Gingerbread Cupcakes

I kinda miss the "tastes" of Christmas... I've been thinking a lot about a gingerbread loaf recipe I got from one of my magazines, but couldn't really make it because of some ingredients that would require a special trip to the grocery store. So when I found this recipe from my newsletter subscription, and realized that I have all the ingredients available on hand, I knew I just had to try it.

I had my hopes up...but it was a little disappointing.

For starters, it didn't turn out as I hoped it to be. The molasses was a little overpowering on the recipe. In fact, it's all I could taste it should be called "molasses cupcake"! But it's also possible that it was because I used the dark variety which has a more pronounce and robust flavor. And then there was the ginger... or in this case, the lack of it. I've been looking for that ginger overtones that I find in gingerbread cookies, but this recipe has very weak ginger flavor. It could've been overpowered by the molasses, though.

In the spirit of the upcoming Valentines, I sprinkled the cupcakes with powdered sugar using a home-made stencil. The cuteness of it almost made me forget the slightly unpalatable taste of these babies. Well...almost. :)

♥♥♥

Birthday Cupcakes

The love of my life just celebrated his birthday a couple of days ago. When I asked him what he wants for me to bake for his big day, he simply said: "pure and heavy chocolate cake." I opted for cupcakes (with his permission), because I'm not very confident making 9 inch cakes. Something's always not right every time I make them, usually the frosting. Cupcakes are more forgiving when it comes to frosting so cupcake it was.

I used a new recipe I got here...which may be a bad thing because the cupcake was not as chocolatey as I wanted it to be. The chocolate frosting I used was from Hershey's Kitchen recipe, which I've been using for several years now.

I must say, it's really not my favorite cupcake... I've had better. But it was a heavy cupcake, alright! Heavy because of too much frosting! I have to remember to put a little less of it next time. =)

♥
Hershey's Chocolate Frosting


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

♥♥♥

Hello 2011!

The year 2010 was a little bittersweet to me. I was off to a good start. I've met new friends that I know I'll treasure forever, I had a great time travelling and exploring places I've never been to before, and made more plans exploring more places than my free time could ever handle. But then there were dreams unfulfilled, promises broken, and unexpected sickness in the family. But I have survived.

I've recently come across a quotation about life, from probably one of the wisest people who had ever lived, and it just struck me to the bones:

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

~ Mother Teresa ~

I guess I never thought of my life that way, and it made me realize that I've been caging and boxing-up my life to be a certain way when it really is so much more...and that it's okay if it's not the exact ideal picture of what I would've wanted...because it really is so much more.

So as 2011 ushers in new challenges for me, I've decided to face it with a renewed vigor and an unfaltering spirit. I will welcome new experiences and embrace every struggles with the resolution to win and overcome. I will be thirty this year...and if only for that, I know it's high time to put childish ways behind. I must grow with the times. Gone are the days when I fight the changing of the seasons to keep my life the same "carefree way" it used to be. And man, did I fight hard! Now that I think about it, it seemed stupid...no one can stop and turn back time. Everyone must move forward, everyone must grow old and grow up, including me.

So here's to the coming year! May it grant us all the wishes of our hearts and give us the inspirations where future dreams are made of!

♥

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Topping:
1/4 unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
6-7 pineapple rings/slices (or 1 cup of pineapple chunks)
1/2 cup jarred maraschino cherries, optional

Cake:
2 cups cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pineapple juice

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Very lightly grease an 8" or 9" round or square pan.
2. Arrange  pineapple slices & cherries on prepared pan. Prepare topping by mixing melted butter and sugar, and pour on prepared baking pan.
3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Cream butter and sugar. Add yolks to the butter mixture, one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla.
4. Alternately add flour mixture and pineapple juice to the butter-yolk mixture, ending with the dry ingredients. Set aside.
5. In a clean and grease-free mixing bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites onto the butter-flour mixture one third at a time. 
6. Pour mixture onto topping-filled pan, bake for 30-35 mins for the 8" pan (or 20-25 mins for the 9" pan), or until top is lightly browned and cake is firm. Turn over plate. Garnish with more cherries if desired. 


