Blueberry Whipped Cream Cake

A sad blueberry cake weeping (its cream) away.

Combined ideas from Aunty Yochana and La Fuji Mama, along with my own twist to assemble the cake together. Wasn't the most satisfied with the result, but bahhh...practice makes perfect.

Blueberry Whipped Cream Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
180g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
75g sugar
75g melted butter
75g corn oil
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla essence

6 egg whites (240g for me)
100g caster sugar

Syrup:
50g sugar
60ml water
1 tsp Grand Marnier

Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
6 tsp cold water
360ml cold heavy whipping cream
45g confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

300g fresh blueberries for decoration

Method:

To make the cake:
1. Sift cake flour, baking powder and 75g of sugar into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Mix egg yolk, butter and cornoil together and then pour into flour mixture and stir till smooth.
3. Whisk egg whites till slightly frothy, then pour in 100g caster sugar gradually and whisk till medium peak.
4. Fold egg white with egg yolk mixture and then pour into a prepared 9" round cake tin and bake in preheated oven at 175°C for about 45 mins or till cooked.
5. Leave cake to cool on wire rack and then slice cake into 3 slices.

To make syrup:
1. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water. Bring the water to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then stir in Grand Marnier.

To make whipped cream:
1. Put the cold water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and let stand for 5 minutes (do not stir). Place the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon just until the gelatin dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool to room temperature.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until slightly thickened. Then, while beating slowly, gradually pour the gelatin into the whipped cream mixture. Then whip the mixture at high speed until stiff.

To assemble the cake:
1. Place one sponge layer cut-side up on a cake board or serving plate and lightly crush the surface with the simple syrup. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake layer and arrange the blueberries over the surface. Spread an additional layer of whipped cream over the berries. Brush the cut-side of the second layer with the simple syrup and place it over the first layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate as desired and garnish with the remaining berries.

Blueberry Muffins II

Sigh. Apologies for the hiatus. I'm afraid this is going to be reoccurring though I hope not. Think it's going to get worse once my school starts next weekend.

Baking fix yeah, you just gotta squeeze time out for this hobby. The crumble topping makes the muffin look like it has a case of skin infection, but trust me, it's good. So crunchy! Provided extra crisp to the tender cake. But taste wise, I still prefer sweet cake-like Martha Stewart style.

Blueberry Muffins (adapted from Keiko Ishida's Okashi)

Ingredients:

Crumble Topping:
20g unsalted butter, softened
20g caster sugar
20g pastry flour, sifted
10g ground almonds

Muffins:
120g pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g fresh blueberries
50g unsalted butter, softened
40g brown sugar
30g caster sugar
1 egg
60g cold fresh milk

Method:

1. To make crumble topping, combine ingredients in a bowl and mix with fingers until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Chill in fridge until use.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Sift flour and baking powder twice. Set aside 18 blueberries.
3. Beat butter with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until well-combined.
4. Add 1/3 of flour mixture and fold in with spatula. Add 1/2 of milk and continue to fold batter gently. Add another 1/3 flour mixture and fold in, followed by the remaining milk. Add remaining flour mixture and fold through, but do not over-mix. Add remaining blueberries and fold in gently.
5. Line muffin tray with muffin paper cases. Spoon batter into cases until about 3/4 full. Divide the 18 blueberries among each muffin, then sprinkle crumble topping over. Bake for about 25-30 mins, or until muffins have a springy texture when pressed gently.
6. Leave muffins to cool on a wire rack. They are best served warm, and consumed the day they are baked or the day after. If not consuming immediately, store in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days, freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Blueberry Muffins

Am going back to school this coming July! Will be juggling with work and part time studies, looks like I'll have even less time for baking than I already have currently. Promised myself to do a proper layered cake before my programme starts...I better!!

Had a tight week, didn't had time to whip up something extravagant, so just bought a box of blueberries randomly, hoping that I'll find something for my baking fix. This recipe is surprisingly rewarding. The ingredients list look humbly normal, no fanciful walnuts or streusel toppings but it tastes really good. The texture is cake-like tender despite being a muffin. The blueberries I bought were kinda sour but I'm cool about it, complements the sweet cake really well.

Blueberry Muffins (adapted from Martha Stewart's Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)
(makes 12 standard size muffins)

Ingredients:
You will need:
113g unsalted butter, room temperature plus more for the pan
280g all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
2 cups of blueberries, fresh or thawed if frozen (270g for me)
200g sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
120ml milk

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss with blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 tsps of the flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and blueberries.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 mins. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in the vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined; do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 mins. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool 10 mins. Turn the muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crowning Glory Mini Madeleine Muffins

Chingay is finally over. Did you catch us on TV? Many of us had one second shot at fame on national television. hahahah!!

