Baking made fun

I've had the honor of baking cupcakes for various different events. Some for friends, family and others were clients. There are many people like me, who enjoy baking and decorating cakes/cupcakes for different occasions. With the amazing variety of decor available today for topping your baked goods, it just makes the whole process that much more fun. And if you're up for being even more creative, you can even make the toppings or toppers on your own. They don't always have to be edible. The image below is from a baby shower where i used rubber duckies as the toppers and filled the base of the ducks with some blue edible gel. It adds color and the they look like a puddle of water. Second image is from a bridal shower where i made black fondant flowers and used them as topper for a black and white theme shower.

I have had play dates in the past with friends and their kids where we have baked. You would be amazed at how much fun kids have baking with you. It's a great learning adventure for them and a bonding time for you. It doesn't need to be perfect because all you need is some FUN! Another fun thing to bakes with kids is crayons. Yes, you read it right. Who ever thought you can bake crayons! I'm sure those of you with kids have broken pieces of crayons. And if not, get a box of crayons. They don't need to be anything fancy, just a cheap box of crayons. Start pealing them and break them into little pieces. Place them in a shaped cookie tray and bake in the oven at 275 until they melt completely. Remove, let them chill and the crayons will pop right out of the tray. Super fun and easy! This is the one time you'll tell your child to peel away the crayons and break them all they want :). Here are some pictures of the crayons we baked, and the sugar cookies we made from scratch for a play date.

One of the events that i had fun putting the cupcakes together was for an Annaprashan. This is an event in the South Asian culture where a ceremony is held for a baby for his/her first feeding of solid food. My client provided me with the toppers she wanted which consisted of chocolate coins, ring pops, chocolate crayons, story book flags and fruit which i used fresh blueberries. On the menu were marble cupcakes with chocolate frosting, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese and blueberries and cream cupcakes with whipped cream frosting. Here are some pictures.

Last but not least, there are edible sugar toppers that come in different shapes, theme and colors. They are quick and easy to place and they look great. Using items like cookies, chocolate, fresh fruits is also another way to make your cupcakes and cakes look amazing. Here are some pictures.

Hope this will give you some idea's on how to be creative and fun with baking!

Sophia's 2nd Birthday

There's something all kids love about Mickey Mouse Club House. It's like a kid on crack! My little Sophia wanted a Mickey Mouse theme cake and so i made an attempt to make it. Could have been better but the time and love mommy dear put into it is what matters most.

I got a white chocolate fondant for the cake and that was my biggest mistake. Chocolate fondants are more for sculpting since it's soft. It's so delicate that covering the cake was stressful. Lesson learned and I'll never use it again.  i used candles as the topper and made some Mickey Mouse theme cupcakes for the kids. Cupcake rings are a great way to top off a cupcake and the kids get to keep the ring for later.

 I made Chocolate and Strawberry cupcakes, both topped off with a strawberry swiss meringue frosting. Using fresh ingredients while baking or cooking makes such a difference. Everything taste that much better. Seeing everyone enjoy the cake and cupcake gave me a sense of satisfaction. And of course, seeing the huge smile on Sophia's face was the highlight of my day.

 Can't wait to bake more fun cakes and cupcakes for Sophia and my other 2 kids. Practice makes everything better. And when you put your mind and heart at it, anything can be done:)

It's been 2 yrs!

Has it really been 2 years? As i sat today looking through my blog, i realized it has been a long time since i last posted a blog about my cooking and baking adventures. So where have i been? Well, I've had my hands pretty full with my kids. I had my son Aiden on New Years of 2011 and had my baby girl Alisha, December of 2011. Yes, 2 in one year! Not to forget my oldest Sophia who has never failed to keep entertaining us with her personality.

But apart from being busy with the kids, i also ventured out on my cupcake business. Baking for people besides my family has been a great pleasure. Getting great feed back from your clients is such a great feeling. A sense of achievement.

So what did i bake for? Baby showers, birthday's and my biggest success was having a huge order for a wedding. I've obviously stopped taking orders for now and hope to be back at it soon. But in the mean time, here are some pictures of my creativity. Till my next blog, enjoy:)

Iphone Cake

It was my husbands birthday earlier this month and had a dinner party for him at home. And since i had been taking cake decorating classes, i wanted to make a cake that wasn't filled with flowers but also something fun. I started looking around and came across a few IPhone cakes. Now for those of you who know my husband Jigar, he's always on his iPhone, or on the computer or taking pictures!!

