Almonds Devil's Food

I always have some problems when baking chocolate cake using any recipe from the internet..it is either too dry or hard and it does not taste to my expectations!! Is it because of the recipe or is it because of the way i melt my chocolate???

Almonds Devil's Food

Anyway, I have always been very supporting and love Betty Crocker ready mix flour! Believe me, I can never make mistakes with the flour, the cake or anyting!! I had tried all the different flavours ready mix flour, many different brands...and my conclusion is ..All types of Betty Crocker ready mix flours are wonderful!!! The taste is just wonderful, not sweet at all and the texture is perfect!! I just love Betty Crocker!! But....It is very hard to get the ready mix flour in Supa save nowadays!! Got to depend on your luck!!!

Perfect Moisture texture

I borrowed a cookbook from the library yesterday and came across this butter icing...thought of may be I can give it a try on my cupcakes. To make Vanilla Butter icing, all you need is 200g of sifted icing sugar, 60g of butter and 2 tablespoon of boiling water and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essense and colours of your choice. All you need to do is mix everything together and then put the colours you like and then into the piping bag and deco!!

Trying out with the vanilla butter icing - Result: I don't like it at all!!!

I tested the vanilla butter icing..OMGoosshh... it is so sweet!! Put into the piping bag and try out on my cup cakes!! It look awful...okie I admit my drawing skills but the butter icing looks like it is melting and the texture does not seem normal to me....it look a bit disgust to me ..hahahah.. so in the end..I wiped off all the butter icing on my cupcakes!! And when it comes to washing...Eeewww.. my hands were very oily and smell of butter.....eeewww.. I just don't like it..hence..very rare there will be a second chance I will this vanilla butter icing on my cake.... May be I will use cream frosting or chocolate ganache instead!!

Blackforest Cheese cake

Would like to thank my gal buddy for trusting me to bake her sister birthday cake last Thursday,22nd Oct. She choose to have Blackforest Cheesecake with less cream - meaning less butter cream for the deco!! In fact, I actually felt sorry as I still could not master the skills on cake decorations! Hence I could only decorate it with fruits which are more healthier!!

Blackforest Cheese cake (Biscuit crumbs base)

I personally is not fond of butter icing, butter cream..those colourings..I know it is more eye catching with colours!! so you would not actually find it in those cakes that I baked!! But, if there is a chance for me to attend any of cake decorations workshop... I am sure I would be able to do some basic decorations ONE DAY!! Be it with with those frostings, icings or cream with colours!!

I am also interested in paper craftings recently...well.. still a beginner though in it.. and have spent hundred of dollars in buying those magazine and materials!! Handmade card's materials are not cheap!!!! Really not cheap!!! so I made a birthday card for Amy..the birthday gal.. the card look simple right?? But, it took me an hour to make it!!! Well... I hope she like it!!

At the same time, my regular cake-eater requested a blackforest fresh cream cake..so I bake one for him....initially would like to use chocolate shavings to decorate the cake to make it look classy..after done.. it looks quite 'dark'.. and I saw a packet of flower marshmallows which I bought quite sometime ago but still not expired yet... Then I add the marshmallows here and there.. and in the end.. it looks bit kiddy but eye catching....ahahah...

Blackforest Fresh Cream cake

Blueberry Muffins

Downloaded an easy to follow steps of baking blueberry muffins from the internet and tried it out and Voila....It is delicious!!!

As there is no fresh blueberries in my country, and you can only find those frozen berries in the supermarket.. hence I used the blueberry fillings!! The end result is not bad!!!

Blueberry Muffins

Look at the texture...this is absolutely delicious!! Great for morning and afternoon tea time!!

Yea.. I always insist trying to use fresh ingredients.. but what to do?? I couldn't find the fresh blueberries..!! Ohhh no...once in a while you may find in the supa save but that's costly!! if you count..may be about 50 blueberries and it cost you $14!!! wowooo.. way to expensive.. but i believe the taste would be great!!

