To Make Cake
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Line baking paper on a 18cm loaf pan.
Sift the plain flour, baking powder and matcha powder into a bowl and set aside.
In a bigger bowl, add oil, maple syrup and soy milk. Mix well, then add the sifted flour, baking powder and matcha powder.
Mix everything together until the batter is smooth.
(Optional) Add red bean paste and mix slightly and gently.
Pour batter into loaf pan.
Bake for 35-40 mins. Let cook on a wire rack.
(Optional) Dust some matcha powder on top before serving.
Dessert
Japanese Matcha Steamed Cake (Matcha Mushi Pan)
To Make Steamed Cakes
Place a steamer over medium heat.
Place paper cupcake liners onto a cupcake pan.
In a bowl, sift the matcha powder, baking powder and the plain flour. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and sugar together with an electric beater until fluffy.
Slowly add the milk and oil, continue to beat until well combined.
Add in the sifted ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Pour batter into the cupcake liners about ½ to ¾ full each.
(Optional) Drop ½ tbsp red bean paste to the center of each cake, then press down slightly for the batter to cover it.
Steam the cupcakes for 12 mins then turn heat off. Let the cupcake rest in the steamer for 5 mins before serving.
Tips
Line the steamer lid with cloth to prevent water dropping onto the cakes.
Depending on your desired finish, a fuller batter will create a cracked top after rising. Else, opt for less batter in each liner for a smooth, round top.
Banana in Coconut Milk (Kluay Buat Chi)
To Prep
Cut banana in half with the skin off, then cut into 6 pieces.
To Cook
Bring the water to the boil in heavy-based saucepan. Add bananas and bring to boil again. Transfer to a bowl.
Combine the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt in a large heavy-based saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add banana and cook until the coconut milk returns to the boil again. Serve.
Dalgona Coffee
To Cook
In a medium size bowl, add the instant coffee, sugar and boiling water. Use a hand mixer to mix them until real thick and dark golden brown.
Separately prepare 2 glasses with crushed ice. Pour the cold milk evenly into the glasses. Scoop the mixture into the glasses.
Enjoy your drink with a nice book!
Japanese Matcha Green Tea Shaved Ice
To Prep
In a large bowl or container, combine the sugar, matcha powder and water and mix until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Cover and set the mixture in to a freezer until it has fully frozen.
To Serve
Place the frozen mixture in to an ice shaver and shave off the desired amount. Alternatively, cut the ice in to smaller chunks and add it in to a food processor until it has become small granules of ice.
Transfer the shaved ice in to a serving bowl and top with anko, shiratama dango, condensed milk and, or any toppings of your choice!
Cherry Blossom Rice Dumpling (Sakura Mochi)
To Prep
Pour the rice in to a rice cooker bowl and rinse off the extra starch. Cover the rice in water and let soak for at least 1 hr.
Strain the water out of the bowl and let dry for a bit before returning back in to the rice cooker bowl.
Measure out the water add it in to the rice cooker bowl along with the red food colouring. Mix well to ensure that the colouring is evenly distributed.
Cook the rice until just finished and then use a spatula or a rice spoon to lightly mash the grains. Continue to mash the grain until the rice becomes sticky and clumps together. Try not to mash the rice too hard as you still want grains to be visible.
To Form
Spoon out a serving of the red bean paste and mould it in to a small ball.
Roll out a section of cling wrap and set it out on your work space. Wet the spatula to make working with the mochi easier, and spoon a small serving on to the cling wrap.
Flatten the mochi and place 1 on the red bean paste balls on to the centre. Roll up the ends of the cling wrap and mould the mochi in to a ball shape. Set the mochi aside and then repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Serve topped with pickled cherry blossoms and enjoy!
Japanese Flower-Viewing Rice Dumplings (Hanami Dango)
To Prep
In a large, microwave friendly mixing bowl add in the flours and sugar and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
Slowly add in the hot water bit by bit while mixing to stop large clumps from forming. When the water has been added, cover the bowl and microwave for approximately 2 – 3 minutes.
When the dough has cooked through in the microwave, remove it from the bowl and begin to knead it till it has softened.
Separate the dough in to 3 separate, equal sized pieces and set them in to their own bowls.
In one bowl, add in red food colouring and mix until the desired pink colour is achieved. Similarly, add in the matcha powder in to one of the other bowls and mix well. Leave the final bowl untouched.
To Form
Divide each of the pieces of dough in to smaller, bite-sized sections and roll in to a ball. Repeat this until all 3 of the bowls of dough have been turned in to balls.
Take a skewer and thread on 1 of each of the dango balls in the order of the matcha dango followed by the regular dango and finished with the pink dango. Set the skewer aside and then repeat with the remaining dango.
When all of the skewers have been made, serve!
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Mochi Trio
To Prepare Chocolates
Separate the three types of chocolates in to their own bowls.
Pour out all of the cream in to a measuring cup and then add it in to a saucepan. Heat over a medium-low heat and almost bring to a boil.
When the cream has been heated through, pour out each measurement for their respective chocolate and then pour it over them.
Allow the hot cream to melt the chocolates before whisking them to form a silky mixture.
Cover the bowls with cling wrap and set them in the fridge for about 90 mins or until solid.
To Prepare the Mochi
In a large, microwave friendly mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour and sugar together and mix well.
Slowly add in water and mix until all of the water has been used up and the mixture is well combined.
Cover the bowl loosely with cling wrap and place in a microwave for 1 min and 30 secs before removing and mixing.
Wrap and return the bowl back in to the microwave and heat for another minute and 30 seconds. When the time is up, remove and mix again to ensure that the flour has cooked through.
