Super Moist Chocolate Cake

Back to my cake post...;p

If you are a chocolate lover, this is a good one for you. Smooth and rich with chocolate cream...VOILA! A super moist chocolate cake for the beginning of the week. 

A fudge cake covered with chocolate cream and mouth watering moist texture of the cake, this is so far a good one after all the chocolate cake I've tried.

It has occupied the first position in my top 10 best chocolate cake now!

 Ingredients for the cake:

1 1/3 cups warm water
3/4 cup Belgium cocoa powder

1 3/4 cup cake flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt

3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup castor sugar
3 eggs (size B)

Method:
~ Combine cocoa powder with warm water. Set aside.
~ Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
~ Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
~ Add in eggs, one at a time.
~ Add dry ingredients mixture alternately with cocoa mixture. Always start and end with dry ingredients.
~ Pour into prepared tin. (3 small rectangular loaf tins or a 9" round pan)
~ Bake at 180'C for 30 minutes or until done.

Ingredients for the frosting:
110g Hersley's cooking chocolate bar (semi-sweet with 65% cocoa)
4 tbsps cornflour
1 tbsp condensed milk
1 1/2 cup fresh milk
2 tbsps butter

Method:
~ Mix the above ingredients in a saucepan and cook over a double boiler till spreading consistency.

Cool the cake and cover with frosting. Best serve with a cup of long black (my favourite)..haha!
Don't worry about the sugar or the condensed milk used here, the sweetness of the cake is just nice.

Cheers!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes

Another goodies for my daughter to bring to school last week. It was for her Science subject and everyone loves this so much, even the teacher asked whether she can bring this again to school for the Children's Day next month...^^

It's a simple but very very delicious cupcakes that I found from a book, "Beautiful Cupcakes" by chef Kevin Chai. I love his books, all the recipes turn out beautifully!! Anyway there were some changes in this recipe because I was lacked of some ingredients stated in the book....:p

Ingredients:
225g butter
200g sugar
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
120g peanut butter
120g dark chocolate (finely chopped)

Topping (which I didn't apply):
60g peanut butter
50g butter
2 tbsps fresh milk

Method:
~ Preheat overn at 175'C, place some cupcakes paper casing on tray. It calles about 20-22 small cupcakes.
~ Combine butter and sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
~ Add in eggs one after another then fold flour and beat until smooth.
~ Stir in peanut butter and chopped chocolate until well combined.
~ Spoon batter into prepared cases and bake for 20 minutes.
~ Remove and cool on rack.
~ For the topping, combine peanut butter and butter, beat until light and fluffy.
~ Add the fresh milk and beat until well combined.
~ Make decoration on top of each cupcakes as you desire.

Soft and fluffy and so yummy! Love this so much!!

While the cupcakes were baking in the oven, my whole kitchen was filled with the smell of peanut butter and chocolate. If you are a peanut butter and chocolate lover, you cannot miss this!!

Cheers!!

Valrhona Chocolate Cupcakes with Valrhona Chocolate Cream

Suddenly feel like baking this morning, so once I woke up..straight into my kitchen and started baking (before having my breakfast)...LOL!! Feel like having some chocolate cakes, with rich chocolate cream....so Valrhona chocolate that's it!! My favourite chocolate!!
A recipe from my collection books, "Favourite Cupcakes & Cheesecakes", published by Page One which I got it long time ago. Well, I didn't follow the recipe to the dot.. infact, I created my own..haha! The result....super yummy!!

The recipe suppose to be a Vanilla Choc Cupcakes, but I wanted it to be with full of chocolate, so I changed it. Anyway, the topping was exactly from the book!
Remember to fill the batter just half of the paper cups so that it won't be over flow. (like below)

Recipe:

225g butter

200g sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup thick cream

1+ 1/2 cup cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

100g valrhona chocolate (cut into pieces)

Topping:
100g valrhona chocolate (cut into pieces)
20g butter
1/3 cup thick cream
alittle silver balls for decorations

Method:

~ Preheat oven at 160'C. Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

~ Add in eggs one by one.

~ At low speed add in flour & baking powder and cream. Mix well.

