, Author at Saveur Malaisie Photography

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Cake

I know this blog is all about Southeast Asian recipes, but once in awhile we’re allowed to not take things too literal, right? My daughter’s fifth birthday happened sometime last week, and she had been asking me to make her the yummiest vanilla birthday cake. Incidentally, vanilla is also her favourite flavour! Unlike previous years where we custom ordered her cakes, we broke with tradition this time and went rogue with a homemade cake.

I don’t know about you, but every time I bake a cake or a pie I feel like it’s taken a lot out of me haha. I was thoroughly zoned out after this gig in the kitchen. The original recipe is from Sugar Geek Show’s moist vanilla cake recipe, but I adapted it. It was hands down the most delicious, classic vanilla cake I’ve ever tasted. And can you believe it, it was my first time baking a proper buttercream cake and using a palette knife to make those flowers! Hard work, but so worth it after because my little one was so so happy!

I pondered between a smooth frosted cake or a rustic one, going with the latter in the end because it makes it seem more natural. Also bought a bunch of eustomas to decorate the cake. It just make the cake seem so girly after—perfect for my sweet little preschooler.

Still Life Shot of Vanilla Buttercream Cake with Palette Knife Florals

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Cake

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie

I loved how incredibly simple and moist this cake is. For a delicate and fine crumbed cake with a firm, even structure, I used the reverse creaming method. This method is helpful when you are making a layer cake. This recipe makes a 3 tier, 8" x 2" round cake.

Recipe adapted from https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/vanilla-cake/.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Course Birthdays, Breakfast, Celebrations, Dessert, Special Events

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

For The Cake

283 g full cream milk room temperature (divided - 113g to mix with the oil, 170g to mix with the eggs and vanilla)
85 g sunflower oil or any vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs room temperature
368 g cake flour sifted
368 g castor sugar sifted
14 g baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt Note: If you're using salted butter, you can omit the salt. Keep the quantity of butter same, regardless if it's salted or unsalted.
227 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature

For The Buttercream Frosting

454 g icing sugar sifted
113 g egg whites room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
454 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1-3 drops pink gel food colouring, or any colouring you prefer

Instructions

Grease your cake pans with baking spray or butter. I placed parchment papers in them for easier release.
Add oil to the milk, stir then set aside. Add eggs and vanilla to the other portion of milk. Whisk well to combine.
Measure flour and sugar, then place them into the bowl of your mixer. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix at low speed 1.
Gradually add the chunks of butter. Mix until the batter looks like coarse sand.
Add milk + oil mixture then adjust speed to medium 2. Whip for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as you go along to ensure even distribution of dry and wet ingredients.
Turn speed to low. Slowly pour in the milk + egg mixture. Mix until just combined until the batter is thick. It shouldn’t be runny.
Preheat oven to 168C. Divide batter into cake pans, filling each pan 3/4 full. Gently shake and tap the pan on a table to burst air bubbles and even out the surface of the batter. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove cakes from the oven. Tap them again to release air and prevent shrinking. Let cool on a cooling rack.
Remove cake layers from parchment paper and wrap them in plastic wrap then place them in the fridge for 30-35 minutes to firm up. If you're not frosting them immediately, you can keep them overnight in the fridge or freezer. Just make sure to take your cake out of the fridge a few hours before you plan on frosting it.
Make your frosting by combining egg whites and icing sugar on low speed. Adjust to high and whip for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and salt.
Add butter and whip until batter is curdled. Keep whipping on high for 8-10 minutes until it turns white, light and shiny. Turn to low speed and mix for another 20 minutes for smooth, creamier buttercream.
Divide the frosting to 3 large bowls. Add colouring, adjusting the intensity as you like. I opted for 3 colours - white, and two shades of pastel pink.
Remove chilled cakes from fridge. Shave away the brown bits and trim the dome off with a serrated knife until they stack nicely and level. Fill them with frosting in between layers and frost the outside of the cake.
With the remaining frosting, decorate the outside of the cake with buttercream flowers. I used a palette knife to create these floral shapes with different shades of pink.

Notes

Storage tips:

As cold cakes can taste dry, make sure to take them out of the fridge a few hours before serving. Buttercream is stable at room temperature for 24 hours. I wouldn't recommend storing your cake for longer than one and half weeks in the fridge.

