Easiest Rice Cooker Sponge Cake

Did you know you can use your rice cooker to make an easy and delicious cake? Yes, indeed! Summer-perfect as there's no oven baking involved!

We are on holiday in England at the moment. However, there's no need to fear as we still have some delicious recipes for you all to try. For this post, Claire and from SumoChef has kindly guest-posted for us and has shared her amazing and yummy looking Rice Cooker Sponge Cake. Yes, you read it right, cake made in the rice cooker!! Intrigued? Read on.

Banana Upside Down Cake

I love upside down cake! Not only is it easy to make it is quite versatile, too as you can choose the topping you want. I have done one with berries, mangoes, kiwi and this time I thought why not one with Bananas. After all, my entire family loves bananas and especially when I use them for cake! So, it was an easy decision to use bananas for this delicious and moist upside down cake!

Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pound Cake

Chocolate Chips and Ricotta Cheese lend a lot of flavor to this moist and delicious pound cake. Perfect with coffee or a cup of tea and certainly as dessert served with  fruit or whipped cream!

I just love it when things turn out well in the end! That is what happened to this yummy pound cake which came together on a whim. We usually have a fellowship meal at our church every 3rd Sunday of the month. Each family are encouraged to bring a main dish and either an appetizer or a dessert to go with it. Guess what combo I would often choose? One with the sweets of course!

Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake

Bursting with juicy blueberries, this moist and delicious Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake is summer's perfect cake!

I love summer season and because I was born in South East Asia where it's pretty much summer the whole year through, that is perfectly understandable. What makes summer special for me and my family is the abundance of delicious fruits that can be enjoyed in their freshest state. Certainly, one of our favorite summer fruits is the Blueberry. I resolve to myself that I will try at least one blueberry recipe once a year and enjoy these fruits while at their peak. For this season, I made some blueberry pound cake enhanced with flavors of ricotta cheese and tangy lemons. The result is indeed delicious and my kids and their friends truly loved it!

Pineapple Banana Coffee Cake

Bursting with tropical flavors from bananas and pineapples this cake is delicious and super moist! Perfect with your coffee or tea.

Sometimes I buy extra bananas just so I can make Banana cakes. I really love anything with bananas! While oftentimes there aren't enough left-over Bananas to use for baking as the kids would have helped themselves to them, especially my little girl, this week it was a different story. Perhaps because they didn't notice a bunch of bananas sitting on the counter top, which I doubt, or perhaps there was another fruit that captured their attention more. I think it was the latter.

No Bake White Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake

The answer to all your chocolate and blueberry cravings! Just 30 minutes 

to make and best of all no baking involved. Gluten-free option is provided, too.

I have been wondering what to add as my new post for this week. I have been a bit behind this month as there were so many things going on and this week is winter break for us so I thought I may not even be able to do any new post at all. Thankfully, I have quite a few recipes on draft form that I can pull out in emergency cases although some of them are just that - recipes and no accompanying photos.

White Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake

The holidays are over! I feel quite sad as Christmas season is my favorite time of the year. Alas, it seems forever until the next one. Sigh. Thankfully, I still had some remnants of the holidays. A pack of cranberries, half a pack of white chocolate chips and a holiday bundt pan which went on sale so I had no choice but to buy it! That was my excuse anyway. So what does a girl do with these? Naturally, I thought about cake - a delicious sweet treat that I can enjoy with coffee.

Cranberry Eggnog Espresso Chocolate Chip Cake

This is my 13th cranberry recipe in the blog, can you believe it? I only realized that when I counted yesterday. That really shows how much we love cranberries in this family. It's such a great ingredient to use whether for a savory or sweet dish as it imparts a tangy and fresh taste that contrasts, enhances or compliments other flavors. Of course, it is a natural holiday favorite too because of its vibrant red color which makes anything you add it to look festive and gorgeous.

Yummy Blueberry Cheesecake

Delectable blueberry cheesecake.....for me there isn't a more satisfying dessert than a sumptuous slice of cheesecake. My whole family loves cheesecake so I have made different varieties through the years - from no bake, to plain, white chocolate, dark chocolate, with green tea, one with nutella, etc - you name it. While I haven't totally exhausted all kinds of cheesecake - we are always willing to try something new.

Scrumptious Butter Cake

I usually have a few posts waiting to be published. I like to prepare ahead, when I can, so I don't panic when it's time to post a new recipe. Since we are off to Europe in less than 2 weeks I thought it's time to share this delicious and moist Butter Cake of German origin since we will be visiting Germany as part of our trip and it may help me get me into the mood. Truth is, I am panicking rather than feeling excited because there's still so much to do before we go but am also hopeful things will all get done on time! We shall see!!!

