tolly wedding cake trials

i was a little surprised when my good friend asked me to make her wedding cake. immediately the image of the leaning tower of wedding cakes came to mind but of course wouldn't turn down a bride's request and at least I had over a year to figure out how to tier. luckily, I have friends who are happy to go untraditional and more fun to play with different ideas and rather wanted more of a dessert table. Ace. still nerve racking but something I could do. a year later and this wedding is only months away so it was time to get cracking. half term was the perfect solution with a week of down time to bake and trial the recipes I had been gathering..with as little tears and panic as possible. much to my surprise the Italian merengue buttercream came out fab (beginners luck?) and there weren't too many disasters so feeling confident about the real thing in May! 

what to do with three cakes and dessert samplers? invite everyone over for an evening of cake and bubbles of course! and what a relief to have a happy couple who were satisfied with the outcomes of the trial. 

28.

no January blues over here. celebrations carried over past the first to kick start 2014 with more birthdays, MD and mine first anniversary and ending with my birthday before the year was officially on its way. it was another week long do beginning with  an unusual civilised dinner with the girls and ending with a fantastic weekend in Paris to finish it off. 

my gorgeous and very talented friends made me the most beautiful and de.li.cious cake ever. there is no escaping future birthdays for them. but before we gorged on cake, we noshed on my favorite guac, pita chips, and mango salsa (costco favorites anyone?!) it's a basic combination but most importantly easy to put together before your guests arrive.

pita chips: cut up pita bread in desired size triangles and then open the triangles and cut them. I like them crispy and this gets them thin enough; if you desire them thicker and toasted then just cut the pita into triangles. toss with olive oil, s&p and pop into the oven at 200C/400F for about 8 minutes, but they do need to be watched depending on the variety of sizes! once they've cooled down, arrange to the side of the guac and watch them go :)

guacamole 

there's only one way to eat this and it's fresh- none of that packaged tube junk. as long as the avos are ripe it's all good. cut the avo in half, grid it by making cuts vertically and horizontally then scoop it out. add chopped tomatoes, red onions, cilantro (as little or much as you like but don't omit it) then squeeze a lime and season with salt. 

dip, eat, repeat.

Donny's pizza cake.

i have been so excited to make MD his first birthday cake (with funfetti!) i first came up with this idea a couple months before the birthday boy's day  after he proudly made me dinner using my pizza recipe. (Which he has perfected by the way by using 00 flour/the finest you can find). unsurprisingly, Pinterest users already thought this would be a fun idea so did a bit of research for the best effects. although I didn't use fondant at all it does produce a good lool alike for shredded mozzarella and mushrooms. 

I went with:

grated white chocolate - cheese

Forrero Rocher halves- sausage

Rolled fruit leather- pepperoni

Cocoa powder and water -mixed, brushed on to the edges for crust. 

with prepping for dinner and last minute touches i didn't get around to piping the cupcakes however it worked out wonderfully as it turned into a 'Design Your Own Cupcake'. As if we hadn't nibbled, ate or drunk enough, everyone was well up for a nostalgic child party activity of icing and decorating their own cupcake. Thanks mom for the tubs of sprinkles!! 

faffa's bday cakes

i went through an oreo phase a couple months ago which turned out to be delicious! as they were on hand,  i decided to plop them into the middle of this birthday girl's treats. while this is nothing new to the Pinterest world it was a first for me and definitely not the last. putting a little batter into the case first will allow the sponge to bake around the Oreo and be involved in the first bite to 'reveal' the surprise inside. don't be put off by the three bowl process, it isn't more work and just keeps it organised when you're ready to assemble.

after my trial run i decided to stuff them with oreos and peanut butter cups (or use the pb ball method below!) but make sure if you do this you mark the cases in some way so as to frost them properly! 

the recipe

1 stick/113g  unsalted butter

1c/200g sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1c buttermilk

1/2c sour cream

1 3/4c/224g flour

1c cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

the temperature 350F/ 180C

the preparation 

bowl 1: cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add each egg, one at a time, and then the vanilla. mix well.

bowl 2: mix together the buttermilk and sour cream. 

bowl 3: sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt.

add the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture alternatively in thirds, beginning with buttermilk and ending with flour. mix until completely combined.

fill cups and bake for about 20 minutes.