Keyword Birthday Cake, Buttercream Cake, Classic Vanilla Cake, Layer Cake

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.

saveurmalaisie
Dessert, Food, Recipes
Sep, 13, 2021
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Mee Siam Goreng (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli)

Here’s something savoury for a change. I grew up with stir fries, and ‘mee siam’ (or Siamese spicy rice vermicelli noodles) is one of my favourites. It has influences from Malay cooking style. My mother used to make the non-spicy version with tomato ketchup, for lunch after I come home from school. It was so good that I always asked for more. There are two distinct variations: 1) dry fried Malaysian style and 2) a wet version with a gravy, often found in Singapore and similar to Peranakan Nyonya mee siam. Its taste is a combination of several flavours in one mouthful: spicy, sweet, salty, sour and umami-ish. Always appetising to me, and so comforting.

You can find the recipe for the dry stir fried version below. It’s a classic old school one using taucu (fermented yellow soy beans), dried shrimp and tamarind juice to lend unique flavours to the dish. There’s no need for chilli sauce or ketchup.

Sprinkling Spring Onion Garnish onto a plate of Mee Siam Goreng

Mee Siam Goreng (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli)

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie

This spicy stir-fried rice vermicelli dish is a must-have for breakfast, lunch or dinner in parts of Malaysia and Singapore. Its cooking influence is derived from Malay cooking style—strong, spicy and aromatic, combining the richness of local herbs and spices commonly found in Southeast Asia. My version is the dry stir fried style usually found in Malaysia.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Malay, Malaysian, Southeast Asian

Servings 2 persons

Ingredients

For The Spice Paste Blend

1 red onion peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp dried shrimp soaked in warm water for a few minutes to soften
1 tbsp salted taucu/taucheo paste (fermented yellow soybeans)
1 tbsp cooking oil

Other Ingredients

1/2 cup cooking oil
3 tbsp wet chilli paste (cili giling)
1 chicken breast, or other meat sliced
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 bunch mustard greens (sawi) leaves and stalks separated, chopped in half; stalks flattened so it could absorb the flavours faster during cooking
2 fish cakes sliced thinly
4 tbsp tamarind juice (assam jawa)
400 g rice vermicelli soaked in water to softened
2 blocks of tofu sliced into small cubes
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 red chillies deseeded and sliced thinly
spring onions sliced thinly, for garnish
1 handful bean sprouts washed and tails removed
salt and sugar to taste

Instructions

Blend the ingredients for the spice paste. Set aside.
Rub a little salt and turmeric on the tofu then pan fry until golden brown on each side.
Heat oil in a wok on high fire. Stir fry the blended spice paste. If it’s a little dry, add some water. Reduce the fire to medium. Next, add the chilli paste.
Add the chicken breast/meat. Stir until meat turns opaque. Add oyster sauce, then the stalks of the mustard green. Stir fry until vegetables wilt.
Add the fish cakes and fry for another 2 minutes. Measure 4 tbsp tamarind juice and pour into the wok. Stir to mix.
Drain water from the vermicelli, then add the noodles into the wok and stir thoroughly until the noodles have absorbed the gravy and ingredients are well mixed. Season with sugar and a little salt (not too much as the taucu is salty already).
Turn up heat a little and toss in the remaining mustard green leaves. Stir well to combine until they wilt. Add beansprouts, stir once or twice, then turn off the fire. Garnish with hard boiled eggs, sliced chillies, spring onions and pan fried tofu.

Keyword Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Mee Siam Goreng, Peranakan, Southeast Asia, Spicy, Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli, Stir Fry

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.

saveurmalaisie
Culture, Food, Recipes
Sep, 09, 2021
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Dim Sum Style Liu Sha Bao (Molten Custard Salted Egg Buns)

I recently took some time off to work on some personal projects. I can’t reveal much now but I’m so excited. I will share more later 🙂 I love a good dim sum breakfast on weekends. Now it’s not possible to dine in restaurants because of the lockdown. So I made ‘baozi’ 包子 (or ‘bao’), yeast-leavened buns with various sweet or savoury fillings.

These are ‘liu sha bao’ 流沙包, buns filled with salted egg yolks. They have a molten lava, custardy texture. It’s the most indulgent breakfast or snack I can think of. The dough has to be moist, soft and fluffy, wrapped around a thick velvety yolk. Eating it is an experience, for when you break open the bao, the hot and gritty salted egg custard comes oozing out.

