Double Chocolate Nutella Cake

Recipe

Ingredients
Chocolate nutella ganache:
110g cooking chocolate
110g Nutella hazelnut spread
150g whipping cream

Chocolate sponge cake:
3 egg yolk
25g veg oil
1/4tsp salt
70g milk
40g cooking chocolate
10g cocoa powder
55g cake flour
1/2tsp chocolate paste

3 egg white
60g caster sugar
1/4tsp cream of tartar

Steps:
Chocolate nutella ganache:
1. Melt chocolate and whipping cream together in a double-boiler over simmering water.
2. Pour it into nutella and stir till well mix.
3. Set it aside to cool, cover and store in fridge for half and hour or till it set to a spreadable consistency.

Chocolate sponge cake:
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Lined base of a 7 inches square pan and set aside.
3. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together and set aside.
4. With a double boiler melt chocolate and milk together, set aside.
5. Use a hand whisk, whisk egg yolk.
6. Add in oil, chocolate milk mixture and chocolate paste and whisk till combined.
7. Add in flour and stir till batter is smooth.
8. Use a cake mixer, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy.
9. Gradually add in sugar and whisk till stiff peaks.
10.Fold in 1/4 of the meringue into the chocolate batter until combined.
11.Then fold in the rest of the meringue lightly in 2 portions until well combined.
12.Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven and bake for 30mins.
13.Remove from oven, invert cake pan and cool for 5mins.
14.Remove cake from pan and cool on wire rack.

Assemble cake:
1. Trim off edges and slice cake horizontally into two pieces.
2. Place one slice into a loose base 6 inches square pan.
3. Pour half of the ganache over it and spread it out evenly.
4. Put another slice over the ganache.
5. Pour balance ganache over it and spread it out evenly.
6. Chill cake in fridge till set.
7. Remove cake from pan, cut into serving size and serve.

Pandan Cotton Cake with Gula Melaka Toffee Sauce

Recipe

Ingredients
Gula Melaka Toffee Sauce:
50g gula melaka (chopped)
10g butter or 1tbsp coconut oil
40g whipping cream

Sponge cake:
35g unsalted butter
50g cake flour (sift)
45g coconut milk
1/4tsp pandan paste
3 egg yolk
1 egg
1/4tsp salt
3 egg white
50g caster sugar

adequate butter cream

Steps:
Gula Melaka Toffee Sauce:
1. Cook chopped gula melaka, butter and whipping cream together until boil and thicken. (If syrup is over boil and too thick, just add 1tsp of whipping cream and stir till smooth.)
2. Set aside to cool. (Can prepare a day ahead and store in fridge. Thaw before use.)

Sponge cake:
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Lined base and sides of a 9 inches square pan with grease proof paper and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat till bubbles appear on surface.
4. Remove from heat quickly add in flour.
5. Use a spatula and stir till flour is cook through and a soft dough is form.
6. Add in coconut milk and mix till well blended.
7. Beat egg yolk, egg, pandan paste and salt together.
8. Add in egg mixture a little at a time into batter, beat till smooth with a spatula.
9. In a clean bowl whisk egg whites till frothy.
10.Gradually add in sugar and whisk till soft peaks form.
11.Fold in 1/4 of meringue into egg batter till combined.
12.Fold in another 1/4 of meringue into egg batter till combined.
13.Pour cake batter into meringue and fold till just incorporated.
14.Pour cake batter into prepared pan, smooth surface and tap pan on tabletop to burst air bubbles.
15.Place cake pan on 2nd shelf of preheated oven and bake for 15-20mins.
16.Switch off oven power and leave cake pan in oven for another 5mins.
17.Remove cake pan from oven, remove cake and leave it to cool on wire rack.

Assemble cake:
1. Cut cake into two pieces, spread butter cream on one slice.
2. Drizzle Gula Melaka Toffee Sauce over butter cream and place the other sponge over it. (Another alternatively is mixed some toffee sauce into butter cream and spread on cake.)
3. Spread butter cream on cake, chill in fridge till set.
4. Trim off edge, slices into serving size and decorate as desire.

X'mas Log Cake

Mini X'mas Chocolate Log Cake

I am submitting this to Bake-Along #56 : Theme - Christmas Log hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids.

