Purple Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Steamed Cake

I missed many baking/cooking events during my absence. One of them is masak bareng yuuk with ubi theme. I made this purple sweet potato cake with pumpkin layer on its top for that event but I didn't have time to post it. I am so sorry Masbar. Though that this cake was not a perfect succesful cake, I like the picture, so I kept post it, okey... 

As I said before, this cake had purple sweet potato on the bottom layer and pumpkin on the top one. The recipe stated that both ingredients have to be blended with 50 ml milk each. That made them, especially the pumpkin, watery. Then when they were incorporated in the cake batter, the batter became thin. I already hesitate when I saw it but the show must go on, right? So, I kept continue the process and ... this was it, a not really beautiful cake, dense though still tasted good. The second problem was my baking tin was too small. Only half of the pumpkin batter could fit in. That's why, the pumpkin layer was thinner than the purple sweet potato one. 

Perhaps then, I think that we have to see the quality of our sweet potato and pumpkin before adding the milk. We can just try to use a fork instead of a blender. If we get a perfect smooth mash, we can reduce or even omit the milk.

Ingredients: 

3 large eggs

150 gr caster sugar (I used only 100 gr)

pinch of salt

100 gr plain flour (I used rice flour)

1 tbs oil (or melted butter if you like)

200 gr mashed purple sweet potato

200 gr mashed pumpkin

100 ml milk

Direction:

Blend mashed sweet potato with 50 ml milk. Pour on a big bowl.
Blend mashed pumpkin with another 50 ml milk.Pour to another big bowl.
Prepare the steamer. Grease and line a baking tin with baking paper and grease again.
Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Off the mixer.
Add in the flour while sifting in 3 batches. Using a spatula, mix carefully until well blended.
Fold in the oil slowly until well blended
Divide the batter into 2, half to a bowl of sweet potato and half to the bowl of pumpkin. Fold slowly until well blended. 
Pour the sweet potato batter into the pan. Steam for 20 minutes. 
Remove the tin from steamer and pour the mashed pumpkin batter on top of it and steam again 35 minutes.
Enjoy!

Source: Tabloid Saji

Kue ku kentang labu kuning (Potato and pumpkin ku kuih)

This kue ku was the result of googling after I tried the kue ku labu kuning early this month. I found that it was so difficult to release the kue ku from the mold although that I already pour (more than dust ^^) the mold with flour. I must miss something. Because if it is that hard, then no one will want to make and sell kue ku, right?
I added potato and coconut milk to the dough, but still, no change (Unless that it surely became softer and tastier than before). It was still uneasy to knock it out the mold. Then, I greased the mold with oil. Voila! It worked! The kue ku fell to my palm with only one knock...Yes!!!  oil is, then, the answer.

Kue ku labu kuning (Pumpkin ku kuih)

Finally, I made kue ku (or ku kuih), a traditional kue in tortoise shell shape that made of glutinous rice flour and sweet mung bean paste filling. I already have the plastic kue ku mold for so long but never have time to use it because I do not have the food red colouring. After succesfully colouring the klepon labu kuning yellow with the pumpkin, thought in my mind to make yellow kue ku as well ...^^

Donat labu kuning (Pumpkin doughnut)

It was in the middle of a long holiday. My children seemed to start getting bored. All toys were played, all books were read. What else? They asked. How about cooking something? I suggested. A cake, bread, cookies, donuts, or something traditional?  I gave them options. Donuts! They shouted together. OK then, pumpkin donuts it was...

Ingredients:

5 tbs warm water

1/2 sachet instant yeast

1 egg yolk

150 gr pumpkin, steamed and mashed

2 tbs sugar

50 ml oil

200 gr bread flour

100 all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Methods:

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Leave for 10 minutes.

Place the yeast mixture, yolk, mashed pumpkin, sugar, oil and flour into the bread bucket of breadmachine. Select the dough menu and press start. After the ingredients come together add the salt. Wait until the machine beeps.

Remove the dough to a floured table top. Punch the dough. Roll it out. Use a donut cutter to cut it out into a ring shape. Place them on a floured baking tin. Cover and let them rise until they are doubled in size.

Fry on medium heat until golden brown. 

Bolu kukus tepung beras & labu kuning

I was feeling like fat-free baking last week. I googled for a cake recipe without butter, margarine or oil. Is there any? Yes it is, I found it in my kitchen notes, thanks ya mba yu....^^ Moreover, this cake is wheat free, egg free, and fat free. Can you believe that?

