Cheddar Cheese Butter Cake

There are still tubs of unfinished new year goodies sitting around on the table. But why...why am I still thinking about baking? I tell myself, "Give yourself a break!" Or at least give your waistline a break! But I will be kidding myself if I say I am totally gonna go on diet. Perhaps I need something different besides those NY cookies, a cake maybe, an unusual sort of cake. :) My poor daughter has been bringing kueh lapis to school for the past 3 days for her recess snack. As much as I know it's one of her favorite, I also know that one cannot eat it continuously for so many days! Furthermore I have already had a long enough break (10 days) away from baking so why not just get busy now! But I ain't gonna toil away in the kitchen just yet...today I merely just whipped up a some sort unusual cake, simple yet delicious one though; Cheddar Cheese butter cake. :)I know, you must be wondering if I have a typo or something...nope, you see right, it's Cheddar Cheese alright. Those that you sandwich between your buns plus your BLT. Indeed an unusual ingredient to be in a cake. But I was really intrigued by the usage of a savory cheese and how the end product will taste....is it salty or sweet? Since the recipe was really an easy one to follow, I just went ahead with it.

Ingredients for Cheddar Cheese Butter Cake: (makes 2 medium loafs)

80g grated Cheddar Cheese ( I use Kraft brand)
250g all purpose flour
225g caster sugar
250g butter, room temp
4 eggs, room temp
1 tsp baking powder
100ml buttermilk (or 100ml fresh milk plus 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, let stand 5 mins)
50g shredded Cheddar Cheese for topping

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Greased and lined 2 medium loaf tins with parchment.
  
• Cream the butter and sugar together till it's light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.
• Sift in 1/4 portion of the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture, followed by 1/3 of the buttermilk. Repeat this until all flour and buttermilk has been used and blended in.
• Stir in the shredded Cheddar and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared tins.
• Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or till the tester comes out clean or with just moist crumbs.
• Cool the cakes on racks before slicing.

Well, you know what, it is just like what you would imagine...IT IS salty and sweet...all baked up in this golden loaf. The crusty, cheesy top is chewy and salty, a real nice savory contrast from the sweet, moist and buttery cake on the inside. :) In fact, I can still see shreds of cheese inside the cake, giving it extra texture and taste...yum-o! ;)
Okay I admit, the cheese top's color is a bit off...not as golden as I hoped it will turned out. Perhaps that Halogen oven is not that strong? Anyways this is still a lovely treat to have during afternoon tea break. And I bet my daughter will enjoy this tomorrow in school. She has already requested me to pack 2 slices for her after taste testing it just now. :P

Final Thoughts: Will be out of town this weekend to meet up all of my dear friends back in KL. Really looking forward to that. Furthermore, I will also be attending a blogger's gathering...thanks to Quinn. ;) An exciting event that I will definitely not miss! Wonder how and what "sparks" will be triggered during this gathering, hahaha! Will keep everyone posted....have a super duper great weekend all! ;)