Thursday, April 29, 2010

Marble cake

I have been procastinating the baking of marble cake for some time. I studied recipe after recipe for marble cake (MC). It is hard to 'taste' the texture of the cake just by looking at the pictures as all of them look so delicious. The mood to bake has came back again.

MC + Chocolate chips = Yum + sinful = Extra workout to burn the calories

I adapted the recipe from Buttercake Bakery extracted from Los Angeles Times. I tweaked the recipe slightly.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided ( I use 2 cups)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's cocoa powder)
1/4 cup light corn syrup ( I do not have corn syrup, so I use honey)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 2/3 cups flour ( I use plain flour )
2 teaspoons baking powder ( I did not add any)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips ( I use Hersheys' chocolate chips)


Method:
1. In a small saucepan, whisk together one-half cup of the sugar, the cocoa powder and corn syrup with 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) of hot water. Bring just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add a half-teaspoon of vanilla off the heat and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), cream the butter with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then whisk in the remaining vanilla.
3. Whisk about a third of the flour mixture into the batter, then a third of the milk. Continue whisking in the flour mixture and milk, alternately and a little at a time, until everything is added and the batter is light and smooth.
4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, then divide the batter into thirds. Pour a third of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
5. Whisk the chocolate syrup with another third of batter, then pour this into the prepared bundt pan. Pour the remaining third of batter over this, lightly swirl the batters with a wooden skewer or knife to give a "marble" effect and place the pan in the oven.
6. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back lightly when touched, about 1 hour. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. Invert the cooled cake onto a serving platter and dust lightly with powdered sugar.


This marble cake is indeed very moist and delicious. The recipe is definitely a keeper. Enjoy!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Tiramisu

Heys, my apologies for not posting any article on my baking experience for the past two months. I have not given up on my favourite interest: B.A.K.I.N.G. Before I continue to rattle on my baking session, I wanna talk about the amazing gifts I received from my good friend, May.
May knew I enjoy baking, so she bought me some baking items from Japan. I love cookies cutters. The dish cups look pretty too. I can't bear to use them until I perfected my cup cake bakes. I wonders if the apple tea from Japan taste similar to the one in Turkey. She bought a mini windmill house from Amsterdam (cute!) and a chocolate 'lollipop' ( also known as hot chocolate on a stick). See picture below.

 I want to make a dessert that is not so demanding/ time consuming. Tiramisu! Yes, Tiramisu. I haven't decided with whom I am going to share my desserts with. My family is definitely the first to try them, followed by my good friends. I try not to play favouritism in sharing my bakes. =P







Tiramisu 'naked' without the cocoa powder. Gonna chill them overnight before serving them. And of course, not forgetting to sprinkle cocoa powder over them. **Picture to be updated over the next 24 hrs.

Managed to make 2 mini tiramisu with the remaining filling. Too excited about my tiramisu making, so decided to post these 'almost' complete pictures of this dessert first.


The recipe is adapted from Teczcape ( <-- click here for the link ). Enjoy! =)