The original recipe:
by Farah Quinn via my kitchen notes

200 gr sugar

200 gr rice flour

2 tsp baking powder

250 ml water/milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

My variation:
As usual, the first thing I did is adjust the sweetness to my unsweet tooth. I reduced the amount of sugar to 150 gr. Then, I wanted to colour this cake naturally, that is why I blended 100 gr steamed pumpkin in the water required in this recipe, to add a hint of yellow, and also sprinkled choco rice to add brown spots on the cake. Last, because I run out of baking powder and based on my experience before that baking soda and lime juice can help egg-free cake to rise highly, I substituted 1/2 tsp of baking powder for 1/2 tsp of baking soda and added 1 tsp of lime juice. 

150 gr sugar

200 gr rice flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

250 ml pumpkin juice (from 100 gr steamed pumpkin blended with 230 ml water)

1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla essence
chocolate rice for decoration

Methods:

Preheat the steamer. Line the bolu kukus mould or cupcake mould with cupcake liners.

Combine sugar, rice flour, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add the water. Mix well. Add the vanilla essence and lime juice. Mix well.

Spoon the batter 3/4 full into the mould. Sprinkle the chocolate rice.

Steam in the preheated steamer on high heat.

Enjoy!

My Notes
This bolu kukus is really a simple and easy cake to make. I used my mini bolu kukus mould, so the cakes were done long before the steaming time stated in the recipe (15 minutes). They could rise highly enough, nice and light . But the colour was not as yellow as I expected. Maybe I need more pumpkin next time (?). Because this is rice flour steamed cake, so the taste is very close to kue mangkok. The taste of pumpkin is almost undetectable.

Pumpkin cookies

Actually pumpkin cookie is very famous out there. One of my friends once said that it is a fall favourite cookie. But it is not in Indonesia. I never heard about it. That's why I just want to give it a try when I saw the recipe in femina website. Again, just as the story before, I had to omit the spices and substituted them for vanilla and flaxseed meal. I know people will say that it will be pretty plain without spices but my children love it that way. This cookie is soft, more like a cake than a cookie actually. But it is nice and my children like it.

Ingredients
110 gr unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
160 gr pumpkin, steamed and mashed
1 tbs egg yolk, lightly beaten
25gr fresh ginger, peeled and grated (skipped)

Dry ingredients, sift together:
200 gr all purpose flour
2 tbs flaxseed, ground (optional)
50 gr milk powder
25 gr caster sugar
1/2 tbs chilli powder (skipped)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Methods
Preheat the oven 130C. Grease the baking sheets.
In a big bowl combine butter and dry ingredients. Mix using a pastry knife or fork until resembles breadcrumbs.
Add mashed pumpkin and ginger. Mix well. Add the egg yolk. Mix until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough between 2 sheets of plastic. Roll it out.
Cut it using a cookie cutter you like. Transfer the cookies on the baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk.
Bake until golden brown.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Source: femina

Roti Labu Kuning (Pumpkin yeast bread)

I don't know why I wake up in the middle of the last night. I didn't remember I got a bad dream or something. Everything was ok, my husband and children were sleeping soundly.
When I opened the fridge, I found a cup of steamed pumpkin. Aha, let's make something to kill the time. Hmmm, pumpkin yeast bread sounds good. I used the recipe for a banana yeast bread from tabloid saji and I substituted the bananas for pumpkin. 

For bread
100 ml cold water
1 egg
50 gr margarine
175 gr pumpkin, steamed and mashed
1 tsp salt
50 gr sugar
20 gr milk powder
400 gr bread flour
100 gr all purpose flour
1  3/4 tsp instant yeast
egg yolk for brushing

Here I used a breadmachine, place the ingredients in the above order into the bread bucket of the breadmachine. Select the dough menu and press start. Watch the dough, add some more flour if the dough is too wet. Close the lid of the breadmachine and wait until the machine beeps.

For chocolate filling
20 gr cocoa powder
225 ml milk
125 gr sugar
40 gr maizena
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk

Cook all ingredients except egg yolk. Stir continuously until it thickens and bubbling. Turn off the stove. Add the yolk. Stir quickly. Turn on the stove again. Stir until it bubbling. Remove and let it cool.

