Chocolate Custard Cake

Chocolate Custard Cake

My mom was ecstatic with this cake since she simply loves Creme Caramel or Leche Flan here in the Philippines. So when she saw this in the food magazine I bought a week ago, she immediately told me to make one. So I made one the other day for her and for the family also a taste test to see if this cake will benefit for my cake business. My mom loved it. So yeah, I also gave some to her bestfriend and she ordered one for tomorrow! Yay me.

The picture I took from the first one is not nice so I decided to take another picture earlier, this looks more presentable. So the picture you see above is the finished product. To tell you the truth, I was actually scared of making this cake because you're dealing with three types of things here, first is the caramel, where you cook the sugar and water mixture to the caramel point or when the sugar turns into golden brown or honey brown in color. Once it's done, you pour the caramel sauce into the cake pan. Then to make the flan or custard, mix egg yolks, evaporated and condensed milk, and cocoa powder together. Once mixed, pour it into the same cake pan by straining it to remove unnecessary solids that are annoying. Then make the chocolate sponge cake and also pour it into the same pan. Do not tap the pan, the tendency for tapping is mixing the custard and sponge batter together resulting to a not pleasurable thing? I don't know, I don't have the heart and money to waste a cake. Then bake it over Baine-Marie (just like cheesecake) until done. Remove it from the oven and let it stay in water bath until cool. Then unmold it.

I learned a really big lesson the other day too. Never-ever leave your phone away from you especially when you're starting this business and clients are there to call you. Since my friends knew that I don't like to text, or call anyone, I simply sometimes leave my mobile phone unattended back in my room and where am I? In the dining area. When I checked my phone the other night, I saw two missed calls. Then I SMSed the number and asked who is he/she? I didn't get any reply. The next day around 8 am in the morning, I received the call from the same number, I woke up from the ring of my phone haha! And asked if the number is from my small company. I told her yes and she asked me if there's any available cakes. I told her no since I bake prior to order. So yeah. I'm still waiting for her call again. Hahaha! I wish she would. So the lesson is, always keep your mobile phone beside you at all times and do not be lazy bringing them anywhere. Hehe.

For inquiries or orders, please contact Cupcakes Inc., the contact numbers are listed there. Cupcakes Inc. is only available for Metro Manila area orders only. Thank you!

Singaporean Rolls / Salted Fish Fried Rice

Singaporean Rolls

Our made made these earlier for our lunch. I thought it was just some ordinary veggie roll that I like to eat. Turns out it was a new thing she made.. Singaporean Rolls! I never had one of these before I have eaten different types of spring rolls so I'm ecstatic. Haha. Silly me, being ecstatic with a simple food. I love comfort food I guess. This is one of my so-called comfort foods at home.

The filling was made out of ground pork, cooked vermicelli noodles and carrots. A little bit of Salt and Pepper to taste I guess. It's really yummy!

Fish Sauce and Calamansi (Calamondin)

According to our maid, this spring roll is paired up with Fish sauce and Calamansi. And I have to agree, it really paired up well.

Take a look inside the spring roll.... Haha

Salted Fish Fried Rice

I have been eating this for quite sometime already. I haven't gotten any opportunity to take some pictures of it since my old phone doesn't take nice pictures. So here it is. I managed to have a sumptuous lunch earlier and I even told our maid to save the leftovers (which is a lot) for dinner and I also had a really happy dinner since I ate the same thing. Haha. Yeah, I'm not picky.

Chocolate Beehives

Chocolate Beehives

I've been spending time in the kitchen almost everyday recently. Either I'm baking cakes for orders or my mom is making me bake some stuff we found in Food Magazines I bought a few days ago (and I think I should buy more). Anyway, yeah. I found these in one of the food magazines I've bought. I've seen this type of dessert around the mall while I was window shopping. Hehe.

I followed the recipe itself and I'm pretty satisfied with the results, all except for one. I will tell you later.

The brownies' texture are pretty good, it's not all too fudgy, it's just right. I like it. I sliced them in 2" squares.

After baking and slicing the brownies, you need to do the Italian Meringue. I have to admit at first I was kind of nervous making it since it's been months since I last made Italian meringue. I got lucky and it turned out well. So pipe the meringue on top of the brownies in swirling motion for several times until it resembles like a beehive.

And last but not the least pour ganache over the top. I don't like the ganache of this recipe. Did you see the first picture? It's so thin. I should've used my own ganache recipe. But heck, I wanna try this recipe so I did. Whatever.

I put sprinkles on top since I don't have sliced almonds stocked at home. My sisters loved this dessert. The meringue is marshmallow-y in texture I must say! :D

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I just remembered that I haven't updated for weeks now. Haha. I've been busy baking in my kitchen since I'm starting to introduce my line of cakes. So I need to have some taste tests that's what's been keeping me up from blogging. Aside from that, I'm just a pure lazy girl who didn't want to update.

So I made this cake three times already, one for my taste test, another one for my mom's bff's her taste test and finally my mom's bff's order for her client's birthday. She works in a bank so yeah, I hope in the future, I could sell a lot of cakes.

