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Breakfast

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Cake

Still Life Shot of Vanilla Buttercream Cake with Palette Knife Florals

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 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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.  

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Mee Siam Goreng (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli)

Sprinkling Chopped Spring Onions Garnish onto a plate of Mee Siam Goreng

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 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
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.  

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

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

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.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
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.  

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Five Spice and Orange Bundt Cake with Pistachio Glaze

I don’t bake cakes often. But when I do, it’s something our family would enjoy. Like this light and moist five spice and orange bundt cake with sweet pistachio glaze. I always reach for the flavours of my ancestral cuisines in my cooking/baking. So when I developed this five spice and orange bundt cake, I wanted to use certain ingredients that are close to home, like five spice and oranges. It also has dried longan, a local Malaysian tropical fruit that is in the same family as lychees and rambutans. In Chinese food culture, we use dried longan in tonic soups together with red dates and goji berries. We believe it to replenish and improve blood circulation. But I find they go well with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in baked goods.

Five Spice Orange Bundt Cake with Pistachio Glaze

Five Spice And Orange Bundt Cake with Pistachio Glaze

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie
This bundt cake is light, moist and refreshing. Every bite has tiny candied orange peels! I used oil instead of butter so the cake has a tender crumb. It's perfect for afternoon tea or coffee. I'm a huge fan of Nordic Ware bundt tins, and I made this cake in their Heritage bundt tin!
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, Coffee, Dessert, Tea
Cuisine Fusion
Servings 10 slices

Equipment

  • 1 x 10-cup (2.5 litre capacity) bundt tin or 1 x 20cm/8-inch square cake tin about 2¼-inches deep

Ingredients
  

For the candied orange peel:

  • Peel of 1 large orange
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 8 cups water

For the cake:

Dry ingredients:-

  • 300 g cake flour sifted
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • A pinch of salt
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg grated
  • 2 1/2 tsp five spice powder only use cinnamon, cloves, fennel and star anise
  • 100 g soft dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup dried longan finely chopped

Wet ingredients:-

  • 175 ml vegetable oil, like sunflower oil room temperature
  • 3 eggs room temperature
  • 200 ml fresh orange juice room temperature

For the pistachio glaze:

  • 102 g whole milk
  • 26 g pistachios shelled, skins removed and chopped
  • 94 g icing sugar sifted

For garnishing:

  • crushed pistachios
  • cape gooseberries
  • orange slices

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your pistachios ahead of time. Tori Avey has some great tips on how to peel pistachios (click on the link below). If you bought unsalted/unroasted pistachios, you can roast them in the oven to boost their flavour.
    https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/how-to-skin-pistachios/#:~:text=Drain%20the%20pistachio%20nuts%20and,Many%20will%20come%20off.
  • Peel 1 orange, then cut the peel into strips. Transfer to a pot, add 3 cups of water and boil the orange peel for 6-7 minutes. Discard the water and rinse the peel. Repeat the process one more time. 
  • In a pan, add 2 cups water and 1/4 cup sugar. Mix well and let it boil till the sugar gets dissolved completely. Add the boiled peels to this mixture and cook for 25-30 minutes on medium flame till there is almost no more water left in the pan. The peels should be nicely coated in thick sugar syrup. 
  • Spread the candied peels on a cooling rack with a tray at the bottom to allow excess sugar syrup drip. When the peels have cooled down, cut them into smaller pieces and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease your bundt tin with non-stick cooking spray/butter/oil.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, five spice powder, salt and orange zest in a mixing bowl. 
  • In a separate bowl, measure the wet ingredients: prepare the oil, then crack in the eggs (one at a time). Beat for 2 minutes until well combined. Gently pour in the orange juice then stir well. 
  • In a bowl attached to your cake mixer, beat 50g brown sugar and 100g of the earlier dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, five spice, salt and orange zest) for 1 minute on medium speed until just combined. 
  • Gently trickle 1/4 cup of the wet ingredients mixture down the side of the mixing bowl into the batter, with the mixer on medium speed for 12 seconds until just incorporated. 
  • Repeat, adding the remaining sugar and dry and wet ingredients alternately for 12 seconds on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix. Take your time, pausing the mixer in between each addition of dry and wet ingredients, otherwise you may end up with dense, gluey streaks in the middle of your cake due to rapid gluten formation. 
  • Finally, gently fold in the dried longan and candied orange peel and mix for 1 minute on medium speed until just incorporated. 
  • Pour the batter into your cake tin (it will be quite runny, but don’t worry). Tap the tin gently on your kitchen counter to burst any air bubbles. 
  • Place in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes. When the cake is baked, it will come away from the sides of the tin and a cake tester should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 
  • To make the pistachio glaze, combine milk and pistachios in a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes on low fire, stirring from time to time. Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to steep for 1 hour. Strain nuts from milk and discard. 
  • Measure icing sugar, then stir it into the milk a few tablespoons at a time. Stir well until mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over cooled cake. 

