Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Lovely Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes/ Tarts

Hi Everyone, today we are making these “Lovely Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes”.
It is a crumbly and nearly melt-in-the-mouth pastry with the pineapple jam as the filling inside.

The difference with the Singaporean/ Malaysian pineapple tart is they are typically larger and made in square or rectangle shape.

I personally prefer the Taiwanese version coz the pastries have a rich distinctively crumbly milky taste and filled with a generous portion of sweet sticky chewy pineapple filling inside.

Pineapple cakes filling from commercial manufactures usually made of winter melon and Maltose Syrup so that the filling is extra sweet, heavy and sticky, which is not healthy.

They usually substitute all or part of the pineapple with winter melon, a vegetable in the squash family that is much cheaper than pineapple.

Since winter melon has little flavour, artificial flavours and colours are added to the pastries to make them attractive to consumer, and then Maltose syrup has been added to stiffen the fillling.

For this reason, I would like to show you how to make the healthier style of Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes which is hold up pretty well, so adorable and taste much fresher.

A lot of research went into perfecting these treats. But the end result was wonderful.
The key is the exterior, that’s how it will remain even after it is baked so you want the dough to be as smooth as possible. 

Pineapple Cakes before baking

So I actually found two versions of the crust that I liked, and there’s no need to put them in the fridge at all.

The first one I called a “basic dough” for the character’s body. It’s buttery, soft, yet also malleable and sturdy enough to hold its form.
And the second dough that I called the “colouring dough”. It’s soft and easy to work with, even for small details and also colour well with any kind of edible food colouring.

Is there anybody that wouldn’t want to box these as a present ? They are so cute, tasty, photogenic, everthing you could ever want!

They taste amazing when served slightly warm and paired with a cup of hot tea.
The buttery crust is rich and crumbly, filled with fruity sweet sour, chewy and sticky pineapple filling, they are absolutely delicious.

I really hope you Guys give it a try, they are a lot of fun to put together and they are pretty simple too! Love you all!!

LOVELY TAIWANESE PINEAPPLE CAKES
Yield: 10 pieces
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS
Pineapple Filling

  • 500 grams Pineapple (Chopped)
  • 120 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 20 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 30 grams Glutinous Rice Flour

Basic Dough

  • 100 grams Salted Butter (Cold)
  • 12 grams Icing Sugar
  • 22 grams Egg Yolks
  • 152 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 24 grams Milk Powder

Colouring Dough

  • 25 grams Salted Butter (Cold)
  • 7 grams Condensed Milk
  • 3 grams Egg Yolks
  • 38 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • Food Colouring (Red, Soft Pink, Black, White)

INSTRUCTIONS
Pineapple Filling

  1. Cut off the pineapple skin, took off the core and coarsely cut them into chunks (if you use canned pineapple, make sure to adjust the sugar level. They will take longer to cook coz the heavy water content in the canned pineapple).
  2. Transfer the chunks into a non-stick pan, add in the sugar (since the sweetness of each pineapple is different, feel free to adjust the amount of the sugar accordingly). Cook over medium high heat. Stirring constantly until most of the moisture has evaporated. Don’t forget to adjust the heat level based on the water content that was left in the pan.
    *I suggest using a non-stick pan as it is sticky after when it becomes concentrated.
  3. When the pineapple is about to dry, looks translucent and a bit brownish, lower the heat, add in the butter. Stir continously until the butter melted and incorporated in the pineapple (the butter makes the pineapple fillings smoother and easier to handle during wrapping).
  4. For the binder, sprinkle in some of the glutinous rice flour. Add it gradually, to make sure that the flour are distribute evenly. Mix until well combined.
  5. Take it off from the heat, spread the fillings thinly on a large plate to cool completely.


Basic Dough

  1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and smooth.
  2. Add in the egg yolks, mix well 
  3. Pour in All-Purpose Flour and milk powder, mix until all the ingredients just combined and create a dough ball (do not overmix to avoid the formation of gluten, which will make the pastry less flaky).
  4. Cover them with a plastic wrap to prevent the dough dry. Set aside


Colouring Dough

  1. Combine the butter, condensed milk and egg yolks, mix well.
  2. Pour in the all-purpose flour, mix until it’s form a smooth dough.
  3. Colour it as needed (remember to always cover the dough with a plastic wrap to keep their moisture).