In a tray or working area, lay out some baking or parchment paper and dust with potato or rice starch. Spoon the mochi on to the surface and dust with more starch to ensure it doesn’t stick to everything.
Dust hands and a rolling pin with the starch and slowly begins to spread out the mochi. If the mochi is still too hot, allow it to cool down before continuing to roll it out.
When the mochi has been rolled out, allow it to cool in a fridge for about 10 mins until it has become firmer to the touch.
Remove the mochi from the fridge and cut out circles from the mochi. When all of the circles have been cut out, combine the remaining mochi pieces and roll it out again to cut out more circles.
To Form Mochi
Remove the chocolates from the fridge and set them next to the mochi wrappers along with the starch to dust and a small bowl of water to seal the mochi.
Spoon a small serving of one of the chocolate on to your hands and try to shape in to a small ball. Place the chocolate ball on to the centre of the mochi and, with clean hands, wrap the mochi around the ball.
Wet hands slightly and pinch the end of the mochi to seal it before dusting lightly with starch to ensure that it doesn’t stick.
Set the mochi aside and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
To finish, dust with chocolate powders, grated chocolates or any dusting of your choice and serve!
Sweet Potato Balls
To Prep
Place the sweet potatoes in to a steamer and steam for 10 mins or until they become soft.
Transfer the potatoes in to a large bowl and mash them in to a puree.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar and baking powder and mix well. Add this mixture in to the bowl with the sweet potatoes and mix with a spatula until a soft dough begins to form.
The dough should be soft but not sticky; if the dough is too sticky then add a bit more white rice flour.
Pinch off enough dough to form a small ball about an inch in diameter and set aside. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
To Cook
Heat up enough oil to fry the sweet potatoes over a medium heat. Fry the balls in batches for about 3 to 4 mins or until the balls have turned golden brown.
The balls will have cooked through when they are floating. Remove the cooked balls from the oil and let drain to remove the excess oil. Repeat the cooking process until all of the balls have cooked.
Serve while hot and enjoy!
Green Tea Shaved Ice (Ujikintoki Kakigori)
To Make Matcha Syrup
Use a small amount of boiling water to dissolve the matcha powder. Then add sugar and the rest of the water.
Place in a saucepan and heat until the ingredients are completely combined. Cool in fridge.
To Make Shiratama
Gradually add glutinous rice flour to the water while mixing to form a dough. The texture should be as soft as your earlobes.
Shape dough into bite size balls (about 10g) and cook in boiling water until they float. Take out into an ice bath to cool.
To Assemble
Place an ice cube in ice shaving machine and shave the ice into a desired serving bowl. Repeat with the other ice cube.
Garnish the shaved ice with red bean paste and 5 pieces of shiratama. Drizzle desired amount of condensed milk and syrup.
Yam Crepe Cake
To Prep the Yam Crepes
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the caster sugar, eggs, yam essence, oil, melted butter and milk until well combined.
Sift over the cake flour, yam powder and salt, and whisk through until well combined, ensuring you do not overmix.
Run the mixture through a sieve once to ensure there are no lumps, then set aside to rest for 30 mins.
To Cook the Yam Crepes
Lightly grease a non stick pan with oil. Wipe off any excess oil to ensure pan is not greasy.
Heat pan at medium heat for 2 mins.
Once the pan is hot, lower heat, then add about 3 tbsp of batter, swirling the skillet as you add the batter to evenly coat the surface of the pan.
Cook for about 30 secs per side or until lightly golden, then flip and cook another 30 secs or until the second side is golden.
Gently remove crepe to a flat wide plate and allow to cool to room temperature before stacking.
Repeat with remaining Yam Crepe mixture.
To Prep Cream Filling
Combine heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl.
Whisk to stiff peaks, being careful not to overbeat.
To Assemble Yam Crepe Cake
Place one layer of crepe to a cake board, then spread 2 tbsp of cream filling evenly across the crepe.
Repeat with remaining crepes and cream filling, then chill in the fridge for 1 hr.
Just before serving, dust with yam powder, slice and enjoy.
Passionfruit & Mango Crepe Cake
To Make the Curd
Strain passionfruit pulp for the juice, reserve 2 tbsp seeds for garnish.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until smooth. Mix in passionfruit juice.
Cook the mixture on a double boiler over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened.
Remove from the heat, then mix in the butter.
Place a piece cling wrap over the surface of the curd, allow to cool then place in the fridge.
To Prep Passionfruit Crepes
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, oil, melted butter, passionfruit essence and milk until well combined.
Sift over the cake flour and salt, then whisk through, being careful not to overmix.
Run the mixture through a sieve once to ensure there are no lumps. Set aside to rest for 30 mins.
To Cook Passionfruit Crepes
Lightly grease a non stick pan with oil. Wipe off any excess oil to ensure pan is not greasy.
Heat pan at medium heat for 2 mins.
Once the pan is hot, lower heat, then add about 3 tbsp of batter, swirling the skillet as you add the batter to evenly coat the surface of the pan.
Cook for about 30 secs per side or until lightly golden, then flip and cook another 30 secs or until the second side is golden.
Gently remove crepe to a flat wide plate and allow to cool to room temperature before stacking.
Repeat with remaining Passionfruit Crepe mixture.
Cream Filling Method
Combine heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl.
Whisk to stiff peaks, being careful not to overbeat.
Assemble of crepe cake
Place one layer of crepe to a cake board, then spread 2 tbsp of cream filling evenly across the crepe.
Repeat with remaining crepes and cream filling, spreading 1 tbsp passionfruit curd on every fifth layer.
Spread a layer of passionfruit curd on the top of the cake, and place reserved passionfruit seeds on top. Chill in the fridge for 1 hr.
Before serving, top with fresh diced mangoes, slice and enjoy.