Hershey Truffle Blueberry Muffins

In each blueberry muffins, there is one Hershey Truffles in it!! Will taste a bit sweet when you reach the Hershey!!

May be you can try to bake your own muffins! Be creative in baking!!Have fun trying out!!

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) -adapted from All Recipes.com
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar (I used 1 cup)
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I used the blueberry fillings-so I do not mash the blueberries)
I also added a pinch of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pans or use paper liners.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/4cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix in.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk. Mash 1/2 cup berries and stir into batter. Fold in remaining berries.
Fill muffin cups and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and wait 20 minutes to remove from pans.

My muffins are almost done in 20minutes. Check with inserting the skewer into the muffins, if it comes out clean, then it is done.

Apple Raspberry Cheesecake

Trying to create a bell shape cake and conclusion was..It is not easy!! Still need lots of practice in it...This cake is covered up with raspberry cream cheese as well and top up with fresh black cherries!!

There is no colourings used in this cake and the pink colour actually comes from the raspberry syrup itself. Taste is unique, the little sour taste from the raspberry is able to mix well with the little saltiness of the cream cheese and it is not sweet at all !!

Okie .. I agree with my layering skills.. not perfect!! Still need to practice!! No wonder the quote said ' Practice makes Perfect!!!'.. But no worries.. taste is great!!!

This cake was ordered by Johnny and he gave a supportive comment with its unique taste despite the not so good deco. I am not really good in deco with either butter cream or butter icing or fondant.. but I will learn one day... In fact .. I would personally prefer that the cake is deco or top up with fresh fruits and it is always better than with those creamy stuff...May be.. I personally do not like those cream.. I always wipe the cream off my cake!!!

I used fresh kiwi seeds to create this effects..

Fresh Mango Cheesecake

Since my last year vacation to Hong Kong having a Mango Pudding Desserts @ GoldFish Market when it was still having it Typhoon 5, I have been craving and crazy with Mango!!! Everywhere I went for desserts, I will ask for anything that is with Mango!!

So few months ago, it was mango season, I got lots of mango stucked in the fridge! So I decided to bake some Real Fresh Mango Cheesecake, be it with the biscuit crumbs base or the sandwich sponge cake...I baked it all!! I even baked a mango cheesecake for my colleuege, Yappy and also for my own birthday cake!! Well... What to do..lonely lady is like that...hahaha

Decorate and top up the tops with all fresh fruits!!! Now you choose, Deco with fruits or you wanna have to deco it with icing and colours???

Fresh Mango Cheesecake ( biscuit crumbs based) -I used about 8 pcs of mangoes and real fresh mango puree in this cake!!! Fresh mango puree is really the 'oommpphh' power to this cake...

This was specially baked for Yappy on her birthday!! I think the two fresh black cherries were the first to vanish and causes someone who hunting for cherries in the market!! Till today, I could not find any fresh black cherries in the supermarket!!!

This was again specially baked for my little sis ( she look little in size only) as her good luck cake to wish her all the best in her studies in UBD. But she said it was to celebrate her for leaving home for the first time and I finally got the bedroom all to myself.. welll...any reasons will do for me.. as long as she is happy with it!!!

My sponge cake is getting better.. I love my sponge cake more due to the texture and the 'closeness' of it.. Unlike those normal spongecake u bought form the bakery. it is too 'hollow' and empty ...Okie I may agree with you on my leveling of the spongecake...I did not level up my cake well and cut off the excess height and straight I slice the cake into three layers!! I did it on purpose because I do not want to waste food!! It is a sin to throw food that you can eat and especially this yummy sponge cake!!!

Quite simple and yet delicious mango cheesecake for my birthday!!!