Was great victory for many of us and I hope you guys enjoyed the show as much as we do. The joy I got from going around making the audience smile and shriek is really undescribeable. I think all of us are still feeling the ecstasy from the performance and wished it didn't end so soon.

I also see the growth and change in my boyfriend. We didn't exactly celebrate Valentine's, but going through the training together these 3 months, and him attending the trainings despite his temperamental work schedule and finally reaching finishing line together was a lot more valuable than a day of celebration. I also saw how he changed from being skeptical of his giraffe (yup! he's a giraffe hahah!) stint, to doing his best to bring joy and smiles to everyone.

Go you go! :)

Behind the scenes

with the gorgeous ladies

adorable auntie who bought an ikea zebra hand puppet to engage the audience

bulky heavy giraffe props strapped to the participants

On the day before the actual performance, I googled for a last minute recipe to bake for my Flying Birds group - Yeah, we're called Flying Birds as we wave 4 to 7 meters long poles with bird-kites attached to them. Felt that I've procrastinated long enough to make something for them and it was already the final performance.

Flying Birds

Flying Birds with my muffins..and a NTUC plastic bag LOL

When freshly baked, these little madeleine muffins have a crispy crusty top with a surprise tang from the blueberry in the middle. You may wish to wait at least half a day before dunking them into your mouth as I find that it has an "eggy" taste which kinda vanish after a while. But either way they are cute little bite sized snack cakes good for serving your guests.

Happy Valentines Day everyone! :)

Crowning Glory Mini Madeleine Muffins (adapted from Passion for Eating)
makes 36 mini muffins

Ingredients:
169g unsalted butter, melted
200g sugar (preferably unrefined)
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla or cognac
1 lime's zest (I replace it with 1/2 tsp Grand Marnier)
210g flour (I use pastry flour)
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 blueberry or cherry per mini muffin

Method:
1. In the bowl of a mixer blend the sugar and eggs with a whisk until blended and fluffy. You can do this by hand but it will take a while to get it light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the vanilla and lime zest until completely combined.
3. Add the flour and salt by hand until no traces of it are left. Do not over mix but there should be little to no lumps.
4. Then pour in the slightly cooled melted butter and stir by hand until you have a nice thick batter.
5. Refrigerate for at least an hour but up to a day is fine.
6. Preheat the oven to 220°C and grease the mini muffin tins. Using two spoons scoop enough to fill the tin two thirds of the way full. A little more for the blueberry ones and a little less for the cherries if they are larger. Top each one with a piece of fruit and push it down in without completely submerging it.
7. Bake for 10-12 mins, until starting to get golden brown. Dump in a basket and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!

Summer Berries Cheesecake

Chinese New Year has been eventful for me with the countless celebrations and visitings. And of course one of the highlights would be receiving red packets from the elders. yoohoo! Few more days till its end, aww.

I know I'm not the best biscuit crust cutter. This was done right before I stormed out of the house for work, so pardon me, I had to make do with a cheesecake that looks like it was being nibbled. But the creamy moussey texture wins me over. Am a big fan of vanilla, so the rich vanilla flavor got me going crazy, plus the tiny black speckles pods look so pretty in the cake. Combine these flavors with fruity berries, you've got yourself a great summer indulgence.

And if you're from Singapore, be sure to catch Chingay on TV tomorrow night! hehe

Summer Berries Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Biscuit Base:
80g digestive biscuit crumbs
30g unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:
150ml whipping cream
250g cream cheese, room temperature
45ml milk
80g icing sugar
Vanilla pod seeds, scraped from 1 pod
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
2 tsp Grand Marnier
1 tbsp gelatine powder
3 tbsp boiling water
150g strawberries, cut into halves
80g blueberries

Method:

1. Mix biscuit crumbs & melted butter together and press firmly onto the base of a 6" cake tin. Chill for 30 mins.
2. Beat whipping cream with electric beaters until 70% stiff or until mousse-like. Refrigerate for later use.
3. Double-boil gelatine & boiling water until totally dissolved. Keep warm.
4. Beat cream cheese, icing sugar, milk, vanilla pod seeds and vanilla powder until smooth & creamy.
5. Blend in gelatine solution until well combined.
6. Fold in whipped cream.
7. Lay strawberries and blueberries on chilled biscuit base, and pour cream cheese mixture over it.
8. Chill for 3 to 4 hours before serving. Decorate as desired.

