Birthdays

Matthew, my youngest son, turned 10 last October 12.  This year, we decided to celebrate his birthday simply with an all-kids, all-boys party.  Matthew only invited 7 of his closest school friends.  They played fun games and as always, had a homemade pinata filled with sweet treats.  It was so much easier to have a small party like this. Aside from the fact that I did not have to prepare any kind of fancy food, I know that Matthew enjoyed it more to have his friends around rather than us inviting our own adult friends over.

Red velvet cake filled and frosted with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream.

For the occasion, I chose to make a photo cake.  I ordered the edible icing image from a reputable cake decorating shop.  It cost me $25 (including postage) for this 7.5" round image alone!  Expensive, isn't it?  I figured, since I was making the cake myself anyway, it was still worth the expense.  I've purchased edible icing images before for half the price but the quality wasn't all that good.  This particular photo of Matthew was printed really clearly and I did not have a problem removing the image from its backing paper.

Now, I'm really contemplating on buying a printer, edible inks, and frosting sheets so I can print these images myself.  I've already done my research and I've learned that it really doesn't cost that much to invest in these things. So hopefully very soon, I will have a new toy to play with!

There are a couple more birthdays today that we've been invited to and for which, I was asked to make cakes too.

A Power Ranger-themed cake for a 4 year old boy...

Mocha chiffon filled and frosted with coffee Swiss Meringue buttercream.

Gumpaste red power ranger topper.

And also one for a first birthday...

Chocolate chiffon filled and frosted with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream.

I would say this cake is the one I am most happy with and proud of to date!  I based the topper from the design of the birthday invitation (which also had a photo of the birthday girl wearing this polka dot pinafore). I particularly like the birds holding the candle and the balloon.

Cake topper made from gumpaste.

Well, so much for birthdays.  Until the next one comes along.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Practice makes perfect

I gave up on trying to learn how to pipe buttercream roses many months ago.  It seemed that no matter what I did, I just couldn't get them right. Couldn't figure out if it was because of my technique or if the consistency of my frosting was just wrong.  Making gumpaste roses, though considerably more time consuming, worked out better for me.  So I stuck with it for a while.

Until I made the caramel cake recently.  I gave it another shot and the roses turned out quite acceptable.

I tried again shortly after that, this time for an old-fashioned chocolate cake.  Still not the best...but at least, my confidence level was definitely up.

Looked like I was getting the hang of it...so why not try again, right?

Those were for a Christening cake I finished last night. 

The cake is a 12" ube macapuno chiffon filled and frosted with an ube flavoured Swiss Meringue buttercream.

I was given just a day to make this cake, from baking, to making the gumpaste decorations, to frosting and decorating.  I think the cross topper came out pretty well considering the little time I had.

Cross topper made from gumpaste.  Embossed with flower prints and painted with edible gold paint.

My buttercream roses are still far from perfect but I know I'm getting there....

Caramel Cake

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  After reading the following post, please go to a follow-up post here (re: revised caramel icing).  Also, for an alternative butter icing, go here.

Filipino-style caramel cake is far different from most caramel cakes. The cake base is chiffon, either in vanilla or mocha, and it is filled and frosted with a caramel icing that is not overly sweet. The icing can be described as more like a cross between caramel and custard and tastes very much like leche flan or creme caramel.

In the Philippines, the most popular caramel cakes are made by Estrel's. They have kept their cakes very traditional over the years and the caramel cake recipe they are using today is the same since they started in the 1940s.

Surprisingly, it is very hard to find a recipe for this kind of caramel icing paired with the chiffon cake. For a long time, I've searched and searched over the internet and found nothing. Most of the caramel icing recipes on the net are ones that are loaded with so much sugar and the kind that crust after a short while. The recipe I am about to share here came from my 85-year old aunt. I must say, however, it is a tweaked version of what she used many, many years ago in the family bakeshop. I've replaced some of the water content in her original recipe with milk to make it creamier and lessened the amount cornstarch. I also added vanilla extract (although my aunt suggests maple extract as better). I don't really know if this tastes like Estrel's because truthfully, I've never tasted their caramel cake. But what I am certain about is that this ticks all the boxes - the creaminess, the not-too-sweet taste, the pourable consistency. For all I know, it might even be better.

Anyway, on to the recipe. The cake consists of three components - the chiffon cake, the caramel icing, and the buttercream. If you want your cake base to be mocha, the recipe for the mocha chiffon cake can be found in this post. The Swiss meringue buttercream recipe (to be used to for the borders and flowers) is also found on the same post. Of course, you can use your own favourite buttercream recipe if you want to.