~ Add in chocolate pieces and beat for another 2 minutes.

~ Spoon into prepared paper cups and bake for 20-25 minutes at 160'C.

Fillings methos:
~ Place chocolate pieces and butter in a deep bowl, double boiled until melted.
~ Remove and add in cream. Mix well and leave to cool.
~ The mixture should be firm and velvety in consistency.
~ Use a fork to apply the icing on the cooled cupcakes and finish with some silver balls.

The texture of the cake was really soft and delicious. Try it out and let me know...I'm sure you'll like it..:)


Cheers!!

An Award and My friend's house warming gift

I was honored to received this award from Jane from Passionate About Baking. Thanks for remembering me..:)

In returned I'll like to pass this award to the following bloggers.

HoneyBeeSweets
Table for 2 or more
The Sweet Spot

*******************************

A gift for a dear friend's house warming. Glad that everyone loves it and it really made my day!!

Although its just such a simple small bakes that I can do for her in such a limited time, but I was happy with the outcome and results..:) Hopefully I can bake something alittle more special for her in future!

Some blueberry cupcakes with blueberry butter cream, chocolate cupcakes (a recipe from Elin but with few changes) with chocolate butter cream. All top with some simple fondant...pretty!!
Then surrounded with my signature blueberry cheese tarts...haha! Perfect ya...;p

Chocolate cupcakes with some changes of ingredients here:
I've doubled the recipe here which makes 12 cupcakes.

120 gm butter
160 gm castor sugar
2 egg
180 ml milk
6120 gm dark chocolate
2 teaspoon cocoa powder
4 teaspoon instant coffee granules + 30ml hot water
150 gm self raising flour
80 gm ground hazelnuts

~ Preheat oven to 180C and prepare cupcake cases on baking tray.
~ Combine instant coffee granules and hot water. Set aside.
~ Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in egg and mix till well combined.
~ Melt the dark chocolate and add to the butter mixture.
~ Sieve together flour, cocoa powder and add half to the butter mixture. Add in the ground almonds.
~ Add in the milk, coffee and the balance of the flour mixture and mix well.
~ Divide into cupcake cases and bake in preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Next time when I try to bake this again, I'll never miss out the bailey's cream. Thanks Elin for sharing this wonderful recipe...:)

There are the few designs I got to mould with fondant. It has been such a long time I never practice with it, and only these few simple ones made me so tired...;p

Some small roses, well at least it looks like flowers...haha!

and a butterfly, which is the most simple one with my cutting mould....haha!
I hope I'll have more time to play with fondant again, and more bakes coming...:))

Finished with the blueberry cheese tarts which was the most welcome ones during that night!! Guess my friend will be asking for more....hehe!

Have a nice day!!

Cheers!!

Mango Yogurt Chiffon Cupcake

It's almost time for me to travel...YEAH!!! And all these while my attention and my mood are all focus on my coming trips...LOL!! Pardon me...;p This year's trips are alittle different, that is I got to get away for few days with my dear hubby then another one with my dear daughter and cousins....Oh I just can't wait!!
Right, before I disappear next week, here's my last post for this November...^^....then I'll be back for the X'mas and New year posts!!

This was a cake that I wanted to bake so much since last 2 weeks but never got to do it until I read about Ann's (Anncoo Journal) post last 2 days. Mine was alittle different, but similar to a chiffon cake.

This cake was so fluffy and moist and I definitely will make it again. It shrink abit after cooling but the texture was still good. Have a look below while my cake was "growing" in the oven...:)

Recipe:
160g mango puree
40g fresh mango (cut into small cubes)
4 egg yolks
60ml plain yogurt
8 tsps corn oil
1/2 tsp mango essence
35g sugar
80g self raising flour

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
75g sugar

Method:
~ Whisk egg yolk, essence and sugar until light, then add in corn oil and stir well.
~ Add in mango puree and mango chunks and mix well.
~ Mix in yogurt, mix well and fold in flour and mix well. Set aside.
~ Whisk egg white with cream of tartar until bubble forms. Gradually add in sugar, beating at high speed until frothy and stiff peaks form.
~ Gently fold in egg whites into egg yolk batter until well blended.
~ Spoon batter into prepared cupcake moulds and bake at preheated oven at 160'C for 30 minutes.
~ Remove from oven, invert cake until completely cooled.

