Yes, it is worth it!

I had another one of those super hectic weeks and I realized (though quite late) that I haven't properly acknowledged all those who left messages, advice, words of encouragement and expressions of concern and belief in me when I wrote this post.  THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.  I must admit though that I haven't had much progress into getting my priorities sorted out BUT I will get there, I promise.  In the meantime, just know that I am managing.

There are a few cakes I haven't shared with you yet.  Here they are!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND-THEMED CAKE

My niece turned 16 last month and this was her special request.  Her only specifications were that the cake be blue with no Alice figure.  Personally, I didn't want a whimsical design as most Alice cakes were.  I wanted something quite elegant.

This gumpaste teacup is probably my most favourite cake topper to date.  It's just stunning and pretty.  It does seem complicated to make, doesn't it?  Really, it's not (with the help of this tutorial).  All you will need is a lot of patience.

Another thing that I wanted on the cake was the rabbit's watch.  At first, I didn't think the watch time was important at all and I just made it to be 5:00.  Then my daughter corrected me, saying that tea time in Wonderland was always at 6:00!  I could have left it at that but I just couldn't stand the mistake.  So yes, I discarded a perfectly good watch and made a new one.

Here is the finished topper.

And here is the cake.

My niece appreciated it very much.  And so did all her friends and other guests at her party.

THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE-THEMED CAKE

My kids were never into Thomas.  I don't know....we just found the show quite boring (sorry to those who love the show!).  This is why we don't own a single Thomas toy.  How then was I supposed to make a rather complicated figure with nothing to copy from?

I searched the web and found a few tutorials and videos.  In the end, I decided not to stress too much into making a perfect Thomas with all his parts and details.  For as long as it was recognizable, it would be fine.  Maybe a 3-year old would not be so discriminating after all.

Could have been better but it's not too bad, isn't it?

ANGRY BIRDS-THEMED CAKE

This cake theme seems to be very much requested as the game is so popular with kids.  I don't mind making them cause the birds are so easy to mould, what with their very basic shapes.  The cake topper was all done in one sitting.

I know it's not as elaborate as other Angry Birds cakes are but sometimes less is more, right?

I have another Angry Birds cake coming up soon and this time around, it's going to be the new Space version.  Really looking forward to making that one!

BART SIMPSON-THEMED CAKE

When I was first asked to make this, my initial thought was to just make a 2D Bart.  Moulding a 3D Bart seemed too advance for my skill level.  One night, however, I sat down and just thought of trying.  If I could only make a decent head, then everything else would probably be less difficult.

I moulded the head then asked my kids, "Does this look  Bart enough?"  When they all said yes, I was confident enough to proceed.

Funny how the kids said my completed Bart was too fat. I didn't mind because isn't almost everyone in Springfield?  

I hope you enjoyed reading and looking.  I really have fun making cakes like these.  Sometimes the compensation is great, sometimes not so great.  Sometimes I feel like I work too hard, sometimes it seems like it's more like playing.  Whatever it may be, at the end of the day, knowing that I've made someone happy does make it all worthwhile.

Have a good week!

Shopping

Do you go crazy over Japanese stuff?  I know I do!

Only recently did I find out that there were actually Japanese dollar stores here in Melbourne.  I have been longing to go to a DAISO store ever since I went to one in the Philippines a few years ago, but I didn't know that they had recently opened branches here in Melbourne.  The stores are quite far from where we are, but my daughter and I decided (actually it was more me), that nothing was going to stop us from going.

And so we did.  Twice during the recent two-week school holidays.  To a small store in the city and to another one which was much farther away.  We happily bought a few things.  Some useful, some just because they were adorable.  We agreed that we just had to buy something.  We couldn't have just gone home with nothing.

Small fruit boxes.  My daughter likes bringing cut up fruits to school.

Thread cutter, some ribbons and laces

Kitchen stuff - pie and pizza cutter, lemon squeezer, cake server, cake decorating tool and scraper.

Egg moulds and sushi maker

A compass and a nail clipper

Origami paper

Powdered lemon tea and green tea

There are a few more items not in these photos, like flour crackers which we already ate, a couple of small toolboxes and a ribbon hair tie. That's about it, I think.

Ok, let me just tell you about the powdered green tea.  There was a whole aisle dedicated to food alone and my daughter saw this thing.  I'm a daily green tea drinker so without hesitation, I took two packs.  That night,  I tried it.  You know what it was like?  So sickeningly sweet!!!  I took a peek into the ingredients just today.  The label says, SUGAR (85%), POWDERED GREEN TEA (5%), SUGAR (10%), VITAMIN C.  I don't know why they had to separate the two sugars  and didn't just say 95% sugar straight away.  The lemon tea was practically the same, listing saccharides (which is essentially sugar too) as 96% and the rest of the ingredients making up the 4%.  So, the lesson learned?  Not all Japanese stuff is good after all.

But yes...most still are.