This cake is best eaten warm. 
Enjoy!


♥♥♥

Kid's Cupcakes

As I blog today, I am feeling relaxed, unhurried, and peaceful... :) I guess that's what you get for blogging in your own bedroom! :) My sister and I decided to buy a new desktop computer so as not to share anymore with the communal pc at home (running on dial-up internet!), or with the noisy teenagers playing online games at internet cafes! With the help of my new "plastic friend," and a few hours of sweat trying to rearrange my bedroom furniture, I've finally arrived at this state of calmness and well-blogging. :)... harhar!

About a month ago (yes, overdue post again, I know!), my ten year-old other sister requested for cupcakes that she could share with her "bestest" friends for their "friendship anniversary." Browsing from my bookshelf, she chose a cupcake that was supposed to be baked on an ice cream cone. But I actually forgot to buy ice cream cones at the grocery so I decided to just bake it the old fashioned way, on muffin liners. :)

They say half of the fun in baking is baking with kids... But I'd say, to be quite honest, that baking with kids is a little too much of a handful! :) I guess the only perk in that was that I could have them running here and there to get things from the pantry or from the refrigerator while I focus on whipping or whisking or whatever. :) Nevertheless, it was fun...especially the frosting part...with rainbow and heart sprinkles! Yum! ... Of course, not considering, the annoying question "is it done yet?" that pops up every so often! :)

♥♥♥



BTW: This recipe comes from the Cupcake Deck I posted about two months ago. =)

Happy.. It's September!

I'm so happy it's September!

For one thing, it's my birth month... I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time to celebrate the last year of my twenties... Time really flies so fast. It brings me into a deep reflection of what I have accomplished over the last ten years since I had officially graduated from being a teen. :) On the surface, not so much... but when I think about how different I was as person ten years ago is enough to convince me that I have, indeed, grown. It would be tragic if I didn't, right? :)

Another thing I'm excited about September is that, it is unofficially the start of the holiday season here in my beloved Philippine islands! Nothing can make me jump up in excitement than holiday baking..aside, of course, from receiving new baking books, baking tools or baking pans for Christmas! :)

So what did I miss to post during my almost two months hiatus (a.k.a. laziness to blog)?

For starters, this cake that I baked for Dad last Father's Day (yes, in June.. yes, I know it's overdue!) I used Hershey's recipe on "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake, and baked it on an 8-inch heart- shaped pan. Since the recipe called for a 9-inch pan, there were some leftover batter that I used for cupcakes. =)


♥♥♥

Sweet Roses

I could not believe it's been five months since I last posted a blog! I guess I've been busy... changing jobs, learning a new process, longer commutes, shorter sleep, and that heady blur of busy nothingness is surely getting me burned out prematurely. Good thing, God invented vacation leaves! If not for this, I would've pulled all my hair out, scream on the top of my lungs and head out the door running! Sometimes, I've had enough of this industry... Four years in the call center business is just too much for one to handle. If I had a better choice I would take it. For now, this will suffice.

I'm so lucky I have Richard. He did make life a little less cruel. We just recently celebrated our two year and eight months together as a couple, and I wanted to make something special for him, of course. Since transferring to a new job near The Fort in the city of Taguig, I've discovered nearby baking supply stores that weren't accessible to me before. One of them was Cook's Exchange in the 4th level of Glorietta 4. And boy, was it expensive there! ;o) Which is okay, I guess, since they have rare pieces that you wouldn't find in just any baking store. The other one was (surprise!) the SM Makati kitchenware department at the 4th level! I know, I know... it's probably already there since the beginning of time, but then again, I didn't have any chance to explore it until recently. And these places are just a pleasure to explore!

