Birthday Cakes Galore

So many birthdays & celebration in the month of October in my family. Creamed the most cakes this month lol! If only if its just click & done like Cake Mania!
A home-bake cake represents my blessings for them, may they have a sweet year ahead!
In the subsequent month, upcoming will be ds and dh birthday.
More to come...Stay tune!



upcoming post - - > my encounter with tangzhong bread making

Chocolate Enigma

a chocoholic, a chiffon lover...
please join me the matrimony with binding ingredients of these two, i announce the marriage of ChocoChiffon.
now, will you take my hand a slice, forgo the calories count & your waistline.
Cross your fingers and repeat after me.
"In token and pledge of our constant craving and abiding love,
with this cake, let us indulge... bon appetit!"

love is in the air. enjoy with a delicious cup of crema brewed coffee

Bitter Choc Chiffon with Choc-chips & Ganache

Ingredients:



(A) Valrhona Bitter chocolate 100g (chopped)

      corn oil 10ml

(B) 3 yolks

      sugar 20g

    

(C) water 40ml

    

(D) Cake flour 60g

      Valrhona cocoa powder 10g

      baking powder 1/2tsp

     

(E) 5 whites

      40g sugar

(F) choc-chips 2 1/2tbsp

Choc Ganache:

100g Whipping cream

100g Valrhona Bitter Choc

Method:

1. Sieve Cake flour with cocoa powder and baking powder. Put aside

2. Preheat oven to 170deg C

3. Double boil to melt (A). Stir till smooth

4. In another bowl, whisk (B) till pale in colour

5. Add in melted choc (A) mixture, add (C) stir till combine

6. Add in (D), fold till mixture well-mixed. follow by adding in the choc-chips(F).

7. In another bowl, whisk whites(E) till frothy, add sugar. Whisk till peak

8. Fold gently 1/3 whites with chocolate mixture

9. Fold the balance of whites

10. Pour batter into 7" cake pan

11. Baking time around 40mins

12. Insert skewer to check if cake is done

13. Overturn cake tin to cool cake

14. Unmould cake

15. Prepare choc ganache

16. Double boil whip cream till boiling

17. Add in choc cubes. Stir till choc melts

18. Pour ganache onto top of cool chiffon

19. Ready to serve!

Recipe reference & adapted from Chiffon Cake Book



Have a break, have a cookie!

My children all time favourite, crunchy almond flakes & chocolate chip cookies.

We were at Parkway doing some shopping the other day, as usual when we passed by basement one Famous Amos, my boys would asked for some cookies. Not to disapoint them, i baked some right away upon back home for my three hungry cookie monsters! Craving satisfied!!!

While me tug away with a tub of cookies beside, stitching my time away...

Crunchy Almond flakes & chocolate chips cookies

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour                                              

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks of softened butter (225g)

1 cup castor sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1tsp vanilla

*abt 2cups semisweet chocolate chips

* 50g macadamia nuts

* 50g almond flakes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180deg.

2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in small bowl; set aside.

3. Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended.

5. Gradually beat in flour mixture until blended.

6. Stir in chocolate chips and almond flakes.

7. Drop dough onto cookie sheets

8. Baking time about 15mins or until cookies are set.

9. Cool cookies before storing.

Recipe reference: The Cookie Bible



SYLT FLÄDER & APELSIN Orange & Elderflower marmalade Chiffon

okie! to simplify it, this is an orange chiffon basically with the addition of organic marmalade i bought from one of my favourite shopping paradise, Ikea.
Many reasons why i love to shop at Ikea. Some inspiration on how i should redecorate our cosy country home, dine at the Bistro with my favourite finger-licking good chicken wings or just simply enjoy a fika between my shopping. Before heading out the store, a detour to the Swedish food market is a must. Every trip, bag with pleasant surprises.

Love the 1960's feel on these photos.

If only i can turn back the clock, bring the wheel of time to stop...*humming Johnny hates Jazz* 

Highlight for today's bake, Organic SYLT FLÄDER & APELSIN Orange & Elderflower marmalade. One of the treasure i found in Ikea. I usually serve it with bread, spread on crisp toast for breakfast. Love the citrusy orange peel, the refreshing taste with the addition of the marmalade to my chiffon.

The icing, was oh sooo good! Sweet to the palate but balance off with the zesty orange peel. Pistachios added crunch to the soft pillowy chiffon. Just a little way to dress up a plain chiffon.

Ingredients:                                  

(A) 5 yolks

      40g sugar

      60g Orange & Elderflower marmalade

      80ml Corn Oil

      70ml Orange Juice

      Cake Flour 130g

      1 Orange rind

(B) 7 whites

      40g sugar

Icing:
100g Icing sugar

10-15 ml water
*to thin the icing, just adjust by adding more water to dilute

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170deg C

2. Whisk yolk and sugar till sugar dissolved, pale in colour

3. Mix orange juice with Orange & Elderflower marmalade and add into yolk mixure till combined.

4. Add corn oil, orange rind till well-mixed

5. Add in sieved flour. Fold till combined.

6. Whisk whites till frosty, add in sugar gradually whisk till medium peak

7. Fold 1/3 white gently into yolk mixture

8. Follow by folding the rest of white till well-combined.

9. Pour batter into 21" tube pan bake for about 45mins or till baked.

10.Overturn chiffon tin to cool cake.