Recipe

Ingredients
Sponge cake:
4 egg (separated)
1 egg yolk
75g sugar
65g cake flour
1/2tsp baking powder
20g chocolate (melted)
10g cocoa powder
50g butter

Ganache:
150g whipping cream
100g cooking chocolate (chopped)
20g butter

Steps:
Ganache:
1. Melt chocolate and whipping cream together in a double-boiler over a simmering water.
2. Add in butter and stir till melted.
3. Leave aside to cool, cover and store in fridge till it set to a spreadable consistency.

Sponge cake:
1. Preheat oven to 190C.
2. Lined and greased a 11" by 14" tray and set aside.
3. Melt butter, stir in melted chocolate and cocoa powder till well blended.
4. Sift cake flour and baking powder together, set aside.
5. Use a cake mixer, whisk egg whites till frothy.
6. Gradually add in sugar and whisk till medium stiff peaks form.
7. Switch speed to medium and gradually add in egg yolks and whisk for another minute until well combined.
8. Fold flour into the meringue lightly in 3 portions until well blended.
9. Pour some cake batter into chocolate mixture and stir till well mix.
10.Pour chocolate batter into the cake batter and fold in lightly till blended.
11.Pour batter in the prepared tray and smooth surface.
12.Bake in a preheated oven for 14mins.
13.Remove cake from tray and cool on a rack.

Assemble the cake:
1. Cut sponge into two pieces.
2. Carefully transfer one piece onto a greaseproof paper.
3. Spread ganache on cake.
4. Gently roll the cake by using the paper to lift the cake and guide roll.
5. Wrap up the swiss roll in a greaseproof paper.
6. Repeat steps no.2-5 for the other sponge.
7. Rest both rolls in the fridge to stabilize it shape.
8. Spread ganache on rolls, use a small fork and draw pattern on rolls.
9. Return rolls in fridge again till ganache set.
10.Slice, decorate and serve.

Yellow Angry Bird Character Birthday Cake

This Year my younger boy's birthday fall on the second day of Chinese New Year and I wouldn't be free to bake him a cake. So we had decided to bring forward his birthday celebration.

Sign! :( I'm really not in a mood to bake at all as I'm extremely exhausted from spring cleaning, shopping, baking and worst of all I'm down with bad flu. But I don't want to disappoint my son as he had requested an angry bird cake for his birthday too. I didn't do a good job decorating his cake and I'm felt bad for it. I apologized to my little one when I shown him the cake. To my surprise he was delighted and comfort me too. I was very touched with his warm words. :)

Vanilla Sponge Blueberry Cream X'mas Cake

X'mas Chocolate Log Cake

Black Angry Bird Character Birthday Cake

Last year, my elder boy commented that it lame to have cartoon character on birthday cake but this year he requested to have an 'Angry Bird' character on his birthday cake. Hahaha...:)

Nowadays, kids are very crazy over this animated character 'Angry Bird'. Even both my boys have a collection of 'Angry Bird' stuff toys and they will accompany my boys to sleep...zzz Looking at those Angry Birds facial expression I don't know whether I should be angry or laugh???

Pororo Character Birthday Cake

My younger boy turns sixth this year and he requested a 'Pororo' cartoon character birthday cake, his latest favourite cartoon character. :)

X'mas Log Cake

Just a Birthday Cake

This year my elder boy requested a simple chocolate birthday cake without any character on it. He claimed that those cartoon characters on the cake are 'lame' for kids. :o Hahaha... he may talk and act like a young teenager but to me he is always my little boy. :)

Although this cake may look simple but it is a very special to me and my boy as he played a part in the cake decoration. I must say he did a great job. :)

Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cake

This morning, I baked this Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Birthday Cake for my Hubby.

