Sugar-Free Sunflower Gula Melaka Pandan Kaya Cake

I finally got around to making my mum's super belated birthday cake! Dad took much longer than expected to recover from his surgery so we had to postpone her celebration. Thank God all's good now. Presenting the gula melaka pandan kaya cake that I planned to make a few months ago with the design based on one of Mum's Nagomi Art paintings!

This is mum's painting. Doesn't it look like some professional art piece?

I did a "full-dress rehearsal" of the cake over here with a tulip themed Nagomi Art design as my reference if you are interested:

http://lovingcreations4u.blogspot.com/2025/05/gula-melaka-pandan-kaya-painted-swiss.html

Cake composition:

- Sunflower chiffon cake inserts made using only Gula Melaka and prebiotic soluble fibres as the "sugar"

- Green and brown gula melaka pandan kaya pudding with gula melaka as the only "sugar"

- White chiffon sheet cake made using pandan water and no egg yolks to keep the cake white. A sugar replacement and prebiotic soluble fibres were the "sugar" in this cake

Just to share some works-in-progress photos:

Some photos of the cake at the restaurant where we had the celebration 

You may see the reel for the process of making this cake over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNnVY5XpCy5/?igsh=MXViYzQzZHZ3OTVodg==

I shared the sugared version of the recipe together with my Tulip roll cake reel so please refer to the captions of that reel if you need a reference recipe. 

Needless to say, everyone enjoyed the cake that was tasty but light and refreshing enough to be consumed after a sumptuous meal!

with lots of love,

Phay Shing

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Sugar-Free Halloween Marshmallow Surprise

 I am really excited to share an amazing sugar-free marshmallow creation for classes because it's so tasty you wouldn't think it's sugar-free!

These cuties are Hojicha sugar-free marshmallows with sugar-free chocolate hazelnut cakepop surprise inside.

 Although I shared sugar-free marshmallow recipes in my Deco Marshmallows book, this version uses a different type of sugar replacement that is more commonly available (hint: it's not Erythritol!) and I added prebiotic soluble fibres too! Soluble fibres help to lower the GI of the confection even more as well as provide benefits for gut health and cholesterol management without adversely affecting taste. My book provides the recipes using fresh egg whites but this one uses meringue powder so it eliminates the risk of salmonella. 

Here's a video of the piping work behind the scenes and the squish:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM7j9Auz9J9/?igsh=c2sxYXdpcXhwbzZh

Just to share some other views of this creation:

Piped marshmallows before dusting

A closer look at the cut cross section revealing the chocolate hazelnut cake inside

Please refer to this link for the studio class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/service-page/sugar-free-halloween-marshmallow

Please refer to this link for the online class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/product-page/sugar-free-halloween-marshmallow-ready-by-17-oct

All studio class participants will have access to online class material for free! There's no expiry date for the online class.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Spinach Pandan Frog Swiss Roll

This is the last in my series of 5 cute animal Swiss rolls made from baby food puree. Don't be put off by the spinach in this because you don't taste it at all. Great way to sneak in some veggies to feed your kids if they are finicky eaters 🤭. This cake is fragrant and yummy according to my taste testers so do give this a try!

This is the spinach puree I used but you may make your own from fresh spinach leaves. 

I will share the ingredient list here. You may refer to my reel for the method and video of the process:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMur5BupsWl/?igsh=MWpxMHNoMWE5bjBhOA==

Frog Swiss rolls

(makes about 9 frogs)

Egg yolk batter:

3 egg yolks

30g neutral oil of choice

30g reduced spinach puree with pandan* 

20g plain yoghurt/milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

54g cake flour

3/8 tsp (2.2g) sponge gel

Meringue:

110-120g egg whites 

1/4 tsp cream of tartar 

45-60g caster sugar

Cream:

70g whipping cream of choice** 

45g cream cheese, softened at room temperature 

5g milk powder 

10g icing sugar

25g reduced spinach puree with pandan*

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Eyes, mouth and cheeks:

1/16 tsp charcoal powder or black cocoa powder

Pink gel colouring or strawberry emulsion

5g butter/oil

5g icing sugar

5g egg whites

5g cake flour

* 80g spinach puree + 3/8 tsp (3g) pandan paste. Heat until reduced to 75% original puree weight. I used Popote's spinach puree which has some potato added. You may make your own from 100% fresh spinach leaves for an even more naturally vibrant green.

** Use non-dairy for better stability in hot climate. Use heavy cream with at least 35% fat for better taste but add 2 tsp icing sugar & be careful not to overwhip or it will split. Use a combination of creams if you wish.

