Chocolate and Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Actually I thought I might not be able to join in this post-it-together event, I was so busy that I was thinking no choice I have to give it a pass. However I managed to squeeze in some of my times to do this baking, I dun have time to check out for other recipes so I just used one of my all-time favourite to modify it.

My cupcakes' look weird due to the overflow of the batter, no time to bake another batch so just bear with the look :p.



Ingredients : Yield about 18 cupcakes, diameter 5 cm

Cream Cheese Batter
300g cream cheese, softened
50g castor sugar
1 egg
1. Beat cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy
2. Beat in egg until well incorporated and set it aside
 
Chocolate Batter
250g butter, softened
160g sugar
4 eggs
4 tbsp cocoa powder
160g self-raising flour
1.25 tsp baking powder
1.25 tbsp chocolate milk
some chocolate chips

Method:
1. Sieve flour, baking powder and cocoa together and put aside
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Add egg, one at a time and beat until well incorporated into mixture
4. Fold flour mixture and chocolate milk alternatively into egg mixture.
5a. Fill up the cupcake cases 50% full with chocolate batter, use chopstick to "dig" a hole in the middle and then scoop 1 tbsp of cream cheese batter into it, sprinkle some chocolate chips on it.
5b. Or you can scoop 1 tbsp of chocolate batter into the cupcake cases, then scoop 1 tbsp of cream cheese batter then follow by another 1 tbsp of chocolate batter to fill up only 60-70% of the cupcake case. Then sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter.
6. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for about 15 mins or until the skewer comes out clean. ( I think my oven's top heat element is too hot, thus some of the cupcakes actually a bit charred.


Notes :
1. 300g of cream cheese actually quite a lot, for my cupcake, 60% is chocolate cake and 40% cream cheese. If you prefer the cream cheese to be lesser, you can cut down to 200-250g.
2. I had scooped too much batter into the cupcake cases, when I scooped in the 1 tbsp of cream cheese batter, the cupcake cases were about 80% filled.
3. The original recipe actually used method 5b but I want the cream cheese batter to be seen, I want to have the contrast of 2 colors of the batter to be shown at the cake top, and I added some chocolate chips in to make it look more attractive, so I came out with method 5a instead. 
4. When baking, the chocolate batter raised, the cream cheese sank, and I had filled too much batter, so the chocolate batter overflow out and yield weird shape of the cake top.
5. If the cupcake cases are 60-70% fill, should be able to yield 20 or more cupcakes with diameter 5cm.
6. I used the same mixing bowl to beat the butter and sugar after beating the cream cheese batter, without washing the mixing bowl.


Verdict?
Although this baking is not very successful in the look, but the taste does not compromise, the cupcake is still very delicious. The chocolate cake is soft and moist, the cream cheese is creamy, it tasted heavenly with this combination.

This post in joining Best Recipes for Everyone December Event : My Little Cupcakes

Hosted by Xuan Hom’s Mum Kitchen Diary

Chocolate Marble Rice Flour Chiffon Cupcakes with Chocolate Custard Cream

Ever since the 1st baked of chiffon cupcakes and received a lot of compliments, it become my favourite bake for give-away and this is one of the variation.



For Cake  

Ingredients : for 18-20 chiffon cupcakes cases base about 5-6cm
5 egg yolks
10g caster sugar
40g corn or sunflower oil  
1/8 tsp salt

70g milk
60g cake flour
10g  cocoa powder, dissolve with some hot water
30g rice flour
1 tbsp vanilla extract

5 egg whites
50g caster sugar

Method :
1. Sift cake flour and rice flour twice.

2. Mix egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, whisk till sugar has dissolved.
3. Add in oil, salt, milk, vanilla extract and mix well.
4. Sift in flour mixture and whisk well.
5.In another bowl, beat the egg whites and lemon juice/vinegar till frothy. Add in sugar gradually and beat until approaching stiff peaks (meringue stand straight with a little curve at the tip) or till stiff peaks (this stage is a bit difficult to fold with egg yolk mixture). 

