experiment #1: red velvet petite cupcakes and cakesicles

made an attempt to bake red velvet for dearest boonch, such a sweet tooth he has.. personally i am not a fan of red velvet.. too sweet for my taste.


nevertheless, i tried and the result was not really satisfying.. true to what sane people say, don't do things you don't like.. at first, me being experimental, i tried making petite cupcakes, (sadly i don't have pictures, i was in a rush to go some place else), one thing you have to know about red velvet, it takes a looooonnnggg time to bake. at least with the recipe that i used, n the same recipe gave me more of a chocolate cake rather than a red velvet..2 trays of 16 petite cupcakes took about half and hour to bake, maybe it was the gas oven, (i really need to get myself an electric oven), at the rate i was going, i didn't see how i could have finish baking in time, so i took out my star shaped pan and poured the batter in, still there was some left hmmm, that pan took almost 2 hours to be done.. finally thank God that the cupcake tray could fit the small toaster oven so i baked the rest in the oven, it took me 15 mins to bake each tray of 16 cupcakes.. sigh.. the cream cheese frosting was a disaster, that i don't blame the recipe, but the weather, i couldn't expect more from Malaysian weather, my frosting was runny, it tasted quite nice tho..
the commotion didn;t end here, when i was taking out the cake from the star pan, (i've waited 15 mins but i guess that wasn't long enough) the cake broke! i was mentally tired, i grabbed i bowl dump the cake in it and started mashing, next thing i know i had my hands in plastic gloves, poured a lavish portion of the cream cheese frosting and mixed them.. i made cake pops!!! or cake balls.. i was to lazy to even decorate them so i just roll them in the frosting and lay them nicely in a container.. they seriously look like a bunch of super jumbo sized fish eggs... haha come to think of it again, they look exactly like turtle eggs!.. mommy n sisters like them..


i will try again but perhaps with a different recipe and when i have a proper oven.. sorry i rambled and sorry i don't have any pictures to show.. hope the words could more or less describe the experience...  :)

nadiah =)

a saucy butter cake. :P

 

sweet smell from the kitchen.

*the fluffy batter*
 

*mmmm :P*
 

*done! kentucky butter cake with sauce*

recipe: kentucky butter cake
 

  nadiah =)

carrot walnut cake. finger licking good! XD

*carrot walnut cake, double layer, with lemon icing*

*carrot walnut cake, single layer, with chocolate fudge*
 

recipes: carrot walnut cake
lemon icing
fudge

nadiah =)

soccer ball??

 ignore the writing..please.. haha
i did this as a favour for a friend..
well not really, she paid for it.. :P
i hope she and the bf like it..
should have taken a picture 
before writing down the words too..

nadiah =)

caramel apple cake.

i feel that this is the hardest cake to make.
but it tastes good!
if you do it right.
even i sometimes fail.
if that's the case,
dabush! there it goes into the garbage bin.

it goes nicely with the vanilla cream as frosting..
i'll post the recipe another day.


recipe:

6 tbs sugar
2 medium apples (i usually use the Fuji apple)-peeled, cored, diced

2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups vege oil
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


method:
- preheat oven 175 degree C.

1. to make the caramelized apple, melt the 6 tbs sugar in a saucepan over low heat.
wait until it turn golden, give it a little stir, and toss in the diced apples.
wait for another 2-3 minutes, and stir until every inch of those apples is covered with caramel,
turn off the heat (if only i could turn off the heat in this summer Indian weather!)
voila! caramelized apple. nyum3.

2. now the cake. take a large bowl, put in sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs.
beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. in another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt.
4. beat in (3) into (2) little by little, until everything is well blended.
the batter should be thick.
5. fold in the caramelized apple and walnuts. pour into a greased pan.
6. bake for 60-80 minutes, or until the skewer comes out clean.

removing the cake from the pan needs professional skill!
ok amateur can do it too. :P

non-certified-removing-apple-cake-from-the-pan skill:
immediately after it's done,
make sure you wait 3-5 minutes (not more! not less!)
before removing the cake from the pan.
yes please time yourself.
(seriously this cake is ALL about timing! and i hate it.)
shake the pan corner to corner, (give it a booty dance hahahhhahaha)
until you are sure the bottom of the cake
is completely not sticking to the bottom of the pan,
(told you booty dance LOL, ok not funny)
remove lah.. GOOD LUCK!!!


nadiah =)

moist chocolate cake.

*what could be inside that parcel heh?*

*tadaaa!*

*a friend, dena, edited this picture*

this is the simplest recipe you'll ever find.
i've been using it since the first time i learned how to bake a cake.
that was some 15 years ago. :P


recipe:

ingredient A
1 ¾ cup self rising flour/all purpose flour
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups icing sugar

ingredient B
¾ cup milk
1 cup oil
2 eggs (large, beat ahead)
vanilla essence

ingredient C
1 cup luke warm water

method:
- preheat oven 180 degree C.

1. sift ingredient A.
2. mix all ingredient B.
3. add ingredient A into B.
4. beat well. use a whisk.
5. add water. at this point the batter should be very flowy/fluid.
6. pour into a greased pan.

bake for 40 minutes
or until skewer comes out clean
or when the smell of chocolate already lingers in the kitchen.
;)
wait 10 minutes before removing it from the pan

amielea misell's absolutely simple chocolate fudge
(literally finger-licking good too, if you do it right!):

pour half a tin of condensed milk into a pan.
on low heat, or better still use a double boiler system, stir for few minutes.
add in cocoa powder gradually while stirring to prevent clumps formation.
add cocoa powder until the fudge becomes more or less sticky.
apply onto the cake while it(the fudge) is still hot.

nyum3.. good luck!


nadiah =)

delicious cream puff cake.. yummy!

*200 degree C hot!*

*fresh out of the oven*

*1st bite out :P*

*last bite sayang to finish.. hmm*

delightful.
i was inspired by Cake Boss.
i never knew there is such thing as cream puff cake. haha..
same recipe as normal cream puffs..
but instead of baking the shells in 2 different temp, one after another, for 40-50 minutes,
the batter was spread into the pyrex and baked for 20-30 minutes in 200 degree C.

i managed to make a finger licking good custard using local custard powder.
by finger licking good i mean no powdery taste.

3 layers of pastry,
with vanilla custard in between,
and lastly topped with meringue.
today i am a happy person. =D

the simplest meringue recipe and method found.
but not as satisfying. the taste is there, but the texture failed.
my 1st time making a meringue. will be better next time..

burpp.. :P

recipes: cream puff shells

meringue


nadiah =)