Wrapping, Decorating and Baking

  1. Divide pineapple filling into portions of 20 grams each, and basic dough 25 grams each.
  2. Roll each portion of pineapple filling into a ball.
  3. Flatten a portion of basic dough (you can do this in your palm or with a small rolling pin).
  4. And then place a portion of filling into the centre of the flattened dough. 
  5. Gently wrap the dough around the filling, pinching away and setting aside excess dough at the top and where the edges meet. 
  6. Gently roll the filled dough between your palms to form a smooth oval ball. 
  7. Using some basic dough and white colouring dough for the ears.
    Apply some white colouring dough for the face.
    Black dough for the nose, mouth and eyes.
    Soft pink for the cheeks and tounge.
    Using love shape plunger cutter to create the heart shape.
    And finally, use some basic dough to create her hands and legs.
    *Make sure the details sticks really well otherwise it will tilted or fall down while baking.
  8. Bake in the preheat 160°C oven for 20 minutes.
    Remove from the oven, allow  to cool slightly on the pan for about 20-25 minutes, and then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.


NOTES

  1. The dough will expand a bit when baked in the oven.
  2. You can use any food colouring for the “Colouring Dough” (powder, gel, liquid).
  3. Store the cakes at room temperature in an airtight container, the crust will have become more tender.
  4. Pineapple cakes turning mouldy even when stored in an airtight containers is due to the presence of too much moisture.
    Store pineapple cakes which are cooled to room temperature in an airtight container away from the sunlight for 3-4 days.
    Keep them refrigerated for up to 1 months.


Posted on by Bembum Kitchen · 2 Comments

Teddy Bear Choco Pies

Hi Guys! I hope that you are doing well, and today we are making these gorgeous “Teddy Bear Choco Pies“.
Choco pie is a popular Korean snack, some call it National Snack. It consist of 2 cakes with marshmallow fillings in between, and the whole thing is covered in chocolate.

I’m the biggest fan of Choco Pie. 2 of the most popular Choco Pie brand are Oreon and Lotte. They got the original and also other flavor varieties.

And out of all the Choco Pies, my favorite will have to be Cacao Choco Pie. I love the the cacao version because it has chocolate cakes instead of Vanilla. The extra chocolate just adds a little richness to the Choco Pies and it taste really good.

So today I’m gonna show you how to make my homemade and healthier version of Cacao Choco Pie.

We need to make homemade chocolate cakes, homemade marshmallows, and then assembling it in the end to make Teddy Bear Choco Pies. It’s quite a long step, but of course it’s really worthed in the end.

The chocolate cake is soft and moist, the marshmallow fillings itself are so fluffy, kinda a spongy texture. And the melted chocolate… it’s just a chocolaty goodness. And yes, it was definitely fun to make.

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe. Have fun with it, create any design your want! Love you Guys!!

TEDDY BEAR CACAO CHOCO PIES
Yield: 16 pieces
Active time: 2 hour
Total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS
Cake Batter:

  • 145 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 105 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 150 grams Eggs
  • 190 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 30 grams Cocoa Powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

Marshmallow Fillings:

  • 10 grams Gelatine Powder
  • 80 grams Water
  • 220 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 60 grams Water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Pink Food Colouring

Coating & Decorating:

  • 350 grams Dark Chocolate
  • 150 grams Milk Chocolate
  • 100 grams White Chocolate
  • 50 grams Strawberry Chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare design template. Secure the template to the pan with some tape (so they stop slipping around). Over the top of the design, place a piece of baking parchment that fits exactly the bottom of the pan.

Chocolate Cake Batter:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.
  2. Combine the soft butter and granulated sugar, continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, and mix that all through (don’t worry if the batter looks like curdling now, the mixture will comes back together when we add the dry ingredients later).
  3. Mix in all of the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder and baking powder), mix until the batter is really smooth and no lumps remains.
  4. Transfer the batter into a piping bag with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe according to the design template.
  5. Bake it for about 13-15 minutes. Let it sit on the pan for about 3 minutes then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (if you find that you have a little bit of uneven surface on your teddy bear cakes, it doesn’t really matter since we’re going to be dipping them in Chocolate anyways)

Details Decorations:

  1. Using the same Teddy Bear template as above, tape some wax paper right on top (just to make sure it doesn’t budge).
  2. Melt the chocolate in microwave of a double boiler, transfer it to a piping bag. Pipe each details with melted chocolate.
  3. Pop them in the freezer, let them set until ready to use them.

Prepare the Chocolate Cake:
Melt some dark chocolate. Dip each chocolate cake into some melted dark chocolate, shake off the excess (shake the teddy bear to get it nice and smooth). Let them dry on the cooling rack so it’s firm to touch.

