in my studio | category

Feb
12
2014

brownie butter cake

I love designing. But it is really hard to get that time alone to sit in front of a computer when I have 3 little ones at home. I tried a few times, with my 18month old switching the power to the computer off! So I never, ever work while the kids are around. And you wonder how did I get this post up? Well my eldest is in kinder, my middle child is having her afternoon nap, and here I am rocking my 2 month old baby to sleep in the swing while I type on my Macbook beside him…ahh the joys of a SAHM :)

So anyway, I guess for now my love has shifted towards baking. As my eldest is nearly 4, she loves helping me in the kitchen. Lately we’ve made blueberry cheesecake, carrot cake, banana cake, chocolate cake and this yummy brownie butter cake. I actually came across this recipe via Rasa Malaysia on Facebook and it looked absolutely delicious that I just had to give it a go, and boy was I glad I did. This is by far the best butter cake. Its so soft, buttery and the brownie is moist & chocolately -two of my favourite ingredients, butter and chocolate. You can’t go wrong there!

RECIPE FOR BROWNIE BUTTER CAKE
Adapted from Rasa Malaysia
Makes: 1 loaf

Bake time: 55 mins

Brownie:

140g (5oz) Dark Chocolate (broken into pieces)
50g (¼ cup) Butter
50g (¼ cup) Brown sugar
1 Egg
35g (¼ cup) Plain flour

Butter cake:

120g (½ cup) Butter
100g (½ cup) Sugar
2 Eggs
120g (1 cup) Plain flour
2g (¼ tsp) Baking powder
50ml (3 ½ Tbsp) Fresh milk

Method:

Grease and line a 10cm x 20cm (4×8-in) loaf pan with aluminium foil.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

To make brownie, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Remove and leave to cool slightly. Stir in brown sugar until blended.

Add in egg, mix well. Fold in flour, mix until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove.

To make butter cake, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in sifted flour and baking powder, alternately add in fresh milk, mix to form batter.

Spread the butter cake batter over brownie, bake in oven at 160C/320F for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Insert a cake tester in the middle to check doneness.

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Category: cake, chocolate, desserts, halal, in my kitchen

Sep
03
2013

chocolate, kit kat & M&M cake!

Oh-do I feel like a child again!

Over the weekend, my inlaws threw a surprise farewell party to my Sister in Laws daughter-who is only 8-and going to Dubai! I was so excited to be given the task to make a Kit Kat cake as I’ve always wanted to make something like that but did not want it to make it for no reason. I have to admit, it was so hard resisting myself from eating the kit kats and M&Ms whilst I was constructing the cake, I felt like a kid!

Of course, this chocolate cake recipe never fails me. I have used it many times, my sister uses it many times…in fact its the only chocolate cake recipe we use! It was given to us by our lovely Aunt Nola (love her to bits Mashallah!) and it has always impressed many consumers :)

I apologize that I do not have a photo of the cake cut so you can see what its like on the inside. It was gone by the time I even had a chance to take a photo!

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
Chocolate cake recipe adapted from my Aunt Nola
Serves: 12
Prep time: 30 mins
Bake time: 1 hour
Assembly time: 20 mins

Ingredients for chocolate cake

2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup hot coffee (made from 1 tsp coffee)

Method for chocolate cake

1. Preheat oven to 170°c.
2. Line the base and sides of a 20cm diameter springfoam tin with baking paper.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
4. Pour all the wet ingredients into another large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until combined.
5. Then gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet bowl. Fold until well combined.
6. Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Ingredients for vanilla buttercream
Adapted from my own memory and taste!

250g softened butter, at room temperature
3 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp cream

Method for vanilla buttercream

1. Using a stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until well combined and smooth.
2. Gradually add in vanilla essence, milk and cream.
3. Whisk on medium to high for a few minutes until silky smooth.

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Category: cake, chocolate, desserts, halal, in my kitchen

Aug
06
2013

scones for eid breakfast anyone?

