Recent Bakes

Long time since I post.. I think years? 
Been busy and ups and down in my life these while. From shifting house to changing job and now back to my old job.. (different job scope though)

Recent Cake that I did for XB sister. Unfortunately when we arrive the restaurant, one of the ear broke into 2 :(

It's Earl Grey Sponge with cream cheese frosting. Yums.

Forest Fruit Tea Chiffon. Have feedback that this is super good! 

It's still fluffy the next day!

Another birthday cake for XB sister.. She likes Cony so I decided to pipe out this and as usual, my ears almost fell out again :( (always like this!)

The sponge is slightly dense and the cake is quite heavy. Probably because of the sponge cake though...

Ondeh Ondeh Cake. Love this and my colleagues all love them. One of them even ordered from me for a friends gathering! Will post recipe soon!

By the way, I am now selling my Granola in Carousell or you may contact me to get your orders!

It's all Organic and Fresh. I only bake on the day before I send out my orders. Freshness guranteed :D

Pricing as follows

Brown Sugar Maple/Honey 

Packet Size

Small - $7.50 (200g)

Medium - $11 (300g)

Bottle Size 

Small - $8 (200g)

Big $18 (550g)

Add ons 

Cranberries/Chocolate Chips

+$1

Cheers!

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars.

I think my mind is blurred because I'm starting class soon. As it's coming nearer, my heart is getting weaker. And excited. And happy. And mad. And
And 
And
I don't know.
I think I have Didaskaleinophobia.

This class is going to kill me soon. I have already spend like a few hundred bucks just to buy class materials.
But everything is worth it. 

Anyway I'm so happy because I just made a Ruffle Cake over the weekends for  baby boy birthday. It was my first time doing a ruffle cake. And ... I'm quite happy with my results. 

YES. 

IT'S ANOTHER RAINBOW CAKE AGAIN.
BUT IT'S A RUFFLE RAINBOW CAKE! YAY!

Anyway I got this apple from my office as we have fruits day every week. 
I stole 5 apples. HOHOHO.

Actually I didn't steal. Carol told that I can take as many as I like. 

I wanted to tell her can I take the whole carton of apples instead?

And I'm just joking.



Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars
Yields: 12 big servings

For the salted caramel sauce:

1 cup - 200grams sugar

200ml heavy cream

1 tbsp - 14grams butter

1/4 tsp salt

For the apple filling:

5 cups - 500grams diced apples (green ones are preferable)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup - 62grams all-purpose flour

1 tsp cornstarch

3/4 cup - 150grams brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground allspice

For the crumble:

3 cups - 375grams all-purpose flour

1 cup - 200grams sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup - 226grams cold unsalted butter, diced

1 egg, lightly beaten

For the salted caramel sauce: Place heavy cream in a small bowl. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat in the bottom of a large saucepan until the sugar has liquified and turn into a deep amber colour. Swirl the pan occasionally to ensure even caramelization of the sugar. Off the heat, slowly stream in the heavy cream while whisking quickly to prevent the caramel from bubbling up too much and overflowing. Add the butter and and salt and stir to combine. Cool the caramel completely before using.

For the crust: Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer or if you do not have a standing mixer you can use a pastry cutter. Add the cubes of cold butter, mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add in the egg and mix until the dough starts to clump together.

Take about 3/4 of the dough and press it into the bottom of a greased and floured 8 x 8 inch pan evenly. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Store the remaining 1/4 of the dough in the fridge as well while you prepare the apple filling.Bake the crust for 15 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Prepare the apple filling.

For the apple filling: Combine the diced apples and lemon juice together in a large bowl and toss to coat the apples. In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together. Pour this mixture over the apples and carefully combine.

Pour the apple filling over the crust and drizzle over the salted caramel sauce. You will only need 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Crumble the remaining dough over the apples and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the crumble topping has browned and the apples are soft. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes:

As caramel needs time to cool, I suggest you make the caramel a day before.
This is best served on the day itself. Any left over can be store in a air tight container and reheat but the texture will not be as nice as eaten on the day itself.

Rainbow Cake.

I swear I'm going to make entretment some day. 
I will do it. 

But I just don't have the courage to do it. 
I read somewhere from a blogger that entretment is very very time consuming. 
But when the final piece is done, It's better then ANYTHING you made. And when I say ANYTHING. I mean ANYTHING. I mean even having to lose your precious sleep, or not having to bath for a few weeks.

I'm just kidding.

Wait for my next post. Or maythe the post after next. Or maybe the post after next post. 

ok. Don't roll your eyes alright?

Unfortunately, 

I'm not able to cut out the cake as this was a order from someone. 
But I'm overall satisfied with my performance this time. 

Do you like this? 
By the way, check out my new page for customized cake 

:D :D :D

Till we see again!

Mango Rose Tart.

Gloomy. 
I don't know why I'm feeling gloomy. Like the weather. 

Probably it's because my school is starting soon.

OMG.


I'm probably having pre-exam-school depression. 
I hated going to school since young. Actually I hate exams. I get the jitters all around because I know the moment I step in the exam hall my mind is all blank. SIGH. 