Marshmallow Fillings:

  1. Pour the gelatine into a mixing bowl, add 80 grams of water and mix, let it stand for a while.
  2. In a sauce pot, mix the granulated sugar and 60 grams of water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid and let boil for about one to two minutes (to allow any sugar crystals to dissolve from the sides of the saucepan). Remove the lid and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit or the softball stage (if you don’t have one, just bring it to a rolling boil and let it boil for 1 minute)
  3. Pour in hot sugar syrup over the soft gelatine. Whip this up on medium speed with a hand mixer. Add in your favorite extract and food colouring, continue whip for about 8-10 minutes, until it gets super thick and fluffy. Transfer the marshmallow into a piping bag.

ASSEMBLE
Take one of the chocolate cake. Squeze a generous amount of marshmallow to the center of the cake and then put another cake on top. Decorate with chocolate detail decorations (using melted chocolate as a glue to attach the details).

NOTE

  1. Let the marshmallow set a while before piping it, so it doesn’t melt around the edges of the cake.
  2. I don’t have milk chocolate on hand, so I’ve just mix the dark and white chocolate together to create a soft brown chocolate colour. And for the red mouth, I’ve just add a bit of red food colouring to the white chocolate.
  3. You can keep them quite well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 weeks, 3 weeks in the fridge.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Kawaii Mitarashi Dango

Hi Guys, today we are making these adorable “Kawaii Mitarashi Dango”.  Have you ever eaten Japanese confectionery DANGO? Small round sweet dumpling balls are skewered on bamboo sticks and covered with a gooey brown sauce.  

Mitarashi dango are my favorite traditional sweet, they are quite satisfying without being overly sweet 🤤

The shiny brown colored sauce (which is called Mitarashi Sauce) is sweet and savory at the same time.
It goes perfectly with the bland, slightly chewy Dango or dumplings (Dango is the name for unfilled solid dumplings.)

This traditional Dango dessert is not as difficult as you may think. I hope you enjoy these traditional snacks and a taste of history today!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE KAWAII MITARASHI DANGO


KAWAII MITARASHI DANGO
Yield: 18 pieces
Active time: 1 1/2 hour
Total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
🍡 Dango
240 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
60 grams Icing Sugar
260 grams Japanese Silken Tofu
Cocoa Powder
Food Colouring (Black, Red)

🍡 Mitarashi Sauce
130 grams Water
20 grams Soy Sauce
10 grams Corn Starch
45 grams Brown Sugar


INSTRUCTIONS
🍡 Dango

  1. In a large bowl, mix together Glutinous Rice Flour, Icing Sugar and Japanese Silken Tofu. Simply mix the ingredients together until it’s form a dough ball.
    *If the dough is too dry, you can add more tofu and if it’s too sticky to handle just add more Glutinous Rice Flour.
  2. Once the dough reach the right consistency, you can start to colouring them (for the extra flavor, instead of using food colouring I’m using Cocoa Powder for the brown colour).
    *You can create any design and colour you want, just take note that after boiling, the colour will be darker than before, so be mindfull with the colour.
  3. Take about 20-25 grams of dough and roll it into a ball shape (for Teddy Bear, Lucky Cat and Panda head).
    Place EACH head onto a small piece of Greaseproof Paper, then add the details as shown in the video.
  4. To cook Dangos
    After finish with all the design, bring a small pot of water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
    Carefully lift the Greaseproof Paper; place the dangos into the simmering water (you can cook a few of them at a time). Remove the floating Greaseproof Paper.
  5. When Dangos start to float, that means they are ready to be picked up! (it will takes for about 3-5 minutes).
    Scoop them out and place it into a bowl of ice water so they don’t stick together.
  6. After cooling down a bit, take out the Dangos from the ice water, then simply stick the Dango into a skewer. Make sure that you stick it right in the middle of the head

🍡 Mitarashi Sauce
Put all the mitarashi ingredients in a saucepan, then set on a medium heat and bring it to a boil; Keep stiring until the sauce has thickened.
Pour it onto the Dangos and serve.

