My 1st Attempt in Kasutera Japanese Sponge Cake

When you see me posting 'My 1^st Attempt'…..that meant that I have failed in my 1^st attempt and that they will be more posting on this item that I'm dying to achieve and will work harder to achieve it. First it was the Pullman White Bread, then the Macarons………, eh, I think the Macarons I totally didn't have the heart to even put up a post to talk about my first 3 attempts before I finally succeeded in the 4^th one :P........well, it's too heartbreaking to talk about it L

Well, I was very curious about the Kasutera Japanase Sponge Cake or aka Castella Cake. The reason is because when I went through the recipe and the method, it was a very different group of ingredients compared to a normal sponge cake.......and as for the methods......special steps are taken to achieve that cake.........just take a good look at the original Kasutera Cake.......it's texture is so fine and velvety ………. I actually wouldn't call it 'sponge cake'……..as it is so velvety and fine that the word 'sponge' does not actually fits the category.......its a total opposite of a normal sponge cake that I used to bake. I'm surprised why the Japanese called it a sponge cake, it's just too 'high class' for a cake of this texture to be called sponge cake.

Anyway, I wanted so much to bake this cake from the moment I laid my eyes on that piece of Kasutera I saw in the web. I don't know if this photographer has done some 'fixing' to this picture or not, but it sure captures my attention. I told myself I have to learn this cake and I will definitely try baking it no matter how many times I fail. I searched and searched and study all the pros and cons and techniques to bake this cake. I knew very well that I have gathered the 'perfect' recipe as I have seen many praised Ms Maki of  Just Hungry for this superb recipe and detailed explanation of the method that she has spend 'don't know' how much time to penned it down and share with us. So, why do I still fail?...........The answer is …….it's all on ME and MY technique and also my "not enough" understanding of this cake. My Kasutera turned out OK as a sponge cake, but of course not OK as a "Kasutera Japanese Sponge Cake".

My mistakes, I reckoned would be :-

1. I did not beat out the air bubbles in the batter enough to release all the air and that resulted in a spongy cake with a loose and crumbly texture;
2. And I beat the eggs on medium speed, which resulted bigger air bubbles and that's why the cake turned out to have bigger airholes. This cake requires complete patience and it has to be beaten at 'low speed' - no hard and fast rules here;
3. And I opened the oven door to many times to check on the doneness of the cake as it actually passed the suggested time, and therefore I started to worry that the cake will be too dry, thus resulting the top of the cake to sink a bit when it's finally done L
4. And I wrapped the cake too early when it's still hot, konon too scared that the moisture will disappear if I waited to long for the cake to cool down (haiyo, silly me) into a plastic bag to lock in the moisture, ended up the steam in the plastic bag actually soaked the cake a bit on the top.

It was said that a good and successful Kasutera Cake should be moist, with a very fine texture, and is very light. It should have dark brown and sugary top and bottom. It is sweet but not those really sweet to the tooth kind of cake and it is rich, with a taste owing it to the honey used. My Kasutera is moist, but not fine in texture , it has large airholes and are so not refine and the crumbs are coarse. My brown top was pretty, but the bottom brown was scarred by me when I try to remove it from the parchment paper, aiyo, :(

I am definitely going to bake it again and I am going to achieve a Kasutera Japanese Sponge Cake like this one as shown in the pic……….so perfect and velvety and so refine ^_^ Tempted to bake one after looking at this picture? This is the picture that got me mesmerized and eager to try baking my Kasutera ……Tell me what do you think?

MADELEINES

Madeleines, ain't this name sound sweet and lovely…..well, it does and it is. These little teacakes were made famous by Marcel Proust, who referred to them in his novel 'Rememberance of Things Past' in which he narrated that he experiences an awakening upon tasting a madeleine dipped in tea. Madeleines are very small sponge cake with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions.
Recently I have bought 2 Madeleines shell-shaped pans from Daiso Japan and instantly, the urge to bake some Madeleines are on………hehe. I have this 'The Cookie & Biscuit Bible' Cookbook that was presented to me by my 3 lovely boys during New Year this year. I read this book every now and then like when I'm free, because this book has over 400 recipes on cookies and biscuits from all over the world. What I like about this book is it has step by step pictures showing the method………which I totally agree, "Pictures tells a thousand words".
I chosed the recipe for my first Madeleines from this book, and it's very easy to follow and very easy to understand too. The outcome of these little tea cakes are wonderful, with a buttery fragrant when it first came out of the oven, as for the texture, it is like eating a little sponge cake…..but a little denser and compact I would describe it……..I would say it is best to be eaten the it was made. Sprinkle some icing sugar on the top of it and have it with a cup of English Breakfast Tea, that would be lovely………and hope it be able to bring some good old memories back to you of those olden days…………like it did to Mr Marcel Proust ^_^
Happy Madeleines Baking …………J

 MADELEINES
Ingredients (Makes 12)
165gm plain / multi-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
75gm icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 Tbsp lemon or orange juice
75gm butter, melted and slightly cooled
Grated rind of one lemon or orange

 Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190~C / 375~F. Generously butter a 12 cup madeleines pan. If you don't have one, you can always use a muffin pan.
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and icing sugar in a bowl for 5 – 7 minutes, until thick and creamy and the mixture leaves a ribbon trail when the beaters are lifted.
4. Gently fold in the lemon juice and rind using a rubber spatula or metal spoon.
5. Beginning with the flour mixture, alternately fold in the flour and melted butter in four batches, with a rubber spatula.
6. Leave the mixture to stand for 10 minutes, then carefully spoon the batter into the tin. Tap gently to release any air bubbles trapped in there.
7. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, rotating the pan or tin halfway through baking.
8. Test the madeleines with a skewer inserted into the centre and if it comes out clean, it's done.
9. Tip the madeleines on to a wire rack to cool completely and dust with icing sugar before serving.

MULBERRY CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This is going to be another of those 'first time experience' for me, as I have never baked using fresh berries before……though I have always wanted to do so….but staying in a country that has a humid and summer all year round climate…..where could you get fresh berries?...….I meant really fresh, plucked from the farm or your garden...…..berries??? hehe…..I finally get this kind of experience although I'm not the one who plucked it (Mulberries), my in-laws did it at one of my Hubby's aunt's house. She has this Mulberry tree growing in her garden and it has its season for bearing fruits, according to her. This time, my in-laws went to her house for a visit and it just happened that 'it is' the time of the year that it bears fruits. My MiL said she was having fun plucking those fresh and lovely Mulberries from the tree. I can imagine how fun it was……….imagining you are in a Mulberry farm, having a basket in your hand, and plucking the ripe Mulberries from its tree………that would be such a lovely scene ^_^
So, she plucked and plucked and came home with a small basket of it…….but doesn't really know what to do with it…….blend it for juice, make Mulberry Jam…..or??? As my Hubby's aunt said Mulberries fruits has a lot of goodness too……..if you are interested to look up at the internet to find out. When I came home from work, my MiL told me to take a look at these berries and see what I can do with it…………..well, as of now, you should know me very well, whatever came to my head or my mind first...…..it will be "Baking" LOL.
I was so convinced that these Mulberries will be a good bake no other than Blueberries, Strawberries and any other berries………as they are all berries :P Well, in fact, it is! I used one of the recipe in my collection that actually calls for Blueberries and happily substituted it for Mulberries. Guess what, the caketurned out perfect, it's moist and with a sense of Spring………and I just love the little tangy taste of the Mulberries juice  at the after baked, that it sipped out from the fruit on each little piece of the cut cake. The color of the cake was awesome too…….very fresh and you just wanted to take a bite by looking at it. Then I added the Cream Cheese Frosting with a few drops of Lemon Juice, spread it on the top of the cake, it blends in really well with the cake and it tastes ………….GREAT!! You should try baking this at home, I mean maybe you can't get Mulberries, but well, hey……..as long as you get any kinds of berries……..they should turn out this way…………………so Happy "Berries" Baking ^_^

Mulberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients for the Cake

60gm    Unsalted butter

50gm    castor sugar

1     egg

½ tsp    vanilla extract

75gm    all-purpose flour

1¼ tsp    baking powder (I opted this because I'm using SRF)

¼ tsp    salt

50gm     sour cream

1½ tsp milk

55gm     fresh or frozen Mulberries or any berries you prefer

Frosting

60gm icing cugar

40gm butter, softened

80gm cream cheese, softened

Fresh mulberries for decorating

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180~C and lightly greased a 15cm tube or bundt tin, set aside. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together, set aside.
2. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl, beat with hand mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla, and egg, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour mixture and mix well.
4. Add the sour cream and milk and mix well until combine. Stir in the Mulberries into the batter, and pour the batter into the prepared mould.
5. Bake until the cake is golden brown, and the cake spring bake when touched, about 25 - 30 minutes. Let the cake cool completely before frosting it.

6.Make the frosting: Beat the confectioners' sugar and butter together, add the cream cheese and (I added a few drops of Lemon juice – it's optional), beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Frost the cake with the frosting and decorate with fresh Mulberries.
<><>

PATE A CHOUX WITH FRESH WHIPPED CREAM

*Sigh*………I know how discouraging it is to start a line with a sigh……LOL….no lah, that was exactly how I felt on Tuesday morning when I went to work……I guessed it's the lazy bugs visiting. I posted how lousy I felt in status bar in Facebook, and a few friends suggested I should go home tonight and bake the hell out of it……..LOL….which I seldom do, because I always bake when I'm feeling happy, not when I'm feeling lousy…………………well, that's because I think I'm just afraid that what I bake will fail me and it will make me feel even lousier :P…………………..but since these two friends (JB and CW) suggested, I gave it a try, and planned out nicely what I wanted to bake for tonight…….and I chosed "Pate a Choux" or also known as "Choux Pastry".