I said to myself with a big smile, "I can totally make this!!" A week before the dinner party, i started making the applications for the phone. A day later, i re made all the applications over again because the 1st set wasn't good enough for me. I am so glad i redid them. This cake was one layer butter cake and one layer Chocolate cake with Blackberry Swiss meringue filling. All made from scratch!! i wish i had taken a picture of the cake sliced. I would have hoped the black fondant on the cake would have been a little smoother. I had rolled out the fondant and placed it on the cake, only to realize that i had to move it over. And that caused the surface to get a little bumpy :( . Writing on the cake after the applications were put on wasn't easy either! I made some royal icing for writing and using colored piping gel for some of the application. I was super stressed and didn't want anything to go wrong. The party was just 3 hrs away!!

When i completed the cake and packed it away in a cake box, i had a sense of relieve. It was a good relieve and huge smile. I was so proud of myself for actually doing it!. It felt even better when my husband looked at the cake and gave me a big hug . All our friends stood there looking at the cake with their iPhone in their hands. After which, they all took a picture of my cake:).

This is just the beginning. I have my daughter's 2nd birthday coming up in April and i am already planning her cake. Hopefully some day, I'll be able to get in orders for cakes and cupcakes because i just love baking and decorating!

Course 3 Cakes

Course 3!!! It was wedding tiered cakes and fondant. This course, we got to make 2 cakes. The first one was a present cake. We learned how to cover a cake with fondant and make other fun stuff like the ribbons and bows. I remember feeling frustrated while covering my cake with the fondant. It wasn't easy at all but practice makes perfect. Know you know why bakeries charge so much for cakes!! It's a lot of time and effort and not forgetting Patience!! For the cake, it was a yellow cake with raspberry jelly.


Here's the final cake! I decided not to do wedding cake only because my husband was going to take this cake to work. Instead, i wanted to do something more fun and went with this. i pre made the flowers at home since they needed to be cut out and placed in flower formers to curl up. The cake turned out good but i my fondant tore a little while i was covering the cake. i covered most of it up with the flowers so it wasn't to bad. Like i said, practice makes perfect and i have gotten better at covering my cake:) The top tier of this cake was a butter cake with blackberry jelly and the bottom tier was chocolate with blackberry jelly.

Up next, Fondant and Gum paste. And for that, you'll have to wait till next week. Not sure yet what I'm going to do with my final cake but I'm sure I'll figure something out soon!

Course 2 cake

Here's my cake from course 2. Unfortunately, we only got to put together one cake for this course. So what did we do for the rest of the class? Well, all the bright and lovely flowers that are on my cake is what we made every week. Pansies, Daisies, Violets, Roses, Daffodils and Apple Blossoms. The flowers were made of royal icing so they harden up. We made a different one each week and placed them in flower formers to dry up. Week 4 rolled along and we brought all the flowers we had made and place them on an iced cake and completing the cake with a rope border and a basket weave. I love bright colors and so i made my flowers bright. Everyone else chose to keep it subtle with pastel colors. For the cake, i made a Sponge cake and filled it with blackberry jelly.

At this point, i figured I've done 2 courses, what's 2 more!! So i signed up for course 3 and had even more fun! More cakes from course 3 coming up in the next blog:)

Course 1 Cakes

I've been taking cake decorating class at my neighborhood Michael's and it's just been an amazing experience. Wilton has 4 courses to offer and they each are 4 weeks long. I've always known i love baking but have now realized that i enjoy decorating cupcakes and cakes as well. The joy and sense of accomplishment i get is just wonderful. So here are the pictures of the cakes I've made in course 1. The above picture is my first cake. I made a devil's food cake and filled it with Raspberry Jelly. For a first timer, i was pretty pleased with the final decorated cake:)

For the second cake, we were allowed to do cupcakes and so i decided to make Red Velvet cupcakes. This specific class was about figure pipping and some flowers. i would have done more if i had more time at class. It was still fun.
Here is my final cake for course 1. We had to make roses and place them on the cake. When i started making my roses, i was worried i wouldn't have any roses to place on my cake! But as the evening went by, i was making roses after roses. For this cake, i made a yellow cake and filled it with chocolate filling. I completed course 1 and went home wanting more. So i signed up for course 2! Check out my next blog for pictures from course 2:)

Marble cupcakes with Halloween decoration

I know I'm a little behind on my blogs and Halloween is long gone. But better late then never! With my daughter going to day care now, i got to sign up for something to bring for their class party. Of course there had to be cupcakes, and no one had signed up for them! I did and this is what i came up with. They had to be Halloween themed, but i also wanted to keep them fun for the kids. So i made pumpkins with some orange colored fondant, and drew in the faces with edible markers. How cute are they?? Super easy to make them and great for decorating cakes and other food. As for the frosting, i used Class Butter cream icing and kept it at a medium consistency and pipped some grass using the grass tip. I have to say, i had a great time putting these together and the kids loved it. Now to the cupcakes. They were marble cupcakes from Martha Stewart's 175 cupcakes recipe book. Really easy to make them and they were just delicious. Which kid doesn't like cupcakes with both vanilla and chocolate!