6. Use whisk to loosen the egg yolk batter a bit, then take 1/3 of meringue and use a hand whisk to mix well with egg yolk batter.

7. Fold in 1/2 of meringue and use a silicone spatula, gently fold with egg yolk batter till slightly combined. Fold in the balance meringue and gently fold till well combined.
8. Pour 1/3 of the batter to another bowl, mix in the cocoa mixture and gently fold till well combined.
9. Scoop ratio 2:1 vanilla batter vs cocoa batter into cupcake cases and use a satay stick to whirl the batter.

10. Bake at pre-heated oven at 160C at center rack for 20-25 mins.

11. Knock the cupcake on table top once and set aside to cool completely.

For Chocolate Custard Cream Filling

Ingredients  :

150g dairy whipping cream

3 tsp custard powder 

1 tsp homemade vanilla extract

2 tbsp icing sugar
 
50g chocolate
20g chocolate milk

* this amount of cream is just nice with little left over as my cupcakes are full of cream. 

Method :

1. Boil the chocolate milk and remove from heat, add in chopped chocolate until chocolate melt and mixture is smooth.
2. Whisk whipping cream, vanilla extract, custard powder and icing sugar till peak form (not too stiff) under a bowl of ice water. Pls ensure not to over beat the cream.

3. Mix in the cocoa mixture, fold until mix well.

4. Chill the vanilla custard cream in the fridge for at least 15 mins to let it set a bit. I put in the freezer to fasten the process.

Assemble :  

1. Insert the long narrow pipping tip into the center of the cupcakes and squeeze the whipped cream in (I like the generous of cream so I just press as much as I can, until the cake fluff up lol).

2. Sprinkle with snow sugar and garnish with fruits if desire.

3. Serve cold!

This post in joining Best Recipes for Everyone December Event : My Little Cupcakes

Hosted by Xuan Hom’s Mum Kitchen Diary

Mocha Rice Flour Chiffon Cupcakes with Mocha Cream 摩卡米粉戚风杯子蛋糕 - 摩卡鲜奶油馅

These cupcakes were baked more than 3 months ago when I was so crazy on rice flour chiffon cake that I baked different variations, so just nice to post it up for the bake-it-together organised by Fion :).



Recipe modified from here.

For Cake  

Ingredients : for 18-20 chiffon cupcakes cases base about 5-6cm (I can yield 22 cupcakes as my eggs are big)
5 egg yolks
10g caster sugar
40g corn or sunflower oil  
1/8 tsp salt

50g chocolate milk
40g cake flour
30g rice flour 在来米粉/粘米粉

10g instant coffee 

10g cocoa powder 

4 tbsp hot water

1 tbsp kahlua

5 egg whites
80g caster sugar
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar (I omitted)

Method :
1. Sift cake flour and rice flour twice.

2. Dissolve cocoa powder and instant coffee with hot water and set a side.

3. Mix egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, whisk till sugar has dissolved.
4. Add in oil, salt, mocha mixture, kahlua and chocolate milk and mix well.
5. Sift in flour mixture and whisk well.
6.In another bowl, beat the egg whites and lemon juice/vinegar till frothy. Add in sugar gradually and beat until approaching stiff peaks (meringue stand straight with a little curve at the tip) or till stiff peaks (this stage is a bit difficult to fold with egg yolk mixture). 

7. Use whisk to loosen the egg yolk batter a bit, then take 1/3 of meringue and use a hand whisk to mix well with egg yolk batter.

8. Fold in 1/2 of meringue and use a silicone spatula, gently fold with egg yolk batter till slightly combined. Fold in the balance meringue and gently fold till well combined.
9. Pour the batter from a considerable height into cupcake cases, lightly shake it left and right to level the cake, then gently bang the cupcakes on the table top to release air bubbles. 