I've found a Wilton flower nail at SM, bought it immediately, and practiced piping roses using royal icing. I decided to give chocolate cupcakes to Richard and pipe roses on top. :) Ironically, piping the roses directly on cupcakes was far more easier as it saved a lot of precious time than using the flower nail. ;o) I wanted to focus on decorating the cupcake so I cheated a little by using a cake mix instead of baking from scratch. ;o) Amazingly, a little practice goes a long way. The piped roses aren't perfect yet, I know there's still room for improvement. But knowing I'll be giving it to the love of my life who will open-heartedly accept it without judgement or complaint, just made it a little more sweeter to make. ;o)

Mother's Day with Red Ribbon

While eating lunch at Red Ribbon Bakeshop two Sundays before Mother's Day, I saw an advertisement of specialty cakes available for mothers' big day. I wasn't in the mood for baking this month, so when "the Day" was fast approaching, I was already decided on buying a cake for my Mom. Red Ribbon offered two choices, one was a regular chocolate chiffon cake frosted with boiled icing, and the other one was butter rum cake frosted with fondant icing. I chose the latter, thinking that chocolate chiffon cake seems so ordinary for such a special day, you can practically have it anytime of the year. Plus, I've always been fascinated with fondant, and as much as I love baking, I've never made fondant before. Heck, I've never tasted one before! It's just not something available in most bakeshops here in the South. So I was really bent on getting that.

The verdict: the cake itself was delicious, with just the right amount of rum lending its flavor to the cake but not too much so as to overpower it. Although I was a bit disappointed that the cake was just single layered, I was somehow expecting some kind of frosting on the middle and around the cake before the fondant layer. But it was just cake, then some sugar syrup, then the fondant icing. The fondant's taste and texture was intriguing, to say the least. :) It was like eating a rubbery sugar but not quite. :) It was nice, but kids at home didn't like it though... probably because their taste buds aren't developed yet. The royal icing decorating the fondant was elegant but didn't really adhere well.

Up until now, I've been intimidated with fondants on cake. It was something I thought only professional cake decorators can make. But after having this cake from Red Ribbon, I'm actually tempted to try it. It was relatively easy... or at least I hope it would be! ;o)

Mom's Birthday Cake

My Mom just celebrated her 55th birthday. My Mom wanted us to just buy her a small cake from the neighborhood bakeshops, but I insisted on making her one. It would be my birthday gift for her. And since my sister gave me a cake book last Christmas (Williams-Sonoma Cake by Fran Gage & Chuck Williams), I decided to get the recipe from there. :) I chose the Genoise Cake with Whipped Cream because it looked easy to make with not-so-hard-to-find ingredients I can easily buy in the supermarket. The original recipe called for strawberries, but I didn't find any so I just replaced them with peaches and mandarin oranges. I like its combination of flavors. And the color reminds me of summer. The mandarin oranges looked nice on top of the cake too. My only problem was the frosting... Have I ever mentioned in this blog that I'm so bad at frosting cake?! I mean I've read all dos and don't, and tips, and everything else I could read about frosting, but I'm just so bad at it. ;o) My problem with whipped cream is that I just can't get it to go to that elusive "soft peak stage". (If you have some helpful advice, please let me know, I beg you!) ;o) My mixer was already running for alt least 20 mins and it was already hot, I had to turn it off. Nevertheless, properly whipped or not, whipped cream tasted like whipped cream no matter what. So I guess it doesn't matter if it's not so pretty.

When I had my first taste, this cake reminded me of the Crema de Fruta I made last New Year's Eve dinner. I guess because that was basically made with ladyfingers and whipped cream, and the texture of the ladyfingers after it had been soaked with the cream is almost the same as this genoise. One tip on the genoise: do NOT over bake! The recipe said 20 mins, when I checked after 20 mins, it didn't look done so I let it bake in the oven for another 10 mins or so. The result was a hard-bottom cake. I should have resisted the temptation to extend the baking time. The book defined "Genoise" as a light elegant sponge cake, and its successful leavening depends solely on how much air is whipped into the eggs. I'm not sure if I didn't whip the eggs long enough because the cake looks so thin for me. It was kind of hard to slice it in the middle for layering. But on top of it all, my Mom said, "it's a token love, and I appreciate it." That's good enough for me.

