cherry almond cake

bismillahirrahmanirraheem..
assalamu'alaikum wrt wbt

another farewell in the department..
its very sad when great people are leaving us
but they have to move on.. they have created a path for their destiny
rather being in the same place, playing idle..
they dare to shift from their comfort zone into the unknown
i wish all the best and may Allah grant them jannatul firdaus.

love the streusel!

source: twopeasandtheirpod.com

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved

To make the Almond Streusel Topping:

• 1/4 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup almond paste, crumbled <-- i omit this
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 (175C) degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan or pie plate. Set aside.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until combined.
4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Arrange cherries on top of batter.
5. To make the almond streusel topping-in a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, almond paste, butter, and salt. Mix together with your fingers until crumbly. Top the cake with streusel topping.
6. Bake cake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 (160C) degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool in pan.

my fav!

buttermilk frangipane cake

bismillahirrahmanirraheem..
assalamu'alaikum wrm wbt.

1st time ever after loooong time..
i feel "tak cukup nafas" with office task
running from one meeting to another
beginning from yesterday..
more meetings means more works to be done!
but alhamdulillah.. i still feel very happy!
walaupun hasilnya wont be captured in KPI
walaupun in the end gaji tetap sama tiada bezanya..
but i feel happy contributing to the ummah!
fuhh.. ayat.. bak kata org muda.. ayat tak ble blah! hehe..
anyhow, this happy-feeling is actually a blessing. kan?
thank you O Merciful Allah.. for Your Rahmah!

this "butterfinger" (as one of my friend calls it) cakes was done in hurry
7am baru stat buat.. 8am baru ting! sampai lewat punch-in!
even the picture was snapped in the car, while waiting at the traffic light
alhamdulillah.. dalam kalut2 dapat jugak dimakan ramai orang..

kek miss kalut :p
parchment paper tertangkup atas kek semasa baking
lantas mengeluarkan isi perut "filling"  :|

source: tarteletteblog
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (125ml) sour cream
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil
zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups (280gr) Jeanne's gluten free all purpose flour mix (or 2 cups regular flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 portion frangipane filling (recipe follows)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Position a tray in the middle. Grease two loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, sugar and eggs until pale (takes about 2 minutes). Add the oil and lemon juice and zest and mix until well blended. Add the flour mix and baking powder and whisk about 50 strokes until the batter is smooth. Divide half the batter in between the two pans. Top each pan with the frangipane filling over that first layer. Divide the remainder of the cake batter in between the two pans to cover the frangipane.
Bake for about 40-45 minutes (on convection) to a hour (regular) until a knife inserted in the middle comes free of raw batter.

Frangipane:

Ingredients:
1/2 stick (55 gr) butter, softened
1/4 cup (25gr) sugar
1/2 cup (50 gr) ground almonds (blanched, slivered, whole, your call)
1 egg
2 tablespoons (30gr) heavy cream

Directions:
Place the butter, sugar, ground almonds, and the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth (can also be done in a food processor). Add the cream but stir in it instead of whisking not to emulsify it or it will rise while baking.

personally, i think the whole batter can fit into my 9x5loaf pan.
this simple cake has a wonderful taste.. the cake itself is moist and lemony and the frangipane filling is lemak2 manis. next time.. (there's a high possibility am making it again insyaallah..) i might swirl the filling instead of just layering it.. and maybe.. i will put some color to the swirl?? jom kita cuba terai!

orange semolina yogurt cake ~ martha stewart's recipe

bismillahirramanirraheem..
assalamu'alaikum wrm wbt

this cake is made for monthly departmental meeting
the texture is different from normal sugee cake..
a bit crunchy, due to ground almonds.

source: marthastewart

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 wide strips orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon finely grated zest
• 3/4 cup semolina flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely ground in a food processor
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (full-fat), plus more for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper; butter paper. In a small saucepan, combine 2/3 cup sugar, water, and orange-zest strips. Bring to a simmer over medium-high; cook until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set syrup aside to steep.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, almonds, grated orange zest, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Transfer batter to prepared pan; bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a rimmed serving plate. Using a fork, poke shallow holes (about 15) into top of cake. Pour half the syrup over cake; garnish with orange-zest strips from syrup. Let cool completely. Serve with yogurt and remaining syrup.

swedish visiting cake

i baked a chocolate malted cake and it was a near disaster
the cake taste is too cocoa-ey --- but still edible though..
i baked a whole orange cake and it was a total disaster!!
empulurnya tak dibuang.. rasa pahit sampai tak boleh nak telan!
sungguh sadis lagi menyedihkan..
off to the tong sampah.. :'(

this swedish visiting cake i know it won't dissappoint me
since the recipe is from dorie greenspan ;)
and baking this cake is simply blissful!
i love the smell of sugar & lemon zest rubbed together.. very aromatic!
i love how a simple & easy cake can turn out very satisfying..
alhamdulillah.. am filled with happiness :)
hope the meeting members love it!

source: dorie greenspan

• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling <-- i use 3/4cup only
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract <-- i reduce to 1/8tsp
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• About 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

i 'grilled' it another 5mins to get a a crunchier crust. gelap la pulok!