Actually I feel excited as well. Mix feelings.

Anyway, I'm not going to talk about this first. It's not important. 

I made this tart over the weekend. 
It's using my basic shortcrust pastry (kindly change all to plain flour) for the base and pastry cream for the filling. 
The toppings are mangos. I made a BIG flower. 


Does it look like a flower?!
If you say no I'm going to kill you.

I'm just saying. 

Oh yes, by the way Happy Birthday to everyone born in June.
And Happy Father's day.




Mango Tart
Yields: 9 inch tart

Tart Base :

200grams plain flour
2 teaspoon castor sugar
7 tablespoon - 100grams cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg yolk + 3 tablespoon water
A pinch of salt
A little egg white for brushing the shell

Pastry Cream:

1 2/3 cup - 400ml full cream milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup - 100grams sugar
2 tablespoon cake flour
2 tablespoon corn flour
100ml whipping cream

Topping: 

2 to 3 sweet ripe mangos

Method:

Tart Base:

In a large bowl, combine both flour, sugar and salt. Mix well.
Add in butter and using your finger tips or pastry cutter, rub until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the egg yolk mixture and combine using your hands to form into a dough.
Wrap the dough in a cling wrap and chill for about 1 to 2 hours. 
Remove the dough from fridge and roll out your dough in between baking paper
Roll out your dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and slightly larger then the tart pan.
Transfer the dough over to the tart pan and trim off the edges.
Chill again for another 15 minutes. 
Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Prick your tart base with a fork and blind bake for 20 minutes. 
Remove from oven and brush with a layer of egg white on partially bake tart shells and bake another 15 minutes uncovered. 
Remove from oven and let set aside to let cool. 

Pastry Cream:

Pastry Cream:

In a medium pot, pour milk and turn fire on low heat.
When it begins to boil, turn off fire. (You will know when the side starts forming little bubbles)
In another medium heatproof bowl, light beat egg yolks and add in sugar. 
Using a balloon whisk or a normal whisk, beat the mixture together until light in colour.
Combine the cake flour and corn flour and sieve together. 
Add in to egg yolk mixture and combine.
Gradually add the slightly cooled milk in 3 to 4 addition to egg yolk mixture and stir thoroughly. 
(Add in slowly to avoid cooking the eggs!)
Strain the egg yolk mixture back to the pot.
Over low heat, stir quickly but slowly to let the mixture thicken. (It should take about 3 minutes)
**You have to stir very quickly as this is very important to not let the eggs be cooked or burn the bottom 
When it begins to form bubble at the sides, remove from heat and transfer to a flat tray beneath a ice bath.
Once cooled, cover the pastry cream with cling wrap touching the cream. 
The reason for doing this is to prevent a crust from forming. 
Store it in the fridge as soon as possible as pastry cream spoils fast. 
This pastry cream can be done a day in advance.

Assembly:

Whip the 100ml whipping cream to stiff peaks and fold into the pastry cream until combined.
Spread or pipe the pastry cream onto the cool tart shell. 
Slice mangos into thin strips. 
Starting from the inside of the tart, overlap your mangos each onto other to form a rose shape or you may decorate whatever you want. 
Place in the fridge for another hour and serve chill. 

Inside Ombre with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Cake : A Celebration Cake!

FIRSTLY, I would like to wish anybody whose birthday falls on June. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


I was overwhelmed, excited, nervous, happy when I'm doing this.
Suddenly everything feeling that you could describe came to me.


I love doing celebration cakes. 
Birthdays cake. Umm..

Chocolate cakes, Strawberry, Vanilla.

And It's for a friend birthday. 
I use 2 days to get this cake done. From baking the cake to frosting and pipping the rosette. 
By the time I'm done with washing and cleaning up, it was about 1am.
(Don't get me wrong I didn't start from morning and ended only at 1am. What do you think I was making? Mount Everest Cake?!)

But it was worth it. I'm super excited about the cake. 
But there's still flaws. And I actually smudged the sides of the cake because of my clumsiness. 
Goodness me. I hope no one hates me.


We had late lunch over at at friend's place. And after that we cut the cake. 
We sang happy birthday and it was awful. 

I mean me.

I didn't manage to take a photo of the insides. This photo was taken from my friend's camera. 

Earl Grey Chocolate cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Today as I was walking out to get lunch, the rain suddenly came down.
So heavily. I have no choice but to grab something below my office food court. 

And it's not really nice.
Not that it matters you know. 
Not that I wanna mention.
Not that it has to be the top of this post.

Anyway.

This post won't be having a recipe as it isn't improvise yet..

Just..... Photos. 

The lady who requested this actually asked me for a long time but I didn't have the time to do it. 
I'm always afraid of doing piping because my piping skills really sucks.

And the reason I didn't post a recipe for this is because my cake taste weird. 
I don't know, just weird. But if you like to try the cake you may refer to shutterbean blog.

Her photos are so beautiful.


It's my bad actually, It's not the recipe giver's fault.
I might have over fold my batter. It taste dense. 

