Birthday bake: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee cake

It was my cousin-in-law's birthday a few weeks ago and so wanted to bake a cake for her! I knew that she'd probably get a lot of chocolates and cakes so wanted to go for something a little lighter! Then I remembered this AWESOME BRIGHT COLOURFUL cake I saw on .. (yes that's right!) Sally's Baking Addiction blog! Actually everything she makes is quite colourful but this cake really did stand out with her bright almost-hot-pink raspberries ^_^ The recipe seemed easy and I had all the ingredients in my pantry (don't you love those kind of recipes!) so here it is!

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake
Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients
Streusel
3 Tbs (45g) unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup (50g) caster sugar
1/4 cup (31g) plain flour
1/2 cup (64g) slivered almonds

Cake
2 cups (250g) plain flour
3/4 cup (150g) caster sugar
1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup (180g) dark chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh/frozen)

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line 8 inch square baking pan/dish.
2. Make streusel by gently mashing cold butter in small bowl. Add flour, sugar and mix with fork. Add almonds and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, baking powder, salt and egg. Beat on low until everything combined, remembering to scrape down the bowl if using stand mixer. Do not over mix.
4. Spread half of batter into baking pan/dish. Layer with half of the streusel, then most of the raspberries and chocolate chips. Repeat with rest of batter and streusel. Top with remaining raspberries and chocolate chips.

Layer 1

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes until skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Loosely over with foil after 20 minutes to prevent sides from over browning.   

Big slices!

Slice for you!

The colours of the cake were really vibrant! However, the cake was a little bit too dense and I think it was due to over mixing... ideally I wanted the texture to be more crumbly and cakey... but the flavours were still there :) Hope she liked it ^^and if she didn't... it's the thought that counts right? XD

Eggfree baking: Raspberry Blackout Cake

It was my supervisor's birthday this week so birthday cake baking time!!! One of my friends is currently on an egg-elimination diet as her daughter is egg allergic (aww.. poor girl) so I wanted to make a cake that was EGG FREE. I have previously made an eggless chocolate cake but was also looking for something a little different.

I found this recipe from a vegan baking blog and my first impression was YUM!!! The photo looked awesome!! A 3 layered chocolate cake with chocolate ganache dripping off the sides....and bright pink raspberries carefully placed on top! I only make a 2 layered cake and unfortunately didn't have any fresh raspberries around so used frozen.  My cake is also NOT vegan because I used cow's milk.. but you could always use almond or rice milk like in the original recipe :) But I have to say the cake was super moist! and had the perfect amount of sweetness.

If you are wondering about the egg substitute, the raspberry jam actually helps bind the cake together in place of the egg.

Raspberry Blackout Cake
Recipe adapted from Cookies and Candids

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
285g raspberry jam (reserve 1/2 cup for batter)
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup caster sugar
Fresh/frozen raspberries for decorating

Chocolate ganache
100g dark chocolate melts
80ml thickened cream

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line 2 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine milk, oil, 1/2 cup raspberry jam, vanilla and sugar in large bowl and mix with electric mixer until jam mostly dissolved (small clumps are ok).
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in batches and mix until everything is incorporated.
5. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cook in pans.
6. To make chocolate ganache, place chocolate and cream in bowl and melt over double boiler. Allow to cool and it will thicken.

Spreading jam and ganache on the layer of cake~

7. When cakes have cooled fully, spread one layer of cake with thin layer of raspberry jam. Drizzle with a layer of chocolate ganache. Place the other layer of cake on top and pour over ganache. Decorate with raspberries.

So give it a go! Whether you are egg allergic or have just ran out of eggs :)

Birthday Bake: Oreo Cheesecake Cake!

