School Holidays Special: KitKat and M&Ms Chocolate Cake

It's the March school holidays this week. I baked this KitKat and M&Ms Chocolate Cake yesterday to 'celebrate' the break. (Actually I prefer no school holidays, less noise at home, haha!) Well, the real reason is, I wanted to try making this cake so badly after seeing this cake everywhere online and at some bakery shops too. And I'm sure the chocoholics at home, including me, will love this cake very much. In fact, this cake is so easy to make that I will encourage you to bake and decorate it with your kids (if u have) during this school holidays!

Step 1: Make a chocolate cake

You can use any recipes that you prefer. I'm using a chocolate chiffon cake recipe from Carol.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

4 egg yolks
15g sugar
25g vegetable oil
45ml milk
50g cake flour
25g cocoa powder

4 egg whites
65g sugar
5ml lemon juice

Bake 160 deg C, 35-40 minutes

This cake is baked in a 8 inch round pan in the book. But I recommend a 7 inch or even 6 inch cake pan to make the cake taller, as the kitkat chocolate is quite long. Use a removable-base pan. Invert immediately after removing from the oven (just like baking a chiffon cake) and let it cool completely before slicing the cake into 3 even layers.

Adapted from：烘焙新手必备的第一本书

Step 2: Make chocolate ganache

100g dark chocolate
100g dairy cream

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put in a bowl.
Heat dairy cream in a saucepan until just about to boil (when you start seeing some bubbles).
Pour the cream into the bowl of chocolate, set aside for a few minutes. Then stir the mixture until chocolate dissolves and a smooth ganache is formed. Leave it to cool and slightly thicken.

Spread the ganache between the cake slices and all around the cake.

Step 3: Decorate the cake

Place KitKat all around the cake and then pour as much M&M's as you want on top of the cake. Chill in the fridge for a few hours for the ganache to set.

Step 4: Slice and eat!

Slice, serve and eat!

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Zebra Butter Cake (Mrs NgSK recipe)

I made this Zebra Butter Cake 3 times already. Yes, this is how much I love it.

Many years ago, when I tried to make zebra butter cake, it ended up becoming a 2 layer cake only, a butter cake layer and a chocolate cake layer. I forget which recipe I used, the batter must be too thin that the layering failed. Or I was just too bad at baking then, I didn't dare to post that up.

This time, I tried the very famous Mrs NgSK butter recipe, which uses the egg separation method. I hate butter cakes that turn out too dry and crumbly and fall over the place when you eat. This butter cake doesn't. It is very soft and fluffy!

My zebra cake turns out so much better than I expected. :)

The only 'troublesome' part about making this cake (for me) is I have to whisk them in 2 parts as I only have 1 mixer. If I whisk the egg yolk batter first, I have to thoroughly wash the mixer and beaters before whisking the egg whites. If I whisk the egg whites first, the egg whites will lose some volume and become watery after a while. If I want to make a marble version, I have to use a 3rd mixing bowl, means extra washing to do. Despite all the 'troubles', I still make them 3 times already within weeks. :)

Zebra Butter Cake (Mrs NgSK recipe)

Ingredients: (9 inch round pan or 2 6 inch round pans)

230g salted butter, softened at room temperature
150g sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g self raising flour, sifted (I use 200g plain flour + 1.5tsp baking powder)
60ml milk
10g cocoa powder

4 egg whites
50g sugar

Method:

1. Line the base, grease the sides of the baking pan.

2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add in vanilla extract and beat for a while.

3. Add in egg yolks one at a time and beat well after each addition.

4. Add in half the flour, followed by milk in 2 additions, then mix in balance flour.

5. Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions, add cocoa powder to one portion and mix well. Set both aside.

6. Beat egg whites until soft peaks, gradually add 50g sugar and beat until stiff.

7. Divide the egg whites into 2 portions. Add 1 portion to the original batter and 1 portion to the cocoa batter. (For each portion, add in egg whites in 2 separate additions, mix in half first, then fold in the rest.)

8. Using a tablespoon, scoop 1 tablespoon of the original batter into the centre of the pan. Then scoop 1 tablespoon of cocoa batter on top of the centre of the original batter. Alternate the 2 batters until done.

9. Bake at 180 deg C for 45 minutes (30 minutes for 6 inch pan) or until skewer comes out clean. Reduce the temperature if the top turns brown too fast or start to crack.

Recipe adapted from: Mrs NgSK's Butter Cake (by Wendyinkk)

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Apple Cranberry Olive Oil Cake

Last month, after reading Keropokman's Granny Smith Cranberry Olive Oil Cake, I immediately went into the kitchen to make this. It's a very simple stir-and-mix cake. Usually I prefer cakes using chiffon method, but this stir-and-mix cake turns out surprisingly good. It is moist and soft, not too dense. The apples and cranberries are a perfect match!

I have reduced the recipe by 1/3 to fit my 6 inch round tin.

Apple Cranberry Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients (makes one 6 inch round tin)

1/3 cup sugar (I use 70g)
1/3 cup olive oil (I use 80ml)
2 small eggs

1 cup granny smith (about 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced)
1 cup plain flour (I use 130g)
2/3 tsp baking powder (use slightly more than 1/2 tsp)
1/3 tsp baking soda (use slightly more than 1/4 tsp)
1/3 teaspoon of salt (use slightly more than 1/4 tsp)

50g dried cranberries (I soak in water for a few minutes to soften, then pat dry)
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in sugar, olive oil and eggs. Whisk the mixture with a hand whisk until sugar dissolves and well-mixed.
2. Add in apples. Mix well.
3. Add in sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in dried cranberries and cinnamon powder. Mix well with a spatula. Do not overmix.
4. Pour the mixture into a lined and greased 6 inch cake tin.
5. Bake at preheated oven at 175 deg C for 30 minutes or until done. Poke a skewer into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, give it another 5 to 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from: Keropokman

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Aspiring Bakers #12: Steamed Egg Cake (Ji Dan Gao) 鸡蛋糕

After seeing so many entries posted for our traditional kueh theme, which are all very pretty and colourful, I feel a bit embarrassed about posting my plain plain kueh.

Bloggers here have again set another difficult theme for me, who hardly know how to make kueh. Few years ago, I did tried Ang Koo Kueh and Min Jiang Kueh before.

This time I was trying to find something easy to start with. So I tried Ellena's Ji Dan Gao. It uses the tradtional way of making using fizzy drinks like cream soda, 7-Up or Sprite. While it is very soft and spongy, I feel like it is the same as any sponge cake. I wonder if I got it correct.

With only less than 2 weeks left, I hope I have the time to make nicer kuehs.

I am submitting this Ji Dao Gao to Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011), hosted by Small Small Baker.

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