Coffee Swiss Roll

This is my attempt to practice making roll cake. Well, it's not really difficult as I thought at first. And the coffee taste in the mixture just makes the cake really smashing.

sponge cake:
4 eggs
80 gr sugar
80 gr cake flour
20 gr cocoa powder
60 gr cornoil
4 - 5 lady fingers

Filling:
200 gm. Whipped Cream

Coffee Syrup: mix together
100 ml. hot water
1 to 2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tbs Bailey's coffee


Directions:
(1) Whisk eggs ad sugar till light and fluffy.
(2) Gently fold in sifted flour , cocoa powder and cornoil into the eggs mixture.
(3) Pour into a rectangular tray of 10" x 14" (lined with greaseproof paper) and then bake at 200C for about 8 - 10 mins.
(4) Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
(5) When sponge is cooled, brush with coffee syrup, spread the whipped cream onto sponge and place soaked sponge fingers (soak into coffee syrup) on top of cream and roll into a swiss roll.
(7) Put into the refrigerator.
(8) Sieve cocoa powder on top of swiss roll, slice and serve.

Pandan Pear Swiss Roll

It's been quite a while since I made the last swiss roll. From internet, I found this interesting recipes, Pear Swiss Roll(http://auntyyochana.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html). Because here now is the season for Pears, so I really keen to try out this recipes.

Some things I have to change from the original recipes, such as black sesame seeds, I don't have it at home, so I change it with chocolate-snippers. This doesn't give effects to the taste, but maybe for the appearance. And instead of the green colouring, I use pandan paste. If you don't like pandan taste, you should just use green colouring because the pandan fragrant will overwhelm the taste of the pears- filling. And I spread the pear mix straight on top of the cake and let the butter cream disappear, because I don't really like butter cream, but maybe next time I should try using butter cream like written on the original recipes so I would know the difference. And the result is a spongy and light swiss roll cake with the fragrant feeling of pandan and the sweetness pear controlling the tongue.

Ingredients:
For sponge cake:
3 eggs
60 gm. castor sugar
70 gm. cake flour
40 gm. cornoil
few drops of green colouring
some chocolate snipers for sprinkling onto tray

Pear filling:
60 gm. castor sugar
2 pears (peeled, cored and cubed)
1/2 Tbsp. cornflour
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder (optional)


Directions:
1. Make the fillings first. Mix all the ingredients together and cook in a pot over low heat till mixture thickens then set aside to let it cool completely.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar till light and fluffy.

3. Gently fold in flour, green colouring and cornoil and mix thoroughly taking care not to deflate the eggs.

4. Sprinkle chocolate-snippers onto lined tray 10" x 14" (25 cmx 35 cm).

5. Pour batter onto tray and level it.

6. Bake at 200C for about 8 - 10 mins. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool on wire rack.

7. When the cake is completely cooled, lay onto a piece of greaseproof paper, spread cooked pears on top.

8. With the help of the greaseproof paper, roll the sponge into a swiss roll.

9. Chill before slicing.


AFAM ~ Pears The Roundup: http://chefatwork.blogspot.com/2008/04/afam-pears-round-up.html

Easter Cake Bake: Colourful Easter Cupcakes

For me Easter is a fun day with children. The day they can eat chocolates or sweets more than usual. Not good for their teeth, but I'm sure they all brush their teeth very well everyday.

Thanks to Arfi with her Spectacular Cupcakes 2008, right now I'm still in the mood for cupcakes. They're also easy to make and easy to decorate too. They're very seldom to fail. I just use simple chocolate cake recipes. I plan to spend more time for decorating the cakes and having fun playing with the colours. I don't use buttercream to frost, but using marzipan. It's easier to be figured according to the event. And children will love it too... especially my little daughter. She helps me decorating the cakes in order to get pieces of marzipan from me. She has no patient until the cupcakes decorated. Cut it short, enjoy and Happy Easter everyone!

Who wants to participate on this event, here is the link: http://www.ismyblogburning.com/events/easter-cake-bake-2/



Ingredients:
125 gr soft-butter
125 gr refined sugar
2 egs
125 gr self-raising flour, sifted
2 sps cacao powder, sifted
2 sps milk
Marzipan for decorating

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy and light.
3. Add eggs to the mixture and beat for 1 minute.
4. Add flour & cacao in to the mixture and spatula everything carefully by each other with a spoon. Stir the milk in.
5. Spoon cupcake batter into paper lines. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, ready to be decorated.

Spectacular Cupcakes 2008: "Egg In Nest" Cupcakes

This is my contribution for Spectacular Cupcakes 2008. Who wants to participate? Still possible til 15 March 2008. Link here: http://homemades.blogspot.com/2008/02/announcing-cupcakes-spectacular-2008.html

A simply delicious butter cake recipes with buttercream as frosting. And as design, I make a random swirls from the buttercream on top of the cupcakes, an effort to shape the swirls as a nest and add some sprinkles coloured-candies around the nest. Finally, white chocolate (praline) eggs on top of the cupcakes as last touch.

Ingredients:
125 gr soft-butter
125 gr refined sugar
2 egs
125 gr self-raising flour, sifted
2 sps milk

Buttercream:
125 gr soft-butter
2 sps milk
250 gr icing sugar
2 sps cacao powder

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy and light.
3. Add eggs to the mixture and beat for 1 minute.
4. Add flour in to the mixture and spatula everything carefully by each other with a spoon. Stir the milk in.
5. Spoon cupcake batter into paper lines. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with butter cream.

Buttercream:
1. Beat butter until creamy and white.
2. Add 1/2 portion sugar in to the butter. Beat well again.
3. Carefully add the milk. Keep beating.
4. Add the rest of the sugar, beat well.
5. Last one, add the cacao powder, mix well. Ready to frost...

Here is the round-up:
http://homemades.blogspot.com/2008/03/cupcakes-spectacular-2008-round-up.html

Jugalbandi Photoevent: Spice Up The Metal

Nikon D70, 11 March 2008

My entry for Jugalbandi photo event, theme: Metal.