11. Prepare icing topping by boiling water with icing sugar.

12. Stir till sugar dissolved.

13. While its warm(do not wait till icing cool down, it will harden) pour icing on top of chiffon

14. Spoon some marmalade with orange peel, brush on top of the icing.

15. Sprinkle some pistachios on chiffon

Enjoy~

Recipe reference & adapted from: 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手

                                                       福田淳子

Little treats, Big flavors!

Nothing beats good old classic chocolate cupcakes for a delightful afternoon treats.

Little treats, great companion made moment like this such a pleasure... 简单就是美!



Classic Chocolate Cupcakes     

Ingredients:

225g Unsalted butter (soften)

225g Caster sugar

225g Self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder

4 eggs

1 tsp Vanilla essence

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175deg C

2. Line paper cases in muffin tin

3. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, whisk with an electric until smooth, about 2 to 3 mins
4. Spoon the batter into the cases.

5. Bake about 20mins

6. Remove cupcakes and cool on rack

Recipe adapted from: 500 cupcakes & muffins

                                    fergal connolly

Have a happy Sunday!

Jessie

Chocolate Truffle Cake

A picture speaks a thousand words till i find my lost blogging mojo...

♥        ♥        ♥       ♥

I come from a big family. That means, almost every other month there sure be birthday celebration. In fact, a few just in the month of October.
The wonderful thing of baking birthday cake is that i get to practise my creaming that often and the greatest satisfaction, has to be the well-received comments.
Rich chocolate cake with fleulletine base, topped with creamy ganache and chocolate truffles for my 4th bro.

Jessie

Let's PLAY!

I hope my three boys will grow up to be a new-age guy aka 新好男人! Other than baking & cooking with them during their free time, it creates great bonding for the family too.

My little chefs headstarted their home-econ lessons right from young with staple of imaginative "kitchen wares" and nurturing through play-and-learn.

As children love to emulate adults, masak-masak time provides great learning tools for pretend play. As they are older now, they put their imiginative play into real practise in the kitchen be it cooking up a meal, whipping up a cake or simply lending me a hand that forms part of their growing-years memories.

I have some fast and easy to whip recipes whenever i get my boys to involve in the fun. This French Almond Cake is one from the many. With just some weighing and stirring, this cake is ready for our afternoon tea with some excitment anticipation.

We had this between our play time. One for you, one for me...

My youngest boy of 3 years old is my little assistant in the kitchen. He "cooks" for me rather often! He's probably serving me strawberry jam with french fries today?

Back to the high-light for today is this traditional sponge cake flavoured with ground almond delicately reminiscent of another teatime treat from France. Buttery, moist with the fragrance from the ground almond. This cake goes well with coffee or tea. It simply proves that a cake can be just as luscious yet simple as this without compromising the taste.

If they can bake it, so can you!

French Almond Cake

Ingredients:

110g Unsalted Butter (softened)

150g Caster sugar

3 Large eggs (beaten)

90g Ground almonds

40g Self-raising Flour

1tbsp milk or Kirsch

1tbsp flaked almonds (for sprinkling)

icing sugar (for dusting)

Method:

1. Greased and base-lined a 20cm diameter cake tin

2. Preheat oven to 180deg C

3. Put butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl.

4. Add in the almonds, flour and milk, beat till light & fluffy

5. Spoon into the prepared tin and spread evenly.

6. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of batter

7. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-35mins or until sponge springs back when pressed.

8. Run a round bladed knife around the inside edge of the tin to loosen the sponge

9. Turn out cake onto a wire rack and let cool.

10. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

11. Store in an airtight tin and eat with 5 days

Recipe reference: Easy Cakes by Linda Collister

Enjoy!

Jessie

Strawberry Shortcake

My filipino helper have been with us for many years. Ever since i started baking, i make it a culture in my family to receive home-bake birthday cake specially bake by me as a gift and for well wishes. Thus, she gets one for her birthday every year too. The very first cake i baked for her then, she commented never in her life she celebrated her birthday with a cake. That wrenched my heart.
As long as she is with us, i will make sure every of her birthday is make special and nothing less than a birthday cake...
And this year, its Strawberry Shortcake for that someone special in the family.

Three layers of light vanilla sponges sandwiched with fresh whipped cream.

Topped with  strawberries, decorated side with croquant. This cake is refreshing & light!

I'm truly lucky as my helper is godsend, a gem.Under my influence, she picked up cross-stitching and baking. It's nice to share the same hobby with someone close at heart. She bakes pretty well now and  gets to practise her skills whenever she goes on her off days sharing her bakes with her friends. I hope other than the skills i have imparted to her during her stay with us, fundamentally its the basis of care that bond us with sentimental memories to stay. Looking forward for many good years to come...