is at room temperature before mixing with the sugar and yeast in step 1. Once this is done, rest the dough for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Chocolate Beetroot Dough

  1. Repeat the above with the chocolate beetroot dough.

Combining the Three Doughs

  1. Punch the doughs down. Using a rolling pin, roll out to form separate rectangles of similar sizes.
  2. Stack the doughs on one another, then roll them together.
  3. Shape and braid the combined dough into your preferred size/shape.
  4. Place on baking tray. Cover with a wet cloth and stand for 30 minutes.
  5. Bake in a preheated oven at 365 °F/ 185°C for 15 to 18 minutes.
  6. To check if the bread is fully cooked, tap the bottom to see if it makes a hollow sound.
  7. Once completely cooked, remove bread from oven and cool it down on a rack.

Notes:

  • The addition of lemon juice or vinegar to beetroot juice will help ensure the colour of beetroot is retained during the baking process.
  • Never mix salt into the yeast mixture as salt slows down yeast fermentation.
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Cempedak Muffins

Cempedak Muffins

Often called the ugly cousin of the jackfruit, cempedak is a tropical superfruit native to Southeast Asia Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam 

Cempedak’s aromatic, custard-like flesh can be eaten fresh or cooked — it can be fried or its pulp creamed to make jams and cakes. Its hard seeds are also edible – boiled, roasted or deep fried like tempura.

Known for a wide range of health benefits, this fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals, and is known for its cancer-preventing and eye-nourishing properties. 

What you’ll need

  • 120g of unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup of castor sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cups cempedak puree
  • Half cup milk

How to make it

  1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C/ 350 deg F.
  2. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl.
  3. Beat sugar and butter till light and fluffy.
  4. Add in eggs, one at a time.
  5. Beat until light and fluffy.
  6. Fold in flour mixture and milk, alternating between both, until well combined.
  7. Mix in 1 cup of cempedak puree.
  8. Spoon batter into muffin cups then top with a teaspoon of cempedak puree and cover again with a bit of batter.
  9. Bake in the oven for 20 mins or longer until a skewer inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
  10. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy the aromatic taste!

Notes:

  • Cempedak puree can also be replaced with jackfruit
  • If using canned jackfruit, get the yellow (instead of green) jackfruit and reduce sugar in recipe.
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Goji Berry and Carrot Cupcakes

Goji Berry (wolfberries) and Carrot Cupcakes

This child-friendly, nutrient-dense carrot cake recipe is enhanced with the addition of goji berries, or wolfberries. Often called a superfood, goji berries are packed with a whole load of nutrients. Containing all eight essential amino acids and a high levels of healthy antioxidants, Goji berries are known for their anti-aging effects, and benefits to eye and immune health.

What you’ll need

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 medium sized carrots, scrubbed and shredded
  • 1/3 cup goji berries

How to make it

  1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg C.
  2. In a bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat oil, brown sugar and eggs together well.
  4. Add sifted ingredients and mix only until just combined. Fold in grated carrots and goji berries.
  5. Line a 12-cup muffin (or 24-cup mini muffin) pan. Fill cups two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 minutes (15-18 minutes for mini muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  6. Remove tin from oven and cool for 10 minutes
  7. Remove cupcakes from tin and allow to cool before serving or frosting.
  8. Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for several days

Notes:

  • We used a mix of purple and orange carrots, either can be used.
  • As this cupcake is oil-based, it can be eaten straight out of the fridge.

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Rustic Carrot Swirl Bread

Freshly baked bread with carrot swirl

The carrot is such a beautiful and wholesome ingredient. When baked as a bread, the carrot exudes an irresistible hue and injects a subtle sweetness. Try this simple recipe to infuse a healthy and fun twist to your regular bread loaf, with a beautiful swirl of carrot dough!

What you’ll need:

White Bread Dough

  • 150 ml milk (room temperature) 
  • 15 g sugar
  • 3 g dry instant yeast 
  • 10 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 200 g bread flour 
  • 5 g salt

Carrot Dough

  • 50ml carrot juice (bottled or freshly pressed and nicely filtered)
  • 5g sugar
  • 1g dry instant yeast
  • 3g unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 60g bread flour
  • 1 pinch of salt

How to make it:

White Bread Dough

  1. Dissolve sugar in warm milk then stir in the yeast. Rest for 10 mins until mixture becomes foamy.
  2. Add the mixture, bread flour and salt into a stand mixer bowl.
  3. Attach the kneading hook onto the stand mixer and combine all ingredients on low speed 1.
  4. When all ingredients are combined, turn the speed up to 5 or 6 and knead the dough for 20 minutes, until smooth.
  5. Roll the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl.
  6. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about 45 min to 1 hour at about 86°F(30°C) or until doubled the size.