When I made these, I wasn’t in a hurry to bake. The dough had a good rest. My box of instant active yeast was mouldy, so I replaced it. It must have helped the baos to rise so beautifully. The filling is just steamed salted egg yolks mixed with butter, icing sugar, custard powder, milk powder and evaporated milk. Once I’ve shaped them, they go into the steamer.

I love the sweet milky, melt-in-the-mouth taste of the bao skin. Full cream milk just gives it extra flavour. Some people like the filling more runny, so they increase the quantity of evaporated milk. But I like it less flowy.

What kind of flour to use?

There are two types of flour, self-raising or bao flour. I prefer bao flour as the texture is super soft. It’s the most ideal type of flour for making baos, as you get consistent results.

You can find the recipe below. We loved it so much, we’ve had several for breakfast and tea.

Macro Close Up Shot of Liu Sha Bao (Molten Custard Salted Egg Buns 流沙包)

Dim Sum Style Liu Sha Bao (Molten Custard Salted Egg Buns)

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie

Irresistible and an instant crowd pleaser, these pillowy soft buns will fulfil your cravings for Chinese dim sum at home! They're filled with buttery sweet and salty egg yolks steamed to a molten lava, custardy texture.

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Prep Time 2

Cook Time 30

Total Time 2 30

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Chinese, East Asian, Malaysian, Southeast Asian

Servings 10 people

Equipment

Steamer
Silicone dim sum paper

Ingredients

For the dough

391 g self-raising flour or bao flour sifted, room temperature
68 g caster sugar sifted
3.9 g baking powder or 0.91 tsp equivalent
4.6 g instant active yeast or 1 tsp equivalent (ensure your yeast is fresh)
173 ml full cream milk brought to room temperature
27 ml water
4 tbsp vegetable oil

For the filling

4 salted egg yolks
91 g unsalted butter I use Golden Churn butter
64 g icing sugar sifted
36 g custard powder
55 g full cream milk powder
2 tbsp evaporated milk or condensed milk

Instructions

Steam the salted egg yolks for 20-25 minutes or until they turn a bright orange colour. Once done, remove from the steamer and mash them with a large knife or cleaver until it becomes fine crumbs that you can easily mould into a paste.
In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, icing sugar, custard powder, milk powder, evaporated milk and the egg yolk paste earlier. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, mix until well combined. Shape into a rough ball.
Put the bowl into the fridge for 20-25 minutes to firm up.
Remove from the fridge and form the paste into small balls, about 3cm wide. As they contain butter, they'll melt so you will need to return them to the fridge again while you make the bread.
Sift the flour and shape them into a rough mound. Make a well in the center then add yeast, caster sugar, baking powder, milk and water. Using your hands, gently combine together until they form a workable dough. Note: Add the liquids alternately, 2 tbsps of each while you mix the ingredients together. Knead for 20 minutes.
Pour the oil onto the dough and knead for another 10 minutes until it turns smooth and waxy. If the dough feels dry, add a little water. Likewise, if it's too wet, dust with some extra flour. Just remember not to overwork the dough; once you've formed a basic dough you must let it rest. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a clean towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Cut silicone dim sum paper into 10cm x 10cm squares. Set aside.
Once the dough has risen in the bowl, it should feel smooth, soft and pliable. Dust your table with some flour then punch the dough down firmly and knead for 2 minutes.
Divide into 10 portions equally (you can use a weighing scale to ensure they all weigh the same). Roll them into balls. Transfer to a large tray and cover with a towel to prevent drying out.
Take one dough and gently press it flat, then with a rolling pin roll it to about 5mm thickness and 12cm width. It's alright if the dough is slightly thick as this would prevent the filling from running out during cooking. Cover the unused doughs with a towel.
Remove the filling from the fridge. Place one in the center of the flattened bread dough. Using your hands, wrap the dough around the filling. Seal the opening at the top by bringing the ruffled parts together with your thumb and index finger. Twist the seal close and push it to flatten. Place the ball on the square silicon paper with the sealed side facing down.
Allow the buns to rest for 10 minutes before steaming them.
Steam on medium heat for 10 minutes. Avoid high heat as the insides of the bun may start leaking out during the steaming process.

Notes

Storage tips:

You can freeze these buns to enjoy them later. Just steam them first, let cool completely then transfer to a ziplock bag for freezer storage.

