Chocolate Mousse cake

I made this very special cake for a very special young man that I have known for 6 years! 

Where have the time gone?

It is his birthday today and I hope he likes chocolate! 

Don't count the calories! Haha.... 

Happy Birthday Squib! Many happy returns. 

Here's the recipe and I hope you will try this and make it for someone special for their birthday too. 

To make this chocolate mousse cake you will need a 7 inch chocolate sponge, recipe is here.

Chocolate mousse recipe here and chocolate ganache recipe here.

Eton Mess Cake

 

Eton Mess is a tradtional English dessert consists of fresh cream, strawberries and meringue.

I will show you how this cake is made.

All you need is an 8 inch sponge, recipe is here.

A tub of whipping cream 500ml with 3. Tbsp icing sugar to sweeten

Box of fresh strawberries

12 ready made meringue 

The ingredients are easy, it's assembling of the cake that requires a steady hand and a little patience.

 

 

Prepare an 8 inch sponge and cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Sugee Cookies

Busy, busy day today, I have been baking, and these are Sugee Cookies, recipe courtesy of Carine Chew at Leluscious Cheesecake & Pastry. https://www.facebook.com/leLuscious

  I never tried Sugee cookies before but Carine kindly shared her recipe with me so that I can bake these for Chinese New Year. But as she's in Singapore and I'm in UK, I couldn't try her homebake cookies in person.

Blueberry Muffins

 

 

Blueberry Muffins

(A)

120g butter, melted

150g caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

150g sour cream

(B)

250g plain flour

2. Tsp baking powder

1/2. Tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup Demerara sugar
 

Put all the (A) ingredients in one bowl and mix to combine.
 

 

Put all the (B) ingredients in another bowl and sift together.

 

Add blueberries into (B) bowl.

 

Pour (A) into (B) and fold over 10-15 times until combined.

 

Some flour might be still visible so don't worry as it will all come together once it's baking.

Fill each muffin cases 3/4 of batter & sprinkle Demerara sugar on top if you want a crunchy topping.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 20-25 minutes.
 

 

This recipe should make 10 large muffins.

 

https://www.facebook.com/mandysbakingjourney

 

 

 

 

 

Last post for 2013

To all my friends,

It's 31st December and I'm looking forward to the New year. I hope 2014 will bring everyone good health & good luck.

Looking back, I have been so overwhelmed by how much I have achieved in less than a year.

I have started this blog, set up a Facebook blog & made lots of new friends. 

I never ever have thought that I would be here writing about my baking.

Mandy's baking journey would not have been successful without your support. 

Thank you so much for everyone who have liked, commented on my blog, tried my recipes & joined me on my baking journey. 

To end the year, here are the 9 most popular recipes viewed by you all.

Here are the last two cakes I have made to end the year 2013 

 

Chicago style cheesecake

Cheesecakes are one of my weaknesses, I can eat it everyday if I can.

My husband introduce me to cheesecakes years ago and since then I was hooked on this dessert.

I blame him for my weight gain!

This is the very first cheesecake recipe I have baked.

Since then I never went out to buy a shop bought cheesecake.

I was amazed how simple it was to make one.

I have now baked, Durian, Baileys, Apple crumble, Pumpkin & Lemon cheesecake.

Tiger Skin Swiss Roll

 

 

Roar!  It' s a Tiger skin roll. 

I have first seen this cake in bakeries years ago but always wondered how they make the Swiss roll with such a beautiful pattern?  I've only heard that this skin uses a lot of egg yolks. 

Yes! More than a few with your usual Swiss roll recipes. 

Ham Sui Gok 咸水角

咸水角, we have this for dim sum. We pronounce it as "ham sui gok", no idea why it's called that but I guess every Chinese knows what it is. These are easy to make but it does take more prep work than baking a muffin. But once you have tried making these, you can't wait to make them again. 

They are seriously yummy just like ones in dim sum restaurant, except you don't have to fork out £3.20 for 3 pieces. 

This recipe makes 20 pieces! Yes 20! It's not a lot if you can eat 5 in one go! 

You can't eat like that at the restaurant. 

The problem is that I don't order these anymore when I go to have dim sum. 

Nor do I order turnip cake and steamed buns.

At this rate, if I continue making my own dim sum, I don't think I have anything to order when I eat out. 

The whole process have taken me an hour. So if you want to reduce cooking time, prepare your filling a day ahead.

 

Ingredients for the filling:

1 cup of mince pork or chicken

3 pieces of chinese mushroom (soften and diced)

1 small carrot (cooked and diced)

1 small onion (diced)

2.Tsp of mince garlic

1 spring onions ( chopped)

1/2 cup of water

1.Tsp cornstarch mix with 1.Tbsp of water

Mango Mousse cake

 

 

Prepare an 8 inch sponge cake.

 Recipe is here

 

 

Cut into 3 equal layers ( my son inspecting my cake)

 

 

Recipe for the mango mousse.

Ingredients:

350g whipping cream

300g mango puree

3. Tbsp icing sugar

10g gelatin

60g water

Method:

Soften the gelatin with water and dissolve into liquid, you can do 2 x 20 second burst in the microwave until it has melted.

Once the gelatin has cooled, pour into mango puree and mix well.

Whisk the whipping cream until mousse state and add icing sugar.

Fold the cream into the mango puree and wait 10 mintues, the mousse will thicken slightly and you are ready to use it.

 

Here is a short video of how my cream is beaten to Mousse state.

How To make this cake

 

 

Bread recipe

 

 Bread recipe: 

350g bread flour

10g milk powder

6g fast instant dried yeast

50g sugar

1/4. Tsp salt

1 egg

125ml milk

120g Tang Zhong (recipe here)

30g butter room temperature, diced

Method:

Place everything except the butter into your mixer and let it knead till you get a rough dough. 

Keep your mixer on slow speed and add diced butter to the dough. 

Knead for 15 minutes or until the dough is elastic and no longer sticky. 

 

 

Cover your dough with cling film or a damp cloth and let it proof at room temperature for 

1 hour or doubled in size. Proofing time varies with the temperature of your room. I usually check after an hour and decide if its needs a little longer. 

You can place your dough in a greased bowl but I always leaves mine in the mixer bowl and cover with a damp cloth. 

 

 

Once it has proofed, knock the air out and knead by hand for a few minutes.

 

You are ready for second proofing and you need to shape or fill whatever bread you wish to make.

Second proofing usually takes around half an hour and if you are baking rolls or buns, this should take 15-20 minutes at 180c.

Depending on the size of your bakes.

 

You can just make a loaf with this but baking time will take longer.