Carrot Dough

7. While the white dough is resting, make the carrot dough using the same steps for the white dough above. Ensure the carrot juice is slightly warmed before mixing with the sugar and yeast in step 1.

Combining the Two Doughs

8. Punch the doughs down. Using a rolling pin, roll out roughly to separate rectangles.

9. Place the carrot dough on top of the white dough, then roughly roll the doughs together. Fold the dough at the sides tightly, then place in a greased loaf tin.

10. Cover the combined rolled dough with a wet cloth and stand for 30 minutes.

11. Bake in a preheated oven at 365 °F/ 185°C for 25-30 minutes

12. When the dough has risen to be level with the tin, it’s ready to bake.

13. Remove the bread from the tin and cool it down on a rack.

Notes:

  • Have fun and replace the carrot juice with other brightly coloured vegetable or fruit juice (make sure it’s been filtered if freshly pressed).
  • Never mix salt into the yeast mixture as salt slows down yeast fermentation

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Lapis Legit/Kue Lapis/Thousand Layer Cake

Kueh Lapis (Thousand Layer Cake)

Lapis Legit, also known as the “thousand layer cake”, literally means “sweet layer cake” in Indonesian.

This delicate and delicious cake was first introduced to Indonesia during its Dutch colony days, and ironically can hardly be found in Holland today.

Ultimate patience is key to creating this masterpiece, comprised of 15-20 layers, baked layer upon layer. A complicated process indeed but well worth the effort, for it brings both the baker and gourmet lover absolute delight when making its grand entrance.

Its ingredients are as noteworthy as its elegant look – a high ratio of butter and eggs to flour, and an eclectic mix of spices, including cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and anise. Because of its rich decadence (aka high fat content), thin slices are usually served, often as a snack, and to be enjoyed with tea and coffee.

Makes 1x20cm (8 inch) square cake

What you’ll need

  • 250 g high quality Dutch butter (cold and cut into pieces, plus extra to butter the layers while baking)
  • 10 egg yolks
  • 8 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
  • 185g cake flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 3 tbsp rum
  • 2 tsps vanilla essence

What to do

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees/ 325 degrees F.
  2. Generously butter the cake pan, then line the base with baking paper and brush with melted butter. Dust with flour and tip out excess.
  3. Sift flour and spices together.
  4. Egg yolk mixture: Whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until light and thick
  5. Butter mixture: Cream butter with 3/4 cup sugar, rum and vanilla
  6. Meringue mixture: Whisk egg whites on medium speed till foamy, then add rest of sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form
  7. Mix egg yolk and butter mixtures together
  8. Fold in flour, followed by the meringue mixture
  9. Measure approximately 1/3 cup of batter and spread onto the baking tin with a spatula. Tap the tin to remove air bubbles and also to ensure a thin, even layer. Bake the first layer until firm, about 10 minutes.
  10. Turn the oven to grill mode, then grill until brown, about 30-40 seconds.
  11. Brush with butter.
  12. Spread a second layer, tap the tin, cook for 10 minutes and repeat the above process for all subsequent layers until all the cake batter is used up.

Notes:

  • Between each layer, press the cake down well using a spatula or fondant press.
  • If you spot any air bubbles as you are baking the layers, poke them with a toothpick
  • Let the flavours continue to develop and it will taste best after 3-4 days.
  • Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for 3 weeks.

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Sweet Potato Mousse Recipe

Murasaki Imo Taruto

Sweet Potato Mousse Recipe⁠
⁠
What you’ll need:⁠
200g sweet potato, skinned and cut into 1 inch rounds⁠
1 tbsp sugar⁠
10g unsalted butter ⁠
1 tsp vanilla essence⁠
1 tbsp maple syrup⁠
⁠
What to do:⁠
1) Soak the peeled and cut sweet potatoes in water for about 10 mins to eliminate any raw, bitter taste⁠
2) Rinse the sweet potato pieces and boil in water until tender⁠
3) Drain and mash (or puree) while it’s still hot⁠
4) Add the sugar, butter, cream, maple syrup and vanilla essence while it’s still hot⁠
5) Pass through a sieve⁠
4) Pipe onto shortbread⁠
⁠
Enjoy as a snack or dessert! ⁠

Notes: ⁠

  • Purple sweet potato is pictured here, but any variety of sweet potato will work. Go for the moister, sweeter varieties for a more aromatic product.⁠
  • Get the kids involved with the piping!