Another birthday bake!! :) I really enjoy these bakes! Baking for an occasion.. and this time it was for a friends' 25th birthday! She was having a birthday BBQ out in the open so couldn't really make anything frozen. I saw a post for this cake a while back and thought it looked pretty awesome, plus I had heaps of Oreo's at home XD

There may seem like a lot of steps for this cake but it's really not too bad. I would set aside 2 days to complete. One day for the cheesecake and the other day for the cake and frosting. Ultimately, 3 day is perfect.. one more day for the decoration =p

Oreo Cheesecake Cake
Recipe adapted from Family, food and fun

Cheesecake
500g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 sour cream
7 coarsely crushed Oreos

Cake
2 cups caster sugar
1 3/4 cups plain flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp instant coffee granules

Frosting
85g white chocolate
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 cups soft icing sugar
1/4 cup thickened cream or milk

extra Oreos for decoration

CHEESECAKE
1. Preheat oven to 160oC. Grease and line 23cm spring form pan.
2. Beat cream cheese with electric beater until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and salt.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time and then the sour cream. Fold in crushed Oreos.
4. Pour batter into pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 45 minutes for until just set in center. Let cool completely before removing from pan. Wrap in cling wrap and place in fridge overnight (or freezer if you wish to make this cake in one day).

CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line 2 23cm round cake tins.
2. Stir sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt together in large bowl.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed with electric beater for around 2 minutes or until well combined.
4. Dissolve coffee granules in boiling water. Stir coffee into batter (Batter will be thin but don't worry about it!). Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool completely. You can also wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for easier assembly.

FROSTING
1. Place white chocolate bowl over pot of simmering water. Stir until melted, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. 
2. Cream butter with electric beater. Once chocolate has cooled, beat in with butter. Add vanilla and beat.
3. Gradually add in cream/milk and icing sugar, alternating until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Ready for the assembly~~

ASSEMBLY
1. Place one layer of cake onto board. Frost with a thin layer of frosting and a sprinkle of crushed Oreos.

2. Remove cheesecake from freezer/fridge and place cheesecake layer on top of cake. If cheesecake is wider than the cake, it may be necessary to trip it. Frost with a thin layer of frosting and a sprinkle of crushed Oreos. 

3. Play top layer of cake on top of cheesecake. Coat entire cake with a layer of frosting. Top with mini Oreos and decorate as you like.

I suppose you want to see the inside of the cake =p It was a little crumbly to cut.. also because I forgot to bring a cake knife >__<" But we got there in the end!

I hope you all enjoyed the cake =) It was really fun making it! and I hope I will have many more opportunities in the future to bake birthday cakes!!! =D

Happy birthday Amy ^___^

Birthday Bake: Teddiron topped Raspberry and White choc cupcakes!

A little friend was turning 11 years old so wanted to bake something special for her birthday! I've known her since she was 4... and seen her grow up so much :) 

Everybody loves cupcakes! They are a nice sweet gift that look pretty ^^" So I tried to make some "pretty" looking cupcakes (although my icing/decorating skills still average....). But you can turn average looking cupcakes into cute cupcakes by simply adding a macaron (or teddiron to be exact) on top!! =D amazing what one macaron can do~~ hehe

Raspberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes with raspberry buttercream frosting
Modified Vanilla cupcake recipe 

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup frozen/fresh raspberries

Raspberry buttercream frosting
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup frozen raspberries, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 190oC and line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake cases.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until pale.
3. Beat in eggs one and a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift over flour and mix until almost combined. Stir in milk.
5. Fold in white chocolate chips and raspberries. Spoon into muffin holes and bake for 15 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.Once cooked, removed from oven and allow to cool. 

Fresh from the oven~

6. Meanwhile make frosting by placing all ingredients in small bowl. Beat using electric mixer until it all comes together to form frosting consistency. (At first, it may seem very crumbly but be patient and keep beating! It'll come together~). If you find it's too runny, add more icing sugar... if you find it too dry add more butter or raspberries :)
7. Ice cooled cupcakes and top with white chocolate chips (optional).

I made the teddirons using Adriano Zumbo's salted caramel macaron mix. I placed a toothpick inside to help it stand on top of the cupcake. (They kind of look like macaron pops ^^) I also wrote on the other side of the macarons with white chocolate spelling out Freesia's name ^^

Teddiron pops!

 So happy birthday Freesia! Hope you have a wonderful day!!! :)