Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake

April is a month with lots of birthday celebrations!  Three family members and friends.  My daughter is six this year and I have baked (this year steamed) all her six birthday cakes.  Hope this will continue as far as I could...

She likes the steamed moist chocolate cake so much.  This recipe I have is very simple - simple methods (takes ~ 15 minutes preparation time and 45 minutes steaming), simple ingredients, simple equipment (no mixer, no oven required) and low cost... but the result is very rewarding!

Special thanks to yong-hobby for sharing this wonderful method.

What I used  
180g Butter 
120g Caster Sugar 
200g Evaporated Milk 
2 Eggs (slightly beaten with fork) 
100g Plain Flour 
50g Cocoa Powder 
1/2tsp Baking Powder 
1/2tsp Baking Soda 
1/2tsp Vanilla Extract 
2Tbsp Rum (optional)


How I do  

1. Lined and greased a 7 or 8 inches round/square baking tin.  
2. Combine butter, caster sugar, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract in a sauce pan and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted.  Turn off the heat and keep warm.  
3. Add the beaten eggs into the slightly cold evaporated milk mixture and stir till well mixed.  
4. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl, then pour the eggs mixture and rum over the flour and combined well.  
5. Heat up the steamer.  
6. Pour the batter* into the lined baking tin.  Cover the top of tin loosely with a piece of aluminium foil.  Place the tin into steamer.  Cover steamer and steam at medium heat for 45 minutes.  
7. Cool the cake before further decoration.

Equipments and tools I used
Steamer, sauce pan, whisk, strainer, aluminium foil (I recycled the aluminium foil from my daughter's soft pack milk powder)

Points to hightlight:  
*To make a smooth batter, strained before pour into the baking tin.  

Steamed Water Chestnut Yam Cake

Whenever I see yam in wet market, I can't resist not buying eventhough when I have tight lecturing schedule. I remembered having some dried shrimps at home (from Kuala Kurau), hence I chose 3 pieces of medium yam, for Steamed Yam Cake. At the same store, I picked some water chestnut to add different texture to the cake. Am going to make extra this round. At home, we take yam cake as a meal, both the old and young enjoy it so much!
Ingredients I used:

• 300g - 400g Yam (peeled, diced)


• 50g Dried Shrimp (soaked, blended)


• 10 Water Chestnut (peeled, diced)


• ~40g Shallot (chopped)


• ~20g Garlic (chopped)


• 1/2 cup Cooking Oil

Batter:

• 300g Rice Flour


• 50g Tapioca Flour


• 1Tbsp Wheat Starch


• 1Lit Water

Seasoning:

• 2tsp Salt


• 1Tbsp Sesame Oil


• 1tsp pepper


• 1/2tsp Five Spice Powder

For decoration:

• 80g Fried dried Shrimp (soaked, blended)


• some Fried Shallot Flakes


• some Spring Onion (finely cut)


• some Red Chilli (thinly sliced)

Method I used:

1. Combine batter ingredients, completely mixed well with water and strained.


2. Heat up oil to saute dried shrimps over medium high heat until fragrant.


3. Add shallot and garlic, stir-fry untill aromatic.


4. Add yam, water chestnut and seasoning, stir well.


5. Pour in batter, mix well. Stir over low heat until the mixture is thicker, remove from heat.


6. Transfer mixture into a greased 9 inches baking tin (square or round), level the surface.


7. Steam in a preheated steamer over high heat for 45 minutes. Remove from steamer. Leave to cool in the baking tin.


8. Cut into desire size. Serve hot or warm with topping.

Points to hightlight:

I must sprinkle lots of fried shallot flakes on top of cake. Always make extra, everyone in the family love the fried shallot.

Also, to complement the yam cake, eat with chilli sauce and sweet bean paste.