I have been super busy this summer. Things are going great and I don't really have much to complain about :) That's always a nice feeling.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Sunshine and Flowers
Well hello again!
I have been super busy this summer. Things are going great and I don't really have much to complain about :) That's always a nice feeling.
A little while back I made another rose cake. Everyone always loves the rose cake. I think its because its so simple yet intricate. It definitely screams class and daintiness. For this cake, I made the rose cake bright yellow because it would be sitting at the top of a cupcake stand with flower cupcakes. I figured it would kind of replicate the sun showering down on a garden.
I loved the cream cheese icing on the cupcakes! I could have ate the whole bowl myself! I also loved how the little flowers turned out. Really happy with the silicone mould I used for it.
All in all, a very pretty display :)
I have been super busy this summer. Things are going great and I don't really have much to complain about :) That's always a nice feeling.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Romantic Damask
Lately I've been seeing damask styles everywhere! I actually think I might be late to jump on this technique. I've specifically seen them in beautiful cake designs. I decided to try it out recently and was quite pleased with the results.
This cake was quite daunting to me as I hadn't done something like it before. I planned and researched and imagined myself making it for a whole week! I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to make it.
But imaging yourself doing something is TOTALLY different from actually doing it (duh).
For example, I didn't imagine all the dishwashing, cleaning, scrubbing, and back pain but all those things were as real as ever!
That's probably what I hate most about making cakes...the cleaning :(
Back to the cake...I was super excited when I got my order of stencils from Flour Confections. I love that store and spend hours on their website all day errrday! They are so efficient with delivery and answering questions and have a lot of products that you can't find at other baking supply stores. Their prices are also not bad...compared to some other stores *cough* Golda's Kitchen *cough*.
I was so nervous about getting the stencilling right. I watched many Youtube videos that said it was tricky and gets better with practice. It definitely wasn't as bad as I had imagined it to be!!
Mind you, there were still some things I wanted to scrap and fix but all in all, I think the cake turned out beautiful and I'm happy that the people I made it for were also happy. Inside is a yummy rich chocolate cake with coconut swiss meringue buttercream....THE bomb dot com!
I miss my photographer roommate who took such beautiful pictures of my creations. I'm doing my best with my little point and shoot but honestly...apples and oranges. And I don't have the creative angle and eye of a photographer. MUST....LEARN....PHOTOGRAPHY!
But imaging yourself doing something is TOTALLY different from actually doing it (duh).
For example, I didn't imagine all the dishwashing, cleaning, scrubbing, and back pain but all those things were as real as ever!
That's probably what I hate most about making cakes...the cleaning :(
Back to the cake...I was super excited when I got my order of stencils from Flour Confections. I love that store and spend hours on their website all day errrday! They are so efficient with delivery and answering questions and have a lot of products that you can't find at other baking supply stores. Their prices are also not bad...compared to some other stores *cough* Golda's Kitchen *cough*.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Long time no blog! I would say that I'm super busy and hardly have time to sit and write a post but that would be a lie because all I do is sit around and do nothing....okay maybe not nothing but you get the idea.
I have a bunch of exciting new projects lined up which I can't wait to blog about. If your not much of a reader and just want to see updated pictures of what I create, take a look at my Facebook page and while your there, might as well like the page to keep updated :) Shameless self promotion.... I know
Anyway, I took a crack at a Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cake recipe. I can't remember the exact link and forgot to take it down so I don't feel right sharing the recipe but I'm sure a simple Google search would yield the same results.
I decided to fancy them up with some gum paste flowers and try some two toned icing as well. This was also my first time trying Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I was pretty nervous about trying it because I'm quite comfortable with my super sweet buttercream icing but decided to take on the challenge. I only made half a batch at first and was surprised by how easy and yummy it was that I made another half batch to equal one batch :) I will blog about the process later but let me just tell you that the result tasted DIVINE! It tasted like silk and butter had a baby in my mouth. I could have ate the whole bowl myself!
HOWEVER, I didn't like how it tasted on the red velvet cupcakes. The cupcakes were quite sweet which made the SMBC taste not as sweet and too rich. I would like to try the SMBC on regular white or vanilla cupcakes and see how that works out. Or maybe I just didn't make it right and that's why it was that way.
Let me know what you guys think! And check out my Facebook page if you get a chance :)
Anyway, I took a crack at a Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cake recipe. I can't remember the exact link and forgot to take it down so I don't feel right sharing the recipe but I'm sure a simple Google search would yield the same results.
