Leaving Japan without getting yourself a souvenir of some kind is almost impossible. There’s just so many to choose from (Tokyo Banana, Royce’ Nama Chocolate and Shiroi Koibito to name a few ?) and among the many popular ones is baumkuchen, a traditional German cake also known as tree cake. Regarded as a popular ‘return’ gift at weddings, this sweet treat is well-loved throughout Japan and while you can find a Muslim-friendly version of baumkuchen, they're not always easy to locate. So with this halal baumkuchen recipe, you can bake it whenever you’d like in the comfort of your own home!
Ingredients (serves 12)
- 1 ½ cup plain flour
- 6 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 1 ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- Cooking oil
Directions
- Crack the eggs and separate the whites and yolks. Refrigerate the whites and keep the yolks at room temperature.
- In a mixing bowl, sift flour and baking powder then set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat milk and butter for 1 minute until the mixture is completely melted.
- Prepare a meringue by combining egg whites and ⅓ of sugar. Whisk the mixture then add another ⅓ of the sugar. Sprinkle in the remaining sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add all the egg yolks in at one time and stir to combine.
- Gently fold in the sifted flour. Then take a scoop of the batter and add it to the milk and butter mixture. Stir until everything is mixed well, return it to the flour and egg mixture and combine until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
- If you’ve got a pan similar to the ones used to make tamagoyaki go ahead and use it, otherwise a small regular pan will do the trick too. Grease it lightly with butter and spread a thin layer of batter on top.
- Once bubbles start to form, carefully flip it over and cook the other side for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Roll the cooked layer forward, away from the handle, until it reaches the other end. Push the rolled layer back towards the handle, then add the next ¼ quarter of the batter. Spread it around the bottom of the pan and up till’ the edge of the rolled layer. Similar to the first layer, wait until bubbles start to form before rolling. For a visual guide, make sure to check out the video below:
- Repeat step 9 until you’ve used up the remaining batter. Then, leave it aside to cool completely. Slice the cake into 12 equal portions, serve and enjoy!
Baumkuchen is definitely far from your average cake and though it may take a few more necessary steps to make, one bite of this layered dessert will make it all worthwhile ?