蜂蜜蛋糕 Japanese Honey Cake

Some call it castella (カステラ.) But it seems that the original castella contains no honey. It's a kind of sponge cake made from eggs, flour, sugar, and syrup.

Whatever, we like honey cake. This homemade honey cake is made without emulsifier (sponge cake stabilizer.) I'm not in the mood to learn whether emulsifier is good for health or not. Just simply believe that the more natural it is, the better.

有些人說這種蛋糕是「卡斯特拉」（カステラ），但有些資料指出最原始的卡斯特拉蛋糕並沒有蜂蜜，長崎蛋糕也是來到台灣才變成蜂蜜蛋糕；原本的卡斯特拉蛋糕是用蛋、麵粉、糖、糖漿做成的海綿蛋糕。

不管怎樣，我們都喜歡蜂蜜蛋糕。這條自製的蜂蜜蛋糕不加 SP（乳化劑），我不想深入研究 SP到底對健康好不好，只是單純的覺得愈天然的食物應該愈好。

I tried once making delicate version of this cake in a soy milk carton. It is edible but not beautiful. This time I made a box from a small shipping box, just as the recipe calls for. And made this ordinary version. Our home was filled with aroma of honey when baking. (The original honey cake is baked in a wooden box to slow the heat conduction.)

This cake uses bread flour instead of cake flour, for its unique taste. It's dense but soft and moist. A little bit chewy. 

And slicing it is not easy. Some say that it's better done with a damp knife, some say better not use a bread knife, and some say you should wipe the knife clean after each cut. In my case, I wiped the bread knife clean after each cut (and this made the knife damp,) and found it better with a little sawing motion.

之前我用豆漿盒試做過一次超細緻蜂蜜蛋糕，成果吃起來還不錯，但很醜。這次我用小紙箱做了一個 Carol的原食譜裡面所教的方形紙盒模子，做了這個一般版本的蜂蜜蛋糕。在烘烤的時候家裡充滿了蜂蜜的香氣。（正規做法上蜂蜜蛋糕要用木箱烘烤，以減慢熱的傳導速度。）

蜂蜜蛋糕很特別的是它用高筋麵粉，不是一般蛋糕用的低筋麵粉，就是為了那紮實有彈性、但又柔軟濕潤的特殊口感。

烤好放涼之後的切片並不是很容易，Carol老師說刀子要沾濕，周老師說不要用鋸齒麵包刀、每切完一刀都要把刀子擦乾淨。我最後是用麵包刀，每切一刀就擦乾淨，擦過的刀子也略沾了水氣，用一點前後鋸的動作會切得比較漂亮。

Original recipe: Carol Easy Life (in Chinese)

原始食譜：Carol自在生活

Japanese Honey Cake (20x20x8 cm box, lined with 2 layers of foil)

Ingredients:

• eggs 6, at room temperature
• sugar 150 g
• milk, 2 tablespoons, warm at 105F
• honey 60 g
• bread flour 150 g (can be substituted with all-purpose flour)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 340F. Prepare a pot which is bigger than mixing bowl with water heated to 120F.
2. Mix honey with warm milk. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs with sugar on high in a mixing bowl put in the warm water until the mixture reach 105F.
4. Keep beating on high until it starts to thicken. Gradually add 1/3 of honey milk, beat to combine. Repeat until all the honey milk is added.
5. Beat on high until the batter ribbons. Sift 1/2 of the flour into the batter. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Sift in the other 1/2 of flour and beat on low for 30 seconds to well combine.
6. Pour batter from a higher position to reduce big bubbles. When all the batter is poured in, use a chopstick or skewer to carefully run through the batter in a manner like writing letter S endlessly. Do it twice lengthwise and widthwise to even small bubbles.
7. Bake on middle-lower rack in the oven at 340F for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 305F and bake for another 45-50 minutes.
8. Cover the cake with high-temperature safe wrap or parchment paper, then invert the cake. Take the box off, leave the foil with inverted cake to completely cool before turning it back and slicing.
9. When the cake is completely cool, put it in an air-tight bag or container. It will tastes much better overnight!

Even small bubbles. | 讓麵糊中的汽泡平均。

It was supped to reach the rim. | 蛋糕應該是要膨脹到跟烤模齊高的。

Inverted to cool. | 倒置放涼

Peel off the foil. | 撕開鋁箔紙。

This is my delicate version. | 第一次做的超細緻版本。

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全麥鮮奶饅頭 Whole Wheat Milk Steamed Bread

In most traditional Chinese Kitchen there's no oven. Instead of baking, people steam bread.

