my first BAG cake ^______^

2 nights of hard work has really paid off!!!!!!! got asked by my friend to make a cake for her manager's birthday. so i decided to make a bag-cake since ive always wanted to try!!!! i can tell u .. its not easy job. its so tricky!!!!! i was having doubt it wouldnt turn out right .. but thankfully it was pretty successful!!!!! :] thanks to my sister for helping me out as well!! heehee!!!

its a chocolate genoise with cabury-lindt cream and buttercream :]

hope she will like it!!!!!! im off to deliver it now. the bags so heavy. hope i can manage! hahaha!!!












love the candles!!! HEEHEE!!!!

buttercream daiquiri with a stwbry on top! :]

happy birthday dave! :]

this was quite a funny day. i got up and started baking for this special day, just when i finished, i started to feel 'unwell' - it was alrdy 4pm. i was thinking 'crap gotta meet them at 6pm' .. so i took some medication and had a rest. thankfully i felt better an hour later! the reason for this is bec it was suspose to be a 'surprise' bday dinner (which the bday boy alrdy had sus'ed out -____-) hahahha!! facebook cant hide anything. so never plan on facebook! =P lesson learnt! hahaha!


since there was such good feedback from the white chocolate mousse cake previously, i decided to give it another go! but i made an experimental change. instead of jus throwing raspberries in, i decided to make a pure raspberry puree jelly :] it turned out successful thankgod! XD the cake tasted like black-forest to me! heehee!!


miniture ones =D
first one's chocolate shell went retarded XD
second one turned out ok!

i wanted to experiment some designs ..


and the slice of the cake :] the restaurant had wayyyyyyy better lighting =(

raspberry & white chocolate gateaux

week four academia:
today we made two types of gateaus. i made the raspberry & white chocolate gateau and my partner made the milk chocolate gateau.

this is quite a simple cake, yet it takes alot of time to perfect it!
top layer: white chocolate mousse
inner layers: chocolate genoise sponge; fresh raspberries; and white chocolate mousse
outter layer: almond jaconde sponge

i never knew we could decorate a cake with the jaconde sponge. it makes the cakes look spimply amazing i reckon! now i finally knw how cake 'outside' do it =P yay!

it took me quite a while to do the pattern on the jaconde sponge. but i managed to fulfil it! it turned out pretty well surprisingly~ i was so scared it wouldnt come out and be visable. *pats chest* phew! heehee!!

it was difficult working with the chocolate too! i stood there for minutes jus thinking what design to do this week (i dont plan, i jus do it on the spot which frustrates me ahahha i should really think of a design next time i start XD) its really called 'homework' .. something im not very fond of .. hahahha =P

raspberry & white chocolate gateaux LVL☆☆☆☆☆

ingredients: (this is for the white chocolate mousse, the cake is a simple genoise sponge.)

• 2 leaves of gelatine
• 175g heavy cream
• 150g white chocolate, chopped
• 300g cold heavy cream

method:

• soak the gelatine in cold water
• bring the 175g cream to boil, not exceeding 82degrees
• drain the gelatine
• add into the cream and whisk till dissolved
• leave aside to cool
• now whip the 300g of cream till med peak
• fold in the cream into the gelatine cream mixture (make sure its cool first or you'll split the cream)
• then assemble cake and chill it!
  

chinese steamed mantou buns

my dad had learnt something new from his workplace. so he was so excited to teach me right away! these babies are super easy to make! but the recipe i found too .. 'tough' if you know what i mean. i prefer those 'soft' mantous (like packaged ones) hahaha but i will keep researching for a better recipe then post it up here for you guys! :]

chocolate | raspberry cheese | orange cakes

week three | stage two of academia adventures :]
never knew chocolate cakes would have APPLE included? well this one did!

chocolate cake LVL☆☆☆☆

ingredients:

• 200g eggs (4)
• 150g castor sugar
• 200g peeled&grated apples (squeeze the juices out)
• 10g baking powder
• 180g plain flour
• 30g cocoa flour
• 150g vege oil
• 130 melted dark chocolate

method:

• whisk eggs and sugar till pale and fluffy
• sep > combine all dry ingredients (sieve)
• slowly pour oil into egg mix till absorbed
• pour melted choco into the mix
• add 1|3 at a time of the dry ingredients to the egg mix
  
• fold in apples
• bake 170degrees for approx 45mins~

__________________________________________________________

thick dark chocolate ganache LVL☆☆ (you can really use white choco, looks nicer when u see the vanilla pod seeds - but would be too sweet for my liking =P)

ingredients:

• 250g cold heavy cream
• 30g glucose syrup
• 500g dark chocolate
• 2 sticks of vanilla pod (seeds taken out)

method:

• boil cream and vanilla pod|seeds
  
• add glucose
• in a sep bowl, place chocolates in it
• pour the hot cream over chocolates
• whisk till smooth, lump free
  (HINT: do not over whisk, as it can cause bubbles to form)
• cool and use or set aside

was tired and couldnt really think of how to design my cake, but this is what came to my mind! so *TADA* >0<


raspberry mascarpone cheesecake LVL☆☆☆
this cheesecake is quite a hit! everyone seems to love it. its not overly sweet either! shall be a keeper recipe :]


biscuit base ingredients:

• 200g biscuits (which ever you prefer? crumb them!)
• 100g butter

what to do?

• melt the butter
• mix it thoroughly into into the crumbs
• press it into a cake tin
• set it in the fridge for about 30-60mins till firm and set.

the cheesecake:

• 25g eggs (half an egg!)
• 1 egg yolk
• 25g castor sugar
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 150g raspberry puree (this you can DIY; or buy the rdy-made ones)
• 300g heavy cream
• 75g gelatine (3 1|2 sheets)
  

method:

• soak the gelatine in cold water and leave aside
• sep > whisk egg yolk, egg, 50g sugar till fluffy n pale.
• boil 75g castor sugar ans 60ml water till 120degrees
• slowly pour the sugar water into the egg mix
• drain and dissolve the gelatine over a bainmarie
• whip the cream till about medium peak only
  
• add into the mixture ans continue whisking till the mixture cools
• add the cream cheese till smooth
• fold in raspberry puree
• fold in whipped cream
• pour mixture into the cake tin with the biscuit base
• leave in fridge for a good 2-5hours before serving!
  

orange cake LVL☆☆☆

may birthday baking

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY TO NATHAN ^_________^
these little buggers gave me lack of sleep .. hahaha but was worth it seeing the sight of the little kid's smiles when eating them :] :] the faces were random ok .. hahaha dont ask me who they are or what cartoon they are from bec they arent .. it was purely off my mind that night =P

so i made good old devils choc cupcakes with choc-chip buttercream :]


had extra mix left, so made bigger cupcakes! these had chocolate whipped cream on top! :]



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UNCLE ANTHONY!

dark chocolate almond torte with frangelico cream filling masked w/ dark chocolate ganache. LVL☆☆☆

i was so nervous when i attempted to 'write' in the cake, kept having the thought "your gonna stuff up amanda!!!" but luckily it turned out ok .. except if you look closely .. the [i][r][t] are sorta blended in together hahahaha!! *shhhh* =P


ingredients:

• 170g dark chocolate melted
• 150g unsalted butter
• 60g castor sugar
• 120g egg yolk (7)
  
• 200g egg white (7)
  
• 90g castor sugar
• 170g almond meal
• 80g plain flour
• 5g baking powder

method:

• melt the chocolate over a bainmarie
• cream butter and sugar
• add yolks slowly
• sep, whisk egg whites till med peak
• add chocolate into butter mixture
• gently fold egg white into butter mixture
• and fold in dry ingredients
• bake!
  

MM fondant trials #1

ive been wanting to start practicing my roses for awhile now, so i finally, i repeat, FINALLY managed to find some time and practice!! its not easyyyyyyyy~~~ hahaha!!!
these were some first trials .. UGLY YEH! >0<
and the end results were better! gettin thereeeeee :]


made some fruits bec i was bored too =P heehee!!

carrot cake & sultana cake

sultana cake LVL☆☆☆☆

ingredients:

• 150g unsalted butter
• 260g plain flour
• 10g baking powder
• 150g eggs (3)
• 200g castor sugar
• 100g sultanas
• 25ml rum (optional)
• 90ml milk

method:

• cream butter, add 150g flour and baking powder
• whisk eggs and sugar till pale and thick
• slowly combine whisked eggs into butter mixture
• soak sultanas in rum
  
• add sultanas
• add milk slowly and remaining flour
• flour your cake tin

carrot cake LVL☆☆☆☆

ingredients:

• 300g eggs (6)
• 400g brown sugar
• 500ml light oil (didnt like the idea of this!)
• 450g grated carrots
• 350g crushed pineapple (well drained)
• 180g chopped walnuts
• 525g plain flour
• 6g bicarbonate of soda
• 10g baking powder
• 6g cinnamon powder
• 4g salt

method:

• whisk eggs and sugar till thick and pale
• slowly pour oil on low speed
• manually fold through carrots, pineapple and walnuts
• fold sieved dry ingredients
• flour cake tins
  

piping those star things weren't as easy as i thought!!! i'll keep practicing!!! XD