*if filling the cakes with an Oreo: cover the bottom of the liner with a small amount of batter first. if filling with PB, add half of the batter then a small spoonful of filling and top again with batter.

peanut butter filling- the recipe calls for the following but I think, and cake testers have reported, that it takes away the PB flavor so next time ill just add a spoonful straight from the jar!

1/4c smooth pb

icing sugar 

butter 

raspberry cheesecake for two.

I'm slightly obsessed with these cute little springform tins. they're ideal for  

a small or rich treat such as this one.

It was a pretty and perfect way to celebrate a sweet work friend's birthday. 

I halved the original recipe which was perfect for two 4" tins. Or bake into cupcake pans for an individual bite of bliss..OR just go for it in one cake tin. As for the raspberry whipped cream topping- I'm not sure why I don't do this more often. It will definitely be part of summertime picnics with strawberries or merengues! 

this is the halved recipe 

the ingredients:

for the brownie

100g dark chocolate 

for the cheesecake 

200g cream cheese

75g icing sugar

1 egg

1/4tsp vanilla

for the whipped cream

150ml cream

50g / 1/4c sugar 

1/4 c raspberries, add more or less depending on preference 

the temperature 180C 350F

the preparation

for the brownie

combine the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time mixing well in between and scraping the sides. gradually beat in the flour until smooth. slowly pour in the melted chocolate and mix. pour the mixture into your pans and set aside for the cheesecake!

cheesecake

combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and  beat slowly until smooth and thick. add eggs one at a time. mix until it is smooth and creamy but not too much as the cheese will split. spoon this mixture on top of the brownie and smooth. bake for 30-40 minutes (even with both small cakes it took this long) the cheesecake should be firm to touch and slightly golden around the edges. allow to cool then refrigerate over night or for at least 2 hours. 

finally, whisk the cream and sugar until peaks begin to form. then add in the melted chocolate 

another birthday celebration with my mini pans..

moms beef bourguignon

September always comes with a bang and it's been non-stop since back to school. October has been busy with birthdays, taking in the change of season, and obviously all things Halloween.  This is one of my favorite times of year when the  brisk autumn weather is just beginning to settle in. it always brings memories of  growing up in New York with annual apple and pumpkin picking weekends as well as endless visits to the latest haunted house, hay ride or corn maze, even though I scared out of my mind. And of course moms delicious witches stew which it has become famiously coined and a Cabrera household tradition. Why wouldn't you serve it in a pumpkin?

It's delicious with mashed potatoes, thick egg noodles or as I just recently had it, with boiled new potatoes tossed (lightly) in butter and fresh chopped parsley. This recipe is easy with a minimal market list- but not for the impatient as it needs to cook for at least an hour to perfectly combine all the wine and beef flavors leaving the meat to fall apart easily as oppose to chewy.  I've come across some recipes that call for two hours but based on the following portion it would be too long. (I guess also depends on the type of meat)

Although this is the traditional French recipe I have a new found love for parsnips so threw a few in there, but adjust the quantity of ingredients to your liking. After all, isn't that one of the best part about making it yourself? 

bon appetit! 

the ingredients 

5 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1kg (2 lbs) boneless beef rump roast cut into 1" cubes (they shrink quite a lot)

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp plain flour

3c dry red wine (cote du rhone or burgundy) 

2c chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

Parsnips

1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

10 ounces pearl onions, peeled* I haven't been able to find these on this side of the pond

the temperature 180C 350F

the method

season the beef well with salt and pepper.

in a large pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook mushrooms until browned, about 10 minutes, and set aside on a separate plate.

in batches, brown beef, 2 to 3 minutes per batch (adding up to 1 tablespoon oil per batch if needed); transfer to plate. 

add bacon and cook until brown, 5 minutes. 

add tomato paste and stir.  add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

return beef to pot- add wine, broth, bay leaf, and garlic. bring to a boil, cover, and transfer pot to oven for about 45 minutes. 

add carrots and onions and cook until meat is very tender, an additional 45 minutes-1 hour more, adding mushrooms 15 minutes before end of cooking. Stir butter into stew and serve topped with parsley if desired.

summer pizza.perfect.