Here are some pictures of works-in-progress. Plain slices look inviting too!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Cherry Strawberry Raspberry Lambeth Cake

 I made my first Lambeth cake with a very specific request from a young lady --- cake to be covered in red cream and decorated with black cream and pearls to match the dress she would wear for her birthday. I was honestly out of my comfort zone because my cakes tend to be naked and natural or pastel colored but I took the chance to learn something new. Total newbie at this!

What's in this cake?

- Vanilla chiffon sponge brushed with cherry syrup 

- Canned cherries and cherry raspberry strawberry Italian meringue buttercream between sponge layers

- Strawberry whipped cream for frosting the cake

- No-dye black buttercream for piping black frills and details (adapted from Sugarologie) . Made some tweaks because Singapore is so hot)

- Fresh cherries and sugar pearls for decoration

I love it that I didn't have to add any artificial black colouring to achieve a deep black colour but because I substituted some butter with shortening, I had to use a little charcoal powder to deepen the colour. The vibrant red is achieved by using red powdered colouring that's used by the Chinese in Southeast Asia for dyeing food like red eggs or kueh like Ang Ku Kueh. I find it much better than other Western brands of red colouring as a little is enough to achieve a vibrant red without leaving any weird aftertaste.

Here's a peek at the filling layers...

Sharing other views of the cake because I was rather pleased that it looked nice despite little imperfections here and there!

Thank God my friend and her daughter were willing to be my guinea pigs and the cake was well received!

with love,

Phay Shing

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"Capybaras Celebrate SG60" Mao Shan Wang Durian Ice-Cream Cake

I will never look at the Merlion the same way again 🤭. When this image popped into my mind, I couldn't help giggling and knew I had to turn my imagination into a loving creation, complete with a cake flavour fitting for the celebration.

Singapore's 60th birthday is just around the corner so I am sharing with you this yummy and simple durian ice-cream cake! I used premium durian with complex flavour for this. 

I will just share the ingredient list in this blog post for your convenience. You may find the video of the process and method in the pinned comments of my reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM7j4pvpBuf/?igsh=dms0NGtuOXBqbHpt

White chiffon sponge cake (12x12" sheet):

A)

30g oil

40g milk

40g pandan water* (or replace with milk and more vanilla)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

70g cake flour, sifted

1/8 tsp salt

B)

4 large egg whites (150-160g)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

60-70g caster sugar

Durian ice-cream:

350g durian puree*

200g whipping cream of choice*

8g gelatin powder*

40g cold water or milk

* Additional Notes:

🔸Pandan water: 

Boil a small saucepan of water with a few knotted pandan leaves for 5min. Leave it to steep for another 5min after taking it off the heat. Discard the leaves. This is optional but I find the hint of pandan aroma with vanilla complementary to durian.

🔸Durian puree: 

I didn't use a blender because I wanted chunks of durian in the ice-cream. I just pulled the flesh off each durian seed and tore any fibres into smaller chunks. You may make the puree smooth if that's your preference. I used a premium durian (王中王(king of kings) 猫山王 (mao shan wang)) which has a complex flavour profile and creamy flesh. Use less durian and more cream if you prefer a milder durian flavour with stronger fresh cream taste.

 

🔸Whipping cream: 

I used 100g dairy and 100g non-dairy whipping cream to get a balance of stability, good taste and ease of whipping. This combination has no risk of overwhipping and there is no need to add sugar because non-dairy whipping cream is pre-sweetened.

If you are using only dairy cream, you may add a little icing sugar to whip together if you wish, and be careful not to overwhip. Non-dairy whipping cream also stays creamy and soft when frozen so it helps with keeping the ice-cream texture creamy and soft.

🔸Gelatin powder: 

Adding gelatin not only helps to stabilize the whipped cream if you intend to serve this chilled instead of frozen, it also helps to prevent ice crystals from becoming large when frozen so the ice-cream stays creamy and soft. You may use fish, beef or pork gelatin. If you need a vegetarian option, skip this and use xanthan gum instead.

Just to share more pictures of the cake...

Painted design using the printing technique shown in the reel. You just need to bake a blank canvas of white sheet cake. No messing around with patterning batter!

A peek at the sides of the cake 

A closer look at the durian ice-cream chock full of durian chunks!

Do give this recipe a try even if the design is too challenging for you. According to the durian lover who received this cake, it's really yummy!

with lots of love,

Phay Shing

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Carrot Cream Cheese Capybara Swiss Roll

 Here's the fourth in my series of five animal Swiss rolls made from baby food puree -- capybaras!

