Matthew's Chocolate Cake - Blind Baking with Tray: Pilot episode

Hi guys!

I trialled a new series called "Blind Baking with Tray" on my instagram (@bakingtraybakes) yesterday where I get a special guest to bake, while I instruct them. So essentially they are "baking blind" because they don't know what the method is ^^ They will just have to rely on my instructions and their instinct! Haha! 

The name of the series is also a pun because to "blind bake" is to bake a pie shell/pastry shell before adding the filling. Just a play on words~

Yesterday's special guest was my HUSBAND! Mr. Chin ^^" I have to say he did a really good job!! Maybe we will see more of him in the future!

I saw this recipe on Bread Ahead Bakery's Live instagram bakes (@breadaheadbakery)! They have baking tutorials every day at 2PM UK time! It's awesome! Go check them out if you can! Oh and the owner of the bakery is Matthew which is why the cake is called "Matthew's Chocolate Cake".

Matthew's Chocolate Cake
Recipe from Bread Ahead Bakery

Ingredients

CAKE
185g self-raising flour
2g baking powder
30g cocoa powder
140g caster sugar
4g bicarb soda
210g milk
210g vegetable oil
3 medium eggs (150g)
40g golden syrup (or honey)
50g roasted walnuts, chopped (optional for decoration)

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
175g thickened cream
200g dark chocolate
1g salt
25g unsalted butter
(Note: I used half of this recipe and it was plenty of ganache ^^)

1. Preheat oven to 170oC, fan-forced (or 180oC, fan-forced if making cupcakes). Grease and line baking tin (I used a rectangle loaf pan).
2. Place dry ingredients (self-raising flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, caster sugar and bicarb soda) in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl add the eggs and whisk. Add the rest of the wet ingredients (vegetable oil, milk and golden syrup) and whisk until combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until all combined.
5. Pour into lined cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes (check at 30 minutes as each oven is different). If making cupcakes, bake at 180oC for 14 minutes. Allow to cool before decorating with ganache.
6. To make chocolate ganache, place cream in small saucepan over medium heat. When it just comes to the boil, remove from heat and add dark chocolate and stir until chocolate melted.
7. Add in pinch of salt and butter and stir until smooth.
8. Allow to cool/thicken before icing the cake. You can place ganache in fridge to speed up cooling process.
9. Decorate cake with ganache and add nuts or berries (optional).

This recipe is great for first time bakers! Happy baking!! Till the next episode...

Belated Bridal Shower cake post

Hello all!
This is very belated post on the cake I made for my friend's bridal shower! (Her bridal shower was in April ...oops!) Better late than never :)

This was my first time trying a naked layer cake and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! The cake was nice and moist and not too sweet! It wasn't too difficult or time consuming either! So give it a go :D

Red Velvet Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Recipe adapted from Sweetest Menu

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake

350g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
20g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
300g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
230g unsalted butter
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla essence
240ml (1 cup) greek yoghurt
2 tsp white vinegar
4 tsp red food colouring
60ml (1/4 cup) milk

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line two 8 inch round cake tins.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Add sugar and whisk.
3. Melt the butter in the microwave.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, add eggs, vanilla and butter and whisk together until smooth. Add the greek yoghurt and stir.
5. In a small bowl mix together the red food colouring and vinegar.
6. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture along with the food colouring and start to gently fold. Add milk and stir until just combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Place cakes on wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Frosting

230g unsalted butter, softened at room temp
150g (1 cup) dark chocolate
625g (5 cups) icing sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) milk

8. Place butter in large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until pale and creamy.
9. Melt the chocolate in a microwave and set aside to cool.
10. Once butter is pale and creamy, add one cup of icing sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat on low until icing sugar is incorporated. Add the rest of the icing sugar, one cup at a time, and the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until thick and creamy.
11. Add melted and cooled chocolate to the buttercream until chocolate is completely mixed through. 
12. Level the cakes using serrated knife and set the leftover cake aside for decoration.
13. Place one of the cakes onto a turntable then gently frost the top. Add second cake layer on top and frost the sides and top of the cake. Scrape the buttercream from the side of the cake to get the "naked" cake look. Place cake in the fridge while you make the ganache. Set aside the remainder buttercream for decoration.

Chocolate ganache

150g (1 cup) dark chocolate melts
180ml (3/4 cup) thickened cream
Chocolate malt balls to decorate

14. Place chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, add cream and heat on medium heat until just before cream boils. Immediately pour cream over chocolate, cover the bowl with a plate and leave for 3-5 minutes. Whisk mixture until smooth and creamy. Place in fridge for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
15. To decorate cake, gently pour chocolate ganache over the top and gently push drips over the sides of the cake. Leave to set. Before serving, pipe buttercream to the top of the cake. Add chocolate malt balls and sprinkle remaining cake crumb.

Nice even layers yay!

Hope I can continue blogging regularly ^^" till next post~~

Work Catering #44: Cookie Dough Brownies!

How did I not discover this before!? Cookie Dough + Brownies :D :D!! Another brownie variation ^^" I do like finding different brownie recipes.. adding berries, nuts, cream cheese... and now COOKIE DOUGH :D The cookie dough is raw but don't be afraid because it's eggless and acts like a frosting for the brownies.

Cookie Dough Brownies
Recipe adapted from The Baker Upstairs

Ingredients
Brownies
1/2 cup (113g) salted butter
225g dark chocolate
1 cup caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line rectangle baking pan (20x30cm).
2. Melt butter and chocolate in medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Stir in sugar into cooled mixture until combined. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
4. Gently fold in flour and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a knife.
5. Bake for ~30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (it's better to underbake these brownies than overbake as they will turn out too dry).