London weather's been on good form the last six weeks which means alfresco coffee, lunch, din, drinks...and as mentioned before the bbq. it's been a while since i last made pizza on the grill but it's a fun, light and yummy summer nosh. embarrassingly, i was excited like Adam on man vs food when everything kept turning out as planned..I was expecting a mess and quick hands during the cooking but the dough was perfect and all went smoothly! i combined ingredients from previous recipes and this is by far the best turn out. if you don't have access to a barbecue, don't worry you won't be left out. just pop your masterpiece into the oven for about 15 min at 200C/400F

why not whack on some veg while you've got the grill hot?! Eggplant (aubergine) and goats cheese is my fave.. What's on your summer pizza?

the ingredients 

1 sachet of yeast (7g)

1c warm water

1/2tsp sugar

a bit of beer or white wine (1/4c?)

1/2tsp salt 

3c plain flour 

1tbsp olive oil 

the method 

combine the yeast, sugar, warm water and alcohol and let sit to dissolve for about 5 minutes or until it starts to fizz. add salt and olive oil and stir. add a cup of flour, mix well then slowly add the rest of the flour (i think we used just about 3 but see how it feels, it was a little sticky when we took it out to knead) place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5-8 minutes (or enjoy the rest of the wine while someone else does it for u ;) 

lightly oil a bowl, moving it around so all sides are covered. place the dough in the bowl, cover with a tea towel or cling film and place in a warm part of the kitchen for about 45 minutes. 

prep your toppings and heat your barbie while the dough rises! 

once dough has risen divide into 3 and roll it out to your desired shape. 

then...

bon appetit!

red velvet.

Millsy b is the biggest red velvet fan i know so for her birthday i didn't even have to ask but was excited to try out an ombré style for the occasion. I realized as I started that it wouldn't be an entire red velvet due to the gradiated colours but nevertheless knew she (and everyone else) would love the surprise once the first piece was cut. have a go with any color combo or rainbow!  oh and the mascarpone cream cheese frosting was a good call.

I made the recipe below as instructed minus the cocoa powder and then divided it into three bowls, 1 1/4c each. the colors don't change much while baking and make them each a shade darker so to blend once cut. next time would probably make a regular vanilla cake for the lighter colored cakes.

ta-dah...

the last layer needed a little more red but the other colours were spot on. 

adapted from joyofbaking.com..

for the cake

the ingredients

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1c (226g grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tbsp  liquid red food coloring

1 tsp white distilled vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) unsalted butter at room temperature

the temperature 170C, 350F for 20 minutes

the preparation

in a mixing bowl sift together the flour and salt and set aside.

beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. scrape down the sides of the bowl. add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

add the buttermilk. with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

in a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

divide into bowls and add colouring as desired.

for the mascarpone cream cheese frosting from epicurious

the ingredients

1 cup (227g) cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of kosher salt

1 cup (227g) mascarpone 

the preparation

beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone on very low speed until just combined. (be careful; once you've added the mascarpone, excessive beating can make the frosting curdle.) stir in the vanilla extract.

whatever you want.

here's a recap of a few birthday cake requests I've had since the beginning of the year. I'm more than willing to try something new so love when I get a specific request.

march:

"something with peanut butter and chocolate"

my dear friend mima usually only requests this combo (who could blame her?!) although the cake collapsed a bit while cooling it was easy to hide. Will definitely try this one again!

