Ondeh-Ondeh inspired cake

“Ondeh-Ondeh” is a peranakan dessert that is very famous in South-East Asia, mainly Malaysia and here in Singapore. These treats are made from gluttonous rice four with water and Pandan leave extract to form a dough. The dough is then wrapped around palm sugar(Gula Melaka) pieces and boiled. To finish it off, Ondeh-Ondehs are rolled in shredded coconut before serving. The palm sugar that’s within the cute little Ondeh-Ondehs bursts in to your outh with every bite.

So my main inspiration for the recipe was to infuse the flavours from Ondeh-Ondehs which are Pandan, Palm Sugar and coconut in to a cake.

Gula Melaka swiss meringue buttercream

4 egg whites

200g gula meaka chpped up fine

100g whitesugar

450g unsalted butter

Pandan cake

8 eggs

200g plain flour

½ tsp bking powder

200g melted butter

6 tablespoon pandan extract

Pandan extract

10-12 pandan leaves

3-5 talespoons of water

Shredded/desiccated coconut for garnish

Method:

1. Wash pandan leaves, cut them up in to small pieces and add them in to the blender with water and blend until it forms paste.
2. Extract as much liquid as possible from the paste using a sieve.
3. In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar on high for about 10 minutes until ixture increases in volume.
4. Add sifted flour, baking powder and pandan extract
5. Bake at preheated oven of 160 degree celcius

Swiss meringue buttercream

6. Add egg whites, white sugar and palm sugar in to a heatproof bowl over a ban marie.
7. Stir constantly to dissolve sugar crystals then take off heat.
8. Transfer contents in to mixer and ix on high with whisk attachment until stiff peaks and cooled
9. Add in butter(cubed) one at a time making sure it has been fully .incorporated before adding more butter cubes.
10. Frost cake and top with toasted shredded coconut

I hope you give this a try at home! It’s not too sweet for a cake and I really like it! Till next time, good luck!

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S’mores cake.

Initially I wasn’t intending on updating my blog until after exams, but I felt that I should make something and talk about it since Mother’s day is just around the corner. I found this recipe of a super easy chocolate cake on Hershey’s website which I will put a link to in a second. So basically my version of the s’mores cake is just a basic chocolate cake with ganache in the centre topped with toasted meringue, more chocolate ganache and Graham crackers. 

Without further ado here’s the recipe: 

Chocolate cake: https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=184

Meringue:

3 egg whites, 120g sugar

Chocolate ganache:

150g dark semi-sweet chocolate, 150 ml whipping cream

 

METHOD:

1.  Divide cake in to half after cooled using instructions from the Hershey’s website. 
2. Make ganache by chopping the chocolate in to small pieces and pouring over heated cream to melt it.
3. Set ganache in the fridge to thicken and cool.
4. In the meantime, prepare meringue by beating it with an electric mixer or by hand.
5. Gradually add in the sugar when it is frothy and beat until stiff peaks and glossy
6. Once ganache has cooled, spread over chocolate ganache in the centre and laying over the top layer of cake. 
7. Spread meringue and make spike effects or pipe it on the top. Toast with blow torch.
8. Crush Graham crackers for garnishing on the top and viola! Ready to serve 🙂

Instead of using a meringue topping, you can use marshmallow fluff of marshmallows themselves. I had neither, so I went with a toasted meringue which tastes the same.

Alright that’s all for today! Good luck!