NOTES

  1. Dango comes with many different varieties, so they are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it.
  2. In Japan, this Dango is easily found in markets or convenience stores and I think you also might find it at Japan store in your country.
  3. Some people use water to make these, but I’m prefer to use Tofu for a hint of extra flavor and it will give the Dangos a light and fluffy texture.
  4. It’s best to serve it hot, coz the colder it gets, the chewier it will become.
  5. Put the Dango in an airtight container and keep at room temperature up to 2 days.
    If you live in hot place, I recommend to put them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag and store them in the refrigerartor.
    If you can’t eat them after a day or 2, you might try freezing them (you can keep them for about a month in a freezer).
    When you want to eat them, It is the best to thaw them naturally at room temperature (this takes about 30-60 minutes) or you can Microwave it.
  6. As for the uncooked Dango, although you can freeze them in ziplock bag for up to 3 months, these method will dry them out and they cracked slightly around the edges.
    They did cook as per normal once they were dropped into the boiling water, but the cracked edges are not as perfect as you’ll like them to be, so better not freeze them too long.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Homemade Doraemon Marshmallow

Hi guys, today we are making these adorable “Homemade Doraemon Marshmallows”.

Sweet, soft, springy, fluffy pillows of deliciousness.
So why bother making Marshmallows at home?
Well, as cliche as this sounds, they really are SO EASY and SO MUCH better than any store-bought Marshmallows.

Store-bought Marshmallows just don’t have that pure, irresistible, Marshmallow flavor or the melt-in-your-mouth fluffiness 😉

Gelatin is very important in making Marshmallows, because it is the setting agent for Marshmallows.
Whisked Egg Whites are sometimes added to Marshmallows.

The whisked egg whites make the Marshmallows extra light and fluffy and a little more manageable, especially if you want to pipe shapes with the Marshmallow

I personally don’t like to add Egg Whites,
I prefer the taste and mouthfeel of Vanilla Marshmallows made without Egg Whites 

Another reason is that Marshmallows made with Egg Whites will not keep for as long.
Since you’ve got Egg Whites in there which can go bad fairly quickly.

Where as regular Vanilla Marshmallows made without Egg Whites will keep for a VERY long time (unless you eat it all right away, of course), and it’s safer for kids and pregnant women too.

Hello… how are you? 🙄 So cute!!

Once you know the ins and outs of making Marshmallows, you can do all sorts of things with it. You can add coloring and flavorings and plenty more.

😘 Happy face☺️

These homemade Marshmallows are the real deal!
I promise you these Marshmallows will be the softest, fluffiest, springiest little pillows of deliciousness you’ve ever had! 
Enjoy Guys!! 🙂

WATCH HOW TO MAKE DORAEMON MARSHMALLOW


HOMEMADE DORAEMON MARSHMALLOWS
Yield: 16 pieces
Active time: 1 hours
Total time: 1 1/2 hours

🍭 INGREDIENTS
10 grams Gelatine powder
80 grams water
220 grams Granulated sugar
60 grams Water
1/2 teaspoon favorite extract
Food colouring (red, blue, black)
Cornstarch

🍭 INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Prepare flat pan, lined with a Greaseproof Baking Paper on top, and then dust generously with a Cornstarch.
  2. To bloom the Gelatine
    Pour the Gelatin into a mixing bowl, add 80 grams Water and mix, then let it stand for a while.
  3. To make the hot Sugar Syrup;
    In a medium sauce pot add the Granulated Sugar and 60 grams Water.
    Pop in a candy thermometer (you don’t have to have this, but it does take the guessout work out of making the Marshmallows).
    Turn up the heat to high, bring it to a rolling boil.
    Note: If you are using candy thermometer, you want to reach 240 degress fahrenheit or the softball stage, but if you don’t have one, just bring it to a rolling boil and let it boil for 1 minute.
  4. Slowly and carefully pour in the hot Sugar Syrup over the soft bloomed Gelatine (be carefull this stuff is super hot and it will definitely burn you if you get it on your skin).
  5. Once you have add in all your Sugar Syrup to the Gelatine, whip the mixture on MEDIUM speed with an electric mixer (don’t whip them to fast, you don’t want too much air bubbles inside).
  6. Add your favorite extract, then whip this for about 8 to 10 minutes. It’s going to get super thick, and fluffy beautiful white Marshmallow like.
  7. Separate the batter into 4 bowls (red, blue, black and white).
    Add the food colouring for each colour (working quickly so the Marshmallow mixture doesn’t set up).
  8. Pour the coloured Marshmallows into the piping bags.
  9. Using a large round tip; squeeze the blue colour Marshmallow to create Doraemon head.
    Then add his round face with white colour Marshmallow.
    Note: Make sure that you give each part a bit time to set before you add other details.
  10. Then using small round tip; add his big round eyes with white colour Marshmallow.
    His red nose reindeer and necklace with red colour Marshmallow.
    His eye balls, big mouth and mustache with black colour Marshmallow.
  11. Once you have already done with all the details, dust the top with more Cornstarch.
    Then Let it stand for about 5-10 minutes.
  12. Carefully scoop out the Marshmallow and place them into the strainer, gently shake to get rid of the starch powder.
  13. Once it’s done, store Marshmallow in an airtight container or plastic bag.


