Ondeh Ondeh Cupcakes

I've been wanting to try this recipe for ages! The traditional Malaysian dessert Onde Onde is one of my all time favourite desserts and now Onde Onde cakes and cupcakes seems to be a craze at the moment in Singapore and Malaysia as I keep seeing it popping up on social media, bakeries and cafes.  When I came across this video on FB months ago - https://www.facebook.com/whisknfold/videos/458841401133703/

it looks so delicious and if there weren't so many steps, my lazy butt would have gotten around to it before now.

Well today, I finally did it! Yes it was a bit of work baking the cupcakes, making the palm sugar caramel and then the buttercream but it was well worth it.

If you like to have a go, check out the video link above but if you don't have FB, here is the recipe! :D

Ingredients:
(Makes 20 cupcakes)

Pandan Cupcake:
300g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
180g unsalted butter, softened
240g sugar
3 large eggs
180ml coconut milk
1 tsp pandan paste

Salted Gula Melaka Caramel:
200g gula melaka, cut into smaller pieces
60ml water
2 pandan leaves, knotted
60ml coconut milk
45g butter
1 tsp salt

Italian Buttercream:
2 egg whites
40g sugar
80g sugar
20g water
200g unsalted butter, soft but not melted

Method:

1. To make cupcakes, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Beat eggs in one at a time, then add pandan paste.
2. Sift together cake flour, baking power and salt. Fold in 1/3 of flour mixture
3. Fold in ½ of the coconut milk, then another third of flour mixture, alternating until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Portion into lined muffin tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180oC/350oF for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and cool.
5. Meanwhile, make salted gula melaka caramel: place gula melaka, pandan leaves and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved and mixture thickens slightly.
6. Remove pandan leaves, then turn heat down to low and stir in butter and coconut milk. Keep stirring and boiling until caramel has thickened.
7. Remove caramel from heat and stir in salt. Set caramel aside to cool and thicken
8. To make buttercream, place 80g of sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar reaches 116oC
9. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites and remaining 40g sugar in an electric mixer until soft peaks
10. When sugar has reached the desired temperature, slowly add cooked sugar syrup in a slow and steady stream into the egg whites while the mixer is on high speed
11. When all the sugar has been added, keep whipping the meringue until it cools to room temperature
12. Once meringue is at room temperature, add in butter a bit at a time into the meringue while whisking at medium speed. When all the butter is added and the mixture is smooth, put buttercream into a piping bag with a star tip
13. To assemble cupcakes, make a hole in the middle of each cupcake by using an apple corer. Fill with salted gula melaka caramel, then pipe frosting over the top of the cupcake. Garnish with fresh shredded coconut, then drizzle salted caramel over the top
14. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

...and if you would like to try the traditional Onde Onde I've made before, just click on the link to take you there.

Happy Baking and of course, enjoy!