Green Tea Pound Cake

Tried a new green tea pound cake recipe from:

http://milkandhoneycafe.blogspot.com/2009/07/its-not-easy-being-sweet.html

INGREDIENTS

2 cups bleached all-purpose four
2 tablespoons Matcha green tea
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
5 large eggs, separated
Pinch of salt 

DIRECTIONS

1. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and line with buttered parchment or wax paper—cut to fit. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 325F. Combine the flour, green tea and baking powder and stir well to mix.
2. Cream butter and confectioners sugar in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment and beat for about 3 minutes or until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl and beater occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour mixture by hand, with a rubber spatula.
3. Pour the egg whites and salt into a clean, dry mixer bowl. Place on mixer with whisk attachment and whip whites on medium speed until white and opaque and just beginning to hold their shape. Increase speed slightly and continue whipping egg whites until they hold a soft peak.
4. Remove bowl from mixer and quickly scrape whites from bowl onto batter in other bowl. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the batter, folding just until no streaks of white remain.
5. Scrape the batter into prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake the cakes for about 45 minutes (35-40 minutes for mini loaf pans) or until it is well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges dry. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then un-mold and cool it completely.

As mentioned, the pound cake is not overly sweet, which is great! But it didn't stay soft for long. Maybe I added some cooking time because the center was not cooked after 45 mins and I baked it for 20 mins more.

It got a bit dry after cooled so I ate with some whipped cream and fruits.

Butter Cake

Finally got myself a kitchen scale! Tried the very popular Mrs. Ng SK butter cake recipe and I love it!

Recipe is from:

http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/2015/08/ng-sk-butter-cake/

Ingredients

1. 230g Salted Butter, room temperature
2. 4 egg yolks
3. 150g caster sugar
4. 200g self-raising flour, sifted
5. 60ml fresh milk
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 4 egg whites
8. 50g caster sugar

I had everything except for the self-raising flour. So, I improvised by combining 1 cup plain flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt (source: same website).

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar (150g) until it turns light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Be patient and let the machine do its work!
2. Add the egg yolks, one a time and beat it in before adding the next.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract. Fold in half the flour.
4. Add the milk and mix. Add the remaining flour and fold until just incorporated.
5. Scrape the bowl and give the batter one final mix. Set this aside.
6. In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until it turns foamy. Slowly and gradually, add the sugar (50g), whisking all the while. Whisk this until stiff peaks form.
7. Transfer 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolk batter. Beat this in.
8. Gently fold the remaining egg whites in 2 batches until all the egg whites have been incorporated.
9. Pour this into a lined and greased 8×8-inch baking pan.
10. Bake at 170°C for 45 minutes.
11. When the cake is done (insert a skewer it the cake and if it emerges cleanly it is done), let the cake rest for 5 minutes in the pan before carefully transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Cut into slices and enjoy!!

The look turned out as expected but it was a bit too sweet for my taste. Will definitely reduce sugar the next time I make it.