Walnut Pear Crumble Cheese Cake

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year , with lots of great Joy, Abundance of Happiness and Good Health !

One of my dearest long-time friend (hmm..was it 20 years frenz ?? Can't help feeling so young all over again) has invited me to her place for a NY gathering. This is an excellent way to share the Mummy's fanatic joy of baking and to get the Golden friends to taste cakes.

Since this is not an occassion to be missed, I set out on a mission to "volunteer" my cake services, not 1 but 2 cakes to flaunt. Zealous as usual ! Such misplaced courage my dear frenz has in my cakes ! Yes, don't tell her that every attempt is an experimentation.. LOL

Isn't it adventurous to try new cakes. Something a bit more up-market.. yeah, Pear Crumble Cheese Cake and another Chocolate Cake. Very Rich and full of goodness for a New Year celebration ! So here I am, all set to bake the most wonderous cakes ever attempted, if you believe me.

My honourable well-wrapped pear crumble cheese cake , all ready to go !

What is Required - to produce the most rich Cheesy Cake with cranchiness toppings

I use an 11 inch square pan

In the picture, I made a last minute change to a pear instead of an apple ! My pear was gettinq quite ripe and hence I made a quick switch.

A) Cake Base
230g Plain flour
150g Butter
100g Sugar

B) Cheese Layer
500g cream cheese
150g Icing Sugar (sifted)
30g Corn flour

3 eggs
150g Whipping Cream
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Apple or Pear (sliced)

C) Crumble Topping
100g butter
80g icing sugar
150g Plain flour
150g Walnut (chopped till coarse rice grain)
200g Walnut (chopped till fine - may want to use a blender)



What is required - to make it happen








How to Do it..
1. To make the Cake Base,
- whisk ingredient in A.
- Once the mixture is all mixed, lay a grease proof paper and start to spread the Base
mixture on the 11 inch baking square pan.
- Use a fork to poke holes onto the cake base.
- Bake at 130C for 20mins in a preheated oven.


2. To make the Cheese Layer,
- whisk inthe cream cheese, icing sugar and corn flour until creamy.
- Add in Eggs, whipping cream, and lemon juice and whisk. Pour onto the Cake Base.
- Add in Pears to decorate.

3. To make the Crumble topping.
- Whisk butter, icing sugar, Plain flour
- Divide the mixture into 2.
- Take the 1st portion mixture and add in the coarse Walnuts. Mix well and lightly insert onto the top cheese layer.
- Take the 2nd portion mixture and add in the fine Walnuts. Mix well and sprinkle on top of the cheese layer.
- Bake at 100C for 60mins.

Well, the result is ...I guess I may just be invited over again to my friend house. Of course, they love it. They must , otherwise, where got free recipe , hor .. (singlish words) hehehe...

Not to be missed as well , is none other than, my Chocolate Cake.

Now that we are all High in Sugars, may we have a super sweet and prosperous year ahead !

Strawberry Mousse Cake

I have been dreaming of Strawberries since my family trip to Cameron Highlands. So here's one for all the Strawberry-crazed people out there..

Picking strawberries are fun ! Exactly what my boys did ! Not that my boys are dying to eat them, that's the least that they want to do, it's just the temptations of resisting to pluck is just too strong. **LOL ** Just as well that I am the "plucky" mummy..

ALL these strawberries into this cake ...

Somehow, pink does not fit into the context of my boys.. hmm.. it's just interesting to see them bite into a piece of my Strawberrryyyyy cake, grimacing their faces...hahaha. Surprisingly, my younger one, the ever-pleasing one, while helping me out, can't resist dipping his little finger into the strawberry icings and commented that it tasted real good !

To sweeten the deal, using the leftover swirl cake side wrappings, I slice into into 4 layers with added peanut butter for my younger one. On another swiss-roll piece , my elder one had yummy cheese spread over it. What a supper for the nite..

Not forgetting dearest Mr H, he gamely joined in as well. Oh.. believe me, I do really love my boys, and the boys love the Mummy. Isn't this great ! Hahaha...

I must really find others to amuse my cake with..

Anyway, here's how you can have fun with your strawberries.

What is Required

(A) Sponge cake

10 egg yolks

400 gm. cake flour

200 gm. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup water

1 cup cooking oil

2 tsp. vanilla essence

4 tsp. baking powder

(B) 10 egg white

1 tsp. cream of tartar

150 gm. sugar

(C) Strawberry cream

200g strawberry

100g castor sugar

4 tsp gelatine powder

3 tbsp hot water

500g whipped fresh cream

How to Do it

1. Mix all the ingredients (A) together until smooth.

2. Whisk ingredients (B) to create a stiff peak, suggests using a cake mixer.

3. Add this whipped egg white into (A) and fold with a spatula.

4. Put a grease proof paper at bottom of tin.

5. Divide mixture into 3 portions.

6. To bake the coloured swirl cake, take 1st portion for the side decoration. Again, spilt the mixture into another 2 separate portions. Add 1/2 tsp of rose colour to 1st separated portion and mix it well. Pour into a 12" square cake pan and spread it out. Slowly dip the remaining white portion into patches randomly into the cake. Use a tooth pick to swirl the cake. Bake for 20mins at 190C.

7. To bake the sponge cake, pour into a 9" cake tin and bake for about 60 mins till cooked at 190C. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.