After uploading some cakes pictures on facebook, my friend Adeline wanna order a mango cheesecake for home consume. So I baked a 3 lbs less sugar mango cheesecake for her. But not for her to worry, coz all the sweetness of this cake naturally come from the mango itself and so do the colours!!! No colouring is used in my cake!! So no worries about that colouring that may harm your kidney!!!

Adeline gave me quite good comments for this cake and I was glad that she loves this cakes! thanks for you support my dear....

As these cakes are using fresh fruits, no preservatives are added, it is best to be consume as soon as possible!! Preferably within 5 to 6 days to get the best from it!! And I can guarentee you with the mango aroma when you open the cakebox if you are using the 'Loo Soon' Type of mango!!

Blackforest Fresh CreamCake

This was my another attempt to bake a blackforest cake after a 'disappointed event' of blackforest cake...Well.. I myself was not quite satisfy with the deco itself this time.. but who cares..my theme is ' I may be ugly but I am nice inside!!'.

Three quarters of this blackforest cake vanished in 15 minutes by four teens ( 2 boy and 2 girls), each coming back for a second slice... Kids don't lie and they are honest...words and together with actions!! So.. their actions had told me how success this cake was!!! Thanks kids!!!

I Love almond flakes... that's y it is on the cake!!!

Blackforest Fresh Cream cake

Mars Cheesecake

I tried to bake this Mars Cheesecake last nite and it was good with its creamy texture. This was my first attempt in baking this cake and of course.. still plenty of room for me to improve!!! either on its look or taste!!

This cheesecake was bit creamy as I did not put as much gelatine as it required because I personally prefer bit creamy cheesecake...I would say it is a bit sweet.. well all mars chocolate are very sweet!!! but I tried to balance it with the saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the chocolate.. so it was fine.. just as I wasn't a sweet eater!!! But definitely and I assured you, you will sure want to have a second slice of it!!!!

Mars Cheesecake

Cheesy Cheesecake

This classic cheesy cheesecake is an all time favourite. I remembered my mum used to order this cheesecake from her friend and it cost $30 for just simple two layers. My uni frens love to bake this cake and it really was a hit that time...

So I got the recipe and downloaded some new recipe and of course studying, editing and experimenting and finally I got my version of cheesy cheesecake!!

Most of the time I will learn to bake a cake specially for that person and this one is especially learnt for my mum!! But so sad.. she never satisfy with my cake and always give me negative comment!! Wonder it is to boost my self esteem or she can no longer buy from her friend!!!! haha...

Cheesy Cheesecake

Gift From Janet

Nowadays, you can see lots of people stop by the roadside to buy durians, 'tarap' and rambutans.. I love to eat all of those but I couldn't accept the offer of having 'tarap' in my workplace yesterday but only to smell it... This is because I start to feel the itchiness of my throat..haaaa..coughing!!

This morning when i woke up... daaaa.. feeling very cold, head bit heavy, throat itchy n doomed!!!! I am sick!!!! That's mean I gotcha cancel my plan of baking a fruity cheesecake!! and I can't eat the durians..the orange and strong smell spiky small durian!!! The durian king!!!!
So to get myself recover faster, i asked my mum to 'guat sa' me.. the chinese traditional way of healing.. My friends alway said me crazy of doing that and I may get addicted!!! Well.. it is still better of taking drugs...and I would not said it is addicted!! I should say it is effective and one can see the instant result and that's why one would like it more once they are used to 'guat sa'..hahha

So.. I read a book borrowed by Janet.. My lovely colleuege..a book named Desserts that she bought from HK!! In fact, she said she present it to me.. so touch and felt quite bad .. coz..initally she said she borrowed to me but turns up to be a present from her.. anyway.. Thanks Janet!! I love you.. i will surely try some of the recipe in it for you.....

Blackforest Cake

Last September, I thought of baking other types of cakes apart from my usual cheesecake..as my budget was tight due to buying cheese and I couldn't find any sponsor for my cheese supply..hehe

So, as I surf the internet, I came across Blackforest cake..so..survey and survey...recipe is not that difficult..so decision made...Blackforest Cake... No cheese...