NOTES

  1. Piping Marshmallow can be tricky, when the Marshmallow is too firm it will hard to squeeze, and if it too soft it will more deflate.
    So you need to find the right temperature.
  2. Actually you can reheat the Marshmallow batter when it gets hard, reheat it in the microwave or in a double boiler for a few seconds.
    Please note, even if you can reheat it, you only can do it in short amount of time, because when the marshmallow have already set up, the consistency will be more sticky then before, so it will hard to pipe.
    So the best way is to working fast, pipe it as soon as possible.
  3. Store homemade Marshmallows in an airtight container on the counter for up to a month.
    I recommend layering them with Parchment Paper, just in case they stick together.
    These will last for 3-4 weeks at room temperature.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen · 2 Comments

Sumikko Gurashi Meringue Cookies

Hellooo friends and welcome back!! Today we are making some adorable “Sumikko Gurashi Meringue Cookies” perfect for anyone who’s a fan of this Japan cute animal characters 🙂

The main Sumikko characters are Shirokuma – a polar bear who dislikes the cold; Penguin – who is unsure of being a penguin; Tonkatsu – a piece of leftover pork cutlet; Neko – a timid and anxious cat; and Tokage – a dinosaur who pretends to be a lizard.

Anyway, we are gonna make 4 of them today ; Shirokuma, Penguin, Neko and Tokage.

These cookies are almost too pretty to eat. If you’ve never had one, meringues are light, airy cookies with crisp and chewy interiors. They are not only so adorable, but can floating in your coffee too 😛 .

I’m sharing a classic vanilla meringue recipe today (with notes on how to add your own different flavors!), and the taste always reminds me of marshmallow 😍.

The technique takes a little bit of practice, and a long time in the oven, but I’ll walk you through the steps in the recipe so that you can make your own perfect meringues! Enjoy!!!

SUMIKKO GURASHI MERINGUE COOKIES
Yield: 16 pieces
Active time: 1 hours
Total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

  • 130 grams Egg whites
  • 260 grams Icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Food colouring pink, blue, green, yellow, brown, black
  • Vodka (for painting the final details)


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, place the egg whites and the icing sugar. Mix until well combined.
  2. Once that is all combined, place the bowl over boiling water on the stove. Whisk vigorously until sugar dissolved and there are no more sugar granules visible. Remove from heat.
  3. Using hand or stand mixer, beat on medium high until egg whites become bright white but still runny.
  4. Add in vanilla extract, Then beat on medium high to stiff peaks. This process will take for about 8-10 minutes.
    *You may substitute it with any extracts. If I’m adding a different flavor, I usually still keep the vanilla but cut it down to 1/2 teaspoon, then add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of the other extract.
    Be careful as some extracts (like Peppermint) are very strong, make sure that you don’t add in too much!
  5. Separate the batter in a few small bowl, Add in food coloring to the color for each character.

    These information is for your guidance of what colour you will need for all the characters and details.

    FOR BODY (big round tip):
    White (Shirokuma head), Soft blue (Tokage head), Soft Yellow (Neko head), Soft Green (Penguin head).

    FOR DETAILS (small round tip):
    White (ears, hands for Shirokuma and nose for Neko), Soft blue (hands and fins for Tokage), Soft yellow (ears and hands for Neko), Soft green (hands for Penguin), Soft pink (ears for Shirokuma, Brown (nose for Shirokuma), Yellow (mouth for Penguin) .
  6. Load the meringue batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and a ziplock bag works too.
  7. Line the baking tray with a parchment paper.
  8. Then to pipe the meringue, start out by creating a round shape for each character (4 pieces for each character). And then adding other details.
  9. Bake these off in the preheated 180° F (80° C) oven for about 2 hours.
  10. Once the meringue have come out from the oven, let it cool completely on the cooling rack.
  11. Create the final details. I used Americolor food gel colouring mixed with vodka (rhum or lemon or vanilla extract will works too), or you can use food decorating pen or edible pen.
    * The purpose of adding vodka in the food colouring actually is to thinning and lighten the colour. I am using alcohol like vodka because it evaporates and dry quickly.