For pineapple filling
See the recipe and instructions for pineapple filling in here

• When the machine beeps remove the dough to a floured table top. Punch the dough. Cut to divide the dough, 35 gr each. We will get 25 equal portions and 1 portion 25 gr. I divided the 25 gr portion into 5 for the rope in pineapple bread. Place them on a greased baking pan. Cover with a tea towel.
• For pineapple bread: Take 1 piece of dough, roll it into a ball shape. Flatten it. Put the filling in the centre.  Roll it up around the filling. Take the 5 gr dough, roll it out into a rope shape, place aroung the bread and pinch the end together. Place on the tin again, cover and let rise until doubled in size. Brush with yolk.
• For choco bread: Take 1 piece of dough, roll it into a ball shape. Flatten it. Put the filling in the centre. Roll it up again. Flatten it. Make some incisions around. Twist the incisions and press it a bit with your thumb. Place on the tin again, cover and let rise until doubled in size. Brush with yolk.
• Bake until golden brown.

Source: Tabloid saji

(Unspicy) Pumpkin flaxseed bread

We can say that pumpkin bread is many people's favourite. We can easily find the recipes in books, magazines and internet. It is easy to make, moist, sweet and full of flavour. 
The first time I baked this bread, I put many spices in it, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Hmmm, the aroma filled my home. It was this aroma that make people fall in love with this  bread. When I put that bread on the table, my children came and gathered around waiting for me to cut it. After the first bite, they put back the bread on the plate. Ha??? What happened? Then, I got the answer. Unlike most other people, my children did not like the aroma of the spices. 

That fact did not stop me baking again this beautiful bread. This time I skipped all the spices. I added a bit of vanilla and flaxseed ground for the flavour. It was still delicious. My children eat it without any complaints... ^^...

Ingredients
200 gr all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
200 gr sugar (I used 100 gr palm suiker/gula palem/gula semut)
240 ml pumpkin, steamed and mashed
120 ml olive oil (I used corn oil)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
60 ml water
1/2 tsp nutmeg (skipped)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (skipped)
1/2 tsp allspice (skipped)
1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnut (skipped)
I added 1/2 tsp vanilla
I added 2 tbs ground flaxseed

Methods

• Preheat oven 180C. Sift flour, salt, soda. Add sugar and flaxseed. Stir to combine.
• Mix together pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices (if using). Then, combine with dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Stir in the nut (if using).
• Pour into well-buttered loaf pan. Bake until done.

Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin_bread/

Klepon labu kuning

It is always fun to eat klepon. Just remember to close your mouth tightly, and feel the sweet palm sugar burst inside it....

Ingredients
150 gr pumpkin, steamed and mashed
120 gr glutinous rice flour
30 gr tapioca flour
Salt
Vanilla
palm sugar, finely chopped, for filling
Freshly grated coconut, mix with salt, for coating

Methods

• In a bowl, combine mashed pumpkin, flour, salt and vanilla. Using your hand mix well and bring them all together to form a soft dough that does not stick to your finger. Add some more flour if the dough is too sticky. Take a small portion of dough, shape it into a ball. Flatten it, put enough palm sugar in the centre. Gather the dough around so that the filling is covered. Roll it again in your palm to form a perfect ball shape. Repeat for all the dough.
• Heat enough water in a pan until it start to boil. Drop the klepon in it. Boil until they float to the surface. Let it cook for 1 - 2 more minutes until well done. Remove them with a slotted spoon, drain well, and roll them in coconut.
• Enjoy!

Eggless pumpkin chocolate cake

This cake had the same story with the one before. It was the result of my experiment of adding 'something' in a chocolate cake. This time that 'thing' is pumpkin.

Ingredients
I used the same recipe as the cake before, only that I used mashed pumpkin instead of banana. And I did not forget the baking powder and baking soda this time...^^...

160 gr flour 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
65 gr cocoa powder 
50 gr palm suiker (gula semut) 
2 tbs milk powder
1/2 tsp salt
100 ml water
1 tsp vanilla essense
50 ml corn oil
1 cup (240 ml) mashed pumpkin 

Methods:

• Preheat the oven (160C). Butter a baking pan (I used 30 X 10 cm) and dust with a little flour.
• In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Add sugar, milk powder and salt. Mix well.
• Pour the mashed pumpkin, water, oil, and vanilla. Mix until just combined using a ballon whisk. Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle with almond slices.
• Bake until done.

My Notes

This cake turned out so beautiful. The texture was fluffy and moist, I could hardly believe it was eggless and had pumpkin inside it. The colour is less dark than before because I omitted the chocolate paste, but the taste was still chocolatey. The taste of the pumpkin was completely undetectable, my children gobbled it up without knowing that there was pumpkin in it...The sweetness is so mild, I didn't mind with it but 1 or 2 tbs more sugar would be nicer.