I decided to fancy them up with some gum paste flowers and try some two toned icing as well. This was also my first time trying Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I was pretty nervous about trying it because I'm quite comfortable with my super sweet buttercream icing but decided to take on the challenge. I only made half a batch at first and was surprised by how easy and yummy it was that I made another half batch to equal one batch :) I will blog about the process later but let me just tell you that the result tasted DIVINE! It tasted like silk and butter had a baby in my mouth. I could have ate the whole bowl myself!
HOWEVER, I didn't like how it tasted on the red velvet cupcakes. The cupcakes were quite sweet which made the SMBC taste not as sweet and too rich. I would like to try the SMBC on regular white or vanilla cupcakes and see how that works out. Or maybe I just didn't make it right and that's why it was that way.
Let me know what you guys think! And check out my Facebook page if you get a chance :)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Giveaway!
Just wanted to quickly throw up this post to announce an amazing giveaway!! Go check it out at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=394076373967872&set=a.376755805699929.78352.199687153406796&type=1&theater and make sure to enter as many times as you can!!!
Who doesn't like free stuff?!?!?!
NO ONE!
Don't miss out and make sure to enter :) Tell all your friends too!
Sharing is Caring!!!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Return of the Cake Pop
Last week I had a cupcake project lined up for the upcoming Easter holiday. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as planned and pretty soon I had 24 cupcakes that looked like a mini version of this disaster that had happened before. I'm starting to think that it's either the baking soda that I'm using, or my roommates are giants who stomp around and cause my cupcakes to deflate. Both are very plausible reasons.
Oh the dreaded cake pop.
Cake pops are not my most favourite thing to make. To be fair, I've only given them one try but that was enough for me to file the idea away and nervously laugh at trying it again.
Don't get me wrong. They're cute as a button. Looking up pics of other people's cake pops makes me want to try my own.
The biggest problem I have is that it is So. Damn. Time. Consuming.
They're expensive, finicky, and take a huge set up too.
All for 5 minutes of a bite of cake.
Anyway....enough with my complaining.
This time around I used chocolate melts from Bulk Barn and I noticed that the chocolate cracked and oil oozed out of the crack. Not a cute look. They were easier to melt and work with though.
I spread out the work over a few days rather than trying to cram it all into one day which helps loads!
I also decided to add Nutella instead of buttercream icing to the cake crumbs which ups the yumminess factor but adds to the weight of each cake pop.
Happy Baking!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Spring Flowers!
I feel like a bear that just came out of hibernation.
The weather has been soooo unpredictable! Back in fall, people were saying that we were going to have one of the hardest winters ever. So obviously I went and bought a really warm (and expensive) coat and a really sturdy (and expensive) pair of waterproof boots.
And then winter didn't come.
But I'm not disappointed. As I might have mentioned before, I wasn't really built for winter. Not one hair on my head likes winter or snow or cold.
After a long time, I was able to try something new in terms of baking and decorating to celebrate the good weather.
I baked some chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with a recipe I found in a cupcake book. I have to do a review on this book sometime soon.
If you want to try this and think the video is a little unclear, let me know and I'll do another post with step by step pictures and explanations.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Funnel Cake
Today marks the beginning of my new diet. Well technically its an old diet that I've started and stopped multiple times. But we're just going to call it my new diet.
Over the 5 years that I've been an undergraduate student, I have changed (what I consider) drastically. I'm not going to go into details about everything I want to change about myself but I WILL say that I'm on a determined mission to live a healthier lifestyle full of exercise, nutritious food, and good rest.
Obviously this is a pretty hefty goal. I live on Mr. Noodles and soda, sleep at 3 in the morning and wake up at 12, and the most exercise I get is walking to the bus stop which is 1 min from my door.
Thus my back up plan is to fatten all those around me so that I look good.
KIDDING!
About the fattening others part....not about the healthy living part.
But the title of this post is funnel cake and that is what we are going to talk about.
Gimme a break this one time and I'll try not to put up anymore posts that will clog your arteries. No promises though.
I tried out a recipe I found at this site which has some beyoooootiful pictures of food. Seriously. Compared to those pictures, mine look like they were taken on a polaroid.
I love this recipe because it is super simple. There isn't a whole lot of ingredients and you can find almost everything you need already in your pantry....if you have a pantry that is.
What I don't love is that it calls for deep frying. Deep frying always makes me cringe because I KNOW it will taste sooooo good but I KNOW that its sooooo bad....INTERNAL CONFLICT! Who am I kidding? There's not conflict. Deep frying FTW!
Here's what you'll need
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup powdered sugar for garnish
A squeeze bottle
The original recipe also called for 1/4 tsp lemon zest but I didn't have any. I also assumed that the powdered sugar was for garnish...it wasn't super clear on the original recipe...or maybe I'm being a total idiot and I should have added the sugar. Either way....it tasted fine without the sugar.