Eid is tomorrow In Sha Allah! As we say goodbye to Ramadan (In Sha Allah, this wont be our last Ramadan) we say hello again to Eid. As sad as I am to leave the holy month of Ramadan, I am also equally excited to welcome Eid. I have everything ready, from kids dresses to shoes, to presents and the list goes on!

Do you tend to cook/bake on the morning of Eid? What is your typical Eid breakfast? Being a malay, in my culture, we’d wake up with a feast. Usually there’s rendang, lontong and sooooo many kuih raya (Eid cookies) to choose from. But since I’m a busy wife and mother, living abroad + my small little family is not used to eating a huge breakfast, I’d choose scones as the next best thing! These babies are done and dusted in under 30minutes (from start to finish) so you know you wont be late for your Eid prayers.

These scones are extremely soft! Thanks to my Italian brother in law for recommending the recipe to us.

Scones are best served warm straight out of the oven with strawberry jam and cream…mmm yum!

RECIPE FOR SOFT PLAIN SCONES
Adapted from Cooking from the heart

Serves: 12
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10-12 mins

Ingredients

3 cups self-raising flour
4 tsp icing sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup single cream
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup cup hot water
Whipped cream (simply whip thickened cream)
Strawberry Jam

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C.

2. Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl 6 times to aerate.

3. Make a well in the centre and add the cream, milk and water. Mix with a knife. The ingredients should come together easily without too much effort. If the mixture is too stiff add more milk, but don’t overwork or the scones will be tough.

4. Turn the dough out on a well-floured surface. Flour your hands lightly and shape the dough into a ball before patting down gently to a height of 3cm. Cut with a 6cm pastry cutter, being careful not to twist the cutter, and place each scone barely touching one another onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.

5. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes until risen and just browned on top. Serve warm with whipped cream and strawberry jam!

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Category: breakfast, desserts, do-it-yourself, eid, eid decorations, eid giveaway, halal, in my kitchen

Aug
01
2013

Freebie #4 – Printable DIY Eid Table Setting

Our forth and final week FREE DIY Printable is for the Eid Table Setting!

*You may download this printable at the end of post*

Freebie #4 – Printable DIY Eid Welcome Poster, Eid Gift Tags & Table Buffet Cards

This marks our final FREE DIY Printables for Eid Ul Adha. Subhanallah, Ramadan is only less than 10 days. Time really does fly. Are you making the most of it?

Our final printables include

1) A4 Welcome Poster Print (words on poster are: “Eid Mubarak, Welcome!”)

2) Table Buffet Cards

3) Gift/swing tags (for your beloved guests!)

These gift tags are so cute and they finish off a perfect Eid celebration by handing each and every guest a goodie bag, or maybe just the kids? hehe
As you can see, the ideas are limitless. Displayed here, I have made an Eid goodie paper bag and also a cookie gift wrap, both attached with my lovely swing tags as a “Thank You” gift.

Can you see the super delicious soft scones? I promise you they are so soft, and will be sharing the recipe in the next few days inshallah. Need to schedule out all my posts!

The Confetti Collection Party Pack colours are so unisex and suitable for any Eid party you may host, thanks to my Facebook followers who voted their favourite colour for this years Eid theme! I hope you enjoyed my FREE DIY Printables, please make dua for me and also share some pictures of your table decor with me. You may post them on my Facebook page or email me. I would love to see your decorations!

And stay tune, I have another FREE PRINTABLE BONUS coming up!!!

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Category: cake, cookies, décor, desserts, do-it-yourself, eid, eid decorations, eid giveaway, free printables, freebies, halal, in my kitchen

Jul
31
2013

Guest Post on My Halal Kitchen!

The wait is over! Alhamdulillah my Salted Caramel Macadamia Cheesecake is now published on My Halal Kitchen.For the full recipe and more photos, please visit My Halal Kitchen Guest Post by Iva Izman.

To download my FREE DIY Eid Printables for the cakes such as cake flags, cupcake wrapper and cupcake flags, click here.