Flaming Lava Cake by Delifrance

We just finished watching a movie at Festival, and Richard was looking for some place to eat. We tried out Delifrance, for a change. :) I wasn't very hungry yet considering we just ate a big lunch just before we started the movie! So I opted for dessert. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary cake with no decoration aside from the confectioner's sugar sprinkled on top. Before the waitress handed my cake over, she poured some sort of alcohol around it, and it went ablaze! So that's how it got its name... I thought. :) As my fork sliced the tiny cake, hot chocholate oozed out from inside, and I immediately noticed how thin the actual cake was. I would've been more impressed if the cake tasted as good as it looked. The alcohol imparted a very bitter taste on the sides of the cake, I almost couldn't swallow it. Otherwise it would've tasted nice and chocolatey. Though I liked the melted chocolate in the middle. I really wish they never had to pour alcohol on it, I may want to order it again next time. But then again, it wouldn't be called "Flaming Lava Cake" anymore, would it? ;o)

Red Velvet Cake

Apparently, I made this cake for Valentine's Day! I was originally thinking of baking cookies for my Richard but I find too simple for the occasion. I found this while browsing through my recipe collection, and I thought the touch of red would be nice for V-day. ;o) I wanted to make them all cupcakes but I ran out of muffin papers so I made the last batch a single layer cake using my favorite heart-shaped pan. I topped the cake and some of the cupcakes with gummy cherry-lips I bought from the Candy Corner. I would want to sprinkle my cupcakes with red confetti candies but I didn't have the time to go to baking specialty stores; the gummy lips was the best the mall could offer. ;o) I also bought strawberry-flavored candy syrup that I piped on top of the cupcakes, but it was way too watery, it was dripping all over. I finally had to let it go and just stuck to my gummy lips. Too bad, the strawberry syrup tasted really good!

And really that's all I could boast about this cake. If I didn't have fun decorating I probably would've thrown all these and start over with the cookies I was planning to make! For starters, the cake was a little too bland for my taste. It lacked a certain flavor. I probably used a little too much flour than necessary because the cake had a really tough crumb. And the worst part was, the frosting was a little too salty than it should be! It was probably because of the brand of cream cheese or white chocolate that I used... which was a shame, really, since they were the most expensive ingredient in this recipe! It felt like it was such a waste of money... But anyway, we learn from our mistakes. I just probably didn't pick a good recipe... Or maybe cakes aren't really my thing. ;o)

the sloppy first batch ;o)

But I guess it's the thought that really counts... I know my efforts are appreciated, no matter how bad the taste. ;o)

Red Velvet Cake (from Allrecipes.com)

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 ounce red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
12 ounces white chocolate
1 cup butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8 inch pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter with sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix food coloring with cocoa and add to mixture.
3. Add flour alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and salt.
4. Mix baking soda with vinegar, and gently stir into mixture. Be careful not to over mix.
5. Divide batter into three prepared 8 inch round pans. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.
6. To make the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing: Melt the white chocolate and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate and softened butter. Beat until it is the consistency of whipped cream, then use to fill and frost the cake.

On Baby Cakes & Dome Cakes

♥Baby Cakes♥

Several weeks ago, as Richard and I were strolling down Paseo de Sta. Rosa, we discovered a bakeshop called "Baby Cakes". It was fairly small and yet it was as cozy as it can be. The shelves are lined with varieties of miniature cakes with their larger counterpart. On top of the shelves, I found a huge pile of individually-wrapped chololate chip cookies, I also found Christmas-decorated sugar cookies (it was still the holiday season that time ;o)), and some piles of what seemed like out-of-place hopia rolls. The interior is also well-decorated with cozy collectibles, and the tables and chairs are assortments of soft couches and hard-wood benches. On the ceiling, I found the menu written with colored chalks on a little black board. All in all, they all blended nicely together which added to the overall nice ambiance of the place. In fact, it was so nice, it makes me wanna have my own bakeshop already!