Here's what you should do
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a container with a spout. You will be pouring the batter out of this container so it's easier if it has a spout.
In another bowl, whisk the egg and then add milk, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk some more.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until well combined. The batter should be pretty thick.
Pour batter into the squeeze bottle. I tried to use the Wilton bottles but I found the tips to be too small and the funnel came out crispy and thin. I changed to a piping bag which made a really big funnel which I also didn't like too much but my taste testers loved. Try to find a bottle with an opening thats not too big or too small. I suck at math so I'm not going to bother giving you a diameter or a measurement. I will say that the squeeze bottle is MUCH easier to manage than a piping bag.
Place a metal ring into a pan with oil. This will act as a guide if you want perfectly same sized funnel cakes. I didn't have a metal ring so I just eyeballed it. They turned out fine.
Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze the batter into the oil making a ring and then criss crossing everywhere to achieve a funnel cake look.
Cook for about 1 min and flip. Once it is evenly golden brown, remove from oil and place onto paper towels or something that will absorb all the excess oil.
Top immediately with tonnes of powdered sugar and add whatever else your little heart desires. I used whipped cream, strawberry jam (which I melted because I didn't have strawberry sauce), and chocolate sauce.
NOM NOM NOM
Happy baking...err...frying!!
Over the 5 years that I've been an undergraduate student, I have changed (what I consider) drastically. I'm not going to go into details about everything I want to change about myself but I WILL say that I'm on a determined mission to live a healthier lifestyle full of exercise, nutritious food, and good rest.
Obviously this is a pretty hefty goal. I live on Mr. Noodles and soda, sleep at 3 in the morning and wake up at 12, and the most exercise I get is walking to the bus stop which is 1 min from my door.
Thus my back up plan is to fatten all those around me so that I look good.
KIDDING!
About the fattening others part....not about the healthy living part.
But the title of this post is funnel cake and that is what we are going to talk about.
I tried out a recipe I found at this site which has some beyoooootiful pictures of food. Seriously. Compared to those pictures, mine look like they were taken on a polaroid.
I love this recipe because it is super simple. There isn't a whole lot of ingredients and you can find almost everything you need already in your pantry....if you have a pantry that is.
What I don't love is that it calls for deep frying. Deep frying always makes me cringe because I KNOW it will taste sooooo good but I KNOW that its sooooo bad....INTERNAL CONFLICT! Who am I kidding? There's not conflict. Deep frying FTW!
Here's what you'll need
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup powdered sugar for garnish
A squeeze bottle
The original recipe also called for 1/4 tsp lemon zest but I didn't have any. I also assumed that the powdered sugar was for garnish...it wasn't super clear on the original recipe...or maybe I'm being a total idiot and I should have added the sugar. Either way....it tasted fine without the sugar.
Here's what you should do
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a container with a spout. You will be pouring the batter out of this container so it's easier if it has a spout.
In another bowl, whisk the egg and then add milk, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk some more.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until well combined. The batter should be pretty thick.
Pour batter into the squeeze bottle. I tried to use the Wilton bottles but I found the tips to be too small and the funnel came out crispy and thin. I changed to a piping bag which made a really big funnel which I also didn't like too much but my taste testers loved. Try to find a bottle with an opening thats not too big or too small. I suck at math so I'm not going to bother giving you a diameter or a measurement. I will say that the squeeze bottle is MUCH easier to manage than a piping bag.
Place a metal ring into a pan with oil. This will act as a guide if you want perfectly same sized funnel cakes. I didn't have a metal ring so I just eyeballed it. They turned out fine.
Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze the batter into the oil making a ring and then criss crossing everywhere to achieve a funnel cake look.
Cook for about 1 min and flip. Once it is evenly golden brown, remove from oil and place onto paper towels or something that will absorb all the excess oil.
Top immediately with tonnes of powdered sugar and add whatever else your little heart desires. I used whipped cream, strawberry jam (which I melted because I didn't have strawberry sauce), and chocolate sauce.
NOM NOM NOM
Happy baking...err...frying!!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Creme Brulaylay
Do you ever have those days when you're sitting in class at 9:30 in the morning thinking about a really yummy dish you had a while ago? I mean yeah your obviously paying attention to the lecture and studiously taking notes. But your also drooling over a big fat piece of pie or a creamy dessert...like creme brûlée.
Well that's what I was doing last week and then had the opportunity to put my dreaming into action.
Recently, my roommates and I had a girls night and I decided to whip up some creme brûlée...obviously I can use phrases like 'whip up' and 'throw together' because I'm such an expert...duhh.