Recipe

Ingredients
Sponge cake:
(A)
2tsp chocolate paste
30g cocoa powder
60g hot water

(B)
110g cake flour
1/4tsp baking soda
1/4tsp baking powder

(C)
4 egg yolk
75g sugar
1/4tsp salt
30g milk
45g veg. oil

(D)
4 egg white
80g caster sugar
1/4tsp cream of tartar

Butter cream:
90g hazelnut chocolate (available at Phoon Huat and Sun Lik)
100g unsalted butter

Decoration:
250g whipping cream (whipped)
fresh cherry
1 bar of dark chocolate (use a vegetable peeler to shave it into stripes)

Steps:
Sponge cake:
1. Preheat oven at 175C.
2. Mix (A) together til smooth and set aside.
3. Sift (B) together and set aside.
4. Use a hand whisk and mix (C) together.
5. Add (A) and (B) into (C) and mix until smooth batter, set aside.
6. Use a cake mixer and whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy.
7. Gradually add in the sugar and whisk till stiff peaks form.
8. Fold in the meringue lightly in 3 portions into the egg yolk mixture until well combined.
9. Pour batter into a lined 9" round tin.
10.Put in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35mins.
11.Remove cake from tin and set aside to cool.

Hazelnut butter cream:
1. Beat hazelnut chocolate and butter together until well blended.
2. Ready to use.

Assemble cake:
1. Slice the cake horizontally into three pieces.
2. Spread the hazelnut butter cream evenly on the cakes and sandwich them together.
3. Chill it in the fridge for 15-20mins.
4. Remove cake from fridge and spread the whole cake with whipped cream.
5. Use a palette knife and smooth out the whipping cream around the cake.
6. Chill it in the fridge for 10-15mins.
7. Pipe rosette on the cake and decorate it with cherry.
8. Sprinkle the center of the cake with some shaved chocolate.
9. Coat the side of the cake with the shaved chocolate.
10.Lastly sift some snow powder/ cocoa powder on the cake.
11.Chill in the fridge and it ready to serve.

Yam Cream Cake

Last Sunday, we didn't get to celebrate Mother's Day as my nephews and my son are preparing for their exam. What a relief, 'Exam' is over now. :) So this weekend I made a Yam Cream Cake for my Mum, a belated Mother's Day Gift for her.

'Sign... :(' I don't find much improvement in my piping skill. I do understand what is the reason. It was because I didn't practice my piping skill very often. I think I have to put it this way as I dislike washing the oily piping tips so I seldom practice piping. I only do piping on my cake for special occasion. I think some of you out there also share the same view as me.


Those who are interested in self-learned simple piping technique, you may visit You Tube and view the demonstration of Shell border and Buttercream Rose. Happy piping. :)


Recipe

Ingredients
Sponge cake:
(A)
3 egg yolks
60g castor sugar
1/4tsp salt
40g veg. oil
70g water
1/4tsp vanilla essence

(B)
110g cake flour
1/4tsp baking powder
1tbsp milk powder

(C)
3 egg whites
50g fine sugar
1/8tsp cream of tartar

Yam filling:
200g yam (steam and mashed)
40g sugar
60g coconut milk
50g water

200g whipped cream
1/2tsp yam paste

Decoration:
200g whipped cream

Steps:
Sponge cake:
1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. Use a hand whisk and mix (A) together.
3. Sift (B) and mix into (A).
4. Stir till well blended and set aside.
5. Use a cake mixer and whisk egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy.
6. Gradually add in the sugar and whisk till medium stiff peaks form.
7. Fold in 1/4 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture until combined.
8. Then fold in the rest of the meringue lightly in 3 portions until well blended.
9. Pour batter into a lined and greased 8" round tin.
10.Bake in the preheated oven for 30mins.
11.Remove cake from the tin and set aside to cool.

Yam filling:
1. Boil water and sugar together until sugar dissolved.
2. Pour in the coconut milk and yam.
3. Stir over low fire until mixture is almost dry.
4. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
5. Mix the cool yam paste, whipped cream and yam paste together until well blended.
(Note: You can skip the cooking part for the yam if your yam is moist and starchy. Just mix the mashed yam with whipped cream and yam paste, you may also add in some coconut powder.)

Assemble cake:
1. Slice sponge cake horizontally into three pieces.
2. Place a slice of sponge cake on a cake board, spread the yam filling over it and place another slice over it.
3. Spread with filling again and place the last slices on it.
4. Cover the whole cake with whipped cream and decorate as desire.

