chocolate strawberry cake

When a small human proclaims that her favourite cake is a chocolate strawberry cake, it's time to get busy in the kitchen!



It wasn't even her birthday (it was 2 months ago) but she has been reminding me about the cake and asking me to make her one, for the past 2 weeks. So this weekend I finally rolled up my sleeves and got her to assist me. She helped pour the ingredients into the bowl and eat the diced strawberries meant for the filling. Good thing I had one punnet of it.



I used this recipe for the chocolate cake. The first time I made it, it was too sweet for me. So this round I cut down the sugar to one cup and it was perfect! Still moist and super chocolaty. I think it's important to use good quality cocoa powder as it just gives your baked goods a push from very good to wow. I also prefer Dutch processed cocoa powder over natural cocoa powder as I found the taste more complex and rich, and I simply love that deep dark chocolate colour. Brands like Callebaut, Valrhona and van Houten are Dutch processed, whereas Hershey's, Nestle and Ghirardelli are natural.

There's a science behind the 2 types of cocoa powder but it got a bit too Heston Blumenthal for me. I mean, it's good to know but unless the recipe specifically calls for a certain type of cocoa powder, I don't think it matters much. I have always used Hershey's in chocolate recipes until I discovered Callebaut and Valrhona. If you're interested to read further, you can check out the insightful piece by the team at Serious Eats (brilliant work, as usual) here.



Let me give you a bit of background to the picture above. We have a fridge with a faulty thermostat and sometimes it freezes everything in it. It's most frustrating when it freezes my green vege because they end up wilted and mushy. Sometimes it turn our drinks into blocks of ice too. I had a jar of thickened cream in there waiting to be turned into whipped cream for the cake.

So, the thickened cream got frozen and I took it out to thaw. When I opened it, I could see the top layer was dry and cracked. Still, I scooped everything out into a bowl thinking that it should be fine since it smelled OK. I could see bits and pieces of stuff but that didn't stop me from tossing in icing sugar and whipping it up. About 2-3 minutes later, the cream started to curdle and separate. Bah.

I remembered coming across a blog post on making butter out of cream. So I continued whipping it until the whole thing separated. What you get is effectively butter and buttermilk. Then I put it into the fridge to harden up the butter. Once it hardens, used a cheese cloth to squeeze out the buttermilk. Since I have added icing sugar to the cream, I decided to make honey butter with dijon mustard and smoked paprika.

I made a divine grilled king prawns with the flavoured butter. Wash prawns, slice in half, season with salt and pepper, lather with butter and grill. Easy peasy dinner with minimal cooking involved.

cheap or practical?

I have this thing about not over paying for something or a service that I could well accomplish with my own hands. It's very likely something I inherited from my mum, because she wouldn't eat out at a place where the food doesn't taste as good as her own cooking (and she's a great cook) or she could easily cook up the dishes. She also makes most of my clothes when I was younger and all the curtains and cushion covers in the house too (until today), just because she can.

Of course, I'm not as accomplished as my mum so I only DIY when I feel very strongly over the subject. For example: "$150 for a customised cake?? Are you effing serious?"

It's just a cake. I can bake a cake.


Ta-dah! For her 3rd birthday, my girl got a melting ice cream cake. It was the easiest cutest design for baking on a weekday night. I couldn't have done it without Youtube.

It's actually a very kids unfriendly lemon cake with raspberry buttercream 😅. I made this mainly for the teachers to share, because the kids are getting...


Chocolate ice cream cone cakes with buttercream and sprinkles!

What's more challenging than the baking and decorating is figuring out how to store and transport the ice cream cone cakes. I ended up cutting holes into a piece of cardboard and standing them in a cake box.


It was a hit with the kids! I brought it in just before lunch time and some of them wolfed down their lunches so that we could get along with the program 😄

I baked them the night before and the cones had gone soft in the morning, even though I kept them in a tight container. I poked a hole in the bottom of the cone, as some has suggested, but they still went soft. That was a disappointment. Luckily the chocolate cake was quite yummy.


This is what she got last year. It was an earl grey cake with lemon buttercream. I know, I know, not a very popular cake flavour for kids but she was the only one. She wasn't really into cakes last year anyway so it was mainly for the adults.

I think this once a year baking trend is here to stay since customised cakes cost a bomb and I'm an absolute cheapo. As long as she doesn't mind home made cakes (or doesn't start requesting for fancy stuff like Paw Patrol or PJ Masks), I would continue to make them. Like how my mum used to do.

Singapore, a self walk day tour

Singapore, the little red dot on the map, our new home for the past 8 months.

Yes, it's small and some say boring. It is an island after all, roughly 2.5 times of Penang island currently (still growing with all the land reclamation). But I think it really depends on what you're looking for. If you have young children like me, Singapore is quite an awesome place.