10. Bake at pre-heated oven at 160C at center rack for 20-25 mins.

11. Knock the cupcake on table top once and set aside to cool completely.

For Mocha Cream Filling

Ingredients  :

60g chocolate

30g chocolate milk

2 1/2 tbsp 2 in 1 brown coffee

1 tsp kahlua 

150g dairy whipping cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

* this amount of cream is just nice with little left over as my cupcakes are full of cream. 

Method :

1. Boil chocolate milk and pour in the chopped chocolate, kahlua and coffee powder and stir until chocolate melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

2. Whisk whipping cream and icing sugar till peak form (not too stiff) under a bowl of ice water. Pls ensure not to over beat the cream.

3. Pour the melted mocha mixture into the whipped cream and fold until mix well.

4. Chill the mocha cream in the fridge for at least 15 mins to let it set a bit. I put in the freezer to fasten the process.

Assemble :  

1. Insert the long narrow pipping tip into the center of the cupcakes and squeeze the whipped cream in (I like the generous of cream so I just press as much as I can, until the cake fluff up lol).

2. Sprinkle with snow sugar and garnish with fruits if desire.

3. Serve cold!

Verdict?

While the cupcakes were baking, the mocha smell was so fragrance. The mocha cupcakes were full of distinctive mocha taste, the cream were rich with mocha taste as well. My buddy prepared this for a party and she said all the people snatching for the cakes, she received a lot of praising too. Mocha lovers, this is definitely for you, yummy! 

This post in joining Best Recipes for Everyone December Event : My Little Cupcakes

Hosted by Xuan Hom’s Mum Kitchen Diary

Purple Delight - A Party Cocktail

My buddy M who stay just upstairs of my mum's house, had a party at home and left some food after the party. Beside sharing the food with mee, she also shared with me this drink. The color of the drink is so ordinary, just look like Ribena drink. But when I tasted, I was impressed by the taste, dear daughter even fall in love with it.

The recipe is just came so in time cos the next day, I had a party at home so I decided to prepare this drink for my guests. I do not have the exact amount of each ingredients I pour in as I just adjusted the taste while mixing. As there are children in the party, so I mixed in lesser beer to suit their taste. After mixed, there was a lot of bubbles but gone after sometimes.

Ingredients :
Ribena
Water
7-Up / Sprite
Beer
Lemon, cut into slices
Ice

Method :
1. Mix ribena with water, can be on sweeter side since gonna put in ices. (I just put little water as I do not want to be too dilute)
2. Pour in the 7-up or sprite and beer, adjust according to your taste.
3. Add in lemon slices and ice.
4. Serve chill.

Verdict?
This drink is so refreshing, although there were varieties of beverages served during the party but this is well loved by all the children, even adults also said is nice. I prepared 3 big tubs and all gone and we had less than 15 pax. Definitely a keeper!

Ayam Golek Pekan ~ Pekan's Roasted Chicken

I got attracted by this dish when read Wendy's comment about it. Although I bookmarked immediately but I didn't think of cooking it as looking at the ingredients, they are like aliens to me hahaha...

Until after I cooked Ayam Masak Merak and I have changed my mentality, I thinks that although such dishes may look complicated with the long and unfamiliar ingredients list which I need to jot it down and pass it to the store keepers from the market, they will settle everything for you heeheehee... For the seem long and daunting steps, I  just need some patience to read and follow through, it is not difficult at all. 

So if you are like me, thinking that such dishes are very tough, do give it a try, you might be fell in love of cooking it like me :D.

Like what Wendy has mentioned, this dish just need 4 major steps, it is not difficult to manage even for me.

The 4 major steps are.

1. Blend the ingredients.
2. Boil the chicken in gravy.
3. Roast the chicken
4. Reduce the gravy.

Recipe adapted from Table For Two or More...