Chocolate Rice Slices

I baked a simple chocolate sponge cake. I intended to sandwich the cake with butter cream, however there is not enough butter cream to do so. So I divided the cake into two and spread the top and sides of the cake with butter cream and lastly coat it with chocolate rice. Simply, my family favourite. :)

Recipe

Ingredients
4 egg
125g sugar
1/4tsp salt
110g cake flour
1/4tsp baking powder
30g veg. oil
15g cocoa powder
1/2tsp chocolate paste
30g milk

butter cream
chocolate rice

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Warm up the oil at low heat, remove from fire.
3. Stir in the cocoa powder and chocolate paste, set aside to cool.
4. Sift cake flour and baking powder together and leave it aside.
5. Use a cake mixer to whisk the eggs, salt and sugar until thick and fluffy.
6. Gently fold in the flour.
7. Add milk into the chocolate mixture.
8. Pour some egg batter into the chocolate mixture and mix until well-blended.
9. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg batter and mix until well-blended.
10.Pour cake batter into a lined and greased 8" square tin.
11.Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35mins.
12.Leave it to cool in the cake tin.

Assemble the cake:
1. Remove cake and cut vertically into two pieces.
2. Spread top and sides of the cake with butter cream.
3. Spread the chocolate rice in a tray and roll the cake in it.
4. Leave it in the fridge to set.
5. Remove, slices and serve.

Chuggington Character Birthday Cake

Yesterday, I baked this cake for my younger boy to celebrate his birthday with his classmates today. He was so happy to see his later favourite Chuggington character 'Bastian' on his birthday cake. :)

Hazelnut Chocolate Log Cake

Pokemon Character Birthday Cake

This year my elder son requested to have his favorite Pokemon character 'Lucario' on his birthday cake. :)

Pooh Bear Cream Cake

Guess what is the picture made of? It edible. :p


Answer:
I tried out another way for transferring picture onto cake, 'Chocolate Picture Transfer'.

It is the same method as 'Picture Outlines Transfer', just that for this you have to cover the whole picture with coloured chocolate(add colouring into melted white chocolate). Leave it to set. Then flip the 'Chocolate Picture Transfer' sheet onto the icing cake and peel off the plastic sheet. If you have a good patient, you may even add in some colour tone to the picture and it will appear more lively.

Don't you think that the chocolate picture look like 'Rice Paper Transfer Sheet'? My hubby even commented that this look nicer than the jelly picture. :) So now there is another alternative for me when making a birthday cake for my two boys. :)

Hello Kitty Chocolate Cream Cake

I saw a lot of blog making this Picture Outline Transfer and was interested to try it. Thanks to 'Anncoo Hobby' tips and advice, and I finally give it a try. For those who are interested, you can visit 'Christine's Recipe Blog' for a clearer details.

At the same time, I even tried out the Message Press Set which I bought from Phoon Huat. I thought this will be easy for my ugly writing skill but it turn out worst, my hand kept shaking and the wordings were so ugly. :(

Overall, I'm happy with my first tried of the Picture Outline Transfer. :) However, there are rooms for improvement.

Chocolate Cream Cake

Recipe

Ingredients
Sponge cake
(A)
4 egg yolk
1/4tsp salt
50g corn oil
55g milk
1tsp chocolate paste

(B)
75g cake flour
15g chocolate powder
1/4tsp baking powder

(C)
4 egg white
85g caster sugar
1/4tsp cream of tartar

Decoration
200g whipping cream (whipped) }mix
1tbsp hazelnut spread }all
1tsp chocolate paste }together

adequate piping jelly
food colourings of your choice

Steps:
1. Preheat oven at 175C.
2. Use a hand whisk and mix (A) together.
3. Sift (B) and mix into (A).
4. Stir till well combined and set aside.
5. Use a cake mixer and whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy.
6. Gradually add in the sugar and whisk till stiff peaks form.
7. Fold in the meringue lightly in 3 portions into the egg yolk mixture until well combined.
8. Pour batter into a line and greased 10"x13" tray.
9. Put in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20mins.
10.Remove it from tray and set aside to cool.
11.Cut the thin sheet of cake into two pieces.
12.Spread with whipped cream and sandwich them together.
13.Spread whipped cream on top of the cake.
14.Cut it into serving size.
15.Divide piping jelly into 2 portions.
16.Mix colouring into individual portions and have fun decorating your cake.