Keyword Baozi, Dim Sum, Liu Sha Bao, Molten Lava Filling, Salted Egg Custard, Steamed Buns, Yeast-Leavened Buns, Yum Cha

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.

saveurmalaisie
Culture, Food, Recipes
Jul, 21, 2021
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Loaf Pan Popsicles with Orange, Yoghurt and Granola

This morning, I styled this moody ‘chiaroscuro’ scene with my homemade popsicles. I made them with a loaf pan with only three ingredients — mandarin clementines, greek yoghurt and granolas. I love the hazelnut blackforest flavoured granola from Amazin’ Graze, they’re high in fibre with no added sugar. I’ve been secretly snacking on them between meals. Something about the combination of dark cocoa, hazelnuts and rolled oats makes it so addictive. I got the idea of using a loaf pan to make these popsicles when I saw it on Sarah’s blog Live Eat Learn. It’s such a lovely way to make ice cream when you’ve guests coming over. These popsicles may not be the prettiest looking, but they’re big on texture and flavour. The recipe is a no brainer, so scroll on down!

I am also sharing this for the #lightandshadowschallenge on Instagram that I’m hosting now with my dearest food photography mentor Lucia of Healthy Goodies by Lucia and my teammate Aisha of My Cozy Little Kitchen. We’re honoured to have the amazing Ria Bassoulos as our guest judge. Your task is to play with lighting and shadows. You can post your entry from 26-30 June 2021, using the hashtag #lightandshadowschallenge. Don’t forget to mention the judge and all three of us (remember to follow us too).

I’ve always had a thing for dark and moody photography, with soft or hard light falling on my subject to emphasise the highlights and shadows. It’s so full of drama and such a great way to tell a story.

Slicing Mandarin Orange Popsicles in a Loaf Pan (Human Element Lifestyle Shot)

Loaf Pan Popsicles with Orange, Yoghurt and Granolas

Don't have a popsicle mould? No problem! Try this easy peasy loaf pan popsicles made with just three ingredients - mandarin oranges, Greek yoghurt and granolas. Sliceable and the perfect crowd pleaser on hot summer days!

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 5

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Fusion

Servings 6 people

Equipment

18.5 inch loaf pan
Wooden popsicle sticks

Ingredients

8 mandarin oranges/clementines select the freshest and juiciest ones
454 g natural flavoured Greek yoghurt
50 g granola pieces I used the ones from Amazin' Graze (Hazelnut Blackforest flavour)

Instructions

Wash and peel your mandarins. Cut them into smaller pieces then juice or puree them in a fruit blender or processor.
Line your loaf pan with plastic clingwrap. Break up the granolas into smaller crumbs, then add them to the pan in a thin layer. You could always add more, according to your individual preferences.
Next, add a spoonful of yoghurt, making sure to cover the entire surface of the pan.
Layer with several spoonful of pureed or juiced mandarins on top. You can alternate with another layer of yoghurt, followed by the mandarins. Smooth the top of the loaf pan with a spatula.
Measure some aluminium foil, then tightly cover your loaf pan with it. The foil shouldn't come into contact with your popsicle filling. Using a small sharp knife, poke small holes in the foil where the popsicle sticks will go in. Keep the holes about 1-inch apart from each other. Insert popsicle sticks.
Freeze your loaf pan popsicles for 6-8 hours, or until frozen solid.
Once ready to be eaten, run your loaf pan under warm water to loosen the popsicle bar. Remove the entire bar then cut the loaf into slices with a sharp knife.

Keyword Cold Treats, Granola, Greek Yoghurt, Ice Cream, Loaf Pan Popsicles, Mandarin Oranges, Popsicles, Summer

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.

saveurmalaisie
Culture, Food, Recipes
Jun, 27, 2021
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Strawberry Custard Cookies (Kuih Semperit)

The past couple of days have been full on with my little girl as her classes have switched back to online learning due to the current lockdown. We go to the park in the evenings for some cycling and foraging, as it’s so lovely to breathe in some fresh air.

I haven’t been able to create much lately but I did managed some small bakes last weekend which I managed to photographed with the help of beautiful afternoon sunlight. I’m sharing them today on my feed, they’re called “kuih semperit susu”, or custard cookies. It’s similar to Scottish butter cookies and they’re quite popular during festive seasons in Malaysia. I find them pretty when piped out into small dahlia flower patterns or even the basic round shapes with serrated surfaces. I make them with just four ingredients: corn flour, salted butter, condensed milk and strawberry juice since strawberries are in season right now. The garnish was just candied cherries chopped to smaller pieces.