NOTES:

  1. This recipe is so easy to remember. If you want to double or triple the recipe, just remember that the amount of the icing sugar is always twice as the egg whites.
  2. Make sure that the bowl and beater that you are using to beat your meringue is completely grease and moisture free. Any moisture can ruin your meringues.
  3. Crack your eggs in a separate bowl when separating the whites. Even a tiny bit of yolk can also ruin your meringues, so crack each egg in a small bowl before adding it to the bowl that you will be mixing the meringue batter in.
  4. Do not whisk the meringue on high speed with an electric mixer. This will form an airy foam with lots of large air bubbles. When baked, these large masses of air have a greater ability to expand than smaller air bubbles, causing the mixture to rise, spread and crack unevenly.
  5. Don’t stop until you get stiff peaks.  The batter will take several minutes, at least, of beating to achieve stiff peaks, but keep going.  It will increase in volume and be very thick and glossy — that’s what you’re looking for!
  6. Don’t over-beat your batter, either! Once you hit stiff peaks, stop!  You can stir in your extract and any food coloring at this point, but don’t push it because over-beating the batter is just as bad as not beating it enough.
  7. Do not bake it at too high temperature. The intense heat will cause the air bubbles to expand more efficiently, causing the mixture to rise, spread and crack.
  8. You can store the meringues at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Line parchment paper between each layer of meringues.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Double Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Hellloooo friends!!! Today we are making this “Double Dark Chocolate Cupcakes” This has been my go-to dark chocolate cupcake recipe for years now 😀 It makes the softest, PERFECTLY CHOCOLATY, moist and fluffy cupcake paired with whipped dark chocolate ganache frosting”.

The batter isn’t as thick as you would think. We don’t really want a super thick chocolate batter because that would yield a cupcake similar to brownies. Dense. We don’t want dense! We want spongey, cakey, and rich. So the batter is thin.

The chocolate cupcake just melts in your mouth, they are light and fluffy and stay moist for days. Seriously Guys, no other cupcake recipe can compare! I hope you make these Moist Chocolate Cupcakes and I know you Guys are going to love them!! Look forward to more videos coming soon 😊

DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Yield: 6 pieces
Active times: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:

  • 30 grams Cocoa powder
  • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 90 grams Boiling water
  • 45 grams Unsalted butter (melted)
  • 35 grams Vegetable oil
  • 150 grams Granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt
  • 40 grams Eggs
  • 15 grams Egg yolks
  • 45 grams Heavy whipping cream
  • 95 grams All-purpose flour

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

  • 80 grams Heavy whipping cream
  • 160 grams Dark Chocolate
  • 1 tablespoons Rhum (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
  2. In large heat proof mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda and boiling water. Whisk until bubbling subsides and mixture is well blended, allow to cool for 5 minutes, set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, in a separate large mixing bowl, blend together melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar and salt until well combined. Mix in egg and eggs yolk. Blend in lukewarm cocoa mixture. Then blend in heavy cream. Finally add flour and blend until well combined.
  4. Divide batter among 6 paper lined muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full. 
  5. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 – 20 minutes. 
  6. Remove from oven and allow to cool in muffin pan several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.
  7. Cool completely then frost with whipped dark chocolate ganache frosting.

Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting

  1. In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt dark chocolate and heavy cream together and stir until smooth.
  2. Let it cool in the fridge for about 1 hour or until you can spoon some out and keeps it’s form.
  3. Place in your hand mixer, add some rhum (as desired), whip until stiff. It should take for about 4-5 minutes.
  4. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles (optional).

NOTES

  • Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to seven days in the refrigerator or keep on the counter for two days.
  • Remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator an hour to two before you intend to eat them to allow them to come to room temperature.
  • The general rule is that classic ganache may stay at room temperature for up to 2 days then must be refrigerated. If you’d rather be safe (which I recommend), keep it refrigerated for all storage. 
  • Ganache can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge then let come to room temperature before using.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

One Hour Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

Helloooo and welcome back!! Today we are making my favorite bread “Cinnamon Rolls”!
One is never enough, that’s how I love cinnamon rolls 😉 My entire family also is OBSESSED with these rolls, especially when they require only 60 MINUTES to make! .
They are super soft and result in a quick, mouth-watering cinnamon treat. The rolls were tasted just as good as regular version, BUT – they were made in an hour! How awesome is that?!


I have to say, these ONE HOUR cinnamon rolls are not only quick and easy, but they taste just as amazing.
The dough is perfectly buttery and flaky, and every bit of that brown-sugar-butter-cinnamon-toast-crunch topping is crunchy and sweet and unbelievably good.