This summer we were in Taiwan with our family. I had this baking and kneading craving and found that baked bread and these steamed bread are basically very alike in ingredients. So I gave it a try for the first time in my life, I made some sweet potato steamed bread.

And here I made the 2nd and the 3rd batches. The 2nd was a failure, my bread was under steamed. I should have begun the timer from boiling, not from turning on the burner.

I made adjustments from Carol's recipes. Also I didn't use a sponge starter. This time my result is just okay. It is delicious but hope someday I could make shiny, smooth steamed bread.

在大部份的傳統中式廚房裡沒有大烤箱，但通常都會有蒸籠。

夏天在台灣的時候，家裡沒有大烤箱，但我還是很想揉麵團做些什麼，於是發現其實麵包和饅頭的成分很像。然後就做了生平第一批饅頭，地瓜饅頭。

最近我做了第二次、第三次，第二次沒有成功，饅頭沒熟而塌陷，我應該要等水滾才開始計時。

這是由 Carol的食譜修改的，我也沒有用老麵或中種，而是直接製作。這次的成果還算可以，饅頭的味道是好吃的，但希望來日我可以做出光滑閃亮的饅頭呀！

Whole Wheat Milk Steamed Bread (8-9 pieces.)

Ingredients:

• milk 220 ml, warm, about 110F
• active dry yeast 1 1/4 teaspoons
• sugar 20 g
• salt slightly more than 1/4 t
• all-purpose flour 240 g
• whole wheat flour 120 g

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk and let it sit for a few minutes.
2. Add in all other ingredients and mix to form a dough. Knead until smooth.
3. Cover and let it rise for 2 hours.
4. Punch down. Roll out into a rectangular, about 1/8 inch thick.
5. Roll up the dough tightly lengthwise. Cut of each end and cut the rest into 3 1/8 inches chunks using a sharp knife.
6. Put each dough on small pieces of parchment paper. Put dough in the steamer properly spaced. (If using a metal steamer, line it with cheesecloth so the bread won't get soaked. Here I used my baby's muslin cotton handkerchieves.)
7. Heat the water until warm and turn off the burner. Leave the dough on top of it, cover with lid and let it rise for about 40 minutes. (I switched the tiers halfway for even rising.)
8. When the dough is ready (looks puffy and very soft, ) heat on medium. When the water boils, time for 15 minutes. (If heat on high, the bread will wrinkle more.)
9. Tilt the lid a little in the last 5 minutes. When time is up, tilt each tier slightly to leave small gaps, and turn off the burner. Leave the steamer like this for about 10 minutes.
10. Remove the steamer from steamer bottom pot. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes before slowly open the lid. (By doing so, we can prevent the steamed bread from wrinkling due to dramatic temperature changes.)

全麥鮮奶饅頭（8到9個）

材料：

• 鮮奶 220 ml, 加熱到溫溫的大約 40度C
• 乾酵母粉 1 1/4 小匙
• 砂糖 20 克
• 鹽 比 1/4 小匙略多一點點
• 中筋麵粉 240 克
• 全麥麵粉 120 克

做法：

1. 將酵母溶解在溫牛奶中，靜置幾分鐘。
2. 加入其他所有材料攪拌成團，搓揉到光滑。
3. 加蓋靜置 2小時發酵。
4. 將發酵後的麵團刮出，輕壓排氣，擀成薄薄的長方形。
5. 由長邊緊密捲起，將兩端不整齊的地方切掉，其他的切成 8公分段。
6. 每個麵團底下墊烘焙紙，間隔適當放入蒸籠。（如果用金屬蒸籠，最好鋪上一層布以免饅頭被浸濕。我用兒子的紗布巾。）
7. 蒸鍋裡的水加熱到溫溫的，蒸籠放上去加蓋發酵約 40分鐘。（我中途有上下調換兩層蒸籠。）
8. 饅頭二次發酵好了之後（很蓬鬆柔軟的樣子），開火以中大火加熱，水滾後計時 15分鐘。（我家的是線圈電爐，火力比較弱所以用中大火，一般瓦斯爐用中火。）（下次應該要試試看用中小火蒸，根據周老師實驗小火比較不會皺。）
9. 最後 5分鐘將蓋子打開一個縫，時間到關火，每層蒸籠都稍稍傾斜留下小縫，放 10分鐘左右。
10. 將蒸籠整個移開蒸鍋，靜置 3-5分鐘再慢慢開蓋（冷熱急劇變化之下，饅頭會皺皮。）

Before 1st rise. | 一次發酵之前。

Roll out the dough. | 耐心慢慢擀開。

Roll it up tightly. | 緊密捲起。

Cut into chunks. | 切成段。

Before 2nd rise. | 二次發酵前。

After 2nd rise. | 二次發酵後。

They taste nice. But could be more beautiful!
味道不錯，但還不夠美就是了。

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檸檬戚風蛋糕 與 奶油乳酪霜 Lemon Chiffon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's been a long time since I made chiffon cake last time. Looking at my big angel food cake pan in the cupboard, okay, let's make a chiffon cake for Thanksgiving potluck. 