FILIPINO-STYLE CARAMEL CAKE

VANILLA CHIFFON CAKE (recipe suitable for an 8” round, 3” high pan)

{A}
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons white sugar

{B}
¼ cup corn/canola oil
4 egg yolks, from large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

{C}
4 eggwhites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

{D}
6 tablespoons white sugar

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
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. Pour batter into an ungreased 8” round, 3” high pan.
4. Bake for about 50 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan into wire rack immediately and cool completely.
5. To release cake from pan, carefully run a thin knife around sides of pan and invert cake onto a large serving plate. **Tip: For easier handling, wrap your cake very well in cling film, then refrigerate overnight before frosting.

CARAMEL ICING (enough to frost and fill 8” round cake)

3 eggyolks (set aside eggwhites for the Swiss Meringue buttercream)
1 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons full cream milk, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use 1/8 teaspoon maple oil flavour)

Combine egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, ½ cup of the full cream milk and 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a small bowl/jug. Mix well, then set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, over low to medium heat, caramelize (melt) the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. When sugar is completely melted and a golden brown colour, add boiling water. Bring back to a boil, making sure all the caramel is incorporated into the water. Carefully add in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons full cream milk. Heat mixture just until it starts to boil. Pour a little of the caramel/milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Mix until smooth. Pour this back into the remaining caramel/milk mixture in the saucepan. Mix until icing reaches a thick and spreadable consistency. Off the fire, add in butter and vanilla extract. Strain mixture, if necessary.

Let the icing cool down then spread it all over the cake surface.

SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM - One recipe is more than enough. Use the eggwhites that you set aside from the caramel icing.

To decorate: Cut your cake horizontally in half. Invert top layer onto your cake board. Spread a thin layer of caramel icing over your cake half, then top with other cake layer, cut side down. Spread the rest of the caramel icing over the cake. Pipe out buttercream borders and decorate with buttercream roses/flowers as desired.

Happy baking!


PS.  Wanted to also share with you two other recent cakes I made.

Another ube cake, this time with ube-flavoured Swiss meringue buttercream.

A Transformers-themed cake I made for an 8th birthday.

Half-success

Sometimes I just get sick of baking and baking and baking.  Like last week, when I had to make six ube macapuno cakes over three days.  It may not sound much but for a one-woman team like me, it does get pretty tiring.

For this week, however, I had only one cake lined up. Last Tuesday, my sister in-law asked me to make this mocha chiffon birthday cake for her boss.  It was a small cake and it was a breeze to make.

I know it's crazy...but now that I'm not baking anything, I have been getting the constant urge to bake something. So instead of taking a needed break,  I took the opportunity to try this thing that I've been wanting to try for a long time....make my usual ube cake into a roll.

I would call this attempt a half-success because, although the taste was as delicious as always, it was a long way from perfection.  First of all, my cake cracked a bit when I unrolled it (after it cooled down).  I was thinking of giving up at that point but I had already made my frosting and I didn't want to waste it. (I'm glad I did proceed cause the frosting held the cake together despite the cracks.) Secondly, I think I filled up the cake with too much frosting, hence, I could not roll the cake tightly. It was just like one big roll.  Maybe it would have been better if I started rolling from the short rather than the long end?

See what I mean?

Anyway, perfection or not, and for the benefit of those interested, I will describe in brief how I made this cake roll:

1. I made up HALF the ube cake recipe found here.  Used 4 eggs.
2.  I used a jelly roll pan measuring 10" by 14", greased it and lined the bottom with baking paper.
3.  Baked the cake for about 25 minutes.  As soon as I took it out of the oven, I dusted the cake surface with icing/powdered sugar then inverted it into a sheet of baking paper. Peeled off the baking paper that was now on top of the cake. Then I rolled it and allowed it to cool down completely.
4.  I unrolled the cooled cake and  cut off about an inch wide strip from both short ends. I then crumbled the strips to use as cake topping later.
5. Filled the cake with frosting, rolled the cake once again, then covered the surface with frosting and cake crumbs.  Used the rest of the frosting to pipe rosettes on the cake roll top.  Finished off the cake with macapuno balls.

Whether I did the right things or not, I really cannot say for sure.  Please do not trust me on this one.  If you do decide to make a cake roll yourself, please let me know how it went.  I'd be happy to compare notes and learn from you!

Addicted...

