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Red wine ribeye seared with love, with compliments from OBE Organic

January 24, 2014

My husband and I love to watch Top Chef and MasterChef together. We get our inspiration to bake and cook from these reality shows. Besides being grippingly entertaining, they are really educational for noob cooks like us, and I always fantasised being able to serve up gourmet looking food all prettily plated and all some day.

Recently, OBE Organic sent us some Australian ribeye steaks, minced beef and beef cubes. Ooooh, how we love our beef! It didn’t take long before Fatherkao jumped into action, got into the kitchen and worked like a chef, taking inspiration from all the reality TV we’ve been watching.

And then single-handedly, he transformed this…

OBE Organic_ribeye

To this…

OBE Organic_Red wine steaks

In a matter of minutes! Looks like somebody’s gonna beat me in fulfilling that crazy dream of mine sooner than I think!

The ribeye steak seared perfectly by him and drizzled with the sauce he made was heavenly. Every bite melted in my mouth and the huge cut that Huber’s Butchery sent us for each portion was so huge it was truly satisfying. I am so not looking at my husband the same way again – man, this man can make a mean plate of steak, and with so much luuurrvve.

Talk about the way through a man’s heart. This woman’s heart has been won over and over with every time he steps into the kitchen. *swoon*

OBE Organic_Chef at work

I tried convincing him to share his recipe on my blog, and although he’s pretty hazy on the details and not giving me precise, exact measurements, I managed to make out what went into his red wine sauce.

Here it is; and oh yes, remember to get OBE Organic Beef which is certified 100% organic and natural, free of chemicals and growth promotants, and delivers amazingly great flavour.

Steak in Red Wine Sauce 

Ingredients:

  • Ribeye steaks
  • knobs of salted butter
  • shallots and garlic
  • olive oil for frying
  • bottle of red wine (we used a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot South African wine, Nederburg)
  • a dash of red wine vinegar
  • a ladle of chicken stock (we make ours with carrots, onions and chicken bones)

Instructions:

1) Fry shallots and garlic with olive oil till caramelised, then add a dash of red wine vinegar.

2) Add 4 glasses of red wine. Let the pan’s contents bubble until the wine has reduced by three-quarters.

3) Now add a ladle or two of chicken stock, butter and reduce the rest of the wine, 1-2 glasses at a time. Regularly skim away any impurities by weaving a small ladle in and out of the top of the sauce. Taste regularly and check for seasoning.

4) Heat a grill pan to sear the steaks with oil and cook them, turning once, 4-5 mins for rare, 7-8 mins for medium, 8-10 mins for well done.

5) Serve the steaks on a bed of greens and pour the red wine sauce around. Remember to pass the sauce through a sieve to remove fine impurities.

You can get premium quality organic beef from OBE Organic at Huber’s Butchery. Shop online till the cows come home at Huber’s or visit their Butchery and Bistro @ Dempsey.

Disclosure: This post was made possible from the kind folks from Huber’s and OBE Organic who fed the Kaos really good stuff from really good cows.

P/S: Just cannot resist the pun!

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Look, Ma! Something big and black’s in my kitchen! (All hail the new Philips Avance XL Airfryer!)

November 27, 2013

We’ve been eating in more often than out lately because something black and big has given us every reason to.

This something big and black is my new Philips Airfryer.

All appliances line up! And this big and black thing's currently in prime spot!

All appliances line up! And this big and black thing is currently in prime spot!

Say what? Yes, you heard that right – an AIR fryer. Apparently, air is now the new oil with Philips Airfryer’s Rapid Air Technology. What it does is that it combines fast circulating hot air with a grill element that helps fry food with air instead of oil. Hot air is emitted from the top of the airfryer and moves around rapidly and evenly within to cook the food.

What it also does is that it’s open up a whole new world of frying, grilling, gratinating, roasting and baking (yes, this big mama allows you to bake too!) all kinds of food to have in the comfort of our home. One appliance, FIVE ways of cooking!

If you know me, I’m pretty strict with the kids when it comes to fried food. They don’t get to eat fast food at all, and hardly eat at Western food stalls if we’re out. The only thing they are allowed from MacDonald’s is their corn cup. I tell them as long as I am around, I will not put junk in their body. And if I happen not to be around, like if they are at a school party or with other adults from the family, it’s their decision whether they want to put junk in their body. My number one gripe about fast food is that it’s highly processed, and that they are usually cooked in a profuse amount of oil.