Notes

Storage tips:
Wrap the cake loosely in parchment paper and foil, then transfer to an airtight container. It can be kept in cool room temperature up to 1 week.
If you're planning to freeze it, let the cake cool, then wrap it tightly in double layers of clingfilm and a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, unwrap and place on a wire rack and leave at room temperature for about 5 hours, then you can reheat it or simply enjoy it on its own. 
Keyword Bundt Cake, Coffee, Dessert, Five Spice Cake, Orange Cake, Pistachio Glaze

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

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Soft and Moist Coconut Rolls (Chinese Bakery Style)

When I was a kid, these buns were my favourite take-home snack after school. They cost me less than one ringgit. Soft and pillowy, they were sold in vacuum-packed plastic, and always came in four pulled-apart buns. I get a little thrill all the time, when teasing apart these golden puffy pillows of deliciousness. I’d line up to buy a packet during recess from the vendor at my school canteen, then store it in my bag so I could enjoy them right after the last school bell rang. The packets are easy to pry open, and once I’ve gained access to the rolls, I’d tear them in half, and another half again before I gobble them up so I could get a little bit of the butter coconut filling and bread in each bite. These rolls also substituted as breakfast on days when I wanted a break from my mother’s oats and milk. I’ve attempted to replicate these buns at home and after a bit of experimentation, I can safely say this recipe is good to go. I live in Kuala Lumpur where it’s hot and humid so I usually make just enough for three days. I used a milk bread recipe as a base and let it rise in the fridge overnight to develop flavour. The dough base is versatile, as you can use it to wrap your preferred sweet or savoury filling (just make sure it can hold its shape at room temperature). My favourite bun fillings include dessicated coconut, coconut jam (kaya), red bean/black sesame/lotus seed pastes and potato curry.  

Soft and Moist Coconut Rolls (Chinese Bakery Style)

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie
Here's a recipe for these sweet bread buns with melt-in-your-mouth butter coconut filling. I used a milk bread recipe as a base. The dough base is versatile, as you can use it to wrap your preferred sweet or savoury filling (just make sure it can hold its shape at room temperature). My favourite bun fillings include dessicated coconut, coconut jam (kaya), red bean/black sesame/lotus seed pastes and potato curry. Feel free to adjust the servings—they can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled to make large batches. You can always bake ahead then wrap them individually and freeze for up to 3 months. In room temperature, store them well in airtight containers for up to three days.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 15 hours
Course Breakfast, Snack, Tea
Cuisine Chinese, Fusion, Malaysian
Servings 18 rolls

Ingredients
  

For the buns

  • 290 g bread flour sifted
  • 40 g cake flour sifted
  • 6 g instant yeast if you're using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, you may need to activate the yeast first. See my Notes below on how to proof your yeast
  • 240 g cold milk
  • 28 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • edible flowers for garnishing (I pressed them a day in advance)

For the coconut filling

  • 2 egg yolks room temperature
  • 45 g granulated sugar
  • 35 g salted butter room temperature
  • 58 g dessicated coconut extra, for garnishing