Many say you can't bake a chiffon cake in a nonstick cake pan. But I find it no problem with my Norpro 9.5" nonstick angel food cake pan. I mean, yup, it sticks. After baking I'll have to soak it for a while then cleaning is a breeze.

When searching for recipes I found this page useful: Back to basics: How to make the perfect chiffon cake | Jo the tart queen. If you're new to making chiffon cake or just want to review it and remind yourself again, click on it.

距離上一次做戚風蛋糕已經好久了，看著櫃子裡大大的天使蛋糕模，這次感恩節聚會就來做個戚風蛋糕吧！

很多人說不能用防粘烤模做戚風蛋糕，但是我用我的 Norpro 9.5吋不沾蛋糕模沒有問題耶！每次烤完蛋糕之後我都要把它泡水一下，然後就很好清洗了，或許是它有些會粘黏的關係所以可以用來做戚風吧？

在找食譜的時候我發現了這個很棒的網頁，對於戚風蛋糕新手、或是想要複習一下重點的話很推薦點進去看看：Back to basics: How to make the perfect chiffon cake | Jo the tart queen （英文）

This recipe is a combination of what I found. I'm not sure what the cake size is in its original recipe. But it doesn't matter. If it's for a smaller cake, I'll have a shorter result. (And I did.) When I am unable to find answers to my questions for recipes quickly, I'll try it. Cooking and baking are like experiments. Kitchen is my laboratory.

This cake is not so sweet, and the frosting is on the cheesy side. We like it this way. Also I found it very soft and light, unlike the chiffon cakes I made before. Maybe it's because I used whole wheat pastry flour in the past and this time white flour?

這份食譜是根據我找到的好幾個結果綜合起來的。我不確定蛋糕體本身原本的食譜做出來是多大的尺寸，但無所謂，假如應該是個比較小的蛋糕，那我的蛋糕了不起就是比較矮一點（它的確比較矮。）當我無法輕易解開對於食譜的疑慮時，做做看就是了。烹飪和烘焙就像是做實驗一樣，廚房就是我的實驗室。

這個蛋糕不太甜，奶油乳酪霜也是屬於比較有乳酪味的那種（不甜），我們很喜歡這樣的味道。我還發現這個蛋糕比較鬆軟細緻，不像過去做的戚風蛋糕那樣有點粗粗的口感，不知道是不是因為以前我用全麥低筋麵粉的關係，而這次是用一般的白麵粉？

I glazed the cake with honey and topped with blueberries. My boy looooves blueberries!
我還淋上了一些蜂蜜，放一些藍莓。兒子好愛藍莓！

Lemon Chiffon Cake (my result is about 9.5"x3.5")

Ingredients:

Cake batter

• egg yolk 5
• sugar 20 g
• lemon zest 2 T
• water 50 ml
• canola oil 60 g
• lemon juice 2 T
• cake flour 90 g (all-purpose flour 78 g + cornstarch 12 g) sifted

Meringue

• sugar 90 g
• cornstarch 10 g
• egg white 5, at room temperature (I left the eggs for a day. Room temperature eggs whisk better.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 320F.
2. (Cake batter) Blend the lemon zest and sugar, rub them together with fingers until sugar is moist.
3. Add lemon sugar mixture into egg yolks. Beat until well combined.
4. Add in other ingredients and beat until smooth. Set aside.
5. (Meringue) Blend cornstarch and sugar, mix well.
6. Beat egg whites until soft peaks. Add half the sugar and cornstarch mixture, beat until well combined.
7. Add the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture. Beat on high until almost stiff peaks. (See the suggested link above, Jo the tart queen.)
8. Add 1/3 meringue to cake batter. Whisk gently to well combine them.
9. Pour cake batter into remaining meringue. Quickly but gently fold them together.
10. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake at 320F for 55 mins.
11. Invert the cake on a glass or bottle to cool completely before remove the cake from pan.