The smell of fresh yeasty dough in the air, followed shortly after by sizzling butter and warming sugar and cinnamon, there’s nothing better than a warm, gooey cinnamon roll covered in a sweet layer of cream cheese icing.


These recipe are everything you want in a cinnamon roll;
I am hooked on them and believe you will love this cinnamon rolls recipe too!!! Look forward to more videos coming soon 😛


ONE HOUR FLUFFY CINNAMON ROLLS
Yield: 6 pieces
Active times: 1 hour
Total time: 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS
Dough

  • 192 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/8 teaspoons instant yeast (NOT the active dry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 60 grams water
  • 14 grams unsalted butter
  • 30 grams milk
  • 25 grams granulated sugar
  • 25 grams eggs


Cinnamon Filling

  • 28 grams unsalted butter (melted)
  • 67 grams brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon powder

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 45 grams cream cheese
  • 95 grams icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk


INSTRUCTIONS
Dough

  1. Grease 10″ x 8″ baking dish with butter.
  2. In a microwave safe container, combine water, butter, milk, and sugar. Heat in the microwave or on the stove until the butter and sugar melted, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl combine flour and yeast, mix well. Then and salt, and mix again. Please remember, don’t bring the yeast and salt into direct contact. Because salt can kill the yeast, there will be no chance that your dough will rise.
    Add in eggs, mix. The slowly drizzle the warm butter-milk mixture, knead with by hand for 4 about minutes. You know your dough is the right texture if it’s doesn’t really sticks to your fingers with a light touch.
  4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 200 F/ 100 C, then turn it off when it reaches 200 F /100 C. This is where you’ll allow the rolls to rise.
  6. Roll out cinnamon roll dough into a 12″ x 9″ rectangle, then spread cinnamon roll filling on top. Leave a 1″ border on the bottom long edge of the dough.
    Roll dough with your fingertips, starting from the long end without a border, pinch the seam to seal, then cut roll into 6 equal pieces. Arrange pieces in a 10″ x 8″ baking dish greased with butter.
  7. Place pan in warmed oven and let rise for 20-25 minutes or until doubled in size .
  8. Remove rolls from the oven, then turn oven to 375F/ 180 C. Once oven is preheated, bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven, drizzle the cream cheese icing on top.

Cinnamon Filling
Melt butter in the microwave, then stir in sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla; mix well.

Cream Cheese Icing
Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk together until smooth

NOTES

  • Rolls in an airtight container will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, 5 days in the refrigerator, and up to 2-3 months in the freezer.
  • To reheat; remove the roll from the container, preheat the oven or toaster until the temperature reaches 350 degrees F. Put the cinnamon buns on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil and place them in the oven or toaster. Let the rolls heat up for about 10-15 minutes.
    Another option is using the microwave; place the cinnamon rolls in the microwave for about 15 to 30 seconds. Check on them to ensure they don’t become soggy.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Hi Guys!!! how are you today?? Today we are making some Chocolate Fudge Brownies that I promise taste just as good as they look 🙂
After testing what feels like a lifetime of brownies, these FINALLY came out a perfect texture, and have been made weekly ever since.

These Brownies are so chewy and gooey with the addition of Fudge Icing on top you can’t go wrong! For those of you prefer a less sweet, more “adult style” icing I urge you to try them with Ganache Icing (you can find the recipe below)!


Just one bowl and 5 minutes bringing it all together to make the BEST freaking brownies you’ve ever eaten in this lifetime. I hope you enjoy the recipe and see ya soon!!!


CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES
Yield: 7-inch square pan
Active times: 1 hour
Total time: 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS
Brownies

  • 42 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 113 grams semi sweet baking chocolate
  • 75 grams unsalted butter
  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs (100 grams)
  • 15 grams chopped nuts (as desired)


Fudge Icing

  • 13 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 8 grams corn syrup
  • 18 grams cocoa powder
  • 6 grams vegetable oil
  • 5 grams shortening
  • 16 grams corn syrup
  • 45 grams unsalted butter
  • 20 grams icing sugar

Chocolate Ganache Icing (less sweet “adult style” icing)

  • 80 grams Heavy whipping cream
  • 160 grams Dark Chocolate


INSTRUCTIONS
Brownies

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl or over a double boiler melt the butter and the chocolate together (if using the microwave, on medium power 15-25 seconds at a time and stirring between each interval).
  3. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and the eggs. Whisk together vigorously to incorporate evenly. Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture, mix. Then add all of the dry ingredients at once and mix just until incorporated.
  5. Pour entire batter in prepared pan.
  6. Sprinkle nuts as desired.
  7. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center produces a moist crumb. Let it cool completely in a pan.
  8. When completely cooled, ice with fudge icing.