Lazy Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Tomorrow we will have fellowship dinner at church. Apart from a main dish and salad, I included some dessert as well as part of my family's pot luck contribution. Early in the week, I decided to look for a dessert that can be prepared at least a day ahead which does not require much fuss yet still has that palate-pleasing factor.

Upon touchdown at Ninoy Aquino International Airport whenever I return home to Manila, there is one dessert I instantly dream of and crave - CASSAVA CAKE. With a soft and spongy texture, flavored with coconut and condensed milk and then topped with a creamy custard sauce - my taste buds instantly dance with joy with each bite of this favorite Filipino delicacy. Go to any mall or market anywhere in the Philippines and you're sure to find cassava cake being offered on sale. We just love this delicious dessert so much!

Cassava, also known as manioc, Brazilian arrowroot, tapioca and often referred to as yucca (though they're not really the same), is a starchy tuberous root of a tree that grows abundantly in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa and South America. It is in fact a staple much like corn and rice in certain countries. This is what a cassava looks like. You can find these already frozen and grated at many Asian stores so it's very accessible now.  And certainly in the Philippines, you can find the tree all over the place.

Photo credit goes to Amada44 who contributed this photo to Wikipedia.

While there are many uses for cassava the ultimate favorite would be the Cassava Cake. I've had quite a few slices of this delectable treat in the Philippines when I returned home recently and now I miss it so much. Thankfully, a Filipina friend of mine invited me grocery shopping to a huge Asian store in Hartford last week and I was able to grab a packet of this frozen cassava. It was time to make my own version of this yummy cake so I can literally have my cake and eat it, too! ;)

For this version, I added a little ground cardamon which you probably won't find in any other usual cassava cake recipe but I thought it might work and wow it did! Ever so subtle is the taste but you can tell that a tiny amount of cardamom gives this cake an extra layer of yum. I know it for sure because hubby who normally is not into our puddings and homemade delicacies loved it a lot. And then I gave some of this to my Filipino friends to sample and they called me the next day to say that they really enjoyed this cassava cake. So now this version is fully tried and tested and given the seal of approval. But if you can't find cardamom, don't worry it will still come out yummy because the added creamy vanilla custard topping also gives this cake a lot of flavor. Instead of the usual plain condensed milk on top which I used to make for this cake I thought, I'll improvise and add a thin layer of custard (inspired by our leche flan) on top and then sprinkle some brown sugar to really bring it over the top. So next time you go to an Asian store, grab a packet or 2 of grated cassava (if frozen, simply thaw before using) and make  this! Enjoy!

Cassava Cake with Creamy Custard Topping

By: Manila Spoon
May 9, 2015



With a soft and spongy texture, flavored with coconut and condensed milk and then topped with a creamy vanilla custard sauce - your taste buds will dance with joy with each bite of this favorite Filipino delicacy.

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing the pan
• 1 lb grated Cassava (if frozen, thaw first)
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed Milk
• 1 14 oz can Coconut Milk
• 2 large Eggs
• 1/4 - 1/8 teaspoon ground Cardamom (optional but highly recommended)

For the Custard Topping 


• 1/2 a 14 oz can of condense milk
• 1/4 cup Half-n-half (Single Cream)
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-2 Tablespoons brown Sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish (9x9 or an 8x11).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the grated cassava, condensed milk, coconut milk, eggs, and ground cardamom (if using) until well-mixed. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 minutes or until almost fully set. Remove from the oven and pour the custard sauce on top tilting the pan gently to ensure that the sauce has spread evenly. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the custard has set.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and set the oven to broil. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes or until the top is nicely golden and caramelized or use a flame torch to achive the same result.
5. Cool completely before slicing. I promise this is a slice of heaven!

Yield: 12-16 slices
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

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Chocolate Orange Swirled Cake

We always look forward to the weekend, who doesn't you may ask? Well, we have a particularly good reason for this. Usually throughout the week we hold back from sweets (ok, I must admit we occasionally fail!). The reason is that in the Philippines I grew up having sweets or special treats only during weekends, specially on Sunday after lunch. Even a bottle of Coke (which was considered dessert as it was sweet) was only allowed during weekends. Naturally, I just adapted it for our home. Since I am the cook in the house that has been the unwritten rule.

Green Tea Yogurt Cake

*These products were given to us free to sample as members of the Chobani Parents Club. All opinions are my own.