Cupcakes can just be so much fun. They are easy to eat, and you can be as creative as you want and personalize them in your own way. Here's the recipe for the cupcakes and butter cream:)

Marble Cupcakes
Makes 16 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk, room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup boiling water
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and cream.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk mixture, and beating until combined.

3. To make chocolate batter, measure out 1 cup batter, and transfer to another bowl. Combine cocoa and the boiling water in a bowl. Stir into reserved 1 cup batter.

4. Fill prepared cups with alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batter, filling each three-quarters full. Run the tip of a paring knife or wooden skewer through batter in a figure-eight motion to make swirls. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are golden and a cake tester (i.e. toothpick) inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

5. To finish dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Or personalize in your own way!


Class Butter cream

4 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1 cup shortening
2 table water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Using a whisk attachment, whip together the shortening and liquids. Add the sugar and meringue powder and whip until ingredients come together. Whip on medium speed for 1 min. This recipe makes thick consistency so you have to thin it out to a medium consistency after it's whipped up. Color frosting as needed. Frosting can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks in an air tight container.

Sri Lankan Fish Curry with Tomato ( Thakkali Malu )

A few years ago, my husband and i went to Kerala for our 5 year wedding anniversary. The whole experience in Kerala was just amazing, from the scenery to the ambiance to the food. The coconut they use in their cooking kind of reminded me of Sri Lankan style curries. I was browsing the web for some new recipes and came across this one, Fish in Tomato. The flavors of the different spices together makes it just absolutely delicious. With each bite, you get a burst of various spices while the fish just melts in your mouth. The recipe call for Mackerel but you can use any fish of your choice. I've tried it with King Mackerel and Grouper and it tasted great both times. Pair up this dish with roti's, naan, paratha's or even just plain rice. Here's the recipe :)

Fish Curry with Tomato (Thakkali Malu)

500g Fish steaks (Spanish mackerel)
1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves Garlic
2 teaspoon Finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Medium size ripe tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons Oil
1 tablespoon Ceylon curry powder
1 teaspoon Chili powder
2 cups Coconut milk
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

~Method~

1) Wash and dry fish well and rub all over with turmeric and salt.
2) Cut each steak into serving pieces.
3) Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish until golden brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.
4) Put onion, garlic, ginger and tomato in container of electric blender and blend to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry the blended ingredients for a few minutes, until oil begins to separate from mixture.
5) Add the curry and chili powders and about a teaspoonful of salt and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the fish and simmer further for 10 minutes.
6) Serve with rice and accompaniments.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread has got to be one all time favorite. Eat it for breakfast, as a snack or dessert with some ice cream. I usually make banana bread pretty frequently since there's always banana's in my fruit bowl. And if they are not eaten up by the time they a little to ripe, they are up for grabs to be baked:). I love the subtle cinnamon taste in banana bread which balances out the sweetness. Any kind of spice in baking usually gives the baked goods a vibrant flavor. So here's the recipe for it :)


Banana Bread

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Berry Strata

Here is the final recipe from Giada's Everyday Italian, Berry Strata. It's basically an Italian version of the bread pudding. I'm not a big fan of bread pudding, but berry strata, i just loved. The tartness from the frozen mixed berries and orange juice just gives it a refreshing taste. Not to forget the creamy ricotta cheese that's in it too. All these flavors together gives it the right amount of sweetness and tartness. Even the kids enjoyed it. It's a great dish to make for dessert since everything can be pre mixed and refridgerated. And if you don't want berries, feel free to use any fruit of your choice. I used french bread but you could use any type of bread you like. Here's the recipe:)

Berry Strata
From Giada's Everyday Italian

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup orange juice
4 slices of bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat, add the honey, and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and sugar. Using a fork, mix to combine and beat the eggs. Add the milk, orange juice, butter and honey mixture, and bread. Stir to combine. Gently fold in the berries.

Place the ingredients in a 10-inch round (2-quart) baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the strata until golden on top and baked through, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon into dishes and serve.

