Gula Melaka Butter Cake

Ever since using palm sugar, also known as Gula Melaka in baking Ondeh Ondeh Cupcake and the recent Banana Gula Melaka Sponge Cake, somehow, we have fallen in love with this fragrant caramel-like taste in our cakes.

Have bookmarked this recipe for the longest time. As my mother in-law likes butter cake, baked a fragrance butter cake to celebrate Mother's Day together earlier this month.

Recipe adapted from: Victoria Bakes
My slight adjustments made below
Gula Melaka Butter Cake
One 8x8 inch square pan
Ingredients
A
200g chopped gula melaka
100ml coconut milk
2 - 3 pieces of pandan leaves, washed clean and tie a knot

B
250g salted butter, room temperature
40g Light Muscovado sugar

C
5 eggs (the size of my egg is 60g each with shell)

D
200g cake flour
5g baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
20g coconut cream powder

Method :
1) Place ingredients A in a small saucepan, cook on low heat for about 8 - 10 minutes till palm sugar dissolved. Stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Off the heat and discard the pandan leave. Set aside to cool.

2) Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

3) Combine ingredients D in a medium bowl, sift and set aside.

4) Grease and line one 8 × 8 inch square baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.

5) Beat ingredients B until light and fluffy with electric stand mixer (about 2 - 3 mins). Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add ingredients C, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

6) With the mixer on low speed, add alternately the ingredients A & D, starting with D (flour mixture in three additions) and gula melaka mixture (in two additions) [starting and ending with the flour mixture]. Mix only until combined.

7) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, level the top with spatula and bake in preheated oven at 170°C for about 40 - 50 minutes. (Mine was done at 43 mins. and tent with an aluminium foil in the last 10 minutes of baking). Check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center if it comes out clean.

8) Removed cake pan from oven and let rest for a few minutes in the pan before carefully transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.





I have a little leftover whipped cream in the freezer and gula melaka coconut filling from making Odeh Odeh. Cut two mini cakes and frost them with some whipped cream and a few spoonfuls of gula melaka coconut. Indulge myself with one and the other piece for my mother in-law.  Blessed Mother's Day :)
Enjoyed our afternoon coffee break with a big slice of buttery cake that's filled with the richness of palm and coconut fragrance!

Happy Baking!