...to reruns of Grey's Anatomy, that is. Funny cause this show's been going on for seven seasons (I think) but I only recently 'discovered' the reruns on cable TV. And now I can't seem to stop watching it. I'm still on Season 2, imagine that. It's a good thing it's shown Mondays thru Fridays so I don't have to suffer and wait long for the next episode. Grey's Anatomy reminds me so much of ER (George Clooney days), which I absolutely loved. I guess medical dramas are my kind of thing. I wonder if I could have been a doctor...

Recently, I got really hooked on watching Cake Boss too. We used to not have the Food Channel with our cable TV package so when we finally got it, I've been following every (old) episode, day and night, 7 days a week. I'm not much of a fondant lover but I've definitely been learning a lot of cake decorating tricks from the show.

These past few days, I've noticed I've been neglecting Cake Boss though. Maybe I'm getting tired of Buddy Valastro. I told my daughter I'd gladly exchange Buddy for Patrick Dempsey anytime....lol.

You know what? I just realized how I actually have time now to sit down and watch TV. And I really enjoy it. This was next to impossible before, when my four kids were still very young. Now, though still busy looking after them, I have a little bit more time for myself...to do the things I want to do. With no guilt feelings attached. That's not a bad thing, is it?

Before I end, here are two cakes I finished late last night. Both are red velvet (again).

Made this for a Collingwood Magpies supporter, hence, the black and white colours.

Close-up of the gumpaste bow.

For a young girl's birthday.

And lastly, what I did with an extra layer of red velvet cake and leftover frosting...

This one's just for us!

Have a good weekend and a great week ahead!

Copyright

I have just added a Copyright Notice on my sidebar.  Never thought the day would come when I would need to put one on this blog.

On an innocent Google search for ube (purple yam) cake images, I discovered not one, but several sites, using my cake photos for advertisement.  It's shocking (and shameful)...Bakeshops using photos of cake that they did not even make.

To use someone else's photos is one thing, but to put your watermark on them and claim them as your own is just taking it to another level.

Image credit: from the webpage that used my photos. My original photos are here.

Upsetting, isn't it?  I do not understand why anyone would think this is okay.

Access to the two web pages which were on Facebook have already been removed.  Another one in another site has also been deleted. I am in the process of dealing with the last one.

I believe I have been generous enough to let people use my tutorials and recipes freely.   The eBooks I sell are the only ones I have copyrighted as I don't want them distributed in any way.  I have always allowed people to even sell their finished products when most pattern makers won't.

I thank those who contact me to ask permission when needed and for giving acknowledgement where it is due.

I suppose there's other copyright violations out there that I may never find out about. To be honest, I really don't want to make this my problem.  So please, read my Copyright Notice and respect it.

6 Ladies and red velvet cake

Three weekends ago, my sister in-law (let's call  her Lady #1), asked me to make a red velvet cake for an 18th birthday.  She said the birthday girl loved budgies and that it would be great to have that represented on the cake.

I loved the pastel colours on this cake!

Cute yellow budgies, aren't they?

The celebrant's mum, Lady #2, brought leftover cake to a second gathering the next day.  Lady #3, who was at that gathering, got to taste the cake and she loved it.  She emailed me to order another red velvet cake for her husband's 50th birthday the following Sunday.

The cake top was rather simple but I think the red velvet cake crumbs brightened it up.

A few days later, I received another email, this time from Lady #4.  She asked if, by any chance, I made a red velvet cake for someone's birthday the past weekend.  I told her about the 50th birthday.  Apparently, Lady #3's sister in-law, Lady #5, is her workmate and  Lady #5 brought cake to work the Monday after the birthday and she got to eat some. Lady #4's daughter's 4th birthday was coming up and she thought of having red velvet cake (again) and cupcakes for the party (which was last Saturday).  

The 4th birthday party had a princess theme.

The birthday girl wore a Cinderella costume. 

Used the vine from the Wilton pattern press set to make the decorations for the side of the cake.

The matching cupcakes.

In an entirely separate incident, a 6th lady ordered a purple yam cake from me for Sunday (yesterday).  Funny thing, it turns out, Lady #5 and Lady #6 are best friends. When she told Lady #5 that she ordered a cake from somewhere and was picking it up, Lady #5 asked where.  When Lady #6 mentioned our suburb, Lady #5 said, "That's Corinne, isn't it?  You should have ordered red velvet!"

Confusing???  To tell you the truth, I don't even know most of these ladies. It's such a small world.  It just amazes me how word gets around. And  I'm just ecstatic to know how my humble cakes speak for themselves.

Red velvet seems to make the world go round, doesn't it?