Spicy Tomato Soup

When i think of soup, I'm thinking comfort food, warm, hearty and fulfilling. This recipe was one of 3 recipes aired on Giada's Everyday Italian episode that had the Linguine with Shrimp in Lemon oil. This soup is super easy and is made with marinara sauce. It says to use chicken broth in this recipe. I however have many friends who are vegetarian so i used vegetable broth instead. The flavors were great and the soup with absolutely delicious. It's a perfect dish to have on a cold day with some french bread on the side. I made it for my play date Thursday last week and it was great.Everyone enjoyed it and i saved some for my husband to have for dinner. What more can you ask for after a long work day:) Here's the recipe!

Spicy Tomato Soup
From Everyday Italian on Food Network

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
* 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
* 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve. (Note: If you do not want the spice, you may eliminate the peppers or add less of it.)

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon oil

I love pasta and i love seafood. It was one of those days where i just spent thinking about food. What i wanted to try, what to make for dinner. I happen to turn on the TV to food network and Everyday Italian has just started. Giada had a delicious menu that had my mouth watering the entire time. I just couldn't wait to try these new dishes out. So here's the 1st out of the 3. Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon oil. For those of you you like the citrus flavor in your pasta, this is it. Every ingredient in this dish just compliments each other so well. The freshness of the lemon with the peppery flavor of the arugula just gives it am amazing flavor. We made come garlic bread on the side and it was just YUM! It's super easy and quick. Just what everyone needs in today's busy lifestyle. Here's the recipe :).

Adapted from Giada's Everyday Italian
Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon oil

Ingredients
For the lemon oil:

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:

* 1 pound linguine pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 shallots, diced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 16 ounces frozen shrimp
* 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
* 1 lemon, zested
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

For the lemon oil:

Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Sponge cake

I have been taking a cake decorating class now for about 2 months at my neighborhood Michael's. And i have to say, I've enjoyed the classes so much that it keeps me wanting to learn more. Who ever thought I'd be able to make flowers, decorate a cake and make it look all pretty! So for my final class, we had to bring in a cake so that we get to do a basket weave on it and place all the flowers we had made during the entire course. We made daisies, pansies, apple blossoms, violets, roses, daffodils and primroses. I had so many flowers that i could have covered my entire cake with the flowers. But, i chose not to! I decided to try a Sponge cake from a cookbook my dear friend got me for my birthday. This recipe is adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. So far, the sponge cake is the only recipe I've tried from it and have been pretty pleased with it. It's a great book with delicious recipes. I layered my sponge cake with some blackberry jam. You could use any flavor that you like. So for those of you who have had challenges baking a good sponge cake, here's the recipe :)

Note: I like using baking spray for my pans instead of using butter and flour to grease the pans. With the spray, you get a nice even coat and always have you cake come of easily without any issues.

Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Sponge Cake

1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg white (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks (room temperature)
2 large eggs (room temperature)

1) Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8 - or 9- inch pans
2) Whisk flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Heat milk and butter together in a small saucepan over low heat until butter melts. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and cover to keep warm.
3)In a large bowl, whip the 3 egg whites and the cream of tartar together with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase to medium-high speed and whip the whites to soft, billowy, mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually whip in 6 tablespoons of sugar, about 30 seconds. Continue to whip the whites until they are shiny and form soft peaks, 1 to 3 minutes.
4)In a separate large bowl, whip the 3 eggs yolks and the 2 eggs together with an electric mixer on medium high speed and gradually add the remaining sugar, about 1 minute. Continue to whip the mixture until very think and voluminous, 4 to 6 minutes.
5)Scrape the whipped whole egg mixture on top of the whipped white mixture, then sift the flour mixture over the top. Very gently fold everything together with a large rubber spatula until just combined, about 12 folds. Pour the warm milk mixture against the side of the bowl and continue to fold batter until evenly combined and no streaks of flour remain, about 8 folds.
6) Immediately scrape batter into prepared pans. Bake the cakes until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 12 to 18 minutes. (Do not rotate cakes while baking)
7) Immediately run a knife around the edges of the cake and flip them out onto a parchment lined plate to protect the delicate top. Peel off the parchment paper and transfer cakes onto a cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hrs before filling or frosting.