En route to Manila last year to visit my family in the Philippines, I had a lay-over in Tokyo. My flight was delayed so I had to stay in the airport for a few hours. I wasn't really distressed at all because I actually like the Tokyo airport (though I admit I prayed that I would still make my connecting flight to Guam - yup, it's a cheaper ticket so that means I have to go around the world before I reach my final destination). We've been to the airport several times already so it was familiar to me and I knew I could do a little shopping while there.

Triple Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

I was looking at the file photos of my unpublished recipes and lo and behold I found a few digital copies of this chocolate cake. I was surprised that I haven't shared this yet after nearly a year of making this. I recall baking this for a kind friend and neighbor who helped us paint our house last year before we moved to Connecticut. I made him chocolate cake whenever he was over at our place because I know that it is his favorite dessert.

Best Banana Pecan Cake

I love baking with Bananas. The fact that I have many recipes here that use bananas is proof of how much I love this amazing fruit. It just adds so much flavor and moisture to any baked good. I love seeing the brown speckles in a banana bread. I often buy bananas just so I can make banana bread! Yes, I am truly bananas over bananas!

Blueberry Pecan Coffee Cake

I got so excited the other day when I saw some Michigan Blueberries being sold at a nearby deli shop. It was a little more expensive than when you buy it in Holland (my former Michigan hometown) but I was desperately missing these yummy berries, I thought I'd indulge. Oh, they were so juicy and sweet! It's a shame that we were not able to go blueberry picking before we left for Connecticut. I heard that there are also some farms here where you can pick some berries but somebody told me it's so much cheaper to buy them from Aldi's instead of going through all the trouble of picking them yourself. Thankfully, Michigan blueberries were also on sale at Aldi's (and same price as the ones in MI) so I got myelf what is the equivalent of at least 2 buckets - perhaps even 3 so now I have some blueberries to enjoy for fall and winter!

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

We love sweets in our family! Too much, I think!!! And if there is one dessert that we all can agree on - it's got to be cheesecake - it's pretty obvious as I now have about 4 cheesecake versions on this blog and yes, there'll be more to come. We simply cannot resist the creamy, sweet and rich nature of this delectable dessert! It's especially better when mixed in with some chocolate, right?

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Love cranberries! So glad to make anything with them 'cause I love the freshness and tartness that they impart to any dish that you use them in. Great to discover as well that you can make them into an upside down cake....wonderful... now my favorite upside down cake. The pineapple has truly met its match! Enjoy this beautiful and delicious cake that's wonderful as a dessert dish for the holidays!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspooon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoon butter and 1 stick butter (room temp)
6 Tablespoons sugar plus extra 1/2 cup sugar (separate each sugar)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 1/3 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole or 2 % milk



Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Grease a round cake pan with a little oil or use a non-stick spray. Set it aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set it aside.

Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and sugar on medium heat in a small saucepan. Continue to stir until the mixture comes to the boil. Pour this evenly over the bottom of the cake pan and and top with the cranberries, smoothing the layer and pressing it down gently with your fingertips.  Sprinkle the nuts. Distribute them evenly. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer beat the remaining stick of butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Pour in the vanilla extract and then add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Mix in the milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients. Batter will be thick.

Spoon the batter over the cranberries and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. I did not use a baking sheet but found out later that the cranberry sauce bubbled over. Perhaps next time, I will place the round pan onto a sheet before baking.

Bake in a preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let the cake cool down for about 15-20 minutes before you remove them from the pan. Run a blunt knife between the sides of the pan and the cake. Carefully turn the cake out onto a serving platter. If any of the berries stick to the pan - as they might - just scrape them off with a knife and return them to the cake.

This reminds me of a cobbler and so like a cobbler this is perfect with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream! Better if serve warm or at least room temp and on the day it is made.

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This recipe was adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Cranberry Upside Down Cake.

Banana Eggnog and Chocolate Loaf Cake

For us the holidays are not complete without Eggnog. I have never had this drink until I came to the US and immediately fell-in-love with it. I feel like I am drinking custard sauce when I have it and that's why I love it. And yes, I have even used it as custard on cakes and definitely as creamer on my coffee. Even though I have had it for years, I have never attempted cooking or baking with it. I thought 2013 would be the year to make something with eggnog. I didn't have to think hard as to what I wanted to use it for. I already planned to use up some browned spotty bananas for a cake and decided to add some eggnog to the mix. The eggnog taste is quite subtle on the batter itself  hence I decided to add some eggnog glaze. Of course to make it even more scrumptious, I threw in some choco chips! Anything is good with chocolate, right?