Anyway, speaking of purchases, my husband bought a treadmill yesterday.  I don't really want to say this was an impulse buy, although it does appear that way. We did agree that we, as a family, (sort of) needed it.  I hopped on the treadmill this morning just to try (I was wearing slippers).  After just half a kilometer of running/brisk walking, I already felt light-headed and nauseous!  That's how unfit I am nowadays.  Hopefully, we will all get into shape soon.

Have a good week!

Tiramisu (Our Special Easter Cake)

How do you like your TIRAMISU?  

With alcohol or no alcohol?  

With plain/white, chocolate or mocha cake as base or with ladyfingers? 

Do you have issues about having raw eggs in the filling/frosting (as traditional tiramisu cakes do)?

   

If you prefer a non-alcoholic white cake, and no raw eggs, my version of this cake might just be the one for you!

Isn't that just beautiful? Bet this would cost a fortune in a bakeshop! 

While I aimed to make the cake completely alcohol-free, I later found out that both my chocolate and coffee extracts contained some alcohol.  They are with such small amounts though that using them rendered no alcohol taste and/or smell on the cake.  It turned out just the way I liked it.  Simply gorgeous, very light, not too sweet, with just the right coffee flavour.

Want to make it yourself?

Here's how.

(Nearly) NO-ALCOHOL TIRAMISU CAKE

For the chiffon: (you will need two 8" round, 3" high or two 9" round, 2" high aluminium cake pans)

{A}
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar

{B}
1/2 cup corn/canola oil
7 egg yolks, from large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2  teaspoon almond extract

{C}
7 eggwhites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

{D}
3/4 cup white sugar

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Prepare your pans by lining the bottoms with baking/parchment paper. Leave them ungreased. DO NOT USE NON-STICK PANS.
2. In a large bowl, combine {A} well. Add in {B}. Beat with electric mixer or by hand until smooth and well blended.
3. In a separate bowl, beat {C} on high speed until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar {D} and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Gradually and gently fold in egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Divide batter equally onto your two pans.
4. Bake for about 55 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pans into wire racks immediately and cool completely.
5. To release cakes from pans, carefully run a thin knife around sides of  the pans and invert cakes to release. **Tip: For easier handling, wrap your cakes very well in cling film, then refrigerate overnight before frosting.

For the coffee syrup:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon espresso coffee granules/powder
1 teaspoon chocolate extract

Combine water, sugar, and coffee in a small saucepan.  Over low to medium heat, bring to a boil, mixing constantly until sugar and coffee are dissolved completely.  Remove from heat then stir in the chocolate extract.  Set aside to cool.

For the mascarpone filling/frosting:

250g tub of mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 cups chilled thickened/heavy cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon coffee extract

Using chilled bowl and beaters, whip together the thickened cream, sugar and coffee extract until stiff.  Fold in the mascarpone cheese until well combined.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

You will also need:
about 1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
sponge (lady) fingers or savoiardi biscuits, about 24-30 (depending on size of biscuits and cake)
ribbon (optional)

1. Cut the two cakes horizontally in half. (We only need three layers, so set aside one of the top layers for snacking later).

2. Place one bottom layer, cut side up on your cake board.  Brush the entire surface with coffee syrup.  Be careful not to over soak your cake.  On the other hand, do not scrimp on the syrup too as you will not get enough of the coffee flavour.

3. Spread about a 1/4" thick mascarpone filling evenly over your cake layer.  Dust some cocoa powder over the filling then top with your second cake layer (cut side down, top of cake up).

4. Brush coffee syrup, spread filling, and dust cocoa powder as before.  Top with the last cake layer (cut side down, bottom side up).

5. Again, brush surface with coffee syrup, then spread remaining frosting on top and sides of the cake.

6. Dust cocoa powder over the cake top.  (I used a lattice stencil to achieve the pattern in my cake.  Nicer finish, but not necessary). Stick the lady fingers around the cake sides.  Tie a ribbon around if you like.

There you go!  A great, special occasion cake right from your own kitchen. That wasn't too hard, was it?

Enjoy! Have a blessed Easter!

Is it worth it?

That is the question I ask myself everytime.

I work alone, with no help at all. From start to finish.  I bake, I decorate, I clean up everything all by my lonesome.

I am extremely exhausted.

My back and hands are hurting.

I am terribly sleep-deprived.

It has just been cake, cake, cake, and more cake these past few days.  Cakes, in between taking the kids to school and picking them up, cooking meals, cleaning, washing, ironing and folding clothes, etc.  You get what I mean...

Angry Birds-themed red velvet cake

Batman-themed chocolate cake

Spiderman-themed red velvet cake

Super Mario-themed purple yam cake

Racing car themed purple yam cake

There are actually more.  These are just the ones that took my time and energy the most.  Why were there so many birthday parties at the same time????  And they all wanted LARGE, decorated cakes.

I am passionate about what I'm doing BUT sometimes I just wish it would stop. OR I have to at least learn how to say no.