My cousin, his father, his wife and young son came to stay for a few days. So my daughter and I played tour guides and showed them the must-see sights around Singapore.


#1. Our tour starts at Boat Quay. Boat Quay sits at the mouth of the Singapore River, where the Fullerton Hotel is at. As you go further inland, you will get to Clarke Quay, then Robertson Quay. These are the 3 main quays in Singapore and you can take a river cruise from any of the said quays. The bars facing the river is very touristy, mind you.


#2. Bird by Fernando Botero. Location: Next to UOB Plaza, Boat Quay.

One of the very first things I noticed about Singapore are the various public sculptures. And I mean many many sculptures, so many that there is a public art walking tour that you can go on if you're into this sort of scene. I must mention there is a Dali (a Dali!!) in front of UOB Plaza.


#3. We walked towards Fullerton Hotel and right next to Cavenagh Bridge is First Generation, by Chong Fah Cheong, a local artist. This bronze sculpture is part of the 4 sculptures making up the People of the River sculpture series, but probably the most photographed. The faces of the boys are filled with such joy and the mid-action of reckless abandonment is so strikingly captured. The first boy to jump looks like he's floating in the air. What an amazing work by the artist.

The Cavenagh Bridge is one of the oldest bridges and only suspension bridge in Singapore. It connects the Asian Civilisations Museum to the Fullerton Hotel. Completed in 1869, the structure was built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Singapore (source link). It used to accommodate light vehicles but is only for pedestrians now.


#4. Right outside the lawn of the Empress Place Building, sits several giant mirror balls by Baet Yeok Kuan, also a local artist. It looks very outer spacey and the kids love them!

The Empress Place Building itself was formerly government offices during Sir Stamford Raffles's day. Quick fact: Sir Stamford Raffles is the founding father of modern Singapore. The Empress Place Building now houses the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), which specialises in the history of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia, basically regions where the ethnic locals has their roots in. The ACM has a family friendly programme on the last Saturday of each month. Actually, most museums in Singapore has some kind of children friendly activities on the weekends (mostly at no charge), so do check out their ongoing events before you visit.


#5. The iconic Esplanade - Theatres by the Bay, also known as the "Durian". They offer guided tours for a small fee, where they also answer the perennial question of "what are the durian spikes for?" This picture was taken along the river promenade heading towards the Esplanade.


#6. Clear view of the CBD, taken near the underpass below Esplanade Drive. Those concrete steps didn't used to be there but I thought they look a nice spot to sit and chill and watch the skies change.


#7. Marina Bay Sands, taken from the Esplanade Bridge. As you walk all the way to the end of the Esplanade Bridge, you will see the infamous....


#8. Merlion. Interestingly, the Merlion was originally at a different location - the mouth of the Singapore River. It was moved when it was blocked by the construction of the Esplanade Bridge.

We had to walk all the way back out to get to Makansutra (hawker stalls, overpriced, crowded, food OK) just next to the Esplanade. In front of the Esplanade is an outdoor theatre, which hosts public music or dance performances. On that Friday, there was a percussion band performance and comedic mime show. There's almost always some performance on Friday to Sunday nights. Sometimes, there are art installations too, such as this...


#9. "Intersections" is a colourful yarn and ribbons geometric work that glows under black light.

Make your way up to the roof of the Esplanade building for a panoramic view of the city and Marina Bay. It's called the Roof Terrace and it's free!

The next day we went to the Gardens by the Bay. It is possible to walk there from the Esplanade but we were running late and would've missed the last Garden Rhapsody by the time we get there. The walk is a nice little loop and if you plan it well (and pray it doesn't rain), you would easily have a half day tour covering the main highlights of Singapore.

The Gardens by the Bay is big-ish park (by Singapore standards where land is scarce) that sits on reclaimed land. In fact, the entire Marina Bay area was created by reclaiming land. Which is why if you're walking down Beach Street today, you'll be wondering why it's called Beach Street when there's no beach in sight. Singapore has a long history of land reclamation. The first land reclamation project started way back in 1822 (source link) with the creation of Boat Quay.

Anyway, at Gardens by the Bay there are 2 main conservatories and several themed gardens. There is a charge for the conservatories and other than this, the rest of the sights are free. There are various sculptures to see around this garden but my absolute favourite has to be the giant floating baby.


#10. Planet by Marc Quinn, which depicts his infant son.


#11. An amazing (and free) water play area that is guaranteed to occupy your kids for a long time. At the foreground is the Fish Fountain, which is very suitable for children aged toddler and below. There's also a sandy playground behind the amphitheater. We usually go there in the evenings as it can get quite blisteringly hot in the afternoon; the whole area is not shaded.