8. Slice the sponge cake into 2 layers.

9. To make the strawberry cream, boil strawberry and sugar in a doubled-boiler pan.

10. When cool, blend the mixture until fine. Stir gelatine with the hot water and add into mixture. Fold in the whipped cream.

11. Spread the strawberry cream between the 1st layer and 2nd layer of the sliced sponge cake.

9. For the side decoration, slice the swirl coloured cake around 2 inches width and wrap round the sponge cake.

12. Top up the rest of cake with the strawberry cream. Keep it in the fridge over night.

13. Have fun with the decoration.

Enjoy this yummy strawberry cake !

Rustic Travel with Strawberries Farms, BOH Tea Plantations and Towering Steamboat

Hey.. I am back !!! Nope, I have not gone hibernating, not slacking.. Just taking a breather. I was away for a 1+ week vacation with my family in Malaysia. We had a marvellous trip to Cameron Highlands and Sunway Lagoon. Fantastic Strawberry farms , tea plantations , butterfly farm, Rose Center.. WOW unbelievable sight with free and easy driving in our family car. The wonders and miracle of GPS !

Along the way, we passed the majestic Iskander Waterfalls. Simply breath-taking.. good for the revival of soul ! Love this untouched beauty, the cool water running down the feet.

How cool can one get !

My 2 cool boys stealing the limelight from the 2 couples - spot the brides and bridegrooms

Look at all the strawberries..visited 3 strawberries farms, traditional to the modern. Go for the Big Red Strawberry Farm , fantastic modern hydrophonic farm.

True to goodness freshness ! Ooohh.. juicy veggies. Don't you wish just for a moment to be a bunny,..yea, just a spilt moment, gorging all the veggies silly LOL.. see what fresh veggies can do to one's senses.

Strawberries, pluck at RM $40/kg .. Strawberry Pop-corn ??!!

My ever 1st sighting of the Giant Pumpkin ... wondering who's stealing the limelight again and again..


Other Strawberry farms ... I AM strawbUrried..



Next, see the mountains and mountains of BOH Tea plantations, we literally manoveured our way into the TEA of action, right into the heart of BOH and enjoying our cup of BOH Tea !

To top off our travel, we had good scrumptuous traditional steamboat ! You don't get this sight anymore ...

My Towering SteamBoat, using real charcoal !

Ironically, I missed baking and cooking while I was away. hehe.. BUT ..the travel was worth it, so rural and serene. So much fun !

Craze for Mango Mousse Cake

Here's the Mango craze me...

Along the stretch of road, opposite Century Square and Tampines Mall, one can see a long stretch of mango trees brimming with countless mangoes. These are just so wonderous to look at and drool. As always there is this "animalistic-human" instinct within me, the urge to pl**k and the insatiable desire to taste them. Ooo.. if only this is possible. Sigh. Forbidden fruit. We do have a Fine city, you know. LOL , get the pun ?!!

Curious to know ? Well, these are either planted by the Tampines Council or NParks. Many other estates have such similar concepts in Singapore. When these mangoes are riped, I believe they are either given to the residents or sold, although some actually rot away before anything is done about them.

So, pleaaaaseee, I beg, do remember me , I am always ever-ready to lend a hand or two.. ** wink **

Regardless, I find that this is still a sight to truly feast upon, fruits along our streets which make the streets more vibrant and shady. Honestly, to have them in the midst of our urban living is actually quite amazing ! Crazy perhaps, but still an amazing sight.

Again, my neighbour's house across the street has a mango tree, equally as fruitful. Hmm.. should I? Naughty thoughts. Tempting but Nah..

I, instead settle graciously into getting my own mangoes and baking a mango mousse cake.

Here's the recipe.

What is required for sponge cake:
(A) Cake
5 egg yolks
200 gm. cake flour
100 gm. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla essence
2 tsp. baking powder

(B)5 egg white
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
100 gm. sugar

Filling:
50 gm. Bulla pure cream
50 gm Bulla sour cream
400gm Dairy whipping cream
100 gm. sugar
3 tsp gelatine powder
5 tbsp hot water
1 cup cut mangoes

How to Do it

1. Mix all the ingredients (A) together until smooth.
2. Whisk ingredients (B) to create a stiff peak, suggests using a cake mixer. Use a metal bowl forbetter results and ensure no oil in the clean bowl (otherwise it will not form).

3. Add this whipped egg white into (A) and fold with a spatula.
4. Pour into a 9" round tin and bake for about 45 mins to 50 mins till cooked at 180C. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack. Slice into 3 layers.

5. For the Dairy whipping cream, whipped the cream until stiff peak.
6. Dissolve gelatine in hot water . Mix pure cream with sugar and gelatine mixture.
7. Divide the whipped cream mixture into 3 portions.
8. Add mango cubes into 2 portions of the whipped cream. Fold in whipped cream using a spatula.

9. For 3 cake layers, divide equally the portion of whipped cream. Spread the toppings on the bottom and middle layer. For the top layer, decorate as desired with mango slices.
10. Put into the fridge to let it set.

So here it is.. presenting

the Upright Cake ...

the Laid-back cake

......the Spread-out cake

the Oozing-Cake (my elder son little finger ...)
For now, I believe my mango craze has been fulfilled....

hmm..somehow my eyes are twitching again.