The Bake Bug Bites…Gula Melaka Cupcake

Honestly speaking, I don’t really enjoy baking.

Why? Because baking requires too much discipline and precision: ingredients and measurements need to be followed to the T; baking times and processes stringently kept to. It’s simply not me.

Yet, I love cakes and pastries; and am terrified that one day some of these recipes would be lost forever. So, true to my ‘kiasu’ nature, I’ve always tried to collect recipes that I love, and learn at least some basic baking skills in case I ever needed them in the future. Over the years my collection of recipes has grown to hundreds, and they all hide somewhere among my bookshelves.

When the bake bug bites on a rare occasion like this, I’d still rather create something according to whim and fancy, than raid my horde of recipes. So here goes…and I hope you like it!

Gula Melaka Cupcake with Grated Coconut Icing

Butter                         115 g

Gula Melaka             150 g

Caster sugar             50 g

Eggs                             2 large

AP flour                      190 g

Baking powder         8 g

Coconut milk             100 ml

Pandan juice              20 ml

Grated coconut         200 g, mixed with 3 tbsp of pandan juice

Frosting

Butter                           75 g

Salt                                ¼ tsp

Icing sugar                  440 g

Coconut milk             3 tbsp

Pandan juice             1 tbsp

Method:

1.     Preheat oven at 175°C.

2.     Cream butter and sugar for 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat for another 5 minutes.

3.     Add AP flour and baking powder and mix well, about 8 minutes.

4.     Add coconut milk and pandan juice and mix until the batter is smooth.

5.     Divide the mixture into 8 cupcake moulds and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

6.     Cool the cakes before applying the frosting. Decorate with grated coconut.

Frosting:

7.     Cream butter and salt until light and fluffy.

8.     Add icing sugar gradually, beating well at each addition.

9.     Add coconut milk and pandan juice and beat until spreading consistency is reached.

Note: Steam grated coconut for 5 minutes. Let it cool. This will prevent the grated coconut from turning bad easily.