Got to go...wish you guys have a wonderful year end holidays....Enjoy!!!

Double Chocolate Muffins @ Flower pots

It's November..Yeah! Very excited that school is going to have the term breaks in 2 weeks time and our holidays will begin soon....:)
Well, when I was so excited counting down something happened yesterday and it ruined my coming weekend plans! (Don't ask me why....hopefully everything will be over since then) No mood for anything since yesterday but luckily my dear daughter cheers me up! She did some good improvement for her exams, and I'm glad that she did!
She has been asking for some fondant play and we had this plan since before her school exams start. So, with the promise, we did it this morning!


I've baked this muffins for her last night for her and her friend for the "fondant play" this morning. Scroll down then you'll see what they did.....not a pretty one but glad they enjoy it so much!!...^^


A double chocolate muffin adapted from the book "100 Desserts" （西式甜品) by Winnie 姐. Haven't try eating it yet but it smells good and when I cut it for my photo taking, the texture was soft and moist...:) It'll be my tea break later!!

Recipe with alittle changes:
120g dark chocolate
225g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
120g brown sugar
75g butter (melted)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup thick cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips


** Prepare alittle chocolate ganache if desire to serve with the muffins.

Method:
~ Finely chop the dark chocolate. Melt it over a pot of simmering water.
~ Sift flour with baking powder together and set aside.
~ In a mixing bowl, beat well brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla essence, cream and melted chocolate together.
~ Add in flour mixture and fold well.
~ Add in chocolate chips and mix well.
~ Spoon into 4oz paper cupcake moulds to 3/4 full and bake at 180'C preheated oven for 25 minutes.


Then.....here comes the girl's work!!
First they cream a thin layer of the chocolate ganache to the sides of the muffins. Then covered with orange fondant to form a flower pot, then follow by some flowers and butterflies to stick on the lollipop stick for decorations.

Top with their favourited "Kit Kat" chocolate balls.......

....and pooked the prepared flowers and butterflies on to the pots!!
These are really untidy and ugly...haha! But they enjoy the whole process of it.....^^ and even asked to do it again tomorrow....haha!
Well, we'll do something else I promised...hehe!
This idea was actually inspired my daughter's favourite TV Programm..."Finger tips"!!

Cheers!

French Hazelnut Chocolate Cupcakes

Yeah, my daughter will be having 3 days off from school starting tomorrow due to Deepavali Festival. But yesterday we already started our shopping and eating plans...;p A busy Saturday, that we went breakfast with friends, then lunch with my cousin brothers (heavy lunch) then tea with my aunt and another cousin brother then dinner and beer with my hubby. Good treat huh....but....Gosh!!! Then today, another heavy breakfast at MCD, heavy lunch and dinner...oh dear, I should have to start fasting tomorrow...LOL!!


So, since I was to meet my dear cousins and aunt yesterday which I said just now , I've made some cupcakes to share with them. a very new recipe adapted from the book my sister gave me on my birthday...."100 Desserts 西式甜品" by Winnie姐 (Hong Kong).


This recipe suppose to fit into a 6" round cake tin, but I've made it into cupcake moulds which I think its more suitable as a gift. Since the recipe only fits in a 6" cake tin, so I've doubled it to fit 27 medium size paper cupcakes.
A wonderful recipe with good feedback, I think you should try this out...:)


Here's the recipe for only a 6" round cake tin......
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites + 2 tbsps sugar
120g dark chocolate (I used valrhona dark chocolate)
1/2 cup sugar
160g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
90g cake flour / superfine flour
3 tbsps full cream milk
2/3 cup ground hazelnut


Topping:
90g dark chocolate (I used valrhona chocolate too)
4 tbsps whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
some strawberries


