RASPBERRY AND BLUEBERRY CAKE

This is probably the last birthday cake I am making for the year, and it belongs to my lovely mother-in-law. I usually decorate my cakes with all-year round strawberries, but decide to be a little extravagant this time for the madame. I got her raspberries, blueberries and even golden berries. She's not a cake-person, but I hope she appreciates my love for her (^,^)

I like this sponge cake as it is very light. To make it moist, slice the sponge cake into 2 or 3 layers and brush with sugar-rum syrup. The syrup brings the taste to another level, and it is absolutely necessary. 

We had a very full meal for the celebration and I thought everyone would just taste a tiny slice as a gesture. They came back for second or even third helpings and whoosh! the whole cake was gone. (Glee! Glee! Glee!)

RASPBERRY AND BLUEBERRY CAKE

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup full cream milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup cake flour (I replace 2 tbsp with corn flour)

1 tsp baking powder

4 egg white

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tbsp melted butter

Frosting

300g cold whipping cream

8 large marshmallows

Sugar Syrup

2 tbsp sugar

4-5 tbsp hot water

1 tsp rum or brandy (optional)

Assembly / Decoration

Fruit Jam

Raspberries

Blueberries

Golden berries

Method

Cake sponge

1. Grease 7" round pan and place baking paper at base of pan. Preheat oven at 165C.
2. In a clean and dry bowl, beat egg whites till foamy using electric beaters at slow speed. Add a tablespoon of sugar and beat till well combined (about 10 seconds). Repeat adding all sugar by tablespoons until egg whites become stiff but NOT dry. Set aside.

   

   stiffed peak with glossy look

3. In another bowl, beat egg yolks till creamy, thick and pale.
   
4. Pour in milk and vanilla extract, beat for 5 seconds.
5. Combine cake flour (and corn flour if using) and baking powder. Sift directly into yellow batter. Fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Put 1/3 egg white (meringue) into yellow batter. Fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Pour everything from step 6 into the remaining 2/3 meringue. Fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   

   

   Fold in gently until no more white streaks

8. Lastly pour in melted butter and fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   

   

   batter should be very light

9. Pour batter into pan, tap a few times to release air bubbles and bake for about 30 min or until skewer comes out clean when poked in the middle.
10. Immediately gently remove cake from pan. Invert and remove baking paper. Cool completely on a rack.

recipe can be used for cupcakes too

Frosting

1. Place clean and dry beaters and steel bowl into freezer for about 20 min.
2. In a small saucepan over gentle fire, melt marshmallows with 3 tbsp whipping cream. Keep stirring and be careful not to burn it. Remove from stove. Stir occasionally to help cool the mixture and prevent it from gelling up.
   
3. Remove cold beaters and steel bowl from freezer. Pour in balance cold whipping cream and beat till slightly stiff.
   
4. Pour in cooled marshmallow mixture into cream. Whip till stiff. 
   
   
   
   
5. Place in piping bag with round nozzle.
6. Chill till ready to use. 
   
   

Sugar syrup

1. Dissolve sugar into hot water. Add in rum or brandy. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Slice cooled sponge cake into 2 or 3 layers.
2. Place one slice on serving plate, brush its top with sugar syrup generously.
3. Spread some jam onto cake slice. Pipe whipped cream all around. Arrange with fruits.
   

   

   I'm having only 2 slices. These are the sandwiched fruits.

4. Brush the bottom of the 2nd slice of cake with sugar syrup generously. Place on top of 1st slice.
5. Brush top of 2nd slice with sugar syrup, again, generously. If you are having 3 slices, then repeat steps 3 to 5.
6. Pipe whipped cream on top and decorate as desired. Chill cake in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

MOIST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

Cuppies with two-toned cream cheese butter frosting

I have been searching for the ideal chocolate cupcake recipe, tested a few recipes here and there, but there is always something that does not quite make the mark. My idea of a perfect chocolate cupcake should be:

1. light

2. moist

3. chocolatey with no weird aftertaste

4. not overly sweet

5. the cake top should not a high round dome. 

see a flow of roundness-es, but no worries. upon cooled, they plateau nicely

I am so glad I tried out this recipe, I think so far.... this is it!! And it is very easy too =) I mix the plain flour with cake flour to achieve a lighter texture, as I feel that 100% cake flour may not be able to support the frosting or fondant.

Made creamy caramel and drizzled on a whipped cream cupcake. Yummy!

After baking, I piped in some whipped cream mixed with jam into the cake before frosting. Chocolate or hazelnut spread cream will be a great surprise (awwwww...!!)

Frosting in the picture is my very own cream cheese butter frosting. I love this as it is stable, can sit prettily in room temperature for hours and tastes great. Of course my son prefers it chilled from the fridge, but I do not mind its creaminess at room temperature.

The cuppies are so delicious I gobbled four of them and wanted more! I have to resist attacking them for the sake of my hubby and boys.

MOIST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE (adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)

Ingredients

A)

115g unsalted butter

57g semi sweet chocolate chips

B)

42g unsweetened cocoa powder

95 plain flour (I mixed 45g plain flour + 50 cake flour)

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

C)

2 large eggs

100g fine sugar

50g light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

D)

120ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk (You can DIY buttermilk by adding 2 tbsp vinegar and top up with fresh milk, rest for at least 5 minutes)

Method

1. Over a pot of simmering water, melt (A) completely. Set aside to cool.

2. In a bowl, mix well (B). Set aside.

3. Whisk (C) till smooth. Stir in cooled, melted (A).

4. Add half of (B) into (3) use a hand whisk to stir till just combined.

5. Add in D and mix well.

6. Add in last half of (B) and stir till just incorporated. Do not over mix. Batter is thick and runny.

7. In a lined 12-holes muffin tray, fill cups till 80% full. I used my ice cream scoop, giving each cup 3 full scoops.

8. In preheated oven at 170C, bake for 18 min or until skewer comes out clean when poked in centre. No not overbake. You can start checking in its 15th min. Cool completely.

9. Frost the cake and chill in fridge.

Yields about 12 cakes

Cream Cheese Butter Frosting
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
250g unsalted butter, softened*
1 cup icing sugar, sift
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 tbsp milk or juice
Food colouring  of your choice


*The butter must not be too soft but just enough to allow the knife cut through easily and still maintains its shape.

Just mix everything in a bowl and whisk till smooth. If the batter is too thin to your liking, add a teaspoon of icing sugar at a time and adjust accordingly. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon of liquid at a time until you get the right consistency. 
Fill it into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. The nozzle I used here is size 1M. Pipe directly onto cupcake and chill.

Enjoy! ~