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.
2. Pour the sugar into a medium bowl. Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Whisk in the salt and the extracts. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour. Finally, fold in the melted butter.
3. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar. If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it. You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

almond apricot cake

dalam dok fikir nak bawak apa utk meeting dgn staff
opismate usulkan buat kek yg ada apple, apricot & nuts..
tak puas agaknya makan kek apple, apricot & walnut haritu ;)
bila tgk kek ni dlm foodbuzz, dia terus tergoda!
(gambar2nya mmg lawa bangat!)
tapi dia taknak glaze/ icing..
saya cadang nak tabur baki gula+cinnamon
tapi silap percaturan..
tabur sebelum bakar
maka jadilah kerak hitam manis!

sebelum tu..
dok belek & telek resepi nigelslater's almond apricot cake
the volcano cake that i never got to taste..
hmm.. tanpa raising agent.. rasa macam lagi sedap
but the execution is a bit troublesome.
kensel. jalankan projek yg diusulkan saja.

sumber: foodbuzz

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup diced fresh apricot (or dry apricot soaked in hot water for 10 minutes) <-- i soaked in hot tea

1. In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract.
2. To the butter mixture all all at once the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the chopped apricots.
3. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the center and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan. After 30 minutes you may need to loosely cover the top of the cake with foil to prevent over-browning. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out into a wire rack to cool completely.

notes:
am actually experimenting or rather re-trying the use of almond extract.
i used 1/4tsp in tiramisu and i really truly regret it!
now, am using it in a cake but..
i think am gonna trow it away.. (the extract. not the cake).
the taste of 1/4tsp almond extract in 1/2kg cake is so overpowering!
ok. am exaggerating.. its just a remote taste.
tapi tetap rasa macam ubat!!!
ai-kenot-go-lah!

apart from the weird-medicinal taste
the cake is soft & moist!
if i were to make this again..
i'll opt out the almond extract/ essence.
definitely!

nigel slater's apricot almond (volcano) cake

kek ni dibuat sbg buah tangan utk maklong..
maklong jemput kenuri tahlil
but we went there slps tahlil!
bertuah tak anak buah ni??
apakes?
kes kek jadik volcano dlm oven!

the volcano in the oven!! yelpppp!!!!

nasib agak baik.. sebab masih sempurna bahagian atasnya..
dan masih ada rupa kek yang agak senonoh..
yang dah jadi larva tu.. sedekah kat en.tongsampah je la..

nigel propose makan kek ni dgn poached fruits2 ie: apricot or strawberry..
sebab takdak buah2 tu.. saya tabur gula aising jek..

tabur almond flakes jugek.. itu yg nampak bercapuk2 putih tu..

sumber: guardian.co.uk
bahan2:

• 250g butter, suhu bilik
• 250g gula caster <-- saya kurangkan ke 205g
• 75g ground almonds
• 100g tepung
• 4biji telur saiz besar, dipukul sedikit
• 100g apricot kering
• sebiji lemon, diparut kulit dan diambil jusnya
• almond flakes <-- optional, saja tambah

tatacara:

1. panaskan oven 180C dan gris loyang cetek bersaiz 9inci (saya guna loyang tart. satu kelisapan besarrr!!!)
2. pukul gula & butter hingga kembang dan berwarna pucat, dalam 5minit.
3. satukan ground almonds & tepung. hancurkan apricot hingga terbentuk halus, dalam food processor. ketepikan dulu.
4. masukkan telur sedikit demi sedikit hingga sebati. masukkan lemon zest.
5. masukkan campuran almonds+tepung dalam 3batch, perlahan-lahan (hentikan dulu mixer untuk tuang capuran tersebut. pukul dengan kelajuan perlahan).
6. masukkan lemon jus dan apricot dan pukul perlahan hingga sebati.
7. tuang adunan kedalam loyang dan bakar selama 30minit (saya tambah lagi 5mins-saja nak bagi garing)

nota:
sila jangan guna loyang yg sgt cetek! sebab takdak agen penaik, saya menganggap takkan ada kenaikan pada kek.. oh.. sungguh salah! macamla taktau kek tu akan naik jugak sbb ada air incorporated.. yappadei!! ok. lesson learnt today :|


almond flakes yg dikopak oleh sikecik sampai nampak lopak!



chocolate almond biscotti

it goes as planned..
making biscotti @mak's home

but mak's oven is a total stranger to me

i use ms. jaworski's recipe
as usual..
it never failed me

but the oven is not being friendly with me :(

the 8min's almond toast
looks like it has been toasted forever!

and i regret using grinder to chop the almonds
silly me! or should i say.. how dumb??
grinder is for grinding!
you chop with chopper or knife.
ok. lesson learnt.

i suppose making biscotti is easy
except for the sticky batter
which could be tricky!

and the credit should go to mr.joe as well
for his step-by-step photos


verdict:
i suppose this is the only recipe
i would prefer no-chocolate
apart from the mistakes made
apart from the unfriendly oven
i think my biscotti can sell
hah!
:p