Method:
~ Finely chopped the chocolate and melt over a pot of simmering water.
~ Beat sugar and butter till creamy then add in egg yolks one at a time follow by vanilla.
~ Fold in flour, ground hazelnut and milk, mix well.
~ Add in melted chocolate and mix again.
~ Whisk egg whites until foamy then add in 2 tbsps sugar and beat until stiff.
~ Slowly fold in egg whites into chocolate batter and mix well.
~ Spoon into cupcake moulds or a 6" round cake tin and bake at 180'C for 25-30 minutes.
~ To make the topping, melt all ingredients together over a pot of simmering water. Leave to cool brieftly and pour over cake or spoon to top the cupcakes.
~ Leave to set awhile and decorate with some strawberries or some toasted hazelnuts if you prefer.
The texture was really good and rich with chocolate flavours. My daughter loves it without the cream and this time, only this time my husband loves my chocolate cake...haha!
Trust me, you have to try this out!!!

Cheers!!

Apple Cake / Muffin 苹果小蛋糕

Its July, and its already half a year pass for 2011. I can't wait for the year ends holiday which we had planned for almost a year but in another hand, I'm worry of getting old..hehe! My wrinkles are so obvious and my health is not getting any better..:( Wish I can leave a long life at least to see my daughter weds...haha! I'm talking like an old lady now...okay okay, lets go into my post today.

I've made this cute little bear cake for my daughter yesterday. Its an apple cake which was adapted from the book "The Lifestyle Cuisine Magazine And Cookbooks, issue 68". The original recipe was to steam the cake but I baked it instead..;p

The ingredients are healthy and the steps are easy too. Let's have a look....

Ingredients:
(A)
2 eggs
60g sugar (original called for 70g)
1 tsp ovelette / emulsifier

(B)
130g cake flour / plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

(C)
150g red apples (original called for 100g) ~ Peeled, discard core and blend with a pinch of salt till smooth paste
70ml corn oil


Method:
~ Mix the corn oil with the apple paste and keep aside.
~ Whisk egg, sugar and ovelette become soft forms, then gradually add in ingredients (B), mix until well combined.
~ Add in apple paste mixture and mix well.
~ Spoon batter into greased heatproof cups or any muffin cups or pans as you desire but the depth must not be more than 2" deep.
~ Bake at 180'C for 15 minutes.


The texture was soft and fuffy even up till the next day. It has a simple taste of apples and eggs, and I think its the most healthier snack for the little ones. My daughter grabbed 2 yesterday after her dinner and 2 for her breakfast this morning, she told me she just love the bears...haha! She didn't mention about my cake..;p


Hope you'll like it too..:)

Cheers!!

Bananas Fatt Goh 香蕉发糕

School holiday will be here soon, but this year will be a busy holiday for me instead. My daughter will be starting her orientation for Pri 1 next week, and that mean I have to wake up early in the morning at 630am to prepare her to school for 2 weeks!! Oh dear, that means I got have less sleep then..haha! After that we'll be having visitors for the following weeks until X'mas!...Yup, I'll be very very busy..;p Let's hope everything goes smoothly and have a nice year end holidays..:)

About today's post, a very traditional cake called "fatt goh" that most of the chinese will like to have during Chinese New Year or maybe on some celebrations. It means "Good Luck in fortune"...and always hope that these cakes will have a nice split on top of after steaming. Somehow, mine (splits) were not as nice as I hope for but they were soft and fluffy as I thought..:)

This cakes have a soft and slightly chewy texture with bananas flavour. Of course besides bananas, you can always replace with some other fruits or even taro (yam).

Here's the recipe...

Starter dough:

60g plain flour

1tsp instant yeast

50ml water

Ingredients:

200g ripen bananas (mashed)

150g plain flour

1/2 tbsp baking powder

120g sugar (reduced)

125ml coconut milk

Method:

~ Combine all ingredients in starter dough, mix well into a rough dough. Leave to ferment for 2 hours.

~ After 2 hours, combine sugar, baking powder, mashed bananas, coconut milk into the starter dough. Mix well.

~ Add in flour and stir well.

~ Place paper cups into fatt goh moulds (I used a muffin tray), fill in batter till 3/4 full.

