Layers of blessing.....

Without much practice on baking recently, I find my baking skills become very lousy. When I recalled by those baking pictures that I took few years back I wonder where is my passion and skills had gone. Last week was the birthday of my hubby and I took that opportunity to practice a birthday cake.

So, I choose a recipe that I made few years ago, Praline Chocolate Cake, his forever favorite cake. This is the one I made four years ago for my customer (right picture) but this time I didn't manage to make each layer of sponge and cream evenly. 

My hubby is kind enough and appreciate whatever outcome it is and still very enjoy the taste and texture of the cake. I remember he only allowed to eat those cake edges that I cut out but not a nice piece of cake. Although the cake was not well assemble this time, we enjoyed the lightness of the cake. I'm quite satisfy with the soft sponge. So far, this is the best sponge cake recipe I found from 孟老师的美味蛋糕卷. For the praline, I use to make it with hazelnut but last week when I was making this cake in a rush and just notice that I don't have hazelnut so I replace it with almond. I must say hazelnut is still the best to go with. This might not be the perfect cake but the purpose to post this up is to share about the sponge cake recipe. It's really good indeed and why not share with everyone. Hope you like it too!

孟老师的美味蛋糕卷

Recipe for plain sponge (size 36cm x 26cm):

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter 40g

Egg yolk 100g

Caster sugar 20g

Egg white 160g

Caster Sugar 75g

Plain flour 55g

1. Prepare a baking tray lined with baking paper. Melt the butter than set a side to cool.


2. Whisk the egg yolks with sugar in a double boiler until thicken and pale in color. 


3. In another bowl whisk the egg whites with caster sugar until peak foam.


4. Fold the egg yolks into the egg whites then gently fold in the shifted flour.


5. Pour some mixture (4) into a clean bowl then mix in the melted butter until well combine.  Pour back into the mixture of (4) and mix gently until everything well combine.


6. Pour the batter into prepared baking tray and spread evenly. I put the mixture into a piping bag to pipe out the mixture as I need very thin sponge. It couldn't fill up the entire baking pan so I bake them in another cake tin as an assorted cake. 


7. Bake at 190C for 10 - 12 minutes. Be careful  not to over bake it.


8. Remove the cake from the baking tray immediate when it out from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Tear out the side of the baking paper and let it completely cool down and ready to use.

Recipe for cocoa sponge (size 36cm x 26cm):

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter 25g

Egg yolks 80g

Caster sugar 25g

Cocoa powder 20g

Cold water 20g

Egg whites 120g

Caster sugar 60g

Plain flour 45g

1. Prepare a baking tray lined with baking paper. Melt the butter than set a side to cool. 


2. Whisk the egg yolks with sugar in a double boiler until thicken and pale in color. Mix in cocoa powder and cold water until well combine.


3. In another bowl whisk the egg whites with caster sugar until peak foam


4. Fold the egg yolks into the egg whites then gently fold in the shifted flour.


5. Pour some mixture (4) into a clean bowl then mix in the melted butter until well combine.  Pour back into the mixture of (4) and mix gently until everything well combine.


6. Pour into prepared baking tray and spread evenly. I put the mixture into a piping bag to pipe out the mixture as I need very thin sponge. It couldn't fill up the entire baking pan so I bake them in another cake tin as an assorted cake.


7. Pour the batter into prepared baking tray and spread evenly. Bake at 190C for 10 - 12 minutes. Be careful  not to over bake it.


8. Remove the cake from the baking tray immediate when it out from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Tear out the side of the baking paper and let it completely cool down and ready to use.

For the praline paste:

Lightly toast 80g whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet.

In a stainless steel sauce pan, combine 100g caster sugar and 100g water. Do not stir. The mixture will reduce. Allow to caramelize and you will see the sides start to color first. Once the sugar reduction has caramelized, remove from heat. Add the lightly toasted hazelnut to the caramel then stir briskly, this should be done very quickly as the sugar reduction will start to harden. The heat from the caramel will warm the nuts and allow the hazelnuts essence to permeate. The nut caramel is then poured onto a greased marble slab. Allow the caramel to cool. Once cool use a spatula to spread and press the nut caramel in an even layer. Flip the cooling layer over. Allow to harden. Use a rolling pin or some other weighty tool to break up the hardened nut caramel. The pieces should be small enough to fit in your food processor. Pulse the food processor until the pieces begin to smooth until a paste. Continue to process until desired smoothness. Store in an airtight container. This paste is great to jazz up your pastry cream or adding to your cream puffs.

To assemble to the cake:

1. Divide the plain sponge and cocoa sponge into two sheets. Now you got four sheets of sponge cake.


2. Whip 300ml cream with one tablespoon vanilla extract. 


3. Whip 250ml cream with 100g praline paste


4. Melt 150ml cream with 50g dark chocolate and set aside.


5. Place a piece of cocoa sponge on a cake board, spread half of the vanilla cream on the cocoa sponge evenly. It's better to use the piping bag to pipe out the cream, that would be much evenly.


6. Place a plain sponge on the vanilla cream then pipe out the praline cream on top. 


7. Place another cocoa sponge on the praline cream and pipe out the vanilla cream.You could reserve some cream for decoration.