While my previous three Swiss rolls have the option of making it dairy-free, this contains cream cheese and has a more exciting/complex flavour profile as I add spices, brown sugar and a hint of orange in addition to the carrot puree base and cream cheese.

Why use baby food puree? Because it doesn't contain additives and its smoother than what you usually get from homemade (unless you put in extra effort to make it super smooth).

I will list the ingredients here. You may refer to my reel for the video tutorial on how to decorate and shape the swiss roll. See the pinned comment of the reel for the method.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMH9LOvTHQw/?igsh=MWwxODFxNnpmMWV6aQ==

Egg yolk batter:

3 egg yolks

30g neutral oil of choice

51g reduced carrot puree with spices* 

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp orange extract or 1/2 tsp orange zest

1/8 tsp salt

48g cake flour

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 + 3/16 tsp cocoa powder (for colour)

Meringue:

110-120g egg whites (about 3 large eggs)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar 

25-30g caster sugar

25-30g light brown sugar

Cream:

50g whipping cream of choice** 

45g cream cheese, softened at room temperature 

5g milk powder 

10g dark brown sugar

25g reduced carrot puree with spices*

Eyes:

1/16 tsp charcoal powder or black cocoa powder

5g butter/oil

5g icing sugar

5g egg whites

5g cake flour

Black edible marker for nostrils and mouth 

*110g carrot puree + 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/8 tsp ginger + 1/8 tsp nutmeg. Heat until reduced to 75-80% original puree weight

** Use non-dairy for better stability in hot climate. Use heavy cream with at least 35% fat for better taste but add 2 tsp icing sugar & be careful not to overwhip or it will split. Use a combination of creams if you wish

Stay tuned for the last animal which comes in another exciting flavour!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Vegan Shiba and Bear Mitarashi Dango Macaron Class

Want to learn how to make cute vegan character macarons? Come and join me for this class!

I will be sharing techniques on how to work with aquafaba-based Italian meringue method macarons, which are known to be trickier and less robust than using potato protein isolate. Aquafaba is affordable and easily available, whereas potato protein is expensive and not easily accessible in many parts of the world, therefore it's a more practical option. 

You won't be able to tell the difference between regular  and vegan macaron shells just by looking at them!

I will be sharing a sweet-savoury filling featuring soy sauce as the ingredient giving it an umami kick --- toasted white sesame ganache and soy sauce caramel! The choice of flavour is intentionally selected to match the Mitarashi dango design since Mitarashi dango is a soy sauce based sweet and savoury traditional Japanese snack.

Vegan royal icing will also be taught to show you how you can decorate the macarons with it.

Both studio and online class options are available for registration. Online class has no expiry date. Studio class participants will have access to online class material at no extra charge.

Studio class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/service-page/vegan-shiba-bear-dango-macarons

Online class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/product-page/online-classes-vegan-shiba-bear-dango-macarons-ready-by-31-aug-2025

with love,

Phay Shing 

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Sugar-Free Kirby Cherry Strawberry Marshmallow Coated Chocolate Hazelnut Cakepops

 I had to satisfy my curiosity to see if it works for my sugar-free version of marshmallow as well. So glad it works! Presenting Kirby as sugar-free marshmallow coated cakepops!

Two of the Kirbys in the picture are plastic figurines so don't be fooled 🤭

I used the same sugar-free recipe as my chick marshmallows over here, except that I used fresh chery puree that was reduced instead of passionfruit puree. I also added prebiotic soluble fibres in both cakepop and marshmallow in addition to using a sugar-replacement to further lower the GI of the confection. I added strawberry emulsion to the marshmallow batter to impart some colour in addition to the cherry puree as well as to increase the fruity taste. I adapted the sugar-free chocolate hazelnut cakepop from the one I used for my Christmas bear with present marshmallow class. You may sign up for the online class over here if you are interested! 

You may wonder if taste is compromised. I have various taste testers who love it and can't tell it's sugar-free! Main recipient was my hubby and he's glad to have a treat he can enjoy that's made in one of his favourite game characters!

I am not able to share this sugar-free recipe yet but I will have a studio and online class for a similar content in October so keep a lookout for it on my Instagram! For the time being, you may refer to my book Deco Marshmallows which has sugar-free recipes for both gelatin and agar based marshmallows where I use a different sugar replacement from the current one I am using.