I was in the mood for some chocolate goodness that afternoon and decided to buy a small chocolate cake. I browsed from the assortment of chocolate cakes, and since there is no label of any kind, I just pointed to the nice sales lady what I wanted to devour. ;o) I found out later that it was called "Chocolate Cheesecake" (P110/small, P90/petite size)... and yes, based on the texture, it was more of a cheesecake to me than a regular chocolate cake. I was a bit disappointed at first because I was really looking forward to a nice, soft cake. Fresh from the chiller, it was too cold and was kinda hard to fork. I couldn't finish the whole thing so I had my half-eaten cake wrapped and took it home. I left it at room temperature and ate it again later that night. To my surprise, the cake has significantly improved in taste! It was actually smoother in texture and softer to bite. The chocolate frosting, that lured me to buy it in the first place, also improved at room temperature. I could actually taste its pure chocolaty-ness that I didn't find when I took my first bite. I could now appreciate the medley of flavors brought by the combination of cream cheese and chocolate. And since I was a happy camper, I'm definitely going back to try some more! ;o)

♥♥♥

♥Starbucks' Chocolate Dome Cake♥

Richard and I celebrated our second anniversary a couple of days ago. After a fancy dinner at Tony Roma's in Alabang, my "forever Mocha-frap guy" decided to end the night with a cup of coffee at the ever-reliable Starbucks. I'm not so much into coffee, so I just decided to have my dessert there. My friend Leslie has strongly recommended Starbucks' Dome Cake a couple of weeks before that and urged me to get one next time I go there. She claimed it was addictive! I never had it before and didn't really know what to expect. When I found it available that night, I knew I had to try it. I find the filling delicious with a really soft texture that melts in the mouth. And the cake was... well... chocolate. Actually, there's really nothing out of the ordinary that I found in the Dome Cake (aside from its shape!). It was delicious alright. But I guess not as delightful as the first cake I've ever tasted in Starbucks, which was the Chocolate Supremo. Now that was really supreme! ;o)

Sugar Overload on Bellevue Cakes

I almost forgot to post this entry, but I promised my man I would as a tribute to his all-out support for my obsession for anything sweet. One ordinary day, after having another unhealthy lunch at the neighborhood McDonald's, Richard persuaded me to go to the next door Bellevue Hotel to browse through the line of cakes and pastries in the corner bakeshop. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but I have to admit that the moment I laid my eyes on the shelves, my heart grew happy! I immediately scanned the over-sized cookie jars and gazed longingly at the thumbprint and oatmeal cookies. I can imagine myself hoarding every variety but the steep price-tag stopped me (P16 per pc). Richard suggested I pick the cakes instead. I kinda missed the taste of walnuts so I chose the Walnut Cake (P85/slice). It was adorned with rosettes of what looked like butter cream frosting topped with what looked like a large chunk of chocolate. I was still eyeing the other cakes (convincing myself that I made the correct choice) when the lady behind the counter recommended that I try their Cake of the Month (P85/slice) as well. It was a round petite cake adorned with chocolate "wings" on four sides, frosted with what looked like a meringue icing, and topped with a large chocolate chip. I was curious what it was called (on the cardboard it simply said "Cake of the Month"), but I was too timid to ask so I just let it go. So anyway, we stepped out of Bellevue toting a large paper bag containing two cake slices. As much as Richard likes eating anything that comes out of my oven, no matter how badly baked it was, he really isn't much of a sweet tooth as I am... he declared that the cakes were ALL for me (yey!). I couldn't wait for day to be over so I can go home and leisurely eat my cakes. It turned out that I was too impatient to wait for another hour of commute from work, so as soon as my shift is over, I went straight to the office pantry ready to devour them. Or so I thought...


The Walnut Cake

My first bite was yum-o! Probably because I was eagerly anticipating that moment or I was just hungry that it tasted every bit as I would want it to be. But as I progress, eating almost half the slice, I realized that the cake was way too crumbly. There were loose crumbs all over that you probably need to use a spoon instead of a fork to eat it. I figured that it was made of ground walnuts with just a little amount of flour, but whatever was the binding ingredient, it wasn't enough to hold the cake together. Aside from the texture, another thing I didn't quite like was the flavor! I like walnuts in chunks and pieces to enhance an otherwise plain concoction, but the walnut-y taste of this cake was very overpowering that the cake was almost bitter. Another disappointment was the seeming chocolate chunk on top... it wasn't chocolate, it was a prune!?! I was never fond of prunes, I will never be. Not to mention that the there were large pieces of it tucked all over the cake. The only thing I liked is the buttercream frosting, and I have to give credit to that. Growing up with cakes from the ever present Goldilocks Bakeshop whose buttercream frosting tasted more like shortening than butter, I'd have to say that this version from Bellevue was authentic.