Cookie dough
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 tbs milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

1. Beat butter and both sugars in medium bowl with electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla and mix until combined.
2. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips with spatula.
3. Spread an even layer on top of the baked brownies.

So yummy!!! it's like cookie and brownie all in one!

The chocolate chips really give great texture and flavour~

I was reading a cook book and found a recipe for some cookies! They looked really good.. simple and delicate.. so I decided to make them...

However mine didn't exactly look like the pictures in the book XD
Coconut and Chocolate Sandwich cookies
Recipe adapted from Sugar and Spice by Callie Maritz and Mari-Louis Guy

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
2 1/2 cups (250g) fine desiccated coconut
2 cups (280g) plain flour
1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
100g dark chocolate, chopped + extra for decoration
80ml thickened cream

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.
3. Add coconut, flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix through.
3. Roll the dough into about 60 balls with your hands and place on baking tray. Press each one to slightly flatten. Press a small block of chocolate into the middle of each biscuit. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and allow the biscuits to cool completely.
4. Make chocolate ganache by melting chocolate and cream in a heat proof bowl over pot with simmering water. Allow to cool or even refrigerate to thicken.

5. Sandwich two biscuits together with chocolate ganache.

Yummy biscuits :D

OK so they don't look super pretty...

but still taste good =p

These turned out a bit bigger than I would have liked... tastewise, a little bit dry but the ganache helps with that :) It kind of tasted like an Anzac cookie because of the coconut.

More coconut recipes coming soon :D oh and brownie recipes ^_^

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 :)

Baking with kids: Owl cupcakes and Cake pops!!!

My first real bake of 2014!!! and what a great way to start of the year by baking with friends ^__^ I invited around some of my little friends to bake since they were still on holidays - semi babysitting. I love getting kids involved in baking at a young age in the hope they continue when they grow up! 

Me and my mini chefs :D all aproned up

Baking with kids has to be FUN yet simple, and also involve a lot of creativity~ So decided to make some simple cupcakes which you can decorate to look like owls and then CAKE POPS!! :) thank you my mini chefs for coming to help and also help eat the food =p

Owl cupcakes
Idea from Nasi Lemak Lover 

Ingredients
1 batch of chocolate cupcakes (use my vanilla cupcake recipe and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder)
chocolate ganache
24 oreos
M&Ms for decorating

1. Ice cupcakes with chocolate ganache.
2. Split oreo in two, making sure you have the white filling on each side. Place on iced cupcakes (these will be the eyes).
3. Place M&Ms onto oreos for the eyeballs and then one M&M for the beak.
4. Break the edge off an oreo for the eyebrows.

Decorating cupcakes

ta da~~ look at the angry one.. and the confused one =p

But really... IT'S UP TO YOU :D

Cake pops

Ingredients
1 x chocolate cake
Chocolate ganache
250g dark chocolate
Coloured sprinkles, M&Ms, dessicated coconut (basically anything you want to decorate!)

1. Break up cake into fine crumbs.

finely crumbed chocolate cake

2. Add 2 tbs of chocolate ganache and mix until well combined. Add more ganache if the mixture is still dry - should be able to roll up into a ball without it breaking.
3. Roll teaspoonful of mixture into a ball and place on tray. Place tray in fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler.
4. Remove cake balls from fridge. Dip stick into melted chocolate then place into the ball. Dip ball into melted chocolate and coat. Decorate with various ingredents e.g. sprinkles.
5. Place in cake pop stand. After chocolate has set you can wrap in plastic wrappers :)


Our cake pops :D

thanks for helping~~

Oh and belated HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!! Hope you have a happy baking year ^__^

How to NOT fail in making macaroons :)

Macaroons. A fear of many. But... you shouldn't be scared!! It's really quite simple =)!!! Just follow this recipe.. and if I can do it.. so can you!!! Even those that have failed at it many times before.. have followed this recipe and succeeded ^^ and its adapted from MASTERCHEF!! =p

Ingredients: (basic macaroon)

225g pure icing sugar
130g almond meal
3 egg whites
60g caster sugar

note: you can add other flavourings, essences, colourings as you wish *be creative* ^^

Filling:

Chocolate ganache - cooking chocolate and cream

Raspberry cream - whipped cream, frozen/fresh berries and sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 120oC

2. Sift icing sugar and almond meal into one bowl then sift the mixture into another bowl and again into the original bowl. (Recipe says 3 times but I've done it 9-10 times ^^ the more times the better!!)

3. Whisk 3 egg whites with electric beater until doubled in size. While beating, slowly add caster sugar and whisk until firm peaks formed. (you can add essence or food colouring at this stage)

4. Fold almon meal mixture into egg white mixture until smooth and glossy. (be careful to mix with CARE.. be GENTLE ^^.. coz this is a CRITICAL part!!!!)

5. Place mixture into piping bag and pipe 4 -5cm diameter circles onto lined baking tray. (HAHHAH BAKING TRAY XD!! haha sorry =p lammeee)

Leave to rest for 20 minutes until macaroons form a skin (Also very crucial!!!)

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until macaroons can be lifted from the tray. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Tip: use a knife to take macaroons off the tray

Chocolate ganache: Melt chocolate in a double boiler and add cream (i'm not too sure about amounts.. you can guestimate =p)

Raspberry cream: Heat berries in a pot with a little caster sugar until they are just broken down. Whip cream with a little sugar. When berries are cooled then add to the cream.

and... CONSTRUCT YOUR MACAROON =D =D =D



Raspberry cream 17-01-11 (maybe we should have baked it longer xP)

 

Chocolate ganache - 25/07/10



ok so these didn't taste AS good as the bought ones..will try and improve the recipe =) but good enough!

PRICE: $2 each =) hehe