First Birthday Prayers aka 抓周 (Part 2): Pandan Layer Cake

This are the food we prepared for prayers.

Glutinous Rice with chicken and mushrooms. 

One bowl of Mee Sua with 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 large chicken whole leg and 2 prawns. 

Roasted Pork

Red eggs

Angku Kuih

Hutt Kuih

Dried Beancurd aka Tau kua

Pandan Layer Cake 

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

After prayers, there are a few ceremony to be done.

First, Samantha have to wear a new pair of shoes bought by my mom. She then have to step on a pair of angku kuih. My mother in law said this signifies "脚踏实地".

Then, we sat her down on a table and let her determine her own future.These are the items I compiled.

From top: A stamp, a pen, a stethoscope, cash, Gold, Hand Whisk, Lipstick, Law Book and Abacus.

 What did she choose? She kept pointing at the abacus and did not lift it up. Then we waited and waited, maybe she was overwhelmed by the new toys she have.

"I give up!"

In the end, daddy offer her the items one by one and the cash money interest her the most. She prefers the RM 50 note compare to the RM 10 note. LOL....

The last ceremony was the eating part. We have to feed her mee sua, chicken and egg. Being the 'tam-chiak' person, she refuse to open her mouth and take in the food. Don't know what's with her that day.

Here is the recipe for the Pandan Layer Cake I made for her.


Pandan Layer Cake

(Sponge adapted from: Table for 2... or more from Wendy)
(Pandan Layer adapted from a facebook friend. )

For the sponge: (7 inch)
250gm Whole Eggs (about 4 large or 5 medium)
130gm Castor Sugar (I reduced it too about 80gm)
100gm Cake Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
50gm Coconut Milk (I used Coconut Cream)
80gm Corn Oil
1/2 tsp Pandan Paste
Some green colouring (Which I ommited)

1. Preheat oven to 180c.
2. Beat eggs and sugar till pale, thick and creamy aka ribbon stage. (I read from a taiwanese blog that sugar have to be added in right before beating as letting the sugar sit too long with the eggs may prevent it to incorporate air. )
3. Combine coconut milk, corn oil, pandan paste and food colouring in another bowl.
4. Sieve in cake flour and baking powder and fold till incorporated.
5. Add in 3 tbsp of the beaten yolks into the flour mixture and fold. Repeat this three times.
6. Pour the flour mixture into the remaining yolks and fold till even. Becareful not to deflate the yolks too much.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for about 30 minutes.
8. When cake is done, remove from mould immediately and cool on a wire rack.
9. When cake is cool completely, slice into 3 even layers.

For the Pandan Layer: (8inch)

[A]
300gm Thick Coconut Milk
400gm Pandan Juice (Blend 10 blades of  pandan leaves with some water. Sieve and squeeze it. Mix enough water to yield 700gm of liquid. Divide into 2 portions for [A] and [B].)
90gm Castor Sugar
8gm Agar-agar Powder

[B]
300gm Pandan Juice
100gm Hoen Kwe Flour

1. Dissolves 8gm of agar powder in 400ml of pandan juice. Mix everything together in a pot.
2.  Cook [A] using medium heat till mixture boils.
3. Dissolves hoen kwe flour in 300ml of pandan juice. Slowly pour into mixture [A] while stirring continuously.
4. Cook till mixture thickens and start boiling.
5. Immerse the pot in a large basin fill with hot water to prevent it from setting quickly.

To assemble: 
1. Scoop one ladle of pandan layer into a 8 inch baking tin.
2. Put in a layer of sponge cake.
3. Put in another layer of pandan layer, minding the sides first then the top. Smooth it out.
4. Put another layer of sponge then another layer of pandan layer.
5. Lastly, pour the remaining pandan layer in and smooth in out properly. This last layer will be the bottom of the cake when you un-mould it.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before un-moulding and serve.

Notes:
(i) Before assembling, spray the 8 inch tin with some water. This will ensure easy removal of the cake.
(ii) Use a sharp knife and run across the sides. The cake will un-mould easily like a jelly.
(iii) Prepare everything ahead of time including tools you need and ingredients.