But with the Philips Airfryer, I can create a Happy Meal so very easily (and healthily)! So far, I’ve popped in frozen food of all kinds which the kids love: cuttlefish balls, fish balls, gyozas, spring rolls, breaded cod fillets and tempura prawns. You can buy frozen food from the supermarket and cook them without a single drop of oil in the Philips Airfryer to satisfy the kids’ fried food cravings. Just make sure you read the label and buy those without monosodium glutamate (especially fishballs) and flavour enhancers (some fish fillets are not made with real fish).

Airfried frozen snacks

Airfried frozen snacks

We’ve also had ourselves airfried fish, potato fries, and shrimp toasts made from scratch, as well as air-grilled Cajun chicken steaks and honey chicken thighs, all ingested without the guilt of oil and fat!

Airfried bites (clockwise): shrimp toast with caviar, fried pomfrets, honey chicken thighs and Cajun infused chicken steaks

Airfried bites (clockwise): shrimp toast with caviar, fried pomfrets, honey chicken thighs and Cajun infused chicken steaks

Airfried fish and chips

Airfried salmon and potato fries made from scratch, which is healthier! I marinated sticks of potatoes in 4 tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper before airfrying them at 190ºC for 8 minutes.

I recently made a batch of mai pian har cheong gai (shrimp paste chicken wings with oatmeal – ma’ own creation!) – the combination of the two best things in zi char, which are usually prepared either as something deep fried in oatmeal or deep fried in shrimp paste.

And I must tell you, this dish sealed my position as the top chef in the Kao household in the eyes of the kids (there are three – the helper, Fatherkao and myself – but methinks I’m currently number one, hurhurhur). If not for oily hands, I would’ve snapped a picture of all three of them yanking the flesh out from the chicken wings like cannibals and licking their chops the whole time at dinner.

The wings were awesome. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. All airfried without a single drop of oil. The Philips Airfryer even extracted some from the skins to reduce the fat content for us!

Airfried to yumminess

Airfried to yumminess!

The oil left in the pan even though I hadn't added any!

The oil left in the pan even though I didn’t added any!

You can imagine how exhilarated the kids are now whenever they hear that I’m going to be cooking for them with the airfryer, because this usually means something yummy and crispy is coming their way.

A Happy Meal made with airfried snacks!