For the sugar syrup glaze

  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 2-3 tbsp hot water

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, add egg yolks, salted butter, sugar and dessicated coconut. Combine gently with a spatula, then using your hands, knead them until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use. 
  • Combine bread flour, cake flour, instant yeast, and sugar in a bowl and whisk. If you’re using active dry yeast and have already proofed the yeast in warm milk and sugar, you can just add this to a mixing bowl, together with the remaining quantity of milk and sugar (see Notes at the bottom).
  • Transfer to an electric stand mixer with dough hook attachment. Add cold milk little by little as you knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add oil and continue to knead for another 3 minutes until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough comes together. By this time, the dough should already come together nicely into sort of a round ball and feel soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch. Do the “windowpane” test (see my Notes below).
  • Lightly grease a container or large bowl with butter or non-stick cooking spray, and place the kneaded dough in the container. Cover with a clean cloth then refrigerate. Allow the dough to rise overnight in the fridge for 12 hours. It will rise to 1.5x its original size.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Flour a work surface and your hands with a small amount of flour, then lightly punch down the dough and knead it with your hands for 3 minutes into a small oblong roll, making sure to tuck in the sides towards the bottom as you go along. Divide into half, then each half equally into 18 pieces of dough balls (35g each). Add 1 tbsp filling then pinch to seal and shape into ball.
  • Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan or on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or lightly greased. Space the rolls about 1/2- to 1-inch apart or if you like, 3-4 inches apart (depending on the size of your baking pan) to give them ample room to rise and expand.
  • Insert a tray filled with hot boiling water at lowest rung of the oven. Cover the rolls with a lightly greased plastic wrap, making sure it's not pinned under the baking sheet or else the rolls will flatten while rising. Let the plastic wrap gently hang over the sides of the pan to fully cover the rolls but not press them down. 
  • Place baking tray inside the oven, close the oven door and allow bread dough to rise for 45 minutes - 1 hour until double or triple in size. Then remove from oven. 
  • Preheat oven to 150 C. Prepare sugar syrup glaze. Bake the rolls for 30 minutes until golden brown. Halfway through (15 minutes), remove tray from oven, brush the crust with sugar syrup, add edible flowers and dessicated coconut then bake for another 15 minutes. Once done, remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and brush the crust again with sugar syrup for a nice shine. 

Notes

How to perform the windowpane test:
Grease your fingers with a little oil. Pinch a tiny amount of dough the size of a ping pong ball with your fingers. Hold the dough between your two thumbs on the top and gently tease and stretch the dough until you get a thin, translucent membrane. It might leave some sticky residue on your fingers, but if you can roll it into a smooth ball without it sticking to your hands in a shaggy mess, you have a perfectly floured dough. However if it tears easily while you try to stretch it, it means the gluten (protein in the flour) isn’t developed enough. Just stick it back with the rest in the mixer, and knead for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat until you get the ‘windowpane’.
How to tell if your active dry yeast is working:
Check proof your yeast to find out if it’s still active. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast to 1/4 cup of warm water. Wait for 10 minutes. If the mixture bubbles and develops a yeasty aroma, the yeast is still good. 
Keyword Bread, Chinese Bakery, Coconut Buns, Coconut Rolls

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

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Carrot Walnut Cake with Mandarin Oranges

It’s been raining the past few days, and where I live in the tropics, this is welcome news. My little one and I have been snuggling under the covers on most evenings just before dinner, reading her favourite Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I know I’ve been quiet on social media, but this intermittent period of ‘missing in action’ has been wonderful for both my mental and physical health. I had a minor surgery last week to remove a skin lesion so I took a few days off to recuperate. On Sunday, we went to visit my late grandparents’ graves to place some flowers because it was Qingming Festival in the Chinese calendar where we honour our ancestors and commemorate those dear to us who have passed on. In the late afternoon, I made this classic walnut carrot cake with mandarin oranges for Easter. 

