CNY Mandarin Orange Cake

Wow… it has been 3 months since I last baked! I am glad I managed to bake a cake with Mom and Xian on CNY Eve. We made mandarin orange cake. I adapted the basic butter cake recipe, added some orange juice and mandarin orange chunks. The texture of the cake is very fine but the mandarin orange chunks somehow melted, resulting a dense cake. The chunks turned bitter after baking. I am not sure why but I will not put orange chunks again into my orange cake in future.

Mandarin orange cake

The fine texture

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe

230g butter

200g sugar

4 eggs

230g self-raising flour

1 orange (extract the juice and grate the zest)

2 mandarin oranges (cut into chunks)

1 mandarin orange (peeled into segments and removed all seeds for top decoration)

Orange colouring (optional)

Toasted walnut (optinal)

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl at medium speed till fluffy.

2. At low speed, slowly pour the eggs into butter mixture in 3 separate additions till well-combined.

3. Add orange juice and zest (you can add a little orange colouring if you want).

4. Gradually fold in flour in 3 separate additions till well-mixed.

5. Stir in mandarin orange chunks.

6. Pour batter into a round baking tin and arrange orange segments and some toasted walnuts on the surface.

7. Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

8. Remove cake from oven and insert a skewer in the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, it means it is done.

Training – Week 2 & 3

It has been a long week for me. Sorry for the late update as I wasn’t back home for almost 2 weeks due to my working shifts. I was on morning shift last week (7 a.m till 3 p.m)at Main Kitchen. It was my first week there and I met with more chefs who are very nice and helpful. I learned to handle big pots and pans which are kind of heavy for me but so far everything is fine. And yeah, I made poh piah for guests on my first day at Main for the buffet lunch. It was fun and exciting! On the second day, I fried pasta and the following day I learned to make Mongolian stir-fry. It was great to see people enjoyed the food you made and I really don’t mind standing there and serve although my legs were tired. I still have another 2 weeks to go at Main Kitchen. I will learn as much as I can *grins*

My finger is completely healed. Thanks for the wishes and concern. This was how it looks like 2 weeks ago.

My injured my left index finger nail

Let me introduce you briefly about The View Restaurant at EQ Hotel, the place where I underwent my training 2 weeks ago. This fine dining restaurant showcases authentic French cuisine that is complemented by majestic scenery of the island’s coastline that can be viewed through the entire length of the 10-metre windows. They serve luxurious ala carte for both semi buffet lunch and semi buffet dinner. I love seeing the dessert and entree presentation which comes in mini portion but full of creativity. The way Chef Palani presents them simply opens our guests’ appetite. Some of them are too cute and nicely presented to be eaten. Haha! Anyway, here’s the compliments to all the chefs (Chef Looi, Chef Palani, Chef Fahmy, Dwayne, Charles, Chan, Fikri), Mr. Renny, Ray and the rest who have guided me and taught me alot *wink*

With Chef Palani

From left: Chef Fahmy, Charles, San, Chan and Dwayne

The View Restaurant

Entree buffet line

Gravlax

Oysters, scallops and prawns

And the closed-up..

For entree

Artichoke bottom with tempenade and quail egg

Chicken roll with caramelized red cabbage

Cauiflower and tomato with Parmesan cheese dressing

Salmon roll with cream cheese

Mozarella cheese topped with eggplant salad

Boiled potatoes served with sour cream and caviar

Tabbouleh

Scallop salad

Spicy chicken roll

Tuna and heart of palm topped with sour cream and caviar

Potato salad

Grilled lamb loin with brown lentils

Rice salad

For ala carte

Baked lobster

Grilled mixed seafood

Lamb chop

Grilled tenderloin

Foie Gras

Lamb shank

For dessert

My favourite corner. Haha!

Macaroons

Mini opera cake

Cheese cake

Chocolate moist swiss roll with peppermint cream

Cream caramel

For those of you who wish to dine in:
Monday – Friday, Lunch 12 noon – 2.30 pm
Monday – Saturday, Dinner 6.30 pm – 10.00 pm
Closed on Public Holidays

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish a very blessed Chinese New Year to all my Chinese fellow readers! May this year bring you abundance of joy, good health and success!

Week 1 – Training at Equatorial Hotel

Weee.. first week of training is done! This is my 1st time working in big kitchen with so many chefs, all in white uniform, apron, scarf and hat. My first 2 weeks of training is at the fine dining kitchen which is called The View.

However, I am grateful for being to work at the Chinese kitchen for 3 days last week as The View was closed. I learned a lot on cutting, chopping, slicing and peeling.There is so much to learn and practise. And you know what? I cut my left index finger on the 3rd day at Chinese kitchen while I was chopping spring onion. I really got to practise more on cutting and on handling knife skills.

And yesterday I was back at The View. I experienced slicing salmon for customers and introduced some of the dishes to them. It was fun but I was kind of nervous at the beginning. I will be working The View for another 1 more week before I moved to the main kitchen.

Wish me all the best! I’ll update you guys again next week. Have a blessed week!