So I baked one for my younger sister's Birthday, it looks fine with me.. taste good..no cheese, fresh cream and I use Black cherries for the filling. Well...No fresh black cherries in Brunei, if you lucky to find some, it would be super expensive!!! Ever bought some frozen cherries but I don't like the texture.... Anyway, this was my first attempt...

After posting it up on facebook....not to show off.. but is to share...someone ordered a blackforest cake but with the following changes made to the cake

1. Would not like to have too much fresh cream and want to have it with lots of cream cheese.

2. Would not like a biscuit base despite my advice and want to have sponge cake and sandwich it with the cream cheese and the cherries.

3. Would like some of the cherries juice ( syrup) to be absorbed onto the sponge cake.

Sounds like a customize blackforest cheesecake yeah... I did mentioned to him that the cake would taste better with the biscuit base but he insist to have done it that (his) way.. Okie fine with me.. and this was one of my mistakes!!! I should have to be more persistant in my style of baking and not customize for people.

I was satisfied with the 'looks' of the cake but he commented my deco for the cake as 6/10. ...he said he ate a small slice and for the taste wise was so so and he was surprised that the cake looks grey colour.. which was impossible.. and he said he was disappointed with the taste and my skills!!!! So.. whose fault was this? It must have been me who was not persistent enuough????!!! and guess what!! This was not the worst!!! The next day, he messaged me and questioned whether I used clean knife to cut the cake as he was being diagnosed with severe food poisoning and was given a shot on his tummy.. as his doctor would like to trace the source why he got food poisoning (I wonder which doc he went to!!!)..is it whether the curry he ate for lunch??during his tea time?? or that tiny slice of my cake??

Of course, I was not happy with his suspicious on my cake but at the same time i felt bad too if it was my cake!!! and he told me he had dumped the cake into the dustbin just for safety!!!! Till today,I still got that terrible feeling, unhappy, angry, suspicious... that my confidence in baking, my time, my dedication was dumped into the bin just like that!!!! I still start to wonder and suspect whether he did that for purpose or whatsoever after I heard so many comments about him..hmmmm...all I can said was I really get a big blow on my confidence and slap on my face and I guess..that will be the last cake he will got from me!!!! What got on my nerve more was that, the second message he sent was he hoped that his first message did not spoiled my holiday mood!!! What The H***????

A month later, which was last week, one of my friend would like to order a Blackforest cake with me and no cheese so it should have been something that look like my sister's cake.. so I baked one yesterday to try out again.. and voila.. this time I did not really do much deco, as it was self consume and I let some of my students to try it! Kids never lie isn't it??? They loved cakes and it they did come back for second slice...that's mean they love the cake!!! So I made them as my food critics.. and taaadaaaa.. all came back for second slice and within 15 minutes i only left a quarter of the 8 inches wide and 3 layer high cake for my sister to try!!!!

My sister's Birthday Blackforest Cake

My sister's Birthday Blackforest Cake - 1st Attempt

The 'Failed' Blackforest Cheesecake

Japanese Light Cheesecake

Many many years ago, everytime I went to Miri , I will sure drop by the BubbleTea counter at the groundfloor at Boulevard to buy cheesecake!! Usually I will buy 5 slices..and ate 2 slices at a time and saved the remaining for the next time...not really that willingly to share with my brother and sister!! selfish huh!!! I had always wonder why the cheesecake is light, spongy and it was like moisture locked in the cake!!

Last July, I ordered a baked cheesecake from Sheraton, it was baked, creamy, cheesy and spongy, but does not lure me to second slice!! should had been too cheesy! Then there was someone who asked me to learn to bake sakura cheesecake! well.. I have no idea what type of cheesecake was that.. Then he said, it is a very light cheesecake,spongy and you won't had enough with a slice.....POP....remind me of the Boulevard cheesecake...

