Tip: How to cut a cake in half for layering

Was thinking about making a layer cake this weekend. I don't really know how to split a cake in half so I google-ed and came upon this SITE. Clever idea. Will definitely try this out.

Oreo Muffins & Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

My sister was looking at another cupcake blog intending to place order for her close fren's birthday (instead of buying a cake from the store). Somehow i think the pricing may have turned her off and she casually as me to bake oreo muffins and do up some frosting for it. (Yes, she is a cheapsake coz she din hav to pay a cent bt she promise me a pandan, strawberry cake for my birthday). Here's what I did. Its my first time playing with the piping bag n nozzle. ^__^



Oreo Muffins

Ingredients:

120g butter soften @ room temperature
70g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
210g plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup fresh milk
1 cup Oreo cookie chunks
Optional: 1/4 cup chocolate rice

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degree Celcius
2. cream butter and sugar until soft and fluffy
3. Add egg gradually. Beat well.
4. Sift flour & baking powder. Fold flour into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk.
5. Fill each muffin cup/liner with batter until half full. Sprinkle several oreo cookie chuncks on top, an then cover with a spoonful of batter.
6. Bake for 25 mins, until lightly browned. Cool muffins before frosting.

Makes approx 12 medium size muffins.


Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

150g Butter
250g Icing Sugar
1tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Beat butter and sugar together with whisk or electric beater.
2. Once well combined, add vanilla.
3. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Makes enough topping for approx 12 large/medium cupcakes or more.

Temperature Convertions for Baking

Gas Mark	Fahrenheit	Celsius	Description
1/4	225	110	Very cool/very slow
1/2	250	130	---
1	275	140	cool
2	300	150	---
3	325	170	very moderate
4	350	180	moderate
5	375	190	---
6	400	200	moderately hot
7	425	220	hot
8	450	230	---
9	475	240	very hot

More converstion help here.

Cake Bakes

I do not usually bake on weekdays unless its a holiday the next day or something. Grandmum was having a Rosary group prayer at her house so I decided to give mom a break and bake something to serve after rosary.


I decided to bake a Orange Yogurt Cake and my all-time favourite bake Banana Cake (actually its a bread but because Sarawak is blessed with really gud and flavourful bananas, the recipe whips up a pretty gud cake).

Orange Yogurt Cake


Ingredients:

250g cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
70g butter, soften at room temperature
zest of 1 orange
180g sugar (original recipe calls for 200g of sugar)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoon orange juice

Methods:

1. Preheat oven at 180 degC. Grease or line a 8" by 4" loaf pan. I used a normal square pan - i dont think that its suitable as the cake tun out rather flat unlike HHB's :(
2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix together yogurt, vanilla essence and orange juice.
4. (Using a hand whisk) beat butter and orange zest until mixed. Add in sugar and beat until creamy.
5. Add in eggs gradually, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beat constantly for about 2 mins.
6. Beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Then beat in 1/2 of the yogurt mixture. Then, beat in half of the remaining flour mixture. Then, beat in the remaining yogurt mixture. Lastly, beat in the rest of the flour mixture. I prepare to use the spatula after I'm done with mixing the egg into the butter mixture. Or not i think we'll tend to over beat the heck of the batter.
   
7. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for 45 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Adapted from Happy Home Baking

Banana Cake


Ingredients:

125g butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
5 ripe bananas (peeled & mashed)
2 cups flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
1/3 cup yourgut OR 1/3cup milk mixed wit 1tsp lemon/lime juice (set aside for 10 mins to curdle)
Optional: 1/3 cup Chocolate Rice (for an added sweet surprise)

Method:

1. Cream butter & sugar until creamy and light.
2. Beat in eggs a little at a time.
3. Add mashed banana and sifted flour alternately. Beat in yogurt/milk alternately.
4. Optional: Mix in Chocolate Rice.
5. Pour mixture into a log pan or a small square pan.
6. bake for 45 mins until golden or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Not-so-sinful Chocolate Brownies

I stumbled upon this recipe in my mom's Women Weekly magazine from yonks ago. I find brownies from this recipe have a cake-like texture to it. The recipe uses less sugar compares to the dense "cookie-texture brownies".

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter of margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven at 174*C.
2. Mix together butter and sugar. When throughly mixed, add egg and beat.
3. in a seperate bowl, combine cocoa, flour and baking sodea. Mix well and add to the egg and butter mixture.
4. add milk and chocolate chips. when completely mix, our into a greased 20cm sqaure baking pan and bake in oven for 15 mins or until a toothpick instered into the center of the pan comes out clean.
5. Optional: Sprinkle icing sugar to the top after the brownies cool.

I take orders (Kuching only)

Hi all,

I am taking orders for any of the "yum-yums" posted here on my blog. I don't charge much (I bake/cook out of passion), only the ingredients and a little extra for the "gurl/woman-power" (mainly to cover petrol).

If your interest, please contact me on my Facebook (Angeline Chin) or email me at chin.angeline83@gmail.com.

Till then, stay tune for more yum-yums (^__^)

Muahcks

xoxo
Gin

Berry Burst (No-Bake) Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:
150g digestive biscuits, finely crushed - i used Tiger biscuits (plain milk flavour)
60g butter, melted

Filling:
100ml water
20g (2 tablespoons) gelatin granules/powder - i used a packet of gelatin powder
250g cream cheese, soften at room temperature
75g caster sugar - i would use less, cut down to 50g
250ml (1 cup) natural plain yogurt
75ml Ribena or any other blackcurrant juice cordial

Topping:
1 pack Aeroplane or Jello crystal jelly - Berry burst or any other berry flavour of your choice
(prepare as mentioned on the packet)

Method:

1. Line the sides of a 18-20cm round pan/square pan (with a removable base) with aluminum foil (base) and clear plastic sheet (sides), set aside.
   
2. To make the crust, combine crushed digestive biscuits and melted butter together in a mixing bowl. Press the biscuit crumbs onto the base of the prepared pan. Chill in the freezer compartment for at least 1 hour.
   
3. Filling: Measure water into a bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin (without stirring with a spoon). Set aside to allow the gelatin grains to swell (10 mins) before setting the bowl over a pot of simmering hot water. Stir with a spoon and once the gelatin melts, remove the bowl from the pot and set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add in the gelatin solution and yogurt, beat till the mixture turns smooth.
5. Divide mixture evenly into two bowls (about 1 cup each). Add 75ml of Ribena into one of the bowls and mix well with a spatula. - i took a shortcut and mixed into everything. i dont know how to make the marble effect (plus i was kind of lazy)
   
6. Spoon the two mixtures in alternate blobs into the chilled crust. Level top and swirl with a knife through the mixture to create a marble effect. - skip this if ur lazy like me :-p Refrigerate until set (will take a few hours).
7. Topping: Prepare Jelly as instructed on the box. Pour mixture over the cheesecake and chill for several hours until set.

Adapted from Happy Home Baking