A Happy Meal made with airfried snacks!

~~~

And here’s my really simple recipe of the gloriumptious chicken wings to share:

Recipe: Mai pian har cheong gai, made with the Philips Avance XL Airfryer

Oatmeal har cheong gai

Ingredients:

  • mid joint chicken wings
  • packet of shrimp paste marinate
  • a teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 cups of oatmeal

Instructions:

  • Marinate wings in shrimp paste and sugar. Leave to stand for at least half an hour.
  • Preheat Airfryer to 200ºC for 3 minutes.
  • Roll wings in oatmeal before placing them in the Airfryer basket.
  • Airfry wings at 200ºC for 8 – 9 minutes until cooked and crispy.

The Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XL with Rapid Air technology (S$539) is available in stores in December 2013 at leading electronics and departmental stores.

Black trio

The Philips Airfryer Black Trio (from left to right): the Philips Viva Collection Digital AirFryer (SGD$459), the Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XL which is bigger and better with 50 percent more capacity (SGD$539) and the Philips Viva Collection Airfryer (first generation)

Cook with Air today! And here’s a discount code for you!

Cook with Air today! Quote [MotherKao] and buy the Philips Viva Digital Airfryer at $399 (Usual price: $459 | FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER) and Philips Avance XL Airfryer at $479 (Usual price: $539 | FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER) at the PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM*.

This promotion is valid from 1st December till 31st January 2014.

*Limited to 1 Airfryer per person. IC must be produced.

The PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM is at 620A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh Building TP4 Level 1 S(319762) | Tel: 6882 5800

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00 am – 7.00 pm | Saturday: 9.00 am – 1.00 pm | Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

The Philips Viva Digital Airfryer and Philips Avance XL Airfryer are also available at regular prices in leading electronics stores, department stores and supermarkets island-wide.

Disclosure: This post is the part of a series of sponsored conversations with Philips Singapore. I was given the Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XL for the purpose of this review and paid to cook and eat 100% guilt-free by the good people at Philips. All opinions here are my own. 

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The Kaos here drink milk!

August 28, 2013

The Kaos in the house guzzle milk. And I mean guzzle. We drink as much as 6 litres of fresh milk every week, sometimes even more.

Fatherkao adds fresh milk to his coffee and Milo. I add it once every few days to some Earl Grey tea if I don’t get my daily bubble tea fix. Ben and Becks drink milk fresh from the carton every morning at breakfast, every afternoon with snacks and every night before they go to bed. And I’ve not even introduced Nat to fresh milk yet. I think when he finally joins the fresh milk drinking club, we’ll have to kidnap a cow.

And for a couple of years now, we’ve been drinking Greenfields. (If you ask me why we switched, it was simply because Starbucks uses it.)

Drinking Greenfields

Ben and Becks drink Greenfields Fresh Milk before they head to kindy every morning – and they love Greenfields Chocolate Malt best!

Originating from Indonesia and established in 1997, Greenfields milk does not include additives, chemicals, antibiotics and hormones. Fresh milk from Greenfields is single-pasteurized, which means more nutrients are retained. Their milk is also produced, pasteurized and packed within the dairy, and Greenfields’ integrated dairy farm based at Gunung Kawi (Malang, East Java) is of the highest quality and meets the world’s toughest microbiological standards.

Print

The Greenfields Integrated Dairy Farm at Gunung Kawi

I like the idea that the dairy farm is kinda like it’s next door, compared to milk that has to travel a bit longer than Indonesia to reach us, like those from Australia or New Zealand; which means when Greenfields call their milk ‘fresh milk’, theirs is kinda fresher than those dairy farms which are further away.

Greenfields produces Honest Milk, and we like that it is fresh and safe for our family, and that it tastes great too.

Besides our daily affair of guzzling milk by the cartons, fresh milk is often a key ingredient for my cooking and baking. It’s a must-have in our ham and chicken Alfredo, clam chowder, sliced fish soup and curry chicken – because it’s way healthier than coconut milk and evaporated milk – and is one of the essential ingredient for my cupcakes and pound cakes which I bake for the kids for their breakfast and tea.

I recently made Hot Milk Cake with Greenfields’ High Calcium Low Fat Milk, which was a hit with the kids. This simple, classic pound cake is so easy to make and so yummy to have. Trust me, you will wow your kids with this recipe.

Hot Milk Cake (Recipe yields 12-16 servings. Half the recipe if you don’t need so much, but it’s pretty addictive so making more is always a good idea!)

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-1/4 cups all purpose flour / plain flour
  • 2-1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1-1/4 cup 2% milk (I use Greenfields 1.3% Low Fat Milk)
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (about 150g)

Instructions:

1) In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes till you see them turn a thick lemon colour. Gradually add sugar and beat till mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

2) Combine sifted flour and baking powder and gradually add to the batter. Beat at low speed until smooth.

3) In a small saucepan, heat milk and unsalted butter under low heat until butter is melted. Gradually add to batter and beat until just combined. (That’s why it’s called ‘Hot Milk Cake’!)

Hot milk cake with low fat milk

Hot milk cake ready for the oven!

4) Pour into a greased or lined baking pan and bake at 175°C for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near centre of cake comes out clean.

5) When the cake’s cool, slice and enjoy!

Hot milk cake baked

Freshly baked yumminess

Slice and enjoy

Slice and enjoy!

What a way to load up on the calcium I say, with fresh milk every day and milk in our food and desserts!

Greenfields Milk is available at most supermarkets at $5.95 for their 2-litre bottle (all except at FairPrice), $3.25 for their 1-litre pack and $1.50 for a pack of 200ml Greenfields Milk (only available at 7-11).

Buy any 2 x 2-litre Bottles or 3 x 1-litre Packs to get your free limited edition double walled cup. Promotion is valid from 12 August, while stocks last and available at major supermarkets and hypermarkets nationwide. Limited to four cups in a single receipt.

This recipe and post was brought to you by Greenfields.

GF NEW LOGO_E - final

Disclosure: Thanks to the milk man from Greenfields who delivered a few 1-litre and 200ml packs to our doorstep, we got to enjoy (more) milk this month. The good people at Greenfields also paid me to write this post. All opinions here are my own and based on my experience. We’ve been drinking Greenfields for a few years now, and it’s currently our favourite brand of fresh milk.

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Cake pops, the fuss-free way

June 17, 2013

So, cake pops are all the rage right now and they seem to be a hit at every kid’s birthday party. I discovered a way to make them without baking. My kids and I love them; the moment they are chilled in our fridge, they become addictive balls of yumminess we just can’t get enough of. You’ve been warned: too easy, and too addictive!

This is the cheater’s guide.

Oreo Cake Pops (Depends on how big or small you wish to roll them, really. I made about 20.)

Ingredients:

  • 30 Oreos
  • 1 packet of Philadelphia cream cheese (250g)
  • For the frosting: anything goes! (Some suggestions: white chocolate (melted), dark chocolate (melted), rainbow sprinkles, chocolate rice sprinkles, sugar balls)

Instructions:

1) Pulse the Oreos in a food processor till they are crumbs. (I got my Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor to do the job.)

2) Add cream cheese and mix well with Oreo crumbs.

Cake pop collage

3) Roll mixture into balls. Stick a pretty stirrer or lollipop stick in each ball.

4) Dip in melted choc and roll them in chocolate rice, rainbow sprinkles or sugar glitter.

5) Put the balls in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Cake pop

6) Pop them in mouth and enjoy! Yes, it’s that simple!

Cake pop 5

That’s it? Yes, that’s it!

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Very addictive pork rolls called the Ngoh Hiang

June 2, 2013

Ngoh Hiang

I finally made ngoh hiang, and am now proud to call myself a real Hokkien mama! For the uninitiated, ngoh hiang is a delicious fried pork roll dish that is unique to the Hokkien and Teochew dialect, and is essentially a composition of fatty minced pork and prawn, seasoned with five-spice powder (after which the dish is named) rolled in beancurd skin. The dish is usually served with ketchup manis (or sweet sauce) and chilli, and eaten together with other items like the century egg, deep fried beancurd, ginger, cucumber and fried prawn fritters.

Every Hokkien and Teochew mother I know knows how to make this. My grandmother did. My mother and aunts still do. With pride. They’ve all diced and minced and rolled many, many, ngoh hiangs in their lifetime. And it is of utmost urgency I know how to. How else can I join the league of these mothers who churn out such unforgettable, flavourful pork rolls?

As a child (and even now), I could sit at the table all day eating these juicy, chunky meat rolls on end, never finding the will power to stop. It is my desire that this is a dish my children would remember me by, and would remember eating it with so much fondness.

Ngoh Hiang (Recipe makes about 12 six-inch rolls.) I dumped most of the work to my new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor – the chestnuts and onion were chopped in seconds. Review coming up soon!

Ingredients:

  • About 500g minced pork (or get a slab of the shoulder for its higher fat content and make your food processor do the work!)
  • 250g of fresh shrimp, shelled and minced
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp light soya sauce
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 tsp five-spice powder (I got mine from Hock Hua for 80 cents!)
  • 12 water chestnuts, washed, peeled and ground
  • 1 yellow onion, minced
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • Dried beancurd skin, cut into 6×6 inch rectangles)
  • Corn oil / canola oil / sunflower oil
  • Sweet sauce (and chilli) for dipping
  • You can also add finely chopped spring onions or leeks if you prefer

