Happy Birthday to me! Time files, a year older doesn't necessarily mean a year wiser, at least for me! LOL Sometimes find my maturity pretty much the same since school days. This year has been fun. Appreciate how the people around me celebrated this day for me, planning surprises and all, making me feel special and all. /touched Even papa and mama both dropped me missed calls at the same time, wanting to wish me Happy Birthday.
my team staged an act and told me this is my birthday cake
The actual birthday cake. Don't trust the candles on the cake, I'm 21, really!
little baking bear birthday card which colleagues got me :PPacked with a deep chocolatey depth from using cocoa powder and melted chocolate. Dense and rich with a crusty baked top. Dark chocolate fans will adore it. It's the kind of chocolate cake which you would want to serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some freshly whipped cream. The only qualm I have of this cake is, it's like Ugly Betty, absolutely fantastic on the inside but not so appealing on the outlook. And the cake is supposed to look like this because the picture in the baking book looks like this too hahahhah
..............and after all that celebration and birthday cakes, it's time for a diet.
Chocolate Cake (adapted from Keiko Ishida's Okashi)Ingredients:
35g pastry flour
50g cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)
100g sweet chocolate 55% cocoa (I use Valrhona Equatoriale 55%)
80g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
50g superfine sugar
4 egg yolks
50g whipping cream (I use 33.5% fat)
4 egg whites
110g superfine sugar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 7" cake pan with parchment paper
2. Sift flour and cocoa powder twice
3. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler
4. Once chocolate and butter have melted, add sugar, egg yolks and cream and mix well using a whisk. Set aside
5. Make meringue. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add half of sugar and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form
6. Add one third of meringue to chocolate mixture and fold with a whisk
7. Add flour and cocoa powder and fold in thoroughly
8. Add remaining meringue and fold until just incorporated
9. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 50mins (56mins for me). When cake is done, remove from pan and leave to cool on a wire rack
2. Sift flour and cocoa powder twice
3. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler
4. Once chocolate and butter have melted, add sugar, egg yolks and cream and mix well using a whisk. Set aside
5. Make meringue. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add half of sugar and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form
6. Add one third of meringue to chocolate mixture and fold with a whisk
7. Add flour and cocoa powder and fold in thoroughly
8. Add remaining meringue and fold until just incorporated
9. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 50mins (56mins for me). When cake is done, remove from pan and leave to cool on a wire rack
hey Jean,
ReplyDeleteHappy 21st birthday and may your wishes come true! By the time your next birthday arrives, you will be able to whip up even more fascinating bakes, probably 3D fondant cakes.
Happy Baking and stay happy! cheers =]