~ Steam over rapidly boiling water for 20 minutes.

Left over fatt goh can be panfried after dipping in a beaten egg mixture. Just slice them into thin slices and dip into the egg mixture and panfried until brown on both sides. You'll have a crispy fatt goh then..:)

Cheers!!

Fruity Chiffon

Chiffon fewer! I've been baking chiffon & chiffon & chiffon again these few days..haha! Well, after the coffee chiffon that I've baked last few days, my girl has been asking me to bake another one which she can eat. What does she mean that the cake she can eat? HAHA....this girl has been telling me that she can't really eat that coffee chiffon cake because coffee is not meant for children. She said it might burn her brain!!....HAHAHA! (It's probably I told her before that coffee contains cafeine which is not suitable for kids)

Okay then, since my fridge is full of oranges, so here's the Orange Chiffon Cake that she can really enjoy!...:)



I used the exact recipe from the Coffee Chiffon Cake but changed the milk and coffee into fresh orange juice and 1 tbsp of "sunquick" (orange concentrate).
The texture was so soft and tasted so good, the cake was all gone right after I cut! It was suppose to be our breakfast this morning, but....hmm..;p



And so I've made another chiffon again this morning for her...Blueberry this time..heehee..;)
Recipe adapted from Blessed Homemaker's Strawberry Chiffon Cake but I did some changes here for my own preference.

Here's my version,

4 egg yolks

40g Sugar

50g cornoil

145g blueberry fillings

2 tbsps Milk

120g Plain flour

1/2 tbsp Baking powder

4 egg whites

40g sugar

1/2 tsp Cream of tartar

Method as the same as my Coffee Chiffon Cake.

It's not as blue / purple as I thought but it taste as good as the rest..:) Soft and fluffy..oh I just love it!

Have a Nice & Fruitful Weekend!!

Breakfast Muffins

Everybody is talking about being healthy lately. Me....yeah worry to get FAT! Ha ha! But i love food so much...so just eat larr..heehee!...;p, and i'm lucky enough to have good friends around who love to bake and cook. There are at least 2 days in a week that my friend will let us try her new recipe...SOOOO LUCKY right?!


Okay, today's menu is Oat muffins. Nothing much special here, but eat HEALTHY!
Got this recipe from a magazine, and i've made some changes....here it goes.....

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Self-raising flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 cup Rolled oats
1/2 cup Ground almonds
1/2 cup Dried apricots (Finely chopped)
1/2 cup Black raisins
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Honey
60g Butter (melted)
1 egg

METHOD:
~ Preheat oven to moderate, 180'C. Line muffin pan with muffin paper cups or spray with oil.
~ Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl, mix in oats, ground almonds, chopped apricots and raisins.
~ In a jug, whisk together milk, honey, melted butter and egg.
~ Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add in the egg mixture, mixing lightly until just combined.
~ Spoon mixture into muffin cups until two-thirds full. Sprinkle with some oats.
~ Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked when tested with a skewer.
~ Cool in pan for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to coll completely.


Notice that there is no sugar used?! Yeah....very healthy. So go ahead and try it out, its a very good and yummy breakfast to start a day...:)...Cheers!

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN

Well....i made these muffins in a small paper cupcakes, and it turns out so so so cute! My girl loves it, and she can take 3 in a time. Its easy and fun, my girl will help spooning the blueberries and we make this baking more fun! Then it turns out short of blueberry filling, cause she spoons too much in it! So i replaced the rest with strawberry choc chips. It's good...luckily:)

125g butter
120g fine granulated sugar
3 eggs (size C)
250g all purpose flour (better to use cake flour)
1 tbsp baking powder
125ml UHT full cream milk
**Blueberry pie filling

METHOD:
~ Cream butter n sugar until light and fluffy
~ Add in eggs gradually
~ Fold in sifted flour and baking powder
~ Pour in milk and mix gently
~ Spoon or pipe 1/3 full of the mixture onto paper cups placed in muffin moulds
~ Add in 1 tbsp of blueberry pie filling
~ Then cover the cups to fill about 80%
~ Bake for about 20-25 mintues at 200'C