It was surprisingly easy. There weren't too many ingredients and I found a really good video showing the process...and the cook was French....with a French accent. The accent proves his expertness so I went with his video. I'm sure there are many other variations and ways to do it.
Here's the link to the video. The ingredients are also listed on there.
I didn't have a flamethrower...I mean blowtorch so I set the oven to broil and carefully put the ramekins in and watched them with hawk eyes. I wish I had the blowtorch though. It would have been cooler.
They tasted really good. They were a little warm and more liquidy since I put them in the oven instead of torching them. All in all, very fattening and yummy.
Well that's what I was doing last week and then had the opportunity to put my dreaming into action.
Recently, my roommates and I had a girls night and I decided to whip up some creme brûlée...obviously I can use phrases like 'whip up' and 'throw together' because I'm such an expert...duhh.
It was surprisingly easy. There weren't too many ingredients and I found a really good video showing the process...and the cook was French....with a French accent. The accent proves his expertness so I went with his video. I'm sure there are many other variations and ways to do it.
Here's the link to the video. The ingredients are also listed on there.
I didn't have a flamethrower...I mean blowtorch so I set the oven to broil and carefully put the ramekins in and watched them with hawk eyes. I wish I had the blowtorch though. It would have been cooler.
They tasted really good. They were a little warm and more liquidy since I put them in the oven instead of torching them. All in all, very fattening and yummy.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
First Sugar Cookie Attempt
Okay so I know I said I wouldn't be doing another post until I got a few other things done and was back at school....
BUT everything is almost pretty much in order and I just drank a huge mug of french vanilla coffee...and decided to do a post!
What is french vanilla coffee?
1 spoon of Nescafe instant coffee
3 spoons Tim Horton's French Vanilla Powder
Hot boiling water
Tons of sugar
yummm....I thought I might throw a Lindor chocolate truffle in there...but too bad I ate them all :)
I thought I would ring in the new year (a little late) by talking about a project I tried in 2011 summer and haven't touched since.
After creeping Sweetopia's blog and watching this tutorial video on her royal icing daisy transfers about 50 times, I decided to give it a try myself.
I was too intimidated to make the royal icing from scratch so I bought the Wilton mix...and this was also before I had my stand mixer.
I used this basic sugar cookie recipe.
For a first attempt, I would say that I didn't do too bad. There were a tonne of downfalls like the cookies being too thin, not getting the right consistency for icing, having way too much icing left over and go to waste, ugly daises...well now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't such a successful attempt!
But she made it look so damn easy!
And from this project I've realized that I cannot ever be a surgeon because my hands are super shaky...well that and some other reasons but let's not get into that.
There were a tonne of steps to the cookie decorating process and since it was my first time I was super slow too.
So this year I'm going to take another stab at cookies....maybe not be too over ambitious with the design and just start with basic things like actually baking the cookies properly and making the icing.
I also wanna try out a whole bunch of new cupcake recipes!! Top of the list? COCONUTS!
Happy Baking!
BUT everything is almost pretty much in order and I just drank a huge mug of french vanilla coffee...and decided to do a post!
What is french vanilla coffee?
1 spoon of Nescafe instant coffee
3 spoons Tim Horton's French Vanilla Powder
Hot boiling water
Tons of sugar
yummm....I thought I might throw a Lindor chocolate truffle in there...but too bad I ate them all :)
I thought I would ring in the new year (a little late) by talking about a project I tried in 2011 summer and haven't touched since.
After creeping Sweetopia's blog and watching this tutorial video on her royal icing daisy transfers about 50 times, I decided to give it a try myself.
I was too intimidated to make the royal icing from scratch so I bought the Wilton mix...and this was also before I had my stand mixer.
 |
| Naked Cookies..teehee |
For a first attempt, I would say that I didn't do too bad. There were a tonne of downfalls like the cookies being too thin, not getting the right consistency for icing, having way too much icing left over and go to waste, ugly daises...well now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't such a successful attempt!
But she made it look so damn easy!
And from this project I've realized that I cannot ever be a surgeon because my hands are super shaky...well that and some other reasons but let's not get into that.
There were a tonne of steps to the cookie decorating process and since it was my first time I was super slow too.
 |
| So many little bumps :( Such uneven circles! |
I'm not much of a cookie eater...I kinda prefer cake (surprise surprise)....but the cookie decorators I occasionally (and by occasionally I mean obsessively) stalk inspire me to try it out for myself.
So this year I'm going to take another stab at cookies....maybe not be too over ambitious with the design and just start with basic things like actually baking the cookies properly and making the icing.
I also wanna try out a whole bunch of new cupcake recipes!! Top of the list? COCONUTS!
Happy Baking!
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