Instructions:

1) Mix the pork and shrimp in a large bowl and add the beaten egg. Stir to mix. In a small bowl, stir together the soya sauce, salt, white pepper, five-spice powder, then add it to the pork and shrimp mix.

2) Stir in the finely chopped water chestnuts, onion (and leeks/ spring onion) and mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.

3) Sift in the flour and mix thoroughly.

Making Ngoh Hiang 1

4) Lay out the prepared skins on the tabletop with damp palms. Arrange a heaping tablespoon of the pork mix along the longer edge of the skin. Shape the meat as you would a slim sausage.

5) Tuck in the side edges, then roll the skin starting with the edge closest to you. I followed the step-by-step tutorial from Little Teochew. Roll till the meat is fully wrapped, and place it seam down on a plate.

TIP: To reduce the saltiness of the skin, you can try wiping the skin very carefully with a damp clean cloth. Or try asking the Chinese grocery store for a brand of beancurd skin which is not so salty. The folks there oughtta know. (Credits: Motherkao’s Supermom)

6) Steam the rolls for 10 minutes, until the skins are translucent and the rolls are firm. Cool rolls on wire racks.

Making Ngoh Hiang 2

7) To fry them, cover the surface of a non-stick pan with just enough oil and pan-fry away. Handle about 3 – 5 at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Remember not to overcrowd your pan. Fry on medium heat until you see skins turn dark, crisp brown.

TIP: You can wipe down the pan with paper towels after each batch before cooking the next to prevent your rolls from getting burnt. I didn’t bother. Was in a hurry to eat!

Making Ngoh Hiang 3

8) Leave the rolls to cool on paper towels. Slice them into 1-inch chunks and nomnomnom away with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

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Light cream cheese pound

May 17, 2013

I crave for this ever so often and find myself needing to bake this and have it as a staple in my fridge! Ben, Becks and Nat love the deliciousness of this pound cake. It’s got a semi-dense texture that’s oh-so-yummy when served warm with a cold glass of fresh milk.

I have Gninethree to thank for her recipe. This is my modified version, all because I cannot get enough of cream cheese!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake (Recipe makes 1 huge mama in a square pan)

Getting ready for the oven

Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cup plain flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 150g unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1 pack of Philadelphia cream cheese, 220g
    • 1/2 cup castor sugar
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
    • Lemon or orange zest

You will also need: a square pan

 Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Grease and line square pan.

2) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3) Whisk cream cheese and butter with an electric whisk or hand whisk until smooth.

4) Add the sugar in three additions, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until light and fluffy.

5) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla essence and lemon zest and beat until incorporated.

6) Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Pour the batter into the square pan and smooth the top.

7) Bake for 50 minutes and check for overbrowning.

8) Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes (this will allow the cake to set).

9)  Slice and enjoy!

Cream cheese pound cake fresh from the oven

Cream cheese pound cake

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A slice of sunshine – the citrus sunbeam layer cake

May 10, 2013

On rainy days, where it’s a little too dark and gloomy for us to stay home, I try to make life brighter by baking cheery, happy things.

I came across this recipe from one of my favourite magazines, Cake Heaven, and modified it as a four-layer instead of a six-layer cake. I don’t have too much space in the refrigerator for such a tall cake!

Citrus sunbeam_Cake Heaven

Citrus Sunbeam Layer Cake (Recipe makes 1 with 4 layers)

Ingredients:

    • 400g unsalted butter, softened
    • 400g caster sugar
    • 6 large eggs
    • 499g self-raising flour, sifted
    • grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
    • yellow and orange gel paste food colouring
    • 2 tbsp. of milk (optional)
    • 1 tsp of lemon essence and 1 tsp of orange essence (optional)

For the frosting:

    • 125g unsalted butter, softened
    • 250g cream cheese, straight from the fridge
    • 500g icing sugar, sifted

You will also need: round 9″ baking tins (4 if you have!), baking paper and 2 small bowls

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Grease and line 4 round tins. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a jug and gently add them to the creamed mixture, beating all the time and adding some flour to prevent curdling. Fold in remaining flour.

2) Divide the mixture in half. Add the lemon zest and a teaspoon of yellow gel paste to one half (with lemon essence too, if you prefer); add the orange zest, a teaspoon of orange gel paste (with orange essence if you prefer) to the other half. I added a tbsp of milk to each bowl for equivalent consistency.

3) Divide the mixture between the tins, spreading it evenly. Bake the layers individually or in batches. I made four layers with this recipe. I guess if you have smaller tins, you could make 6.

4) Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake or the cake will be dry. Leave to cool in tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto baking paper set on wire rack to cool completely.

5) While the cake layers are cooling, make the frosting. (The original recipe called for syrup made with lemon juice, Limoncello and sugar but I skipped that.) Beat the butter with with an electric whisk, then add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Gradually sift the icing sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Place in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up if it’s a little runny or add more sifted icing sugar if it’s too runny.

6) Assemble the cake by placing an orange cake layer on a cake stand and cover it with a thin layer of frosting. Repeat with the remaining layers, alternating the yellow and the orange sponge.

Citrus sunbeam_Frosting the cake

7) Cover the top and side with remaining frosting. Decorate with a little zest if desired.

8) Slice and enjoy.

Citrus sunbeam_a slice of sunshine

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Breakfast staple

December 7, 2012

Pancakes are what we have on weekends if we’re not eating out. This is so easy to make you can do it in ten minutes.

Pancakes

Ingredients: (recipe makes 8 small ones)

100g plain flour
A pinch of salt
1 egg
300ml milk 

Instructions:

1. Add flour and salt in a bowl (I usually sift it). Make a hollow in the centre and crack egg into this

2. Stir and add milk gradually until batter is smooth

3. Add salted butter or vegetable oil to a frying pan and place on medium heat. When it smokes, place 3 tbsp of batter in it.

4. Turn and cook the other side when golden brown underneath.

5. Serve with maple syrup, strawberry jam, honey or bananas. Enjoy.

I usually double this recipe and make extra-large pancakes so I can use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes

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The lovers, the dreamers, and me

December 5, 2012

I’ve been reading a lot about parties and cakes with rainbows and it’s making me want to try baking a rainbow cake. I looked up the web and found out that it can be really easy making one. Just two packets of Betty Crocker’s and six types of gel colour paste, and voila!

I would have loved to make it from the scratch but unfortunately I only had the luxury of two hours. Even with premixes, it took me slightly more than two hours to bake, mix, wash and repeat the process six times! I can’t imagine if I had to make the batter from scratch; it might probably take the whole day!

Rainbow Cake (Recipe makes 1 with 6 layers)

Ingredients:

  • 2 packets of Betty Crocker’s white cake mix (I couldn’t find white so I bought yellow and lemon and it worked just fine)
  • 1 pack of premix requires: 3 eggs, 1/5 cup of veg oil & 1 cup of water
  • Gel colour paste in your favourite rainbow colours
 
For the frosting, I didn’t want it to be too sweet (knowing that premixes can be very sweet!) so I whipped 240g of cream cheese with 180g of icing sugar.
 

You will also need: round 9″ baking tins (the more the better!), baking paper and small bowls

Instructions:

1) Follow the instructions on the premix. Divide batter evenly. One box of premix can be divided into 3.

2) Add enough of each colour of food colouring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each colour to an individual cake pan. (The whole time when I was baking I was reciting “Richard of York Gains Battle in Vain”! I skipped “Indigo” though!)

3) Transfer to oven and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes (working in batches if necessary).

4) Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.

5) Start ordering the layers reciting ROYGBIV backwards; the first layer on the cake tray should be purple. Slab on some cream cheese frosting and repeat process with other layers.

6) Place last red layer on top, bottom-side up. Using a spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

7) Gather kids and prep the camera. Slice the cake and hear them say “waaa!”. Enjoy! (La da da dee da da do…)

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My children’s first year birthday cake

October 26, 2012

I baked this orange-zesty olive oil cake for my children’s first year birthday celebration at infantcare. I don’t really fancy buying creamy, chocolatey, buttery cakes to feed 12-18 month-old babies, so I bake this because this is something I would give to Ben, Becks and Nat at 12 months old. The recipe calls for little sugar, lots of orange zest and no butter at all.

Zesty Olive Oil Cake (Recipe makes 8 huge slices & about 16 small ones)

Ingredients:

2 eggs
160g caster sugar
zest of one huge navel orange
zest of half a lemon
125ml olive oil
185g self-raising flour (add 2tsp baking powder if using plain flour)
60ml milk
60ml orange juice(I juiced the navel orange I used for zest)
 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease a shallow 20cm round cake tin and line base with baking paper.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl using electric beaters until well-combined. Add orange and lemon zest, then stir in olive oil.

3. Stir in sifted flour alternately with orange juice and milk. Stir mixture gently for about 30s. Pour into cake tin.

4. Bake for 45 min. Leave to cool in rack for 5 min.

5. Dust with icing sugar. Serve and enjoy.

Becks’ first birthday cake