But then again, how can I, knowing I am somehow making little kids' birthdays more special with these cakes?

I don't know what to do.

Me, spamming??????

Someone left this comment on one of my old posts last night.

What?????????????????????????

I cannot even begin to describe how I felt upon reading this.  Probably much like an innocent man being convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Or being accused without being given the benefit of the doubt.  Seriously, how come some people are so quick to judge?

Me, spamming??????  I don't know if I am to laugh or cry.  This is one of those times when I feel that the internet, amazing and useful as it is, can really be a terrible place.  People think it's ok to badmouth someone else just because they can hide their identities.  (Remember this other time?)  

I chose to publish the comment (even if I could have easily just ignored and deleted it) because if there is one thing I would not want to happen, it is to have a person get upset with me over something I didn't even do.

I DO NOT EVER SEND SPAM EMAIL OR COMMENTS.  I receive them myself  on a daily basis....even from email addresses of my friends and contacts.  But I know better than to accuse without asking first.  It doesn't take a genius to know that spam comes from anywhere and anyone who may have ways to access email addresses and URLs.  

I DO NOT USE ANYONE TO PROMOTE MYSELF OR THIS BLOG.  Most people who come here find me through Google, either when searching for bag tutorials or for cake recipes.  I do not go on other people's sites to advertise myself.  The content of this blog is shared freely and I do not need to do nasty tricks to get people to notice.  My goodness! My heart carries no evil personal intentions!

I HARDLY LEAVE COMMENTS ON OTHER PEOPLE'S BLOGS.  My ten fingers are probably enough to count the number of times I've left comments on another site.  Yes, I go to a lot of sites but I just linger, stay quiet and appreciate what I see and learn.  I DO MIND MY OWN BUSINESS.

When I do leave comments, I never do so anonymously.  Out of courtesy, I always introduce myself and there is always a way for people to get in touch with me.  When I do have a concern with someone, for example, when my cake photos are being used without permission, I make sure I email the person concerned and ask them politely to do whatever has to be done.

Having said all that, here is my message to the person who left the comment (and I hope they are able to read this):

 Leaving an anonymous comment and a bad one at that, is just not right.  I hope you would do the proper thing, that is, to come forward and straighten things out with me like a mature adult would.  I do not expect you to apologize. Nor do I demand it.  I just need you to acknowledge the truth.

You know how to get in touch with me.  I shall wait.  

For all you out there who may have, at any point, thought that I have spammed you, just trust and believe that IT WAS NOT FROM ME.  Mind you, for as long as we all have an internet presence, the spamming will never stop.

Winner

Congratulations, Andrea!  Please email me your complete name and postal address so I can ship the fabric to you. (By the way, I recently found a brown fat quarter in my stash suitable to use for the wallet lining, so I will be sending that to you as well.) I will also email you the Travel Wallet eBook as soon as I hear from you, ok?  Have fun with the pattern!

Thank you to everyone who participated.  Hope you all get to your dream destinations very soon!

It's GIVEAWAY time!

Yes!!! The "How to Make a Travel Wallet/Organizer" eBook has been finalized and is now available here and here.  This is, I think, the most well-written set of instructions I have ever made.  The eBook is 38 pages in total and when I say, "step-by-step", I really do mean it!

Once again, I would like to thank the two ladies who so kindly offered to test out the pattern for me and whose valuable comments and suggestions are most appreciated. Here are their versions of the travel wallet.

Catherine's

Mimi's

They did a great job, didn't they?

Because I am so glad this eBook is finally completed, I am giving you, my dear readers, a chance to win a FREE copy!  Aside from the eBook, I am also sending the lucky winner a fat quarter of this travel-themed fabric from David Textiles so she (or he) can get to work on her (or his) wallet straightaway.

Interested much?  To join, please share with me (in the comments section) which place you would most want to visit and why.  Maybe you will even give me travel ideas in the process.  Me?  I would love to go to the Holy Land.  I know it will be a deep spiritual experience for me.  My daughter has promised me she will take me when she's older (and when she has the money).  Hopefully, I would still be strong enough to travel when the time comes! 

You have until next Sunday, the 26th.  And yeah, don't forget to leave your name and email address, of course.  (Any 'Anonymous' comments left will not be considered, sorry!)  I will use the random number generator to determine the winner.  Please, please, please join!  It's no fun when there are only a handful of people to choose from...

Ok, before I go, let me just show off some of my baked goodies of the past week.  Here are the Lalaloopsy-inspired vanilla cupcakes I mentioned in my previous post.

Have never really heard of Lalaloopsies till I was asked to make these decorations.  I think these characters are cute...but at the same time, quite creepy-looking?!  They remind me so much of the movie, Coraline.  You know, the button eyes?

And here's another one....a unicorn cake!  I really had great fun making the topper. I just love a good challenge.

So that's it for now.  Have a great week ahead.  And please don't forget about the giveaway.  Hope to hear from all of you soon!