• Sep
  • 03
  • 2013

chocolate, kit kat & M&M cake!

Oh-do I feel like a child again!

Over the weekend, my inlaws threw a surprise farewell party to my Sister in Laws daughter-who is only 8-and going to Dubai! I was so excited to be given the task to make a Kit Kat cake as I’ve always wanted to make something like that but did not want it to make it for no reason. I have to admit, it was so hard resisting myself from eating the kit kats and M&Ms whilst I was constructing the cake, I felt like a kid!

Of course, this chocolate cake recipe never fails me. I have used it many times, my sister uses it many times…in fact its the only chocolate cake recipe we use! It was given to us by our lovely Aunt Nola (love her to bits Mashallah!) and it has always impressed many consumers :)

I apologize that I do not have a photo of the cake cut so you can see what its like on the inside. It was gone by the time I even had a chance to take a photo!

 

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
Chocolate cake recipe adapted from my Aunt Nola
Serves: 12
Prep time: 30 mins
Bake time: 1 hour
Assembly time: 20 mins

Ingredients for chocolate cake

2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup hot coffee (made from 1 tsp coffee)

Method for chocolate cake

1. Preheat oven to 170°c.
2. Line the base and sides of a 20cm diameter springfoam tin with baking paper.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
4. Pour all the wet ingredients into another large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until combined.
5. Then gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet bowl. Fold until well combined.
6. Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Ingredients for vanilla buttercream
Adapted from my own memory and taste!

250g softened butter, at room temperature
3 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp cream

Method for vanilla buttercream

1. Using a stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until well combined and smooth.
2. Gradually add in vanilla essence, milk and cream.
3. Whisk on medium to high for a few minutes until silky smooth.


  • Oct
  • 27
  • 2012

{eid} chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream

I swear every Eid is a rush. For some reason, all my raya(eid) grocery shopping, cooking and decorating happens the night before. Its strange considering I am quite an organised person. Must be all the excitement I guess. And as a Malay, I follow the way we celebrate Eid. We don’t only bake various cookies, we do a whole feast. Lontong, rendang, chicken curry etc… though I have to admit, this time I didnt do the whole shebang. One: I just don’t have much time with a 3 month old and a 2 year old and two: my aunty brought us heaps of raya cookies all the way from Malaysia. Yayness!

So it was around 10pm the eve of Eid that I went searching for a chocolate cupcake recipe online and found this. Its pretty similar to the ones I’ve made before and it tasted good. Suffice to say I slept at 3am after all the cooking and baking. But  it was such a rewarding feeling knowing that you’ll be celebrating a beautiful occasion with your loved ones.

The tags are also DIY. And yes, I was up designing, printing, cutting and gluing these tags for the cupcakes and goodie bags. You can find them here, printable DIY cupcake flags and gift tags. For these specific ones (in this post), you’ll need to wait until I find time to upload them ;)

These cupcakes are for Aliya’s class. We celebrated with her little friends at Kinda. Oh it was so cute seeing them eat in mess.

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CUPAKES
Adapted from My Baking Addiction with slight modifications

Yields: 24 cupcakes
Prep time: 20 mins
Bake time: 20 mins approx

Ingredients

1  3/4 cups plain flour
2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan forced. Line 2 standard dozen muffin trays with paper liners; set aside.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Fold in slowly the dry ingredients into the wet. Then add in the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin cases, filling each up to 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

 

 

RECIPE FOR VANILLA BUTTERCREAM ICING/FROSTING
Adapted from Sweetapolita  with slight modifications

Makes: Enough to decorate 24 cupcakes
Prep time: 5 mins

Ingredients

340 grams unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
600 grams icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed. Butter will become very pale & creamy.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.

3. Use to decorate right away before it hardens.


  • May
  • 18
  • 2012

oreo cheesecake

I had a packet of Oreo’s from a while back when Coles had them on special for $1, so I thought why not make something a little classy yet cute? I went on a hunt to find the perfect oreo cheesecake recipe and this did me proud!

What I liked about this recipe is that its not too dense or too light. Its just perfect. I love the creaminess and smoothness of the mixture, combined with the biscuit crunch…it certainly makes for a crowd pleasing dessert for the young and old.

 

RECIPE FOR OREO CHEESECAKE
Adapted from Gourmet Getaways with slight modifications

Serves: 12
Prep time: 20 mins
Chill time: 6 hours (min)

Ingredients

Base
80gm butter, melted
250gm Oreo biscuits

Cheesecake
200gm white chocolate
250ml pouring cream (regular unthickened)
375gm Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
3 tsp gelatine

Top decoration
Whipped cream
12 halved oreo cookies

Method

1. Place the biscuit base ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it reaches a fine breadcrumb stage.

2. Press crumbs into a 12 cupcake base and refrigerate.

3. Combine water and gelatine and stir until fully dissolved.

4. Warm the cream and white chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth. Allow to cool until room temp.

5. Combine the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar in a food processor until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Add the white chocolate mixture to the food processor and combine. Pour the gelatin into the food processor and continue to mix the cheesecake filling until smooth.

6. Pour the filling into the prepared biscuit base.

7. In a piping bag, pipe out the whipped cream for the top decoration and finally put an oreo on top. Chill until set for at least 6 hours.

Note: I use cupcake cases first then before serving, take them out and place onto plate.


  • Nov
  • 12
  • 2011

oreo buttercream chocolate cake with choc ganache

oreo cake

This cake combines both my love for chocolate and oreos. Ever since I found the perfect moist chocolate cake, thanks to my beautiful Aunt Nola, I’ve added many frosting variations to it. I’ve tried making this cake with an orange cream cheese frosting, strawberry buttercream and the classic chocolate ganache. All of them go down pretty well with this cake. But how about combining this chocolate cake recipe with buttercream + chocolate ganache and oreo biscuits? Its absolutely delightful and heavenly! Even my neighbours couldn’t thank me enough. But I really do apologize for the ugly looking cake as I am not a perfectionist in cake decorating. Can you tell I sliced my cake in 3 different heights…gaah! The perfectionist cake department would have to be my sis. Mashallah, she is one good baker and so is her hubby ( I think they might even open a cakery soon).

But don’t judge a book by its cover, because this cake is to die for!

RECIPE FOR OREO BUTTERCREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOC GANACHE
Oreo buttercream recipe adapted from various sources
Chocolate cake recipe adapted from my Aunt Nola
choc ganache recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson

Serves: 12
Prep time: 30 mins
Bake time: 1 hour
Assembly time: 10 mins

Ingredients for chocolate cake

2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup hot coffee (made from 1 tsp coffee)

Method for chocolate cake

Preheat oven to 170°c.

Line the base and sides of a 20cm diameter springfoam tin with baking paper.

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Pour all the wet ingredients into another large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until combined.

Then gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet bowl. Fold until well combined.

Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Ingredients for  buttercream

120g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp milk
2 cups broken oreo cookies

Method for buttercream

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until it forms a pale colour. Then gradually add milk and icing sugar, beating until well combined. Finally add the broken cookie pieces and fold mixture.

Ingredients for choc ganache

200 g dark chocolate
50 g butter (or 160ml cream)
120ml milk

Method for choc ganache

In a saucepan, heat milk, butter and dark chocolates until melted. Stir to combine.

 

To assemble:

Once the cake it cooled, cut it in 3 even layers. Spread the oreo buttercream on the bottom layer and put the cake on top. Repeat this again. Then finally pour the chocolate ganache, covering the entire cake evenly.

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