Ontbijkoek

My handphone has been 'sick' for about 4 days, and I was surprised to found out, I am actually okay without it. LOL

So the days I didn't get to be able to type or browse, what I did was exploring more about a cake, a dutch cake, which my mom was asked to make, once, and it happened that my hubby's friend also asked if I could make it. 

This cake is called Ontbijkoek. The dutch usually eat it during breakfast, as ontbijkoek literally means breakfast cake. 

The dutch usually serve it with a thick butter layer on top, as a replacement for bread. 

Here, in Indonesia, youngsters are very unfamiliar with the cake. The elder are the ones who usually know it, and really know how it tastes, as our country once were civilized by the dutch for 3.5 years. 

What I made, is an Indonesian ontbijkoek modifications, which usually made with sponge cake method. 

Again, I got the recipe from Mbak Ricke's blog, my all time favorite blogger. 

Ingredients

5 eggs 

1 teaspoon cake emulsifier

100 gram brown sugar/ palm sugar

50 gram granulated sugar

100 gram all purpose flour

25 gram corn flour

20 gram skim milk

2 teaspoon spekoek powder

75 gram of melted margarine/ butter

Almond slice for topping

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 175C.
2. Line a loaf tin.
3. Beat in the eggs, granulated sugar, palm sugar, cake emulsifier in bowl with a low speed mixer until well combined. 
4. In a separate bowl, sift all purpose flour, spekoek powder, corn flour, and skim milk. 
5. Combine the sifted ingredients and eggs mixture, and fold in using a spatula. 
6. Add melted margarine/ butter until no margarine/butter left in the bottom of the bowl. 
7. Pour in the prepared loaf tin and place in the preheated oven.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then take it out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 

If you want to experience a dutch breakfast long time ago, enjoy a slice of it in the early morning with a cup of hot tea. Yummm...

Devil Food Cake

I've never thought photography would be so hard, yet fun, to learn. I forgot exactly when I started doing basic photography. But my hubby brought me into it. And of course, with a very busy routines I had when I was still working, and babies delivery, I haven't got the chance to really explore it. 

When I started blogging, I am pushed to learn more about food photography. But really was the basic one. Blogs, articles, youtubes, craftsy, and sharing with others, are my main references in learning about it. 

About a month ago, I joined an instagram account called @uploadkompakan. It is a really good slot for any photography lovers. #52weeksfoodphotographyproject is also a good place to learn more about photography, since people will give inputs and critics about your pictures. 

I am really into it now, and developing myself more about photography. 

Anyway, in uploadkompakan, we also have a group based on where you live, and every week there will be a photo challenge for its members. Lucky me, this week's theme is CAKE, and I still have lots of chocolate bars and powders!  

When it comes to chocolate, my choice would've never been missed to something like Devil Food Cake, cake with a very strong chocolate taste. It is very chocolaty devilish (is that even a word? LOL)

I've tried so many Devil Food Cake recipes and frosting. It never gave my tongue a yummy and melting experience, expect this one, a Martha Stewart recipe. A classic one, yet so yummy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pans

1/2 cup boiling water

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with cocoa powder; tap out any excess. Sift cocoa into a medium bowl, and whisk in boiling water. Set aside to cool.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides twice. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating between each addition until the batter is no longer slick, scraping down the sides twice. 

4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk milk into reserved cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and cocoa mixtures to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour mixture.

5. Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of each layer comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans for even baking. Transfer layers to wire racks; let cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes, and return to racks, tops up, until completely cool.

6. Remove parchment from bottoms of cakes. Reserve the prettiest layer for the top. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread 1 1/2 cups chocolate ganache over the top. Add the second cake layer, and spread with another 1 1/2 cups ganache. Top with third cake layer. Cover cake with the rest of ganache. 

7. Serve.

Ganache

500 gr chopped dark cooking chocolate

200 gr whipped cream powder (I use wippy haan)

400 ml mineral water

100 gr butter, chopped

1. Dissolve whipped cream powder with mineral water in a sauce pan, stir well. 

2. Under low heat, bring saucepan to boil, and add dark cooking chocolate. Stir well until all chocolate melt and mixed well with cream. 

3. Add butter, stir well, remove from heat before it gets boiled.