I found this recipe on the food magazine I bought a few days ago, and my mom told me to try and make this recipe. So I made it last Sunday and it turns out really yummy. The only problem is, if you have no experience in baking and you just trust what the recipe says you'd be tricked. Since the magazine says that you bake the cake for 35 minutes, when I checked mine it's still a batter. I set my timer for another ten minutes, it's still the same, I did this three times until it became a cake and has cooked thoroughly. So it took about 1 hour and 5 minutes for the cake to bake perfectly. So yeah, those inexperienced bakers will be frustrated and won't try baking again since they give some false time. I think it depends on the oven or I think they purposely did that? I have no idea. But be careful!

Another thing is that the frosting requires a pound of powedered sugar, when I looked at it and thought about it for quite sometime I decided it's too sweet. I lessened the sugar content which is good since my mom said it's a little bit sweet but all in all it's good. So yeah, my judgement is right. So people, be always careful when measuring or just dumping all the ingredients all together, try to think the amount given and try to analyze if it will become too sweet or not. That's all! You can substitute any nuts as a topping, I prefer Hazelnuts, since I love hazelnuts. :D

So that's it for now. Wait for my next entry. I'm baking/cooking up something in the kitchen again. I might post it one of these days!

Devil's Food Cake with Peppermint Frosting

Devil's Food Cake with Peppermint Frosting

I apologize for ugly picture. I was so tired that day! I can barely think of anything. Haha!

Anyway, I found this recipe on the web and the word Peppermint caught my eye, so I printed out the recipe and start to buy the ingredients. I made this cake for two days since I still have to tutor my sisters once they arrived home.

The cake is made from Devil's food cake, I found the cake very hard so I think I need to find another cake for it's base. Then the fillings are made out of chocolate ganache and white chocolate cream with a hint of peppermint. Then the frosting is made out of Swiss meringue with a hint of mint (again). It's pretty good the only problem is the cake, like I said.

My sisters and aunt loved it. Yeah, they don't like the cake. (So I really need to look for another chocolate cake recipe)

Mango Icebox Cake

Mango Icebox Cake

This dessert is pretty easy. It's an icebox cake, so all you need to do is buy some all-purpose cream and condensed milk, mixed it all together and you have the filling. Buy some ripe mangoes, cut it into wedges or balls using a melon baller. Then graham crackers for the base of the cake and graham cracker crumbs for garnish. And voila! You have a no-bake cake! :D

Homemade Snickers™

Homemade Snickers™

I remembered one time when my brother and I were taking care of our parent's small store there's this one lady that came and is very bitchy... then she asked me in Tagalog, "How much is your SNAIKERS (Is-nai-kers)?" My brother and I tried to hold our laugh until she left. She's really funny. Anyways, I came across this recipe a few days ago and I tried to make it yesterday.

Nougat Dough

I realized when I was slicing the product before dumping it in the chocolate is that I should put it in the FREEZER. So that I can easily slice it and the dough and caramel wouldn't crumble and be sticky. Yeah, I discovered that when I was halfway slicing it. :)

Caramels

I substituted Pecan nuts which I personally toasted, instead of Roasted peanuts. :) It's better for me. :D Then I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips for the dip and added some butter for shine :D Why? Because when I read the recipe, I was thinking it's sweet enough already and I don't want over sweet stuff. :D Innovate and conquer! Whoot! :D

My sisters were amazed that it tasted like Snickers™ maybe I should name mine... SNAIKERS? Haha. :P

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Epic Fail Cookies

This happens when I get too over excited while baking. I measured the flour equal to the butter. That's why it looked more like a batter than an actual cookie dough. How stupid right? But hey, I learn from my mistakes and this epic fails are still good. My sisters ate them with their smiles in their faces. :D

Cookie doughs in the oven

So I made another batch again. That's where I discovered that I measured the wrong weight of flour hahaha! Yeah this cookie doughs are the right one. It holds it's shape and is not so wet when touched. :D

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the finished product. I added some walnuts since my mom likes them with nuts. Just to inform you guys, this is the best seller in Bewitching Desserts (my online pastry shop) for orders please go to our multiply site: Cupcakes Inc. I'm also trying to venture in cakes. I want to take it SLOW. Okay? :D Enjoy and DROOL.

Ladyfingers

Ladyfingers

I was supposed to be posting this yesterday after I baked these biscuits. Unfortunately, I had a headache. :( Well here it is, Ladyfingers or Biscuits à la cuillère in French.

This is the crunchier version since my mom told me to make it crunchier unlike the ladyfinger I made for my Tiramisu.

One of my sisters even finished the whole batch! That just means she has a sweet tooth! :D

Mint Chocolate Cake

Mint Chocolate Cake

I found the recipe on the world wide web. So yeah, I tried making it yesterday. :) I didn't use the chocolate cake mix that is stated in the recipe. I used my chocolate roulade sponge cake recipe that I got either from one of my baking books or from my chef's recipe. I followed the mint icing and mint ganache that's stated on the recipe though. :)

From my point of view, the mint icing is too sweet. So I think the sugar should be lessen since the chocolate cake and the ganache it just tasted right. I also opted for semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips for the ganache, so there. :)

My mom and siblings loved it. My sister told me it's like Andes Mint Chocolate, I agreed with her too. It's like Andes cake without the Andes chocolates. Ohh I love the smell of peppermint. :D