I find that cream cheese is susceptible to the slightest heat so the first batch of frosting I made with just 375g of icing sugar ended up drippy. I kept the frosting and added more icing sugar, a 150g at a time, until I finally arrived at my ideal consistency, within a 400-600g window. The trick is to gently fold the icing sugar in slowly with a spoon so it’s thick, white and holds its shape. If you overbeat it, the texture goes slack or runny, so just barely beat in each spoonful of icing sugar before adding the next 150g. I always opt for good quality cream cheese like Philadelphia that are brick-shaped (not whipped). They’re better suited for baking rather than the ones in a tub. But even then I’m surprised that the water content in its brick form is still quite high. I drained the excess fluid with a muslin cloth. You could also add in double cream to stabilise it further.

I decorated my carrot loaf cake with edible flowers and finely chopped walnuts. I was happy to find that a nearby supermarket had restocked some locally grown violets and pansies which I adored.

Carrot Walnut Cake with Mandarin Oranges

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie
This is my take on the traditional carrot cake with a twist! I adore mini tangerines. Besides the fact that they continue to be held in high esteem with associations of regalness, joy and wealth in Chinese culture, mandarin oranges are sweeter and less tart in taste compared to regular oranges.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Tea
Cuisine American, English, Western
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

For The Cake

  • 213 g brown sugar sifted
  • 99 g vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 240 g fine cake flour sifted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda don't forget to check the freshness of your baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups carrots shredded
  • 1/2 cup walnuts coarsely chopped, extra for garnish
  • 142 g mandarin oranges washed and chopped, seeds removed and excess juice drained; keep skin for zesting
  • 1/2 tsp orange zest grated

For The Frosting

  • 227 g cream cheese softened
  • 55 g salted butter softened
  • 2-3 tsp milk room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 400-600 g icing sugar (or confectioner's sugar) sifted
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder optional
  • edible flowers for decoration

Instructions
 

To Make The Cake

  • Pre-heat oven to 177 C. Grease bottom and sides of a rectangular 9 x 22 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick baking spray, then lined it with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, oil and eggs (break eggs one at a time) with an electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until well incorporated. Fold in flour, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla and salt then beat on low speed for 1 minute. Stir in shredded carrots, walnuts, oranges, orange zest and nutmeg. Beat again until combined.
  • With a spatula, spoon the batter into the loaf pan slowly, making sure to spread it out evenly in all directions. Once done, give your pan a light tap a few times to burst any air bubbles. 
  • Transfer your pan to the oven (centre rack with top and bottom even heating) and bake for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then remove the cake from the pan carefully (you can lift up the parchment paper in which the cake sits). If you find that the top of your cake has cracked, don’t worry as that can be easily fixed when you frost the cake later. Just slice off the top of the cake with a serrated knife to get an even layer before icing. 

To Make The Frosting

  • In the meantime, prepare the frosting. Scoop out your cream cheese onto the centre of a clean muslin cloth. As you would a piping bag, gather up the sides of the cloth and twist it then hold it over the sink or a bowl and apply pressure. You should see some excess liquid dripping out from the bottom of the cloth. Once you’ve gotten as much liquid out as possible from the ball of cream cheese, set it down on a kitchen towel and leave to dry out. 
  • Beat softened butter in a bowl with an electric whisk until smooth, then add cream cheese and whisk on medium high until well combined, about 1 minute. Measure 150g of sieved icing sugar with an electric scale, then spoon the sugar into the bowl slowly and beat for 30 seconds. Repeat until the frosting is very thick and stiff. Do a test by dipping your spoon into the batter then lift it up, or hold it upside down—the frosting shouldn’t slide off your spoon. Now you can refrigerate it for 10 minutes before using it. Don’t forget to cover the top of your bowl with cling wrap or a clean cloth before refrigerating.

Notes

Your cream cheese frosting should keep well in the fridge for 5 days before you use it, or up to 3 months in the freezer stored in a storage bag. 
Keyword Breakfast, Carrot Cake, Coffee, Dessert, Tea

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

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Hello there! I'm Deborah

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