Blueberries and cream cupcakes

Last weekend, my friends and i decided to have a cupcake tea party which has been pending for the last 3 months. It finally happened and we all got to eat some yummy home made cupcakes. Since berries are in season, i decided to try out the Blueberries and cream cupcakes from my Martha Stewart's cupcake book. The fresh blueberries gives you a nice burst of sweet and tangy in each bite. These cupcakes are just amazing. They are not too sweet and the home made whipped cream gives it a nice finish to the cupcakes. They are light, spongy and another one of my favorites so far. Here's the recipe:)

BLUEBERRIES-AND-CREAM CUPCAKES
Makes 30 standard or 60 mini cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish

For the whipped cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line standard or mini muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high to cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Fold in the blueberries by hand. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until pale golden, about 25 minutes for standard and 15 minutes for mini.

Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool completely before removing the cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

To make the whipped cream, in a large bowl whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, then whisk until combined. If not using immediately, whipped cream can be refrigerated, covered tightly, for up to 3 hours.

Strawberry cupcakes with Strawberry swiss meringue frosting

Since i enjoy baking so much, and absolutely love cupcakes, i decided to get the Martha Stewart's 175 cupcakes book. I've tried making cupcakes from recipes i find online and have had some great results and some not so great results. I hate having to waste and so decided I'm going to stick with Martha's recipes. Can't really go wrong and everything I've tried so far from her recipes have been a hit. So when my book came in the mail, i was super excited and couldn't wait to bake. I had some strawberries and i came across this recipe. It was also my husbands business partner's birthday. What more excuse do i need? Baking with fresh ingredients always make a huge difference. The cupcake itself was soft and moist with strawberry chunks and the frosting, just oh so good! Light, fluffy and smooth, with a little bit of sweetness. Can't wait to try out more recipes and share them with you. Here's the recipe:)

Martha Stewart’s Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
frosting (makes 34 cupcake)

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ¼ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large whole eggs plus 1 egg white
1 cup milk
2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries (about 20), plus about 10 more for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pans with paper liners. Sift together both
flours, baking powder, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Add whole eggs and the white, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk, and beating until well combined. Fold in chopped strawberries by hand.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks and cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto rack and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in airtight containers.

4. To finish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star (Ateco #826 or Wilton #8B) with buttercream. Pipe butter cream onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form peak. Just before serving, thinly slice strawberries, and tuck a few pieces into the butter cream.

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream Frosting

1 ½ cups fresh strawberries (8 ounces), rinsed, hulled, and coarsely chopped.
4 large egg whites
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ½ cups (three sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature

1. Puree strawberries in a food processor. Combine egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a standing electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips.)

2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.

3. With mixer in medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula and switch to the paddle attachment; continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Add strawberries and beat until well combined. Stir with a flexible spatula until the frosting is smooth.

Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Meringues

These delicate and crunchy delights are just so irresistible. For once, my husband requested for me to bake some meringues and i say OK with a big smile! Lately I've been trying out different types of cupcakes and so i haven't really had a chance to bake cookies and other sweet delights. My husband never really tells me what he wants, so i usually end up making whatever i feel like. And so, when i got a request, it felt great. Meringues are so simple and easy to make and because they are so light and airy, you could just keep eating them. I got the recipe from a book titled "The Essential baking cookbook" which i had picked up at Borders a while ago. So here's the recipe:)

Note: You can make these in any flavor or variation. The basic recipe consist of the egg whites and Sugar. I of course added cocoa to make mine chocolate. You could do Almond, peppermint, lemon etc.

Chocolate Meringues

2 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp sifted cocoa powder.

~Method~ (makes 30)
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2) Beat the egg white with an electric beater/stand mixer into stiff peaks.
3) Add the sugar in, 1tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat the mixture until thick and glossy and the sugar has dissolved. It will take about 10 mins.
4) Beat in cocoa powder.
5) Spoon mixture into a piping bag with plain round or star nozzle and pipe onto tray.
6) Bake for 20 to 25 mins, or until pale and dry. Turn of oven, leave the door ajar and cool the meringues in the oven. When cold, store in an airtight jar.