檸檬戚風蛋糕（我的烤出來是 9.5吋大小，厚度約 3.5吋）

材料：

蛋黃糊

• 蛋黃 5 個
• 砂糖 20 克
• 檸檬皮屑 2 大匙
• 水 50 ml
• 芥花油 60 克
• 檸檬汁 2 大匙
• 低筋麵粉 90 克（我用中筋麵粉 78 克 + 玉米澱粉 12 克）

蛋白霜

• 砂糖 90 克
• 玉米澱粉 10克
• 蛋白 5 個，室溫（我把蛋放在室溫中一天，室溫的蛋比較容易打發）

做法：

1. 烤箱預熱 320F/160C
2. （蛋黃糊）混合檸檬皮和砂糖，用手指輕輕搓揉直到感覺砂糖變得濕潤。
3. 將檸檬砂糖加入蛋黃中，攪打均勻。
4. 加入其它材料，混合均勻。備用。
5. （蛋白霜）玉米澱粉和砂糖混合均勻。
6. 將蛋白打到濕性發泡，加入一半的砂糖，攪打均勻。
7. 加入其他的砂糖，以高速打到很接近乾性發泡（詳情可見上面推薦的網頁連結 Jo the tart queen）
8. 將 1/3的蛋白霜加入蛋黃糊，輕輕拌勻。Add 1/3 meringue to cake batter. Whisk gently to well combine them.
9. 將蛋黃糊倒入其他的蛋白霜中，快速但輕巧的切拌混合均勻。
10. 蛋糕麵糊倒入烤模中，烘烤 55分鐘。
11. 出爐後連同烤模倒放在玻璃杯或酒瓶上放涼，完全涼了再脫模。

Use organic lemons. | 有機檸檬

Lemon sugar. It's so wonderful. Hope I can come up with other uses.
檸檬糖，香氣好棒。還能拿來做什麼呢？

Cake batter. Done. | 完成的蛋黃糊

Soft peaks. Keep beating! | 濕性發泡

Almost stiff peaks. Yay! Beautiful! | 接近乾性發泡了，可以停手了！

Mix 1/3 of meringue with cake batter. | 將 1/3的蛋白霜與蛋黃糊混合。

Then mix them all together. Do it gently. | 接著輕輕的將兩種蛋糊混合。

I let it cool on a also upside down glass. | 利用倒放的玻璃杯將蛋糕放涼。

Cream Cheese Frosting (1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• cream cheese 8 oz, softened at room temperature
• butter 1/2 stick (= 1/4 cup) softened at room temperature
• vanilla extract 1/2 t
• confectioner's sugar 1 cup (= 120 g) (powdered sugar)

Directions:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
2. Add vanilla, mix well.
3. Add powdered sugar, mix well.
4. Refrigerate leftover after use.

奶油乳酪霜（1 1/2杯）

材料：

• 奶油乳酪 8盎司（225 克左右），室溫軟化
• 無鹽奶油 1/2 條 （1/4 杯），室溫軟化
• 香草精 1/2 小匙
• 糖粉 1 杯（120 克）

做法：

1. 奶油乳酪和奶油攪打均勻。
2. 加入香草精拌勻。
3. 加入糖粉拌勻。
4. 沒用完的放冷藏保存，可以抹麵包。

While the cake is cooling, let's make the frosting.
在等待蛋糕放涼的同時可以製作奶油霜。

Quick and easy, it's done. | 快速又簡單，一下就做好了。

Cake released from pan... | 脫模後的蛋糕

Drizzle with honey. | 淋上一些蜂蜜

Unfinished cake can be stored like this, in a upside-down food container.
沒吃完的蛋糕可以用倒置的保鮮盒儲存。

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牛奶吐司 Milk Bread Loaf

Whole wheat is good for health, but sometimes I just want white bread. Like this milk bread.

Simplest food can be the most comforting.

I use half and half to make this loaf. I wasn't sure how much water content does half & half have. After reading some recipes and doing math, I guess it is 82-85% or so. Therefore 260 grams of half & half may sound much, but actually this bread has about 60% hydration. (Sandwich bread usually uses 57%-65% hydration.) Also half & half has a higher content of fat than milk, so I don't put much oil here.

全麥有益健康，但有時候就是想吃白麵包，像這條牛奶吐司。

最簡單的食物，可以是最療癒的。

我用一半牛奶、一半鮮奶油的 half and half來製作這條吐司。起初我並不確定 half and half的水分含量有多少，後來看了幾份食譜、做了一些試算之後，我想應該是 82%-85%的含水量吧。因此這裡用的 260克 half and half看似滿多的，其實這條麵包的配方含水量約 60%。（一般吐司麵包的含水量約是 57%-65%）而且 half and half的乳脂含量比牛奶還要高，所以配方中油脂的量也沒有特別增加。

It is soft and tasty. I sliced it after dinner and my husband protested because it smelt oh so good and he's so full. My little boy ate almost a slice, after dinner!