Ingredients :
1 whole chicken (1.5-1.8kg) (I used 8 chicken maryland)
10 shallots, peeled
5 cloves garlic, peeled
10 dried red chillies, seeds removed
20gm ginger (clean weight)
20gm galangal (lengkuas, clean weight)
10gm turmeric root (kunyit hidup, clean weight)
1 tsp fenugreek (halba)
1 candlenut (buah keras)
2 lemongrass, smashed
300ml coconut milk
50gm tamarind pulp (with seeds) + 1 cup water
*1 cup water or more
1 tsp salt
3-4 tsp sugar
Banana leaf for lining the tray

Method for whole chicken :
1. Soak tamarind pulp with water for 10 minutes. Rub the tamarind pulp to wash the seeds clean. Strain the tamarind water and discard the remnants. Save the tamarind water.
2. Place tamarind water, shallots, garlic, chilli, galangal, ginger, turmeric and candlenut into a blender and blend until fine. Pour this into a wok.
3. Put lemongrass, fenugreek, coconut milk, 1 cup water (omit if using chicken parts), salt and sugar into the wok. Bring to a boil.
4. Place chicken into the boiling gravy (breast side down, for chicken parts, I face the skin part upwards) and bring to a boil. (gravy should be half way up the chicken, if not add more water) Lower to medium low heat, cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken to back side down and cook for another 15 minutes, this time, watching closely so that it doesn’t burn. Bathe the top with gravy and try to scoop some of the boiling gravy into the cavity.
5. Line baking tray with banana leaf (about A4size or broken pieces but overlap each other. Pls grease the banana leaves too as I didn't, the chicken tucked with the banana leaves). Remove chicken from the wok, let the gravy drip off and place onto the lined tray.
6. Bake at 180(fan)/200C for 30 minutes or until the chicken is beautifully golden.
7. Meanwhile, reduce the gravy until it looks thick like satay sauce. Taste it, if it’s too sour, add more sugar. (Wendy used about 1 cup, I used 3/4 cup and my family thinks that is too sweet)
8. Remove chicken from oven and generously brush on the reduced gravy (I brushed 2/3 of the gravy).
9. Return chicken to oven and bake at the same temperature for another 10 minutes.

Method for Chicken Parts: 

1. Soak tamarind pulp with water for 10 minutes. Rub the tamarind pulp to wash the seeds clean. Strain the tamarind water and discard the remnants. Save the tamarind water.
2. Place tamarind water, shallots, garlic, chilli, galangal, ginger, turmeric and candlenut into a blender and blend until fine. Pour this into a wok.
3. Put lemongrass, fenugreek, coconut milk, salt and sugar into the wok. Bring to a boil.
4. Place chicken into the boiling gravy (skin part facing upwards) and bring to a boil. (gravy should be half way up the chicken, if not add some water) Lower to medium low heat, cover with lid and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken to skin side down and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Line baking tray with banana leaf (about A4size or broken pieces but overlap each other. Pls grease the banana leaves too as I didn't, the chicken tucked with the banana leaves). Remove chicken from the wok, let the gravy drip off and place onto the lined tray.
6. Bake at 180(fan)/200C for 20 minutes or until the chicken is beautifully golden. Start the chicken with skin facing downwards, bake for 10 mins. Then flip the chicken and bake for another 10 mins.
7. Meanwhile, reduce the gravy until it looks thick like satay sauce. Taste it, if it’s too sour, add more sugar. (Wendy used about 1 cup, I used 3/4 cup and my family thinks that is too sweet)
8. Remove chicken from oven and generously brush on the reduced gravy at both side.
9. Return chicken to oven with chicken skin facing downwards and bake at the same temperature for 5 minutes.

10. Remove chicken from oven and generously brush on the reduced gravy at both side.

11. Return chicken to oven with chicken skin facing upwards and bake at the same temperature for another 5 minutes.

Wendy tried marinating the parts for 2 hours and the chicken flesh turned slightly mushy due to being in contact with the raw ginger and galangal for too long.

Verdict:
This is tasted almost like Ayam Percik but not as strong lemongrass taste as my Ayam Percik. This is a sweet version type, dear son love it a lot, he kept asking for more. The chicken meat is very tender probably due to the boiling. A keeper as well.