Fudge Icing

  1. For the simple syrup, combine the first 3 ingredients (sugar, water and 8 grams of corn syrup). Boil for about 2-3 minutes then pour into a bowl and allow to sit in the freezer to rapid cool while you gather the other ingredients.
  2. In a large mixing bowl with, add the cocoa powder and cooled but still warm simple syrup and mix until it forms a firm mass. Add the vegetable oil, shortening, butter and 16 grams of corn syrup and mix well. Then add the sifted confectioners sugar a little bit at a time and mix until smooth.

Chocolate Ganache Icing

  1. In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt dark chocolate and heavy cream together and stir until smooth.
  2. Once cooled, just spread the icing on the brownies .

NOTES

  • Iced brownies in an airtight container, at room temperature best eaten within 1 to 2 days.
  • A whole pan’s worth, uncut and well wrapped in plastic, will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, 5 days in the refrigerator, and up to 3 months in the freezer.
  • To thaw the frozen brownies leave the cut up brownie squares to thaw at room temperature for two to three hours, then reheat the brownies using a microwave or a toaster.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Nian Gao

Hellooo there! Today we’re making “Nian Gao” a sticky cake that EVERYONE must have during Chinese New Year, and you know why???
The Chinese word 粘 (nián), meaning “sticky”, is identical in sound to 年, meaning “year”, and the word 糕 (gāo), meaning “cake” is identical in sound to 高, meaning “high or tall”. As such, eating nian gao has the symbolism of raising oneself taller in each coming year (年年高升 niánnián gāoshēng). Other names for these lucky rice cakes include kuih bakul, teekuih and kue keranjang.

I still remembers my first sticky cake. “I was really little, and the smell was just overwhelming – sweet but not too sweet. It filled the whole house.” I can say the cake – slabs or shapes of sweetened glutinous rice – is still among my favourite foods. “There’s nothing quite like it!”

This sweet and sticky rice cake is readily available only once a year during the Chinese New Year season (you can imagine how I will miss it so much :P), however the nian gao can be kept quite long time. My mom usually buy a lot of Nian Gao in bulk, cut and then stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Soft and sticky

Traditionally, making Nian Gao involves 3 simple ingredients, however it takes a VERY long time to cook. It was a tough work to produce this cake, 10-12 hours of steaming 😛 Did I just give you a heart attack?
Don’t worry, this recipe only need a short steaming time, so what are you waiting for, learn the secret in the video–enjoy!


NIAN GAO
Yield: three 5-inch round containers
Active times: 1 hour
Total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS
Banana Leaves
3 crushed Pandan Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Salt
380 grams Gula Melaka
120 grams Granulated Sugar
500 ml Water
200 ml Coconut Milk
600 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
Zest of one Orange (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Banana Leaves

  1. Soften banana leaves by boiling them in hot water for about 10 minutes.
  2. Cut the softened banana leaves to size and line the inside of container.


Batter

  1. Mix gula melaka and water in a pot, add the salt and crushed pandan leaves. Bring to boil until gula melaka dissolves, then add the granulated sugar.
  2. Stir in the coconut milk into the gula melaka mixture and mix well. Then sieve the mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool down.
  3. In a large bowl, sieve glutinous rice flour. Slowly add the cooled down gula melaka mixture a little at a time and mix well, then sieve mixture into a pot.
  4. Cook batter over low heat till batter thickens, add the orange zest.
  5. Slowly pour the thickened batter into the coconut leaves lined containers. Arrange containers in a steamer and steam at low heat for 2 hours, top up water when the water level drops in the steamer.
  6. After 2 hours, turn off the heat. Leave containers in the hot steamer for several hours to make use of the residual heat. Thereafter, remove it from steamer and set aside to cool down.
  7. Once it has cooled down, loosen the sides with a spatula. Place a plate over it and turn over, cut it with grease oil knife.


NOTES

  1. Increase the amount of sugar if you prefer Nian Gao to be sweeter.
  2. Nian Gao can be stored at room temperature for a day or two, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for several months.
  3. Ensure it cools completely and is wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container to prevent drying out. 
  4. Thaw frozen Nian Gao in the refrigerator before reheating.
  5. To reheat, you can steam the Nian Gao until it softens or pan-fry it until crispy. 
  6. Fried Nian Gao can be reheated in a toaster, oven, or air fryer.