Cocoa Sponge Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

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This is a cocoa chiffon cake recipe which I baked in round pan and decorated with chocolate ganache. Sometimes I have to find a way to clear stuff in the fridge and this time is whipping cream. Despite clearing whipping cream I have fun in making decorated cake too ^^ My kids are very happy to see and enjoy eating the chocolate cake.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting(The Pioneer Woman)

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I feel hesitate to post out this bake. I dislike the texture of these muffins. I don’t think is the recipe problem because I tend to get slightly chewy texture (kueh-like texture) when pumpkin puree is used as the main ingredient. I’m not sure why. Could it due to reduce too much sugar? Or over mix the batter? Or not using enough baking powder? As I understand pumpkin has high moisture contents and therefore requires more baking powder to lift up the bakes. I used the same amount of baking powder as stated in the recipe and yet not giving good result. Could it be my baking powder is not active anymore?

Carrot Cake with Frosting (The Pioneer Woman)

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I have few carrots in fridge and was thinking to make carrot cake. I searched the carrot cake recipe in The Pioneer Woman site and found this. This is an easy recipe. All you need is get ready the ingredients, mix and bake. In order to make it healthier I replace white sugar with dark brown sugar; replace half portion of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. I bake half of the recipe in 7-inch baking pan. As for the icing I reduced to half as well. As usual I reduce the amount of sugar. Do adjust according to your liking.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Delia Smith)/ Birthday Cake

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This year no fancy cake for my birthday boy. Since I wanted to bake carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, I take easy way out try on Delia Smith Saturday Carrot Cake  I can't believe with easy mix and stir method yields such moist and yummy cake. Not forget to mention is a healthy type of cake.

To please my kids, I added cocoa powder and chocolate chips. They go well together. As for the topping I scatter some pistachio nuts on cream cheese frosting. I am happy with the 'Not So Perfect' birthday cake. Not only easy for the baker (me) but also 'go easy' to our tummy too :)

Adapted from Delia Smith Saturday Carrot Cake with modification
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
~Carrot cake
(A)
75 g peeled and grated carrot (about 1 medium-sized carrot)
75 ml vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

(B)
80g all-purpose flour 
30g oatmeal flour (grind from instant oatmeal)
(Replace for 110g plain wholewheat flour)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

60g soft brown sugar
handful of chocolate chips

~For the topping
50g soft cream cheese
25g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
10g icing sugar, sieved

Some pistachio nuts (crushed)

Methods:
1. Grate the carrot straight into a mixing bowl. Add in oil and beaten egg. Stir to combine. Set aside.

2. Sift all the dry ingredients into another bowl. Add in sugar and chips. Slightly stir to combine well.

3. Add the carrot mixture into dry ingredients bowl. Fold and stir well until everything is well mixed. Scrape the batter into lined 6' round pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 170C for 20 minutes or when cake tester came out clean. Remove from oven and leave the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before turning the cake out and stripping off the paper.

5. Once the cake has cool completely now is time for frosting. To make the topping, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Spread it thickly on the top of the cake and decorate it by scatter some crushed pistachio nuts on top. 

I am submitting this post to 

~ Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv

~ Recipe Box#32 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

~See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace

~ Cook Like A Star organised by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids together with co-hosts, Baby Sumo from Eat Your Heart Out and Mich from Piece of Cake.

Cake Crumbs Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache without Cream

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One weekend at Giant shopping centre I saw some new item being displayed together with breadcrumbs (at bakery corner). A lot variety of butter cake (toasted) are seen. After some consideration I decided to buy a packet home although without knowing what I'm going to do with it :P 

Thanks to MiMi for her Oreo cupcakes as it inspires me to bake these cake crumbs cupcakes. It is so good to have it although without frosting. Since I want to give some away I decided to dress them up. After making Christmas log cake experience I start appreciate and like chocolate ganache. Therefore I choose it as topping. But I don't have any whipping cream in fridge! Then I wonder is it possible to prepare without cream? After some surfing I found this recipe which sourced from Nigella.com. Without much hesitates I try out! The outcome is not really like the one make with cream. Although it thicken after chilled it won't 'harden' or hardly stay still after apply on cupcakes. 

As you can see my colourful sprinkles sink. Therefore I keep the glazed cupcakes in fridge. Just thaw it at room temperature few minutes before consume. I wonder is it because I half the recipe? At Yummy Tummy, she can apply on the whole cake without any sign of melting! Next time will try to increase the amount of butter (use 50g instead of 25g).

Chocolate cake (toasted) from Giant

Inspired by Oreo cupcakes of MiMi Bakery
Yield about 12 pieces
Ingredients:
(A)
120g butter
100g sugar

(B)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
*combine and slightly beat to mix
120g banana (mashed)

(C)
200g cake flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda
*sift together above and set aside

100g toasted chocolate cake, crushed into fine crumbs (can replace with any flavoured biscuits like Oreo)
3 tablespoons milk

Methods:
1. Cream butter and sugar until white and creamy. Add in the beaten egg mixture in batches, beating well after each addition.
2. Add in mashed banana. Mix well.
3. Add in the flour, cake crumbs, milk and mix well.
4. Pour the batter into the paper cups about 80% full and bake in a preheated oven of 180C for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Leave to cool before topping.