Barefoot Contessa's Beatty's chocolate cake, peanut butter icing with a chocolate and peanut butter ganache. garnished with bronze edible crunch from Waitrose 

may:

while it wasn't a birthday..or a cake I was putting together for this time, it was so much fun prepping these sweet thank yous for the first bachelorette/hen, of the group! 

june:

"a large cupcake cake"

for my sweet friend kitty's birthday I made as requested and all i can say is 'phew' when the cake came out of the pan easily! (Grease well with butter then dust lightly with flour)

I mixed the tiniest bit of rose water to the buttercream frosting which complemented the rich chocolate cake and chocolate frosting. I had fun experimenting with different piping techniques and voilà, giant cupcake cake! no arguing over cake for this birthday girl and boy!

july:

"whatever you think!"

busy mom of two is getting ready for the second round of 'first birthdays'. having friends with little ones means i can test out cute character cakes such as this one! can't wait for the next one to turn 4! 

hummingbird bakery chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.. chocolate eyes and Cadbury fingers for antlers

not the greatest photo but you know who it is...

august:

i don't even need to ask the august princess-i'll be creating another (but slightly different of course) red velvet treat. stay tuned!

you win some you lose some.

it seems I've hit a point where I have no 'recipe I'd like to try' list so when Mills and I decided to have (yes another) barbie I turned to my pavlova loving friend Sarah for suggestions. the fact that i refer to her as pavlova loving should've been a hint as she suggested a baked alaska. the thought was daunting but i love trying something new and it seemed easy enough so went with it. a cooling, refreshing summer passion fruit dessert, mmm, the girls will love that. (And if pulled off right looks quite impressive too) 

well, turns out in this moment of time an electric whisk would've been perfect. I thought I could whip egg whites by hand but the combination of the heat and my weak arms got me no where..the bowl also went around the table for all to join in too.

I finally gave up put all was not lost. I still cut out rounds from the flan sponge (will obvi bake my own next time if serving this way) served with vanilla ice cream and passion fruit sauce (which did turn out well, yippee!).. and dessert was served. 

so lesson learned: 

•don't attempt beating egg whites by hand 

•definitely don't attempt it in the heat!

•arrowroot is key in thickening sweet sauces. (Texture gets thick not so much the sauce like cornflour) win!

rosemary sprigs dress kebabs up nicely...cheers Jamie O

Millsys delicious salad with beetroot, goats cheese and caramelised onions 

root veggie crisps.

 inspired by the root veg crisps from our picnic MD was excited at the idea of home baked ones (I think he's secretly enjoying to cook). 

preheat the oven at 200c/400f. a quick peel and slice is all it takes. drizzle with olive oil a dash of s&p and in the oven they go for about 15 minutes or until the edges become light in colour. was a nice little nosh while we waited for our pizza dough to rise.. watch this space for grilled pizza!

parsnips, turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots.. which root veg crisp is your fave? 

two bite picnic delights.

at last! summer vacay is finally here. it's been a glorious start to freedom and since summer weather has found London it's all about the picnic. picked up a few things on the way and had a chilled out arvo in Kensington gardens with MD. (awaiting the arrival of baby prince G) in honor of his favorite dessert i wanted to make something more picnic friendly. am usually apprehensive to experiment but pleased with how these came out..and think he was too!

This recipe made 8 cheesecakes in a muffin/American cupcake pan, however for future would fill each cup more and make 6. 

Adapted from Jamie Oliver and Giada De Laurentiis..

the ingredients 

200g digestives (graham crackers)

100g butter, just under 1 stick 

1/2 c sugar

1 tbsp corn flour 

200g / 7 oz cream cheese

1/4c soured cream 

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla

a bit of lemon zest

optional compote:

cherries or blueberries or any other fruit of choice

sugar

water

Optional- splash of port if using cherries 

the temperature

180 for the base then turn up to 200 for cheesecake

the preparation

prepare the base by combining digestives and combine sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. add cream cheese and mix until creamy. add the egg and then soured cream, vanilla and zest. spoon the mixture (about 2 tbsp) into each muffin. 

bake for about 20 minutes but keep an eye after 15 minutes depending on the size pan. let cool then refrigerate for about an hour to set.

for the compote:

combine all ingredients over medium heat until warm then lower as it thickens.

fourth of JUly fun.

although the Fourth of July isn't quite the same over on the other side of the pond, i still embrace it with the Brits.. and whatever Americans i can gather round. no celebration is complete without a flag cake and think this was one of the best yet. This year I used Ina's strawberry country cake recipe and whipped cream.

another success from Ina!

nom nom nom

some days you just don't feel like cooking and indulge with an unhealthy but i don't care because it's tasty, take away.  sometimes they hit the spot and other times you actually think about what it is you're eating. my last Chinese food craving of sweet and sour chicken brought these thoughts exactly and remembered our wonderful cooking class in Vietnam when we made it in a few minutes with fresh ingredients from the market, easy. couldn't remember the recipe just roughly the ingredients so had a look online and Mills and i had fun trying to recreate our meal with Lee in Vietnam.  it's such an easy recipe that I've already made it again. adjust measurements for the sauce to your liking, this was just my starting point. I've seen recipes which marinade the chicken but didn't seem to make much difference. will just have to try again!