Mee Goreng

Mee Goreng is a local Singaporean dish and has a few variations on it. There's a Malay version, a Chinese version and an Indian version. This one here is the Indian Mee Goreng and it's a recipe that my grandmother got from her good friend. My family have been using this recipe for years now and it's one that i enjoy making and eating very much. I've tried making it in different ways, however, this is still by far my favorite. "Mee" in the Malaysian language means noodles and "Goreng" mean fry giving us the name of this dish, fried noodles. It's such a simple dish but the sauces used in the noodles give it a unique flavor. I usually make it without eggs, but if you'd like it, it's something you can add to the noodle when you pan fry them. Here's the recipe:)


~ Ingredients ~

1 packet Fresh Egg Noodles ( Taiwanese egg noodles , available at Ranch 99)
2 medium size onions sliced up
1 packet Chinese spinach chopped, ( i use choy sum, it has yellow flowers )
1/2 cup cubed fried tofu
1 small can of Peas
1 1/2 tsp Green chili, ginger and garlic masala
3 serving spoons of Tomato ketchup
3 serving spoons of Chili sauce ( available at Chinese market)
3 serving spoons of soy sauce
3 serving spoons of Ketchup manis (sweet soy sauce, available at Chinese market)
1 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

(Noodles are spicy so adjust the chili to you taste)
~ Method~

1) In a large pot, stir fry chopped Onions in some oil until light golden pink.
2) Add Masala, Chili Powder, salt and turmeric and cook for a min.
3) Add in Tomato ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce and ketchup manis. Stir everything and let it cook another min.
4) Add in tofu cubes, peas and spinach. Cook till spinach wilts a little. Than add in the fresh egg noodles and stir until all the ingredients are mixed in.
5) Taste the noodles and if more salt and spice is required, add some chili powder for spice and some salt .
6) Take a flat pan and pan fry mixed noodles lightly with a little bit of oil in batches.
Note: If you like eggs, scramble 1 egg 1st and than add the noodle to pan fry.
Mee goreng is now ready to eat!!! Yum Yum!!

Picture courtesy of Jigar Champaneria

Red Velvet Cupcakes

As i mentioned in my previous, I've been taking a cake decorating class and we get to bake a cake every week for class. This decorating class is offered through Michael's and have 3 different courses. I finished my 1st one and am waiting to start the 2nd in a couple of weeks. So for our 3rd class, we had the option of making cupcakes and i decided on making red velvet cupcakes. Most people i know just love red velvet cupcakes and these came up moist and soft and airy which equals to PERFECT!! The rich red color with the chocolate flavor makes it great for any occasion. Red velvet cupcakes are usually either filled with or frosted and filled with cream cheese. The tartness of the cream cheese just goes so well with the sweetness of the cake. Here's the recipe.
http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/02/04/red-velvet-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Yes, it will fizz! Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 – 3/4 full). You may not fill all the cups, I ended up with 20 cupcakes. Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don’t over bake!

5. Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with cream cheese icing (recipe below) and decorate with red sprinkles if desired. The cupcakes above were decorated using the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Kit and Valentine’s Sprinkles. They can usually be found at craft stores like Michaels or Joann.

*pictures courtesy of Jigar Champaneria*

Key Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Lately, I've been on a baking marathon. I've been taking a cake decorating class at my neighborhood Michael's and it's been so much fun. The only thing is that i have to bake a cake every week. There's only my husband and i at home and to eat all that cake, a big NO NO! So I've been sending it to my husbands work and i leave some for my play dates. Anyways, a dear friend had some yummy key lime cupcakes not to long ago and that got me tempted to try it out. I searched online for a good recipe and came across this one that i used. This recipe was used by so many people with great reviews, i figured it's got to be good. And guess what, it was great! I just loved it. The refreshing taste of the key lime just leaves you wanting for more. The cupcakes itself are moist and airy. And to make them look pretty, top it off with a lice of lime.My cupcakes are probably more green than they should be, but i like the brightness.You can always add less of the food color if you like something lighter. Here's the recipe :)

Key Lime Cupcakes
Adapted from Buttersweet Bakery courtesy of Bon Appetit
http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2008/09/key_lime_cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour (make your own--add 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder & 1/2 tsp. salt to 1 cup all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2-1/2 Tablespoons key lime juice (about 10 key limes) or regular lime juice
1 Tablespoon key lime zest (about 10 key limes) or regular lime zest
1/4 teaspoon neon green food coloring ( i used the gel color in kelly green)
3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
1 8 - ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon key lime zest (about 10 key limes) or regular lime zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift and whisk all-purpose flour and self-rising flour in a medium bowl. Don't have self-rising flour? You can make your own by adding 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup all-purpose flour, mixing well.

Beat butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat to blend. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lime juice, lime zest and food coloring. Continue mixing until all ingredients are well combined.

Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions.

Spoon equal proportions of batter into a standard 12 cup muffin pan lined with paper liners. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the cupcakes immediately from the pan, letting them cool on a rack.

While waiting for them to cool down, make the frosting.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, lime zest and vanilla extract on medium until smooth.

*pictures courtesy of Jigar Champaneria*