Marble butter cupcake / Butter cake

Josh turns two today! :) 

2 years ago, I woke up at 7am, got myself ready for my routine check up with my gynae at the hospital. Little did I know I was gonna be pushed into the OT that day, and I would meet the lil' fella that day itself. 

A year ago, I woke up at 5am, if not earlier, to prepare for the lil' fella's first birthday cake, I made chocolate cupcake decorated with owl for his halloween-themed birthday party. 

Today I woke up at 6:15am. I made a simple but delicious butter cake, marbled, in a log form (topped with plenty of sunflower seeds) and 2 cupcakes. We're not gonna have any lavishing celebration this year, it's just gonna be a simple one with the family. I prepped his lunch (spaghetti with creamy mushroom sauce), I boiled him some red eggs and got his breakfast ready (steamed bun). Yea, it does seem too much of a breakfast spread for a little two year old. This is my wish for him, that he shall have nothing to worry about, his tummy shall be filled and he'll always be happy in his future years to come. 

I made this very good butter cake few months ago, here. It has gotten very good review from many bloggers so far. So I have decided that I would make it for the lil' fella's birthday cake. I was initially gonna make the easier Steamed Moist Chocolate Cupcake, but I couldn't get unsalted butter. And the only recipe that would go well with the savory butter would be butter cake. And no regrets. It was good! This time, I didn't drastically down the sugar level, cos I used salted butter, worrying that reducing the sugar may affect the ultimate taste. 

Ingredients: 

• 230g butter, soft 
• 80g brown sugar 
• 1tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/8tsp salt (I omitted this, cos I used unsalted butter in this recipe) 
• 4 egg yolk
• 1tbsp fresh milk
• 200g cake flour 
• 1tsp baking powder

• 4 egg white
• 80g brown sugar

For marbling effect: 

• 1tbsp cocoa powder
• 3tbsp hot water

Topping: sunflower seeds (optional) 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 170degC. Line a loaf tin. (This time I baked mine at 155degC) 
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
3. Add in yolks, one at a time, and beat until fluffy. 
4. Sift in flour and baking powder and mix well. Set aside. 
5. Beat egg white with sugar till turns to soft peak in another bowl. 
6. Fold egg white meringue into yolk batter. Mix well and fold in the rest. 
7. In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder and hot water until there is no lumps. Mix into 3-4 tbsp batter in another bowl. 
8. Pour yellow batter in lined tin, followed by brown cocoa batter. 
9. Sprinkle generous amount of sunflower seeds on top of batter. 
10. Bake for 40min (for cupcakes, I baked for 20min) or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Merry Christmas dear son!

Dear baby J,

 

Mommy started this blog to log down everything about you, never have I known that it will turn into more of a food blog, mostly your food, and some of mommy’s cakes and papa’s breakfast. I hope that one day you’ll be able to read this blog and understand more about your own ‘growing up’.

 

This is your second Christmas with us. Mommy can vividly remembers our first Christmas. You were a peaceful one and let us finished our Christmas dinner at peace on Christmas eve. But you woke early on Christmas day, not wanting to miss out anything that happens around you. *The reason why I thought, 'I don't wanna miss a thing' by Aerosmith perfectly describes you :p (Mommy was sorry cos mommy was always rushing, pumping milk, washing and sterilizing your bottles, getting your going-out bag ready etc etc etc). You should definitely check out the song, wonder if it's still available in your era.

 

Second Christmas, it's 7:49am now, and you're still in bed with Papa. Your breakfast and your hot choco-milk has been prepared and well-laid out. But it's alright. You can lie in, cos it's a holiday today, and mommy gets to check my facebook and wishes all friends and families 'Merry Christmas'.

 

 

You're definitely the most precious gift granted by Dear Lord to your mommy and papa. You make us grow, trying to be your perfect parents. Your liveliness (guess this is the nicer term than calling you an active baby) keeps us on-the-go at all time, and allow us to never stay idle thus keeping ourselves fit and active.

 

You love mommy's food, giving face to every single meal mommy has prepared for you. You're a friendly and chatty one. When we were out for our Christmas eve dinner last night, you were seated beside another boy, a quiet boy, and you have overwhelmed him with your chattiness. Hohoho.. I wonder where that comes from :p

 

 

You're very curious about your surroundings. You call every moving and fury animals 'wow wow'. You love travelling with mommy and papa. But you get really excited and you do not mind forfeiting your nap time just to be awake to know what happens around you. I think that's a good thing cos mommy gets to bring you out for parties and travels and night-out, without you fussing. But sometimes (or most of the time), mommy only wants an early lie-in on the very comfy bed, having my arms over you (of course, you'll push me away, cos you're the sort who doesn't like to be confined).

 

You don't like to be confined. You don't sleep in a cot. You sleep on mommy and papa's big bed, taking up about half of the space. You don't use a walker (you cried loudly when you were placed into a walker at cuz' Kit's place). Some strangers tried to carry you but you cried-protested, and they said, 'O no.. you fear strangers'. I looked at her, thought to myself, 'try let me carry and hug you limiting your movements, tell me if you'll like that?'. Darn, I hate this. Papa said you're inheriting mommy's feistiness, and I sure don't want that. You just inherit as little of it, as possible, alright?

My favorite 'spidey-boy' diaper

 

 

Mommy wishes you a very blessed Christmas. May the Lord showers his mercy and blessings upon you, dear Son. May you always be healthy and happy!

 

With love, Mommy