While the Supertree Grove looks quite impressive during the day, by night time it takes on a rather surreal ambiance. I still remember the feeling when I first saw the glowing trees in the dark – it was like stepping into Avatar. And I do think it was also because they played music from Avatar for the light show that time, which enhanced the Avatar feeling. The Garden Rhapsody show comes on twice a night, at 7.45pm and 8.45pm. The songs changes from time to time depending on the theme at the gardens. On Star Wars Day, they played music from Star Wars!


#12. The mushrooms are part of the Children's Festival installation.

There's a handful of restaurants at the Supertree Grove and a few more scattered around the gardens (including a McDonald's). Food is OK but the queues can get pretty long during the weekends and public holidays.


#13. Here is a map of the walk we did, starting at Boat Quay and ending at the Supertree Grove.

Happy walking!

a new dawn

It started with Tun Dr Mahathir quitting UMNO in February 2017 and setting up his own party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. In the run up to GE14, Pakatan Harapan proposed that Tun Dr Mahathir will become the new Prime Minister should they win, thereby paving the way for Tun Dr Mahathir to lead the Pakatan Harapan coalition for GE14.

On Tuesday, 1 May 2018, former finance minister (1985-1991 and 1999-2001) Tun Daim Zainuddin openly supported Tun Dr Mahathir at a gathering in Kedah.

On the very same day, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, former international trade and industry minister (1987-2008), had called out to Malaysians to reject UMNO and support Pakatan Harapan. A no nonsense lady, she resigned as the Chairman of Supermax Corporation Berhad two days after its Chairman Datuk Seri Stanley Thai held a special press conference to apologise to Datuk Seri Najib for campaigning for the opposition in GE13.

Having all these veterans coming out of retirement to speak out against the incumbent government and go on a grueling campaign trail, I take my hats off to them. It was a very exciting time, like watching a team of Avengers being put together. And the end... the end was more than what we could hope for.

Below is my post-GE14 thoughts, taken from Facebook:

Yes Tan Sri Rafidah, I too was hopeful but didn't actually believe Pakatan Harapan or any other party/coalition would ever wrestle control over the federal government. I mean, it has always been BN and with all the gerrymandering and mid-week polling day... Seriously, Wednesday?! That was really frustrating for me because we're not based in Malaysia at the moment.

But the rakyat has proven me wrong, and I'm so so so happy to be wrong! This shows and prove to everyone who has ever said "aiyah, I'm only one vote" that the power truly lies in our hands. That exercising your vote wisely is one of the the greatest responsibility you will ever have in this life.

EVERY VOTE COUNTS.

I'm very very proud of all my family and friends who travelled near and far to cast their votes. When we were watching the live results, my dad and I was pleasantly surprised that the voters turn out rate was more than 70% for almost all Parliamentary seats. That's bloody awesome for a Wednesday polling day.

I'm so excited for what lies ahead for Malaysia. PH better do a good job. I'm sure they won't do worse than BN, but I do hope they will see through what they have promised us. If we can vote out BN, we can vote out PH too. So please make the next 5 years count.

My husband and I discussed what our future plans would be like if PH wins GE14. Would we return to Malaysia? Most definitely, when the time is right. Malaysia is being reborned and she needs talent to help her grow again.

My dream now is that some day, we Malaysians do not have to work/live overseas for a better future. Not just for monetary reasons, but security, education, health care, etc. My dream is that overseas Malaysians would now have a reason to return. And my friends and I would be able to sit round a table and have teh tarik, not only when we "visit" but whenever we feel like it.

Congratulations, people of Malaysia! Let's make Malaysia great again!

so, it's been a while

It looks like I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon.

Well, I was never really consistent in the first place anyway. It's just like the time I joined a gym. First month I go there 3 times a week. By the second month, maybe twice a week coz things are getting busy at work/life. By the third month, once a week or lesser. After 6 months, I just go there for a shower when I work late nights. It's one of those personal projects that was meant to end in a natural death.

I started this blog as a platform for me to practice creative writing, for fear that all I could compose in the future are formal emails and boring words. But in order to write, I have to be inspired to write. There must be something that I feel passionate and strongly about. Rambling on without a point is not my style.

I don't know why inspiration has been hard to come by. And even when I do find inspiration, I get lazy. You see, writing a post takes up a lot of my time because my words are thoughtfully selected (see above point on creative writing) and I try to include pictures and colours to make the post interesting. That's a lot of hard work when one has a full-time job and is a full-time mother outside of working hours. Even my Facebook doesn't get much updates so you can understand why my blog has been abandoned since October 2015!

Anyway, I'm trying to hop on the bandwagon again 😊 I haven't really figured out what I'll share or how much. Maybe some cooking posts since I cook so much now. Some family stories and anecdotes, maybe.

Hmm... I think I'll get the ball rolling with some sights around Singapore since I'll have visitors this week and I'm playing tour guide. I'll also copy and paste a post I made on Facebook on the phenomenal tsunami rakyat, for memory's sake.

Wait for them!