♥♥♥

The Bellevue Cake of the Month

This cake with no name helped me recover from my utter disappointment of the walnut cake. For starters, I liked the chocolate "wings" adorning the sides of the cake. It was too cute, I almost didn't want to eat it. It stayed firm and crunchy even when the icing was clearly melting. I liked its nutty bittersweet taste, balancing the saccharine sweetness of the meringue icing on top. Aside from its fancy decor and frosting, the cake was just a regular chocolate cake with layers sandwiched in whipped cream frosting resembling that of a Black Forest cake. In fact, I think it was just Black Forest clothed in another disguise. But anyway, it was still chocolate and I love chocolate so I'm not complaining. I gave my half-eaten walnut cake to my Mom, but this one I actually finished. All in all, it was definitely a sugar loaded day... sugars that would probably all go to my hips, but then again, I'm not complaining. ;o)

the chocolate wings

Daddy's Birthday Cake

My Dad turned 60 last month. I wanted to make something nice for him, but I had a really hard time deciding what cake to make. It had to be easy and simple and yet edible enough for the whole family. It's definitely chocolate, I decided. I went through my recipe collection of cakes. I went straight to my Hershey's collection. It's fool-proof, it's tested, it's definitely easy. The cake was (er...) a piece of cake. The problem was the frosting. I didn't want to make the same frosting I made last year, but there seem to be no other choice. I found a white frosting used on a Black Forest recipe. But knowing my family, I decided on the last minute to turn it into chocolate. I probably over whipped the cream, because it came out a little too bubbly. But nevertheless, it was something we all enjoyed.

I know I still have a long way to go when it comes to baking and frosting cakes, but I'd like to think I'm learning. It really does take patience... and perseverance. Someday I'll get there. Maybe not now, maybe not in the near future. But someday. The road to my dream seems a little bleak, especially now that my future seems uncertain. But I'll keep the faith. I've always been hopeful. It's the only thing I can really hold on to, anyway.


Black Magic Cake
(from www.hersheys.com)

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

Frosting:

2 (250 ml) all purpose cream
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1. With an electric mixer, whip the cream until frothy.
2. Gradually add the sugar until soft peaks form.
3. Add the cocoa powder and mix only until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I'm not very fond of pineapples because I had a not so good experience with it when I was just a kid. I found out at a young age that eating the fruit a little too much can make your tongue itchy. So I tried my best to stay away from eating it on its raw state if I could help it. Although I like them in chunks when my Mom makes piniñahang manok for lunch, or in macaroni and fruit salads.

A couple of Sundays ago, my Mom bought three whole pineapples for no particular reason except that they were in season. Not knowing what she would do with all of them, I asked her if I could have one so I can make a cake for my Dad that day, which happens to be Father's Day (the real one). :) I was hesitant at first if I really want to use what my Mom bought or just buy the canned/sliced version because slicing pineapples from scratch seemed like a hard work... ;o) But I want to save a trip to the supermarket so I went ahead on slicing. Thankfully, it was already peeled.


I got the recipe from another food blog, Just Desserts (which I adore). I agree with her that this cake should be eaten warm from the oven. Somehow, the delicate flavor seemed to be lost after it cools. When still warm, it tasted buttery and its texture was soft and moist. I'm not really fond of cakes unless it's chocolate, but this one made me wanna think twice. :) I added cherries on top for garnish. It looked great. At the last minute, I decided to empty the whole jar of cherries and placed them all on top. The cake was gone the next day. ;o)