8. Place another plain sponge for the last layered. Spread the chocolate cream evenly on top. 


9. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.


10. Cut out the edges to get a nice layer of appearance. Decorate the cake as you like. Enjoy!

Cakes Corner | HT | 8:19 PM No comments Read More

Ice Cream

If you've read my previous post about waffles, you would probably realized there are few ice cream recipes that I've not introduced to you which was my new discovering in ice cream making last month. So, here are three different ice cream I've made recently.

Chocolate Snickers Ice Cream

(This creamy dark chocolate ice cream, added with chocolate snickers give delicious texture and stay soft even after freezing)

Dulce De Leche Ice Cream

(Unique caramelized milk added with roasted almond is a decadent extravagance)

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

(Creamy and rich of cream cheese flavor is a heaven for cheesecake lovers)

There all turn out very nice for me. I was trying to figure out which one is the best to share with everyone but hardly rate which is the best. As for me, there all had very unique flavor and good taste! Check out the recipes if you like to give it a try. Cheers!

Chocolate Snickers Ice Cream

4 egg yolks

75g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

300ml milk

150g dark chocolate

300ml whipping cream

2 Snickers bars

Put the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl and whisk until thick and foamy. Pour the milk into a heavy pan, bring just to the boil, then gradually pour the milk into a heavy pan, bring just to the boil, then gradually pour the milk on to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens and is smooth. Pour back into the bowl and stir in the chocolate until melted. Cover the custard closely, leave to cool, then chill for 6 hours or overnight.

Whip the cream until it has thicken, but is still soft enough to fall from a spoon. Fold it into the chilled custard and pour into  an ice cream maker to churn for 20-25 minutes until thick.

Fold in chopped chocolate snickers transfer to a freezer container. Freeze for 5 - 6 hours until firm.

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

175ml milk

120g caster sugar

125g philadelphia cream cheese

half teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 egg

juice of half a lemon

350ml double cream

Heat the milk in a pan, and while it's getting warm, beat together the sugar, philadelphia, vanilla, and egg in a bowl. Still whisking, pour the bot milk into the cream cheese mixture and pour this back into the cleaned-out pan and make a custard in the regular way.

Pour into a bowl and let it cool, at which time add the lemon juice and then the double cream, lightly whipped.

Cover the custard closely, leave to cool, then chill for 6 hours or overnight.  pour into  an ice cream maker to churn for 20-25 minutes until thick. transfer to a freezer container. Freeze for 5 - 6 hours until firm.

Dulce De Leche Ice Cream

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 1/4 cups dulce de leche

1/2 cup heavy cream

a splash of vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

In a heavy saucepan, heat the milk and dulce de leche just to a boil, stirring until the duce de leche is dissolved.Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt.

Cool completely at room temperature. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

Churn the mixture in a ice cream maker for 20 - 25 minutes until thicken. Store in an airtight freezer container and freeze until harden.

Craving Corner, Ice Cream | HT | 5:56 PM No comments Read More

Playing with my new toy!

I received a x'mas present from my hubby quite early this year, a Waffle Maker! That's what I've dreamed for some times ago and every time I pass by the Mayer shop, I would stand there looking at it for a few minutes. My hubby always got headache when thinking what to buy for my x'mas present but this year he settled it quite fast haha... We can't wait to try out the waffle maker, so I quickly flipped through a Belgian waffle recipe from 西点学习大百科.  This recipe highlight that original Belgian waffle normally made by yeast instead of baking powder and soda bicarbonate that I found is quite different. Since this is a Belgian waffle maker, I think this recipe would goes well with it.

I like this waffle maker because it had a deep pocket of baking plates which will make the waffle much thicker and crispy too! The result wasn't disappoint me as the waffles had a crispy texture at the outside and remain a fluffy crumbs. As this is my first attempt, I've no experience  on its heating temperature, the color of the waffles is slightly dark, so I think I would turn the heat down to slightly lower next round. I served it with my homemade chocolate snicker ice cream and cream cheese ice cream, brilliant! 

Recipe to make 4 pieces to fit in a Cuisinart Belgium waffle maker:

150g plain flour

3g instant dry yeast

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

150ml fresh milk

50g sour cream

1 egg

30g unsalted butter (melted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix plain flour, yeast, sugar and salt together. Gradually add in milk, then sour cream, eggs follow by the melted butter and vanilla extract.


2. Combine the mixture until a smooth batter then cover with cling film. Let the batter proof for 1 hour. 


3. After an hour, the batter will appear some bubbles on the surface and the batter is almost double up. Use a spatula to mix with a folding method until the bubbles disappear. 


4. Preheat the waffle maker then  pour in the batter until cook. (I followed the user menu instruction) 


5. Serve it with honey, maple syrup or ice cream. Enjoy!

PS: The waffles will turn soft once it cool down. Toast it in a preheated 160C oven for 1 or 2 minutes to get back its crispiness. It can be kept in an airtight container  at room temperature for 24 hours or keep in the freezer for 2 weeks according to the recipe. But, fresh one always the best! Cheers!

Craving Corner | HT | 4:57 AM No comments Read More