My Bibingka Cake was featured on GMA-7's 100% Pinoy (Fusion Desserts)

I seldom blog nowadays (I feel guilty about it) because I have been very busy, especially in the most recent months with a skin allergy that I have been suffering from for two months now (better now and almost back to normal), plus the recent change in work (from rehab dept to ER).

But recently I was contacted by Ces because GMA-7 wanted to feature my fusion dessert bibingka cake on their 100% Pinoy segment on Fusion Desserts (they needed a foodblogger based in Manila to re-create my recipe as well, and Ces asked for my permission. Needless to say, it did not really take a lot of convincing on her part. I was thrilled, and ChefCK, who agreed to appear on the TV in re-creating my recipe, is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and is going to open a school in the Philippines. I am just honored!

Here's a youtube video of the said segment:


Thanks to Ces, ChefCK, and GMA-7!

Now that I have made this post, this reminds me that I have not actually posted about publications that have also featured my online kusina. Thanks to Catherine Bolandrina of planetphilippines for featuring me on the 09-14-07 issue of Planet Philippines; the article was entitled "Pinay Can Cook!"

Another publication that got interested was Hannaford's "fresh" Magazine, which they publish every two months and which shoppers could get for free with purchases of at least $25. I "got" their attention when I joined a contest for recipes using any of their "Inspirations" line-up (I did not win, but they got interested as to how I, a Filipina, was adapting in an American kitchen, especially in a rural area where the nearest Filipino/Asian store is a two-hour drive). The article appeared on the May-June 2007 issue under the segment "Food Lover's Favorite", and was entitled "When in Maine..." with a photo insert that mistakenly featured the face of a friend who was with me in the photo that I submitted (I did not bother to correct them). My recipes featured were the beef pares, spinach-haddock laing, and leche flan (links are from the hannaford website). I have not featured my laing on my blog, but I submitted the recipe per their request. They changed some ingredients in the recipes they asked for, with my permission, for them to re-create the recipes to what they thought tailored more to the American palates, and which would also reflect more their healthy approach to food (e.g., changing the premium coconut milk to a light one). Some of my co-workers back in the rehab department saw this article and said, "I did not know you were that popular!" I almost choked! Some of my newfound online friends also got in touch with me through email because of this article.

Now I wonder if I will have additional visitors to my site because of this??? Well, I gotta post more often! But I am foreseeing more posts on quick-fix types of meals, using more of ready mixes (they are my best friends nowadays).

Bibingka Cake with a Twang

Imported from my old website...

This is my entry for this month's LP theme "Distinctly Pinoy with a TWANG" hosted by ces.

UPDATE:
This cake was featured in GMA-7's 100% Pinoy for the segment on Fusion Dessert.

Here's the video for the said segment. Notice that the website being read by ChefKC for the recipe is this very same webpagefrom my old website with the photos down below.


Presenting, the BIBINGKA CAKE with a TWANG!




I had been wanting to try to make bibingka and found several recipes for them. While the most traditional would call for live charcoals above and under the batter, which resulted in toasted surface, I wanted a "tamed" version (for the sake of my intended tasters, my husband and in-laws). I found a recipe which seemed promising, and the original recipe can be found here.

When I first made them, I modified the recipe, wanting more of a Filipino taste to it by using 1 cup coconut cream and 1 cup milk instead of the 2 cups of milk called for in the recipe, then I added small squares of sliced white cheese on top during the last 5 minutes of baking. I offered one to one of my Pinay friends (I poured into three 8-inch round pans), and several slices to my MIL. We all loved this plain (as in no frosting) bibingka, although my MIL was intrigued by the cheese (she could not identify it and had to ask me what it was!). I loved the smooth texture albeit its heaviness, and the longer it sat in the fridge (less than 1 week, that is), the better it tasted!

BUT, I wanted to experiment more, hoping to offer some sort of an Americanized bibingka cake that I could offer to guests during my birthday (I try not to offer experiments on Pinoy dishes/foods during birthday celebs of my kids or hubby, as they usually have preferences that I try to stick to). Since I have observed that, in contrast to my inkling towards sponge cakes, my in-laws and hubby prefer the crumbly cake (which, to me, sort of represent a cake that is at least one day old). So for that, I thought of experimenting with the bibingka recipe using the ordinary rice flour instead of the sweet rice flour (I figured it would result to crumbly texture, because that's what I have observed with siopao , puto, and bibingka if made with rice flour as opposed to the ordinary flour.)

So my final recipe for the batter was as below, which I poured into two 9-inch round pans:

Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup premium coconut cream (Thai)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cup rice flour
2 tablespoons baking powder

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Cream the butter and sugar well (around 5 minutes on medium speed). Slow down the speed and add eggs one at a time.


Meanwhile, mix flour and baking powder. Mix the milk and coconut cream. Add this to the egg-cream mixture, alternating with the dry ingredients a little at a time. Add the vanilla and stir. Pour into two 9-inch round pans. Bake immediately for 35-45 minutes (keep checking!)

Since this is a fusion of Filipino and American cuisine, I did not use banana leaves (I do not have them anyway!) nor charcoal, but used the oven instead.





To make it more Americanized, I prepared JMom's

SEVEN MINUTE FROSTING
1-1/2 Cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix sugar, cream of tartar, salt, egg whites, and water in a pot or bowl over simmering water. Beat steadily over low heat with an electric hand mixer until the frosting stands in peaks, about 5-7 minutes, no more. (Overcooking will make your frosting brittle upon cooling). Remove from heat and continue to beat until thick enough to spread. Add the vanilla before spreading.

(I asked my stepd to taste the frosting, and her reaction was, "Hey, I know this! This is Fluff!" It indeed tasted like Fluff, only not sticky, and the sheen was superb! It is less sweet, too.)

As an additional Pinoy touch, I used sweetened macapuno as filling in between the two layers of cake. I actually mixed it with the 7-min frosting, which turned out to be a disastrous mistake as it made the filling runny, so that when I placed the top layer of cake, it squeezed out most of the filling. Next time, I will use just the macapuno as filling, and the frosting will be used exclusively to cover the whole cake.

I used some sprinkles to make it colorful.

Quite reluctantly, I offered it as dessert to hubby, and HE LIKED IT! I asked his opinion on whether it would be enjoyed by the others in his family as well. DEFINITELY! The next day my MIL came to give me brocolli, and I gave her two slices of the cake to bring home and share with FIL. They loved it!

I will definitely serve this on my birthday in December.

I bet this will also be a big welcome as cupcakes for school functions.