Chocolate Supremo Cake

My boyfriend and I were strolling at ATC when a craving for something sweet and chocolatey started gnawing on my taste buds. So Richard took me to Starbucks and let me have anything I want! (talk about sweet...) ;o) Anyway... I was hesitant at first because I'm not the kind to splurge on food when there's a good enough alternative that wouldn't burn holes in my pocket. (talk about stingy!) ;o) When we got there I was a bit disappointed with how limited the selections are, but I recovered fast enough when that craving for something sweet and chocolatey started to resurface from the depths of the stomach. ;o)

Choosing was hard. I went from one chocolate cake to another, to eclairs to bagels, then back to eclairs and then back to chocolate cake. Finally, I've made up my fickle mind... I chose chocolate supremo cake (P105/slice). It was moist and soft with a hint of coffee liqeuer, maybe espresso. It was three alternate layers of chocolate cake and soft wafers (that tasted very much like graham crackers, only better). The white chocolate garnished on top was a bit tasteless, but I was most intrigued with the finger cookies on the edges. I expected that it would taste a lot like lady fingers but it was way too sweet for that. Richard was right, it was like hardened icing. Overall, it was a nice cake, a new dessert experience. I'll definitely go back, and have that eclair.

Marbled Angel Food Cake

I made this for my Mom on Mother's Day. It was the first time I made an angel food cake, and I'd have to say I'm quite happy about it. It turned out delish! My family raved about it, eventhough I burned the top a little. ;o) I would want to save a slice for my boyfriend but it was a complete goner the next morning. It tasted a lot like brazo de mercedes without the custard filling. The recipe calls for a 10 inch tube pan, but mine was only 8 inches, so I had to use a second pan (the heart-shaped pan). I also made a little boo-boo while making it; the recipe calls for the sugar to be added 2 tablespoon at a time, but I poured mine all at the same time. Hence, the mixing time took longer than it should. (My arms got tired because I was using an electric hand mixer.) I also didn't have nutmeg available, but nevertheless, it was still yummy. :)

Marbled Angel Food Cake with Strawberries

Cake:
1 cup cake flour
pinch of ground nutmeg
12 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/3 c superfine sugar
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

Topping:
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled & sliced
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 c orange juice

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Prepare cake: Sift together cake flour & nutmeg into a medium size bowl.
3. With a mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites & cream of tartar in a large bowl until frothy. Beat in superfine sugar, 2 tbsp at a time, & then beat 5-7 mins until stiff glossy peaks form.
4. Fold flour mixture into egg white mixture in two additions, until incorporated. Transfer half of batter into a clean medium size bowl; gently fold in cocoa powder.
5. Spoon white batter alternately with chocolate batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. Swirl a sharp knife through batters to create a marbled pattern.
6. Bake cake in preheated oven for 4o minutes or until springy when touched & a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. *(If pan has no legs extending above the rim, invert onto a wine or similar weighted bottle, placing center of tube over neck of bottle.) Cool 1 hour.
7. Meanwhile, prepare topping: Combine strawberries, sugar, and orange juice in a bowl. Let stand and allow the flavors to blend.
8. Run a thin metal spatula around side of pan & tube to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto a serving plate. Serve cake slices topped with strawberry mixture.

(Source: Family Circle Best Ever Cakes & Cookies; page 30; Published by Broadway Books; Copyright 2001)

Recipe notes: Make sure to sift cocoa powder as well when folding onto the the other half of the batter. I just poured mine as is, and it made little lumps of chocolate on the cake when it was baked. I also used granulated sugar on the cake instead of superfine, which was probably one of the reason why it took a while to mix the eggwhite mixture, but I think there wouldn't be any difference in the taste at all.

Cupcakes with Royal Icing

I made these cupcakes for my sister's birthday. I wanted to jazz it up a bit so I frosted them with royal icing. Bad idea!!! The icing melted the next morning when I brought them to work for my friends. It was all sticky and gooey, I could barely hold it! The cake tasted great but the icing was a little off. I guess it was my fault... Not having an electric mixer handy, I had to whip it up with my hand and a good ol' wire whisk. ;o)

Royal Icing

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites, beaten
*In a bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Using electric mixer, beat in 2 beaten egg whites for about 5 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to hold its shape.

(Source: http://www.allrecipes.com/)