We ended up with lots of veg and enjoyed a much tastier and healthier (because we knew what was in it) version! 

The ingredients

For the sweet & sour sauce 

1/4 c ketchup

1 tablespoon corn flour

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 c rice vinegar (or white wine) vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar 

The preparation 

cut the chicken into cubes, dust with corn flour and fry with peanut or olive oil. add a splash of soy sauce. remove chicken once cooked and add veggies until softened. 

meanwhile, combine ingredients to make the sauce. start on medium heat then lower as it begins to thicken. 

once veggies have softened add chicken  again. pour sauce over the entire mixture or when serving.

easy alternative to egg fried rice:

cook rice as usual. whisk one egg into a saucepan and cook, slowly folding into thirds like an omelette.. or just scramble the egg if it doesn't go as planned! cut into strips and add to rice along with peas. 

enjoying our Vietnamese creations, at the market in Hanoi

back in London

peanut butter. yum.

i've been looking for mid day snack  recipe since going to the shop after school for a chocolate bar everyday doesn't seem to be doing me any good...just becoming more like a drug addict. at least it only costs £0.70 a day?! 

anyway, came across this recipe on foodnetwork.com and thought would be a nice alternative to PB cookies and accompaniment to coffee or granola alternative. basically if it has peanut butter i'm in. i didn't have the seeds or wheat germ on hand but did without and was just as good...but prob not as healthy. break it into mixed sizes so there's just a perfect slice for however much you fancy!

is that a mojito?

i've been curious and eager to make cocktail cupcakes for some time but just never got around to it. what better way to celebrate my sweet friend anna's bday than with a refreshing mojito cake bite. i added a bit of malibu too since i didn't have enough rum but for the next round would omit it and add more mint since it tasted more lime-y than i expected. was happy with the result and more importantly so was the birthday girl!

courtesy of browneyedbaker.com...

the ingredients:
for the cake
½ c buttermilk (if you don't have add 1 tbsp lemon juice to milk)
½ c mint leaves, bruised  + a bit more
1½ c plain flour, 192g
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ c unsalted butter, 113 grams
1c sugar, 200 g
2 eggs
zest and juice of 1½ limes
2 tbsp white rum
¼ tsp vanilla extract

for the glaze
2 tbsp white rum
2 sprigs fresh mint

the temperature: 325F, 160C for about 25 minutes

the preparation:
combine the buttermilk and mint leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. warm until just starting to steam (do not simmer), then remove from the heat and cover. Let steep for 15 to 30 minutes. once finished, strain the milk into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve. the milk may appear curdled or clumpy, but don't worry, it will come back together. press on any milk solids and mint leaves to extract all the liquid possible, stir and set aside.

meanwhile...
whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
in another bowl beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes) add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.  scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and rum. mix until combined and don't worry if it looks curdled it all comes together in the end!

add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

divide the batter into 12 cupcake cases (it made exactly 12) and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. poke holes in the cupcakes and pour the glaze on top while they cool.

glaze:
combine the rum and mint in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until the rum is warm (not simmering)
remove from the heat and steep until cupcakes are out.

frosting
the ingredients:
1½ cups unsalted butter, 170g
4 cups sifted powdered sugar/ 500g icing sugar
1½ tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp white rum

the preparation:
whip the butter using an electric mixer for about 5 min until light and fluffy. works just as well by hand but might be a tad longer than 5 min! sift the icing sugar into the butter, scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. give it another mix and then add the lime juice and rum and mix until incorporated and fluffy. if the frosting is too soft, add more sugar- if too thick add more lime juice.