Blueberry Buckle

It's the season of blueberries!!! They are going for $3.99 for 2 boxes at NTUC. The auntie spirit in me told myself that I shouldn't give up this great deal. Looted 4 boxes from the supermarket. Was thinking hard what I can make with them. Blueberry muffins sounds good but I don't wanna be making muffins again since I've made them recently. Googled for some inspiration and found Anna Olson's recipe. Since she is one of my favorite chefs, I must try the recipe!

Honestly I've never eaten a Blueberry Buckle before so I don't know what to expect. It tastes like blueberries sandwiched between vanilla cake and crispy streusel bits. Kinda like the cakes you would eat with your Starbucks latte. Pretty good stuff to make for a picnic as you do not need the fridge to keep the cake intact.

Blueberry Buckle (modified from Anna Olson's Blueberry Buckle)

Ingredients:
Cake -
280g all purpose flour
115g butter
100g sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
250g blueberries

Streusel Topping -
65g sugar
45g all purpose flour
40g butter, cold
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175°C
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl
3. Cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer, until pale yellow and creamy
4. Add in vanilla, follow by egg and mix well
5. Add in flour mixture, alternate with milk until incorporated
6. Pour batter onto 8" cake tin and start preparing your streusel topping
7. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon powder in a separate bowl
8. Rub cold butter into the mixture until crumbly
9. Sprinkle blueberries, followed by streusel topping on cake batter
10. Bake for 45-50 mins and transfer to wire rack to cool

Blueberry Cheesecake

July and August are the months of blueberries! How can I miss making something out of it?!! hahahahh! Used it as a topping over cheesecake, something which I really like to eat myself, and wish to perfect. The problem with testing out cheesecake recipes (or even whole cake recipes for that matter) is, you have the bake a whole cake and even if it tastes heavenly, it's impossible for my family to finish everything. The calories kill as well. So got the chance to do it at the monthly zadankais where I'll have guests over at my place.

Was lazy and decided to go for the easy way for cheesecakes - to just bake it without a water bath. The cheesecake recipe is from Jamie Oliver's Bloomin' Easy Vanilla Cheesecake. Honestly, I'm not crazy over this cheesecake. It's dense, rich and may I say, slightly dry as well. Personally prefer moist and creamy cheesecakes. Am really pleased with the blueberry topping though. Will add some lemon juice or a dash of gin the next time for a second level flavor.

Mom brought some of the cheesecake to her workplace as well and one of her colleagues - who's not a fan of cheesecake - love it to bits. and had multiple servings of it She said it tastes refreshing and it does not have the usual creamy sick dairy taste which most commercially prepared cheesecakes have. While I'm into creamy cheesecakes, here's one who doesn't heehee! Guess another man's poison is another's meat.

The best cheesecake I've ever tasted came from The Cheesecake Factory when I stayed in US then, but damn I can't find a good copycat recipe so far. Mom said I shouldn't be lazy anymore when it comes to baking cheesecake. Will only stick to water bath recipes in the future, I guess.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Biscuit Base -
175g digestive biscuits
85g unsalted butter

Cheesecake filling -
450g cream cheese
60g caster sugar
1.5 tbsp corn flour
1 large egg
60ml whipping cream
1 vanilla pod

Method:
Blueberry Topping (to prepare in advance) -
250g blueberries
70g sugar
6 tsp water

1. Cook blueberries, sugar and water in a pot on medium heat
2. Stir occasionally so that it is evenly cooked, be careful not to caramelize the sugar
3. Cook till blueberries are softened & set aside to cool
4. Pour blueberries into a container & store in fridge until ready for use

Cheesecake -
1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Combine digestive biscuit crumbs and butter in a bowl and press the crumbs on a 9"springform tin
3. Cook biscuit base for 7 mins & remove from oven. Put aside to cool while you prepare the cheese filling
4. Turn oven to 200°C
5. Combine sugar & cornflour in a bowl & add mixture into cream cheese. Beat mixture with an electric mixer until creamy
6. Add in egg and beat well
7. Gradually add in cream and beat until smooth
8. Scrap the pods off the vanilla and add into mixture, beat till smooth
9. Pour mixture onto biscuit base, gently shake to level out the filling
10. Put cheesecake in oven for 35 mins until top is golden brown or filling has set
11. Let cheesecake cool in oven for a while before removing it from oven to cool at room temperature
12. Spread blueberry topping over cheesecake & chill overnight or till ready to be served