Blue Angry Bird Ice Cream Cake

  

Dear son likes Mickey Mouse and Angry Birds a lot. Everyone he will just wear his angry birds and mickey mouse clothes until people thinks he has no other clothing hahahah.... and he is such a funny boy, he must wear in suit, means that if is angry bird top, bottom must be angry bird too, cannot top angry bird and bottom mickey mouse, he will make a fuss if that's happen lol. And because he is boy, his color must be blue, he always say, pink for gal, blue for boy, pink for jie jie, blue for didi. Even if teacher want to use hand towel to dry his hand, he will insist her to use the blue color instead of pink color hand towel hahahah....

Since he requested Mickey Mouse for his birthday cake for his school celebration, I decided to make the blue angry cake for home celebration. But I am so lazy to frost the cake again, so thinking why not use M&M chocolates to form an angry bird figure, lazy mum hahaha...

But it is not easy to use M&M chocolates to form a picture, especially a small cake of 7". I almost wanna give up half way cos it didn't look like angry bird :P. But after the Mickey Mouse cake, I was too drained so I decided to just finish it up, dun look alike never mind lah, think dear son still will appreciate M&M chocolate, moreover this is a ice cream cake heeheehee....


Chocolate Sponge Cake

Recipe adapted from Mickey Mouse cake

Ingredients : for 8"

(A)

4 large eggs at room temperature

120g castor sugar

(B)

90g cake flour, sifted

1/4 tsp baking soda, sifted

(C)

50g corn oil

17g cocoa powder

(D)
40g chocolate milk

Method :

1）Heat up (C), slightly warm, add in cocoa powder and mix well, set aside to cool.

2) Beat (A) in high speed till ribbon stage, batter become thick and able to write word on the batter, turn to low speed to whisk for another 1-2 mins.

3)Add in (B) and fold till mix well.

4. Add a small portion of flour mixture to the warm cocoa mixture and mix well. 

5. Pour the cocoa batter into the egg batter and fold to mix well, pls fold gently not to burst the bubbles.

6. Add in (D) and mix well, pour the batter into the cake pan.

7. Slightly bang the cake pan to release bubbles and bake at pre-heated oven at 170C for 30 mins or until skewer comes out clean.

 
* can mix milk and oil to heat up then add in cocoa powder to mix well.

Chocolate Ganache :

100g chocolate, chopped into small pieces

50g milk

Heat up the milk and remove from fire, pour in the chocolate and stir till chocolate is melted.

Ice Cream Filling :
700g store-bought vanilla ice cream
100g nutella

1. remove the vanilla ice cream from freezer and stay at room temperature till soft and whisk until cream or mayonnaise texture.
2. remove 400g ice cream and put aside.
3. Pour nutella into the remaining cream and mix well.

Assemble :
1. Slice the cake horizontally into 3 pieces, brush with sugar syrup (sugar melted in water).
2. Place one slice of the cake into the cake pan (I am using removable base cake pan), pour 400g of vanilla ice cream on it. 
2. Place another slice of cake on top of the vanilla ice cream, pour the nutella ice cream on it.
3. Freeze the cake for at least 6 hours and remove from the fridge,  remove the cake from the cake pan. I used hair dryer to blow at the size of the cake pan. Put the cake pan on top of a glass jug with flat top, then slice the cake pan out, leaving the ice cream on the glass jug.
4. Put the ice cream cake back to the freezer again to freeze for another 2-3 hours.
5. Bring the cake out from freezer and pour the slightly warm chocolate ganache on the cake.
8. Put the cake back to the freezer again for another 2-3 hours. 
9. Bring the cake out to deco as your desire, you have to be fast as the ice cream melt very fast.
10. Put the cake back to the freezer again for another 2-3 hours before serve.


I actually want to put another sponge cake on top of the nutella ice cream but my cake pan is not tall enough to put another slice of cake, so I have to give up last min lol.

