Steamed Coffee Layer Cake

Yesterday, 25th June 2011, was the 17th wedding anniversary of my darling hubby and me. I made this cake for the occassion, but was busy with the celebration to post it up. My hubby loves coffee cakes, but he's not really a coffee drinker. He prefers to dink tea. But I'm a coffee drinker but I'm not so into coffee cakes. We are so different right? Ha ha... Anyway the logic is opposite attracts, so that's why we are so attracted to each other I suppose.

This cake is a bit like the traditional Kueh Lapis but it's steamed and not baked. I think the next time I make this again, I'll change the coffee flavour to chocolate. You can change it to any flavour you like. I think even mango will be nice. I am not a person that will spend a lot of time on decorating a cake, and my hubby doesn't like whipped cream very much. So I've just done a very simple sifting of some icing sugar on top and added some cake decor accessories which I always keep when I buy cakes from the shops.

The most important thing to note about this cake is in the control of the flame when steaming. Use medium heat to steam or else the cake will be very kueh in texture and big bubbles will also form on the cake. Also make sure to cover the steamer lid with a piece of tea towel so that water will not drip onto the cake. Take note also that the water in the pot below does not touch the steamer rack on top.

Pic 1
Creaming the butter & sugar

Pic 2
Texture of the batter after adding the eggs. It's normal that it looks curdled.

Pic 3
Texture of the batter after condensed milk is added. It now looks less curdled.

Pic 4
Sift flour & salt into the butter mixture

Pic 5
Use a hand whisk to incorporate the ingredients

Pic 6
Equally divide the batter into 2 portions - coffee and vanilla

My 24cm AMC steamer pot

Spread each layer of batter quickly and smoothly

Each vanilla layer is 100g

Each coffee layer is 100g

Poke many holes with a cake tester before pouring the batter on top

Use medium flame heat to steam

 Steamed Coffee Layer Cake

Ingredients:
250g     unsalted butter (room temperature)
110g     castor sugar
5           eggs (room temperature each 60g)
200g     condensed milk
1tsp      vanilla extract
200g     self-raising flour
1/2tsp   salt
2tsp      coffee extract
3tbsp    instant coffee powder

Method:

1. Line the base of a 7" round/square cake tin with parchment paper.
2. Use an electrical stand mixer and cream butter and sugar till fluffy and pale yellow in color. It should look like butter cream (see Pic 1). Remember to stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time.
3. Add in the eggs, one at a time. After adding the 4th or 5th egg the batter will start to curdle (see Pic 2). Don't worry, it's normal.
4. Add in the condensed milk and vanilla extract. Whisk well, the batter will look less curdled (see Pic 3).
5. Remove mixer bowl from the stand mixer. Sift the self-raising flour and salt into the butter mixture. Put it back on the stand mixer and let the mixer whisk it for a couple of rounds on medium low speed. Do not over mix or the batter will develop gluten and cake will be tough textured.
6. Remove mixer bowl from the stand mixer and use a hand balloon whisk to incororate all the ingredients evenly.
7. Weigh the overall weight of the batter and divide into 2 equal portions (see Pic 6).
8. Set aside one of the half portion for later use as the vanilla layer. 
9. Add coffee extract and sift the instant coffee powder to the other half portion. This will be the coffee layer.
10. Weigh 100g of the vanilla batter and spread onto the prepared cake tin. Steam on medium heat for 6 mins.
11. When 6 mins is up, remove cake tin from the steamer. Use a cake tester and poke many holes on the cake. Make sure to poke all the way through to the bottom of the cake tin.
12. Weigh 100g of the coffee batter and spread on top of the vanilla layer. Steam on medium heat for 6 mins.
13. Repeat with the layering process till all the batters are used up.
14. At the last two layers steam for a little longer time. About 10-15 mins each layer. Open the steamer lid every 2-3 mins to check on the cake. Make sure no big bubbles form. Lower the heat if neccessary.
15. When the cake is done (cake tester comes out clean when poked at the centre of the cake), remove from the steamer pot and let it cool in the cake tin for a while.
16. When the cake is cool enough to handle, use a flat blade knife to run on the sides of the cake tin. Flip over onto a plate and serve.
17. Cake is best eaten in 3 days.