There.. he said it was easy to bake as he baked before and will give me the recipe..okie...but until today....after 6 months.. I still haven't got the recipe...Then Madam Teo.. here she come again asked me to bake a light cheesecake..super easy with no flour needed...as she failed the baking process...So.. checked and ready with the recipe.....taaadaaaa.. I failed also.... then online and surf and survey people's blog.. internet...website... light cheesecake....downloaded 5 versions....studied...and yay yay.. after at three attempts...my light cheesecake finally got a height!!!

First attempt...my light cheesecake only half inch tall..kahsian...2nd time..put in some expresso to bake a mocha flavour...an inch tall....better ..got improvement..but what is the problem???Try again.. can't believe I can't baked it.. but it do need some courage and budget and time....

At last....it look normal....but got bit 'abnormal' inside but height is ok... So.. I realise that, the eggs you used must be FRESH!!! better directly from the chicken a**..hahah

Then I wonder why some used milk, some used cream.. so try out again.. conclusion is.. if use milk, the cake is lighter..if use cream..the cake is more creamy and denser....

I baked one last night and bring to workplace to get some 'food critics'...most of them commented good and nice, one commented that I could make it more moist..okie noted...and there were two who said it was butter cake!!!! Must be seldom eat cakes!!!should have bake butter and cheesecake and let them to see and compare....Very big difference ah.... The most obvious difference is the smell ..butter cake.. very strong butter smell... my cheesecake.. cheese smell.. texture wise is different already...

Mocha Light Cheesecake

My Japanese Light Cheesecake

My Carrot Cake

The initial purpose for me to setting this blog is to share with my friends the cakes that i baked before and also some nice photos that i had taken...but it seem like i got a little bit carried away and posted up about my daily life instead.....

We got a meeting just now and as usual you will expecting some people dozing off, chatting with their friends, escaping and blahh blahh...so I had given my colleueges my blogspot address and got them to explore and waahh lahhh.. they log in to my blog and check instantly!!!! Of course.. I am still new to blogging ....so do check up regularly for cakes recipe and do feel free to leave your comment...and also THANK YOU for visiting my blog...

Finally, as promised to many of them..the first cake recipe i wanna share with you all is Carrot cake. The first time i tasted carrot cake is not from those well known bakery like Bakerly, Mum, Secret Recipe...But is from Caroline...Got the first slice of carrot cake baked by her and then second slice from Madam Teo...then they told me... 'You can try to bake the carrot cake.. It is so easy to bake..'.. But then...as weekend..I don't have the chance to get the recipe from them so I surf the internet to get the recipe.... Saw quite a number of carrot cake recipe and finally I settle one recipe from videojug..

The first attempt of my carrot cake was okie but colours look quite different from Caroline and Madam Teo.. mine was much much lighter.. then try second attempt...too much raisins and little walnut...third attempt was improving but someone .. I repeat one out of 15 people (taster )complained and commented "Your carrot cake is too oily!! Carrot cake is suppose to be moist and not oily!!" So I wasn't sure this comment is valid or not!!

Of course, each time i baked this carrot cake, I will modify the original recipe I got..so is not consider plaglarism right ...hahah...as I don't like too sweet so I reduce the sugar quite a bit...

I did not put any cheese frosting to my carrot cake as i wouldn't like it to be kept in the fridge but if you want to have the frosting, just follow the recipe...Have fun trying!!!

