The constant upgrading of our heartlands and neighbourhoods will soon drive away many of our favourite childhood hawker stalls and traditional confectioneries that sit comfortably underneath a HDB block. Big shots like Fairprice, Kopitiam, Breadtalk etc... are gradually replacing our wet markets, coffee shops, hawker stalls and old school bakeries. I moved to one of the condominium above a shopping mall few years ago and I have to admit that I really miss the neighbourhood that I used to grow up in. Peeping out of the window grills, you see mothers heading to the wet market even before the sun rises and old folks sitting around at the hawker centre slowly sipping their coffee and discussing about current affairs. I remembered I used to love those traditional butter cakes that were probably about the size of your fist and sealed in plastic bags. They were buttery, light and fluffy which I've not seen in the more commercial bakeries in shopping malls so far. Several things to note when baking this butter cake: 1. Use good butter. 2. Don't over work the mixture once flour is incorporated. 

Ingredients: ( Original Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Snippets)

175g Butter

130g Sugar

4 Large Eggs, separate yolks and whites (I used 5 small eggs)

175g Self Raising Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

25 ml Milk

1tbsp of Chocolate, melted. 

1. Preheat Oven to 170 degrees celsius. Sieve flour and salt and set it aside. Line and grease an 8.5x4.5 inch baking pan. (I used those disposable aluminium foil pan that are sold in NTUC)

2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scrapping down the side a couple of times. Add in the yolk one at a time. Beat well after adding each one. Then add in the milk. 

3. Fold in the flour in 3 batches. Mix well and set it aside. 

4. In another clean bow, whisk egg white on high speed until soft peaks, Fold in the egg white into the butter mixture until well blended. Do not over fold it or egg whites will deflate. Pour into te prepared cake pan

5. Microwave the chocolate until it melts add the chocolate all over the surface of the batter. Use a spoon the create the swirls by inserting the spoon into the batter and moving in S directions. 

5. Bake for about 40-45 mins or until the skewer comes out clean when inserted.