I discovered that with cookies, the type of butter you use determines the final colour and texture. You cannot go wrong if you opt for premium quality. My favourite brand is Golden Churn, I buy them in blocks and they’re so smooth and creamy in a lovely warm, yellow colour. I always had to resist sticking my fingers into the butter whenever I open the foil paper. We’ll be having these cookies with tea (I’ve a box of locally grown BOH Cameronian Gold Blend tea leaves sitting in the pantry).

I have posted the recipe below. Do check it out and I hope you give it a try 🙂

I’m late for the Dragon Boat Festival which was on Monday 14th June, but I’ll be in the kitchen again this week making some zongzi 粽子 (or bakchang in Hokkien dialect) to commemorate the festivity. They’re little parcels of stuffed glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. My mother makes them every year, and my family loves the savoury Cantonese/Hokkien ones with mushrooms, pork belly, chestnuts and salted egg yolks cooked in soy sauce and five spice. I made a similar one last year, but I think I’ll try a sweet version this time.

Lifestyle Shot of Afternoon Tea at the table with Butter Cookies Kuih Semperit

Strawberry Custard Cookies (Kuih Semperit)

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie

These flaky, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits are somewhat similar to Scottish butter cookies. A traditional favourite among Malaysians, they're pretty simple to make with just four ingredients: corn flour, condensed milk, salted butter and strawberry juice! The only thing you'll need is plenty of elbow grease and deft fingers to pipe out the dahlia shaped designs.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 55

Course Snack, Tea

Cuisine Malaysian

Servings 40 pieces

Equipment

Wilton 1G Star Piping Tip

Ingredients

250 g salted butter room temperature (I use Golden Churn butter blocks)
167 g condensed milk room temperature
500 g corn flour (don't mistake it with corn starch!)
a handful of candied cherries chopped small
6 strawberries juiced

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 120C. Bear in mind that ovens cook differently; I find smaller ovens cook faster compared to larger ones. I've cooked these cookies in larger ovens at 160C and they turned out fine.
Measure all the ingredients. Chop the butter into smaller pieces, placed them in a bowl, then pour in the condensed milk. With a spatula, gently mash them up until just combined and the butter has mixed well with the milk. Do not overmix because if you mix them too long, the biscuit will over-expand when you bake it in the oven.
Add in 400g of the corn flour, keeping the balance 100g aside. Using your fingers, gently combine with the rest of the ingredients. Then add in the remaining flour. Knead well.
Form a small well in the middle of the dough, and spoon in the strawberry juice one teaspoon at a time. Keep kneading the dough with your fingers until combined. At this point, it should be pliant, not too soft or too hard (somewhat like playdough texture) and could be easily pressed out from the piping tip.
Grease your baking sheet with some butter. Fill the cookie dough into the piping tip until almost full. Use your thumb to push the dough out gently and start piping dahlia shaped patterns onto the baking sheet. Each pattern should be about 0.5 inches high; don't go any higher than that. As you bake it in the oven, the cookie dough will decrease in height naturally. If you make a mistake, you can always start all over again; cookie doughs are quite forgiving!
Garnish with a slice of candied cherry on top. You can also put chocolate chips if you prefer.
Place your baking sheet right in the center rack of the oven and bake until golden for 15-20 minutes (maximum bake time is 25-30 minutes). Always check your cookies in the oven as they bake. If the top of your cookies are browning too quickly, simply place a layer of foil on top of the cookies and remove it halfway during the baking time.

Keyword Biskut Semperit, Butter Cookies, Cookies

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.

saveurmalaisie
Culture, Food, Recipes
Jun, 17, 2021
0 Comments

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saveurmalaisie

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Cake

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Cake

Ingredients

For The Cake

For The Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

Notes

Mee Siam Goreng (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli)

Mee Siam Goreng (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli)

Ingredients

For The Spice Paste Blend

Other Ingredients

Instructions

Dim Sum Style Liu Sha Bao (Molten Custard Salted Egg Buns)

Dim Sum Style Liu Sha Bao (Molten Custard Salted Egg Buns)

Equipment

Ingredients

For the dough

For the filling

Instructions

Notes

Loaf Pan Popsicles with Orange, Yoghurt and Granola

Loaf Pan Popsicles with Orange, Yoghurt and Granolas

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Strawberry Custard Cookies (Kuih Semperit)

Strawberry Custard Cookies (Kuih Semperit)

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

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