From The Secret Recipe

From My Kitchen

(adapted from http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-carrot-cake) -By Alison May

Ingredients

180 g self raising flour
350 g caster sugar ( I used only 250g )
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon ( I used 3 tsp coz i like the cinnamon aroma)
3 eggs
220 g grated raw carrot ( I used more carrot!!)
¼ tsp salt
300 ml sunflower oil

for the frosting:

180 g cream cheese
180 g melted butter
220 g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence

1. Heat your oven to 180C. Grease and line a 25cm round cake tin.

2. Combine the dry ingredients. Sieve together 175g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Mixture - Put 300ml oil in a large bowl and beat with 350g the sugar. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time, then fold in the dry ingredients and stir in 225g grated carrot.
4. Bake -Place the mixture in the tin, level off the top, and bake for 45 mins. Use the skewer to check whether it is done or not!! When it's done, take the cake out of the oven and cool in the tin for 5 mins. Then remove from the tin to cool on a wire rack.
5. Icing - While the cake is cooling, beat together the 175g cream cheese and 175g butter and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence. Gradually add 225g sieved icing sugar until the mixture is stiff but spreadable.
6. Finish -When the cake is cool, split it in half horizontally and use the icing to sandwich it back together and cover the top.

For my carrot cake, I have added in raisins(50g) and chopped walnuts (150g). If you plan to add in banana, it smell and taste nice also!!!

Lazy worms...

It took me 3 nights to figure out how am I suppose to add those pictures that I wanna share with my friends in the blog... and finally I figure it out ....

Today, the weather was hot and it gave me headache....plan to join my ex classmates in BSB for the Raya convoy.. but due to the hot weather + my lazy worms... I ended up sleeping till 2pm!!! My goshhh....So sorry to all my ex classsmates.. I know I know.. already quite sometime after graduation I did not ever turn up for all the occassion organised!! Well.. do forgive me..I am the furthest from you all..Anyway.. Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf zahir dan Batin...

So after a cooling bath...explore again how to add photos in my blog....and what features I can add it in...

For the past few weeks, every Friday morning, there will be a cake baking session..but not today!! Coz of the lazy worms again...ahahah

So sharing with my friends.. some colleueges raya photos and my formal dinner last wednesday.

The 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China

The round table for VIPs

At colleueges' House..Sofas are meant for bags n floor are meant for ladies..so do invest in good carpets!!!

Formal Dinner @ Convention Centre + Raya Open House

Went to the International Convention Centre to attend the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China last night with my mum and sis...
The Dress code for the night function was lounge suit or national dress...so I assumed this was a very formal function and I had linmited experience in attending such function before.. As i don't have any lounge suit, I wore my national dress, which was Baju Kurung.. Coz.. I was sure there will be someone who wore baju kurung as well...
As we arrived... I was shock to see there were so many people wearing evening dress with all those blings blings..Some even wear t-shirts and I spotted a girl who wore shorts!!! My gosh.!! Then I started to feel weird as me and my sis were wearing baju kurung!!! I had no ideas that shorts and T-shirts are considered as national dress!!!

I personally felt that these 'people' have no respects to the ceremony nor they actually never understand what is meant by dress code!! There were ministers, ambassedor, digniteries..imagine how they viewed as these people??? Never attend formal function before!!!

On the other hand, the ceremony started at 730pm and finished at 9pm..all the time. .. there were only one big round table with 4 chairs for the VIPs ... the rest were standing around the small table... the food served were delicious and uncountable choices!!!

I couldn't stand that long and by 845pm... I went out with my sis to sit at the sofas outside the hall and at teh same time took some snapshots on those lovely fresh flowers!!! The fresh flowers were really beautiful and they do smell fresh and nice!! I really wish to have a small bouquet of the roses..hahah...

Before we leave the ceremony, all guests were given souvenier and each bag the contents were different!!! Me, My mum and sis.. three of us got different cds about China and 3 set of the China pouch!!!! How generous are they... Thank you.....

I reach home at around 1030pm and this morning when I opened my eyes.. It was 645am!!!!! and I got to be at school at 7am!!!! My gosh.... I overslept and no one woke me up!!!!!
After work.. I went to my colleueges' raya open house from 130pm till 430pm.. only four house and i Got to surrender at the 3rd house.... can't take in anymore food.. and till now.. I am still full...Quite envious the others that they actually can still eat at all four houses!!!!hahaha...Really steady....