Here is the chocolate ganache without using whipping cream.
Adapted from Yummy Tummy
Half the recipe

Ingredients:

25g butter (next time will increase to 50g)
60g milk(I used evaporated milk)
100g semi-sweet chocolate (cut into pieces)

Methods:
1. Mix butter and milk in pan. Bring to boil till butter melt.
2. Turn off the heat, and in chocolate pieces and leave aside for few minutes.
3. Still till smooth and leave to cool completely before keep in fridge.

*the ganache will thicken as it cool. Keep in fridge to fasten the process.
*spread on the cool cupcakes and decorate with some sprinkles.
The amount of chocolate ganache is way a lot as topping for these cupcakes.

Anyway I manage to make used of the balance chocolate ganache for other bakes which turns out beautifully. Stay tune for the next post!

I'm sharing this post at Recipe Box #28 hosted by Bizzy Bakes.

~Something you might interested
What is ganache?

Ganache is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream.^[2]

Ganache is normally made by heating cream, then pouring it over chopped dark semi-sweet chocolate. The mixture is stirred or blended until smooth, with liqueurs or extracts added if desired.

Depending on the kind of chocolate used, for what purpose the ganache is intended, and the temperature at which it will be served, the ratio of chocolate to cream is varied to obtain the desired consistency. Typically, two parts chocolate to one part cream are used for filling cakes or as a base for making chocolate truffles, while one to one is commonly used as a glaze. Cooled ganache can be whipped to increase volume and spread to cover a cake. However, if left to cool too much it can become too thick and unspreadable

(Source from Wikipedia)

Christmas Log cake

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I can't believe I make log cake! I actually pretty excited looking at my 1^st log cake. I used to think making log cake is hard as its look. Not until I read a log cake recipe in Carol blog.

 

Basically log cake is 'upgrade' version of Swiss roll :D With some extra effort the ordinary Swiss roll become outstanding festive looks cake. As we know the price of log cake selling outside is not cheap. If you used to bake Swiss roll and want to bake something for coming Christmas do consider this.

Adapted with slightly modification from Carol Christmas Log Cake
~ Log cake

Ingredient:
(A)
4 yolks
20g castor sugar
30g vegetable oil
30g milk

55g cake flour
15g cocoa powder

15g almond flour

(B)
4 whites
½ teaspoon vinegar (or lemon juice)
45g castor sugar

Method:
1. Whisk yolks and castor sugar till well combine. Add in vegetable oil and milk. Mix well.

2. Whisk in the sifted cake flour and cocoa powder. Follow by almond flour. Whisk till well combine.

3. In other bowl beat the whites till foamy. Add in 1/2 the castor sugar and vinegar. Continue beat till glossy. Add in the rest of castor sugar. Beat till stiff form.

4. Spoon 1/3 of the stiff whites into yolks batter. Fold to combine. Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining whites bowl. Fold till well combine.

5. Pour the batter into lined and greased swiss roll pan (I'm using 30cm x 36cm). Smooth the surface with scraper. Give the pan some tap to remove big bubbles.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 200C and bake further 3-4 minutes.
* I'm using steam bake method. Bake by placing a pan with hot water at the bottom of oven.

7. Once cooked, transfer the cake by lifting the baking paper (edges) to wire rack. Leave to cool (about 5 minutes).

 

8. Invert the cake and gently remove the baking paper. With a knife cut 2 lines (at the beginning of rolling point) but the cake is still attached to each other. Spread the filling (refer recipe below) evenly on the surface. Leave 1-2cm remain unspread.

9. Hold the cake with both hands and roll gently. When the swiss roll is rolled up, make sure the ending portion facing downward. Keep the roll in the refrigerator at least 2-3 hours before use.

 

~ chocolate whipped cream filling
Ingredients:
200g dairy whipping cream
60g semi-sweet chocolate (reduced from 100g)
 

Methods:
1. With hand mixer (low speed) beat the whipping cream till thick, at the stage where can be used for spreading (careful not to over beat!). Keep inside fridge while working on chocolate.

2. Cut chocolate into small size and put inside heat proof bowl. Melt the chocolate by placing the bowl in low simmer water. It is ready when chocolate start melting.

3. Remove from heat and stir till all chocolate melted and smooth. While melted chocolate is warm, mix into chilled whipped cream. Whisk fast till all combine.
*Chocolate must be warm or it will harden and can't mix into whipped cream.
 

~Chocolate ganache
Ingredients:
200g dairy whipping cream
100g semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon honey

Methods:
1. Cut chocolate into a mixing bowl. Bring half of cream to boil. Pour into diced chocolate bowl. Add in honey. Stir quickly till chocolate melted and smooth.

2. Add in the other half remaining cream. Mix till well combine. Keep at room temperature till ganache become thick to use.

 ~ Assemble

1. Remove the chilled swiss roll from fridge. Cut a slice of cake from both sides (diagonally not straight; about 2cm thick).

2. Place the cut slices of cake on the cake to form log (use chocolate ganache to stick; make sure the cut side is clean from ganache). Refer here for pictures shown.

3. Carefully apply chocolate ganache to the cake. Use fork to form the pattern. Decorate the cake as you wish. The cake can be kept well in fridge for 4-5 days.

I'm submitting this post to

~ Aspiring Bakers #26 – Creative Christmas Motif Bakes! hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies 

~Recipe Box #28 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

 

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv

 

Wishing all a very Happy Holidays and

Merry Christmas !