The reason why I chosed Pate a Choux / Choux Pastry is because I have a DB Challenge to accomplish by 28^th of this month and the theme this month is to bake 'Pate a Choux' to make a piece of "Montee" (a mounted piece of Croquembouche that comprises only Choux Pastries). So, since I still have some time to brush up on my skill in making this Pate a Choux (as some of you may know, my 1^st attempt in making Pate a Choux failed as the Choux does not puff, it sink so sadly and badly L) before I carry out the challenge, I'll use this night as a trial.

Therefore, the recipe I used to make this Choux Pastry is actually the recipe given by the DB host of May, and it is a recipe that she adapted it from Peter Kump's Baking School in Manhattan by Chef Nick Malgieri. This recipe is a sure keeper as I can tell you now, my 2^nd attempt turned out really good, the structure of the Choux was so solid, but the texture inside of it was soft, and even until the 3^rd day (today) as I still have some left in a container I stored in the fridge. As this was baked quite late at night, I finished baking at around 10.30pm, so didn't have enough time to make the Crème Patissiere, so I just filled it with whipped cream and dusted icing sugar on top……..and they kids just loved it, they bring these to school for 2 days in a row now……..:P

Happy 'Pate a Choux' Baking………^_^

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28) (I got 26 as mine was slightly bigger)

¾ cup water
85gm unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
125gm all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Preparing batter:

1. Preheat oven to 425~F/ 220~C, and lined 2 baking tray with parchment papers.
2. Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.
3. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
4. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to cool slightly.
5. Add 1 egg and the batter will appear loose and shiny. Keep stirring and as you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes. It is at this point that you will add in the next egg and repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:

1. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip.
2. Pipe choux about 1 inch-part on the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high and about 1 inch wide.
3. Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of the choux when piping.
4. Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).
5. Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.
6. Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degres and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 – 25 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool. The Choux can be stored in a airtight box overnight.
    

Happy Choux Pastry Baking !

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

 I have always loved 'crumble' or 'streusel' recipes, I have dozens of them and are still collecting. The reason why I love them is, it gives you a very satisfaction 'first bite' as it's cookie-like crust on top is so buttery and fragrant. I just loved it! So today, I have planned to bake Apple Crumble Pie that I have been wanting to bake for so long already, everytime it just happened that I don't have apples in the house. Then, one day when I was browsing in the BWM store, I saw they have this 'Apple Pie Filling 'packed in 250gm and 500gm tub. So, I bought one tub of 250gm and decided that I can finally bake my Apple Crumble Pie, although I know that making your own apple pie filling would be much better than getting a store-bought. Well, maybe for this time only lah………next time I'll definitely make my own….;)

So the recipe I used this time is taken from 'Famous Cuisine – The Lifestyle Cuisine Magazine & Cookbooks No.44', one my Hubby's cookbook collection……..hehe, most of his cookbooks now becomes my regular reference already, LOL. Actually the original recipe calls for peach as it is a 'Peach Crumble Pie'. In fact I do have recipes that is an Apple Crumble Pie ones…..but just wanted to try this recipe out to see if the sweet shortcrust pastry for the pie crispy or not after a day..…..as there are just so many of them out there, some good ones are still crispy like a biscuit after one day.

What I can summed up for this one is, it took me extra 20 minutes to bake, as I think I rolled the crust too thick, hehe :P, as for the filling, eventhough it's a store bought, I would say it's not that bad too, but a bit sweet, that's all. The pie crust was crispy the day it was baked, for sure and turned soggy on the second day and same goes to the cookie crumbles…….I guessed it's because the apple pie-filling was wet, therefore that's the cause of it. But, if you can finish the whole pie on the day you baked it, I would say this recipe is 'a keeper'…….^_^, for me, I had trouble finishing it, as the kids don't really fancy eating apples in a pie……haha, and definitely not Hubby……so I am the only one who is digging my dessert spoon on it………geez, I bet the scale must have gone up a bit already, especially when I pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream……..stop, stop, stop right there!!! 

Here, this is the recipe, do try it out and you might like it……Happy Apple Crumble Pie baking, folks! ^_^


APPLE CRUMBLE PIE - Adapted from Famous Cuisine Magazine No:44 
Ingredients
For Crust 
200gm plain flour
60gm icing sugar
130gm butter, cold and cubed
1 egg yolk

For Filling 
250gm Apple pie-filling (store-bought)

For Crumble 
80gm plain flour
20gm castor sugar (I used 20gm brown sugar instead) 
40gm butter, cold and cubed

Method

1. To make pie crust : combine sifted flour and icing sugar. Rub in cubed butter using your fingers, add in the egg yolk and knead to form a dough. Do not over knead. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
2. Pre-heat oven to 170~C. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin in between 2 sheets of parchment paper, and press into the 20cm / 8 inch pie dish. Trim off the edges.
   
3. Evenly spread the apple pie filling on the pie dish.
   
4. To make crumble : rub butter into combined flour and sugar until mixture becomes coarse bread crumbs. Sprinkle on the top of the apple pie filling.
   
5. Bake in preheated oven at 170~C for 35-40 minutes or until cooked. (I took 60 minutes to get it cooked)
   

Happy Apple Crumble Pie Baking !