You may refer to this reel for the video tutorial of making these adorable treats:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL9p9_Bpx8I/?igsh=MW81dng3OXdidmQzMQ==

Here are some works-in-progress pictures!

A shot of the Kirbys before I sliced one.

with lots of love,

Phay Shing

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Strawberry Cat Swiss Roll

 This is the third in a series of five cute animal Swiss rolls made using baby food puree. Strawberry cats!

See the bear Swiss roll over here and the chick Swiss roll over here.

I made them using strawberry puree from Popote. The puree contains a mix of apple and strawberry but you may make your own pure strawberry puree if you wish.  The great thing about using baby food purees for bakes is it doesn't contain additives and it's super smooth! 

I shared the detailed recipe and video tutorial in my Instagram reel over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL17i1LJoyb/?igsh=MWw3cHZqNjJ1cWIzMQ==

I will just share the ingredient list for your convenience.

I didn't add any food colouring as the strawberry emulsion already contains some red food coloring.

Strawberry swiss roll

Egg yolk batter:

3 egg yolks

30g oil of choice 

45g reduced puree with strawberry emulsion*

1/8 tsp salt

54g cake flour, sifted 

Meringue:

3 egg whites (110-120g)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

54g caster sugar

Filling:

25g reduced puree with strawberry emulsion*

75g whipping cream of choice 

Black parts:

5g butter

5g egg whites

5g cake flour

5g icing sugar

1/16 tsp charcoal powder or black cocoa powder

White chocolate chips for white parts of decoration

*Reduce strawberry puree to about 68% original weight. Add 1/2 tsp (5g) strawberry emulsion. Refrigerate until needed

Here are some pictures of the Swiss roll...

These were really fragrant and refreshing!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Easy Red Panda Macarons

 This bake came about because I wanted something simple to use up my leftover salted Dulce De Leche and Earl Grey ganache from my cat macaron bake. The design is simple enough for bakers who can't manage piping characters because you only need to pipe circles for these cute red pandas!

I used my default French method recipe that's in my Creative Baking: Macaron Basics book (but added earl grey tea powder) and one portion is enough to make all the macarons in the picture below.

I used white chocolate, Earl grey tea powder and chocolate Crispearls for decorating the red panda face. No edible markers or royal icing were used! 

Check out the tutorial for making these over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKwaINgJp1Y/?igsh=MW1kZm5zNWIxMDRpdQ==

Just to share a photo of the real life cutie we saw at the zoo recently!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Peach Turmeric Chick Swiss Roll

 Get ready for more cute animal Swiss rolls because it's going to be a series of them! After sharing my blackberry banana bear swiss rolls over here, I am going to share peach turmeric chick swiss rolls next!

Everything is made 100% naturally coloured, including the eyes and beaks!

I used peach puree from Popote_sg (Instagram account) but you may make your own if you wish.

The puree from Popote is actually a mix of peach and apple puree, with the latter added as a thickening agent.  Baby food purees are a convenient source for bakers because they are super smooth and do not contain additives! As the puree I used is a mix of fruits, the resulting swiss roll is fruity in flavour but not strongly peach-y. Natural fruit purees should be reduced to intensify the flavour in bakes.

You may find my recipe in the captions and pinned comment of this reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLPTslCp-Lj/?igsh=MW80NzJ4N2o1eDRieg==

Sharing some pictures of the swiss roll slices before transforming them into cute chicks!

Update: If you want to increase the fruitiness of the swiss roll, you may add 15g of passionfruit puree to 110g of peach puree before reducing it to 60% original weight. Feel free to increase the turmeric from 1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp as well.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Cat Macarons with Earl Grey Ganache & Salted Dulce De Leche

 I had a request for cat macarons (again!) so I wondered what design should I make this time since I have made various cat designs over the years and prefer not to make exact repeats. I turned to caroline_laura318 (Instagram account) for inspiration because in my opinion, her cat creations represent the cat-titude and playfulness of real cats the best.

Here's my set and I hope I did her work and the real felines justice!

I filled the macarons with Earl Grey white chocolate ganache and salted Dulce De Leche.

A closer look at the filling...

A closer look at the side profile...

You may wonder why my Earl Grey ganache looks so dark when I used white chocolate as the base. It's because I used both Earl Grey powder and loose leaves to impart a strong Earl Grey flavour.

I used my default Swiss meringue method recipe for the macaron shells. Please see the reel for the process as well as recipe for the fillings.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKbzvW2yHq9/?igsh=MXY4a3BzdGZiOGVpbw==

Thank God the macarons were very well received!

with love,

Phay Shing

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