Mickey Mouse Cake - Chocolate Sponge Cake

 

see how lousy my frosting skill is lol.

 

 

I am down with flu and cough, head is spinning now, so wish I can rest at home but too much works to clear, especially big boss just back from oversea trip so I must be presence at office :(.

I made this Mickey Mouse cake for dear son's birthday celebration at school, as per his requested. Initially he asked for blue angry bird cake, I did a lot of research looking for right design and just a few days before his birthday, he changed his mind and asked for Mickey Mouse cake :(... oh no here gone my effort and I have to start to google again lol. 

Everyone were so impressed when they knew the cake was done by me, dear son's teacher told me even the school cook went to the classroom to admire the cake lol.

I didn't do a good job for the frosting, still need a lot of practising especially the last big birthday cake project was almost a year ago, Dec 2013 for dear daughter's birthday, I made her a barbie doll cake. On top of that, dear son kept disturbing me, he wanna sit on my lap to admire his cake hahahah.... ok lah all are excuses, main reason is because I am lousy at frosting and also I am too too clumsy. Anyway I am happy with the outcome, at least the cake looks quite like Mickey Mouse, and most importantly, dear son loves it to bit :D. 

Dear son likes chocolate cake and I know most kids will appreciate chocolate cake than other flavour. I searched for easy chocolate sponge cake as I need to prepare 3 birthday cakes for dear son. One for school, one for my mum's place and one for home. I remember Karen posted the whole eggs method and has praised about it too. Quickly went through my folders and found it :D.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Recipe adapted from Karen's kitchen

Ingredients :

(A)

4 large eggs at room temperature

120g castor sugar

(B)

90g cake flour, sifted

1/4 tsp baking soda, sifted

(C)

50g corn oil

17g cocoa powder

(D)
40g chocolate milk
Method :

1）Heat up (C), slightly warm, add in cocoa powder and mix well, set aside to cool.

2) Beat (A) in high speed till ribbon stage, batter become thick and able to write word on the batter, turn to low speed to whisk for another 1-2 mins.

3)Add in (B) and fold till mix well.

4. Add a small portion of flour mixture to the warm cocoa mixture and mix well. 

5. Pour the cocoa batter into the egg batter and fold to mix well, pls fold gently not to burst the bubbles.

6. Add in (D) and mix well, pour the batter into the cake pan.

7. Slightly bang the cake pan to release bubbles and bake at pre-heated oven at 170C for 30 mins or until skewer comes out clean.

 
* can mix milk and oil to heat up then add in cocoa powder to mix well.

* I doubled up the recipe to bake for one 10" and two 5" round cake pan. 10" for mickey mouse's face and 2 5" for mickey mouse's ears.

Chocolate Butter Cream 

Recipe adapted from my Lightning McQueen Car cake

Ingredients :

500g butter (soften)
60g sugar
300g melted chocolate
10 oreo cookies - crushed
Beat butter and icing sugar till light. Then pour in melted chocolate and mix till evenly mixed and pour in crushed oreo cookies.

Whipped Cream 

400g non dairy whipping cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

Whip the colored whipping cream until stiff and use immediately.

Notes : 

* I used non dairy whipping cream cos is much more stable and soften much slower than dairy whipping cream. You will need a lot of times when frosting the cake, the cake and whipped cream need to be in and out fridge very frequently until you completed frosting the whole cake.

* for the Mickey Mouse's chin, I used the left over cakes from trimming to form it.

* for black color, I used Wilton black icing color + charcoal powder, prepare to use a lot a lot until you scare off lol

* for the face color, I used a bit of Wilton brown icing color, mix in the color bit by bit till your desire shade (I used tooth pick to dip the color).

* I asked the teacher to scrape away the whipped cream before serve the cake to the kids, too much coloring that I do not want the kids to consume it.

* I used 16" cake board and 16" cake box, that is the biggest size I can find in phoon huat. This size is just nice for my Mickey Mouse cake, lucky man....