But those who have tried, a few said that it's quite good. 
But I still feel the need to improvise. 


And of cause, brush up on my piping skills.
But on a happier note, this is my first time piping roses on a whole cake!

OH YAY!

I'm just trying to praise myself. 

For the roses, I am using SMBC and I used colour gel to achieve the type of colours I want.
I just did a crumb coat for the cake and later on pipe on the roses. 

PHEW.

Thank you for viewing and I hope you have a nice day.

Baked Churros.

It's good to indulge once in awhile. 
But it's even better to indulge everyday..

As in if you are not afraid of gaining a few more pounds,

Or growing sideways.


Just saying.
As a Singaporean, I would say a lot of people here are very self concious. 
Not too sweet (dessert), not too salty(food), not too fat and many more ''NOT TOO''.

Actually I'm talking about myself. 
But I like desserts. Any kind of dessert as long as it's not outrageously sweet, I can accept it. 
Like these churros here, they are not overly sweet and one plus point is it's baked! Not fried. HORRAY!!! You can have more without the guilt. 

The first time I tried these babies was at Universal Studios .
The ones that I've eaten were the fried ones. Rolled in cinnamon sugar and served warm, they taste so heavenly! And the ones they are selling are really long probably about 8 to 10 inches. I've been wanting to make these but I couldn't find the time to do it. 

Excuses. 

Anyway.

Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar mixture, these babies are heavenly. 

Or maybe your could dipped them in some chocolate sauce...
I dipped them in white chocolate. I have problem sprinkling them with sugar mixture probably because they were baked.

So I have to brush them with some melted butter in order for the sugar mixture to stick on the churros.

These heavenly churros are best eaten warm. So good.

Baked Churros
Yields: A dozen or more depending on how long you pipe it.


Ingredients:

1 cup - 240ml water

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup - 75grams unsalted butter

1 cup - 125grams all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sugar mixture:

1/4 cup - 50grams sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste) 1 tablespoon - 14grams melted butter, to be brushed on churros.

Some white chocolate, melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Line 2 baking tray with parchment paper. 
In a medium saucepan, combine water, brown sugar and salt.
Add butter and place over medium high heat. 
Heat until butter is melted and mixture starts to boil. 
Remove from heat and add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. 
Mixture will start to clump. Keep stirring until no streaks of flour can be seen. 
Place the saucepan back on low heat, stirring slowly until a thin layer of flour mixture sticks on saucepan. 
Remove from heat and using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, press it flat to let it cool for about 5 minutes. 
In a small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla extract and lightly beat the eggs. 
Once the flour mixture has reach room temperature, slowly pour in the egg mixture bit by bit, mixing well after each addition before adding in the next. 
It will look curdle but don't worry, it will come together eventually. 
Stir well until the egg are incorporated and mixture has the appearance of mashed potato.
Transfer dough to a pipping bag fitted with closed star tip or whatever tip you may like. 
It will still be as delicious as it is. 
Pipe dough onto baking tray lined with parchment paper in long strips. 
You can also pipe them in different length. (like me)
Use a scissors to cut off the end of the dough from the pipping tip, leaving about  inch in space between the churros in order to let them rise and expand during baking.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the churros turn golden brown. 
Turn oven to broiler setting and watch carefully as churros toast and turn brown.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly. 
Combine the sugar and cinnamon and pour onto a long dish.
Brush the churros with some melted butter and roll them all over with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bon Appétit 

Source: Latina.com

Banana Nutella Swirl Bread.

Anything with Nutella is never wrong. 

They won't go wrong, how can that possibly be right?
And the addition of banana.

Yummy.

As I was typing Nutella, the computer actually suggested another word. 

WHAT? You mean Nutella doesn't exist in the dictionary? 
This is pathetic.


Just saying.

Anyway, this banana bread is fantastic.

Moist, soft, fluffy.

................................

with Nutella. 

I use the overripe bananas who people always think that it's too disgusting to be consumed.

Let me tell you something, you are so wrong.

You can use the bananas to make it into a cake, or bread. Or cupcakes.

Or, whatever you can think of.

Never waste these precious. They make the best out of dessert!

Nutella Banana Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup + 9 tablespoon - 200grams all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt 

2 eggs, room temperature

6 tablespoon - 85grams butter, melted and cool

5/8 cup - 120grams brown sugar

1/4 cup - 60ml milk

3 bananas, mashed until no lumps

3/4 cup - 85grams nutella 

1 teaspoon rum or vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

Grease a loaf pan with butter. 

In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar, milk, eggs and rum. Mix until just combine. 

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until smooth.

Add mashed bananas into batter and mix until just combined.

Place nutella on heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water and stir until it becomes runny.

Alternatively, you may microwave about 20 seconds to soften it. 

Take about 2/3 of the nutella and drizzle over the banana batter. 

Gently fold the nutella using a spatula. Do not over mix.

Carefully pour batter onto prepared grease pan evenly so that the swirl will be even. 

Add the remaining nutella and swirl the batter again.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, depending on your oven. 

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack before serving. 

Or just eat them warm.

FANTASTIC.

By: Black Baker