成果很香軟，晚餐後等到放涼了我舉刀切片，老公抗議說吃很飽了還要聞到這麼香的味道。兒子還吃掉了將近一片，在吃過晚餐的情況下。

Milk Bread Loaf (9x4x4 Pullman pan)

Ingredients:

• half & half 260 g
• active dry yeast 7 g (2 1/4 tsp)
• sugar 20 g
• salt 5 g
• olive oil 20 g
• all-purpose flour 370 g

Directions:

1. In a mug microwave half & half 240g to 110-115F, pour into mixing bowl. Dissolve yeast and sugar, and let it sit for a few minutes until foamy. Set remaining half & half 20g aside for later use.
2. Add salt, oil, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon.
3. When all the ingredients are well combined, gradually add remaining 20g of half & half. When all the liquid is absorbed and dough not so sticky anymore, turn it onto floured table to knead until smooth, soft, and elastic.
4. Slightly grease the container, put the dough in. Spray with some water. Put it into an oven which is preheated for 1 min. Let it rise for 1 hr. (I didn't cover it but put a mug of hot water next to it.)
5. Scrap the dough onto a floured surface. Punch down large bubbles. Cut into 2 pieces. Shape into balls. Cover and let them rest for 15 mins.
6. Roll each dough out, flip and roll up gently. Cover and let them rest for 15 mins.
7. Roll each dough out again, flip and roll up. Put it in a 9x4x4 pullman pan, seam side down. Put in a warm oven to rise, about 30-45 mins.
8. When the dough is just below the rim of pan, close the lid. Let it rise for 10 more mins or so while the oven is preheating.
9. Bake at 350F for 25 mins. Remove the lid and bake for 20 more mins. Let it cool on a rack before slicing or storing.

牛奶吐司（9x4x4吋帶蓋吐司）

材料：

• half & half 260 克（一半牛奶、一半鮮奶油）
• 乾酵母粉 7 克（2 1/4小匙）
• 砂糖 20 克
• 鹽 5 克
• 橄欖油 20 克
• 中筋麵粉 370 克

做法：

1. 用馬克杯秤量 240克的 half & half，微波加熱到 110-115F/43-46C，倒入攪拌用的大容器中。加入酵母和糖溶解，靜置幾分鐘到表面有細緻的泡沫狀。剩下 20克 half & half放一旁稍後使用。
2. 加入鹽、油、麵粉，用木匙攪拌成團。
3. 攪拌過程中分次逐漸加入剩下的 20克 half & half。液體都被麵團吸收、麵團也不再那麼濕黏之後，移到撒有薄薄麵粉的桌上搓揉翻折到光滑柔軟有彈性。
4. 將麵團放入塗有一點油的容器裡，噴點水，放入預熱一分鐘微溫的烤箱中發酵一小時。（因為是密閉空間所以我沒有加蓋，但是在旁邊放了杯熱水。）
5. 將麵團刮出到撒了麵粉的桌上，輕壓排氣。分成二等份滾圓，以濕布覆蓋休息 15分鐘。
6. 將麵團桿開、翻面、輕輕捲起，以濕布覆蓋休息 15分鐘。
7. 將麵團再次桿開、翻面、輕輕捲起，接縫朝下放入烤模中，放入微溫的烤箱第二次發酵 30-45分鐘。（根據廚房溫濕度不同，需要的時間可能不同。）
8. 麵團發到接近烤模高度時，輕輕蓋上蓋子。開始預熱烤箱，同時也讓麵團再發酵 10分鐘左右。
9. 以 350F/175C 帶蓋烤 25分鐘，時間到拿掉蓋子再烤 20分鐘。取出脫模置於架上放涼，完全涼了再切片或儲存。

When adding the liquid, it could be super sticky at first.
剛加入液體的時候，麵團會變得非常濕黏。

Keep kneading patiently. It can become a beautiful dough like this in just 2 mins.
繼續耐心的揉，僅僅 2分鐘之後就變成這麼光滑漂亮。

After 1st rise. | 一次發酵完成。

Close the lid when it's almost full. | 快滿的時候蓋上蓋子。

Usually I don't like to pre slice bread. But this time I just felt so good slicing...
通常我不喜歡一下子全切好，但這次切起來好過癮呀...

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