My first fondant cake for a very special friend

One of the objectives I set for myself during this period of unemployment is to practice my cake decorating skills. For people who know me, they know how much I hate and suck at doing that. All the pipings, sugar flowers making and fondant work is my achilles' heel.I absolutely couldn't sit down to decorate cakes with buttercream and fondant.If given a choice,I would rather make cakes with multiple components anytime.

But cake decorating is such an important part of being a pastry chef, so I am determine to better my skills in this aspect.

So when my friends Cindy and Rika asked if I could make a safari theme baby shower cake for our dear friend Grace, I said yes.

The first thing I did upon accepting the assignment was to look up the safari related pictures on the internet. The cakes that other talented cake decorators made, the shower invitation cards, party decoration materials and everything else. I decided to make something simple since I have zero experience in making a real fondant cake.

Since Grace is going to have a baby boy born in the chinese zodiac year of tiger, I decided to make a tiger gumpaste figurine, among other animals. Then I wanted to cut out some rolled fondant animals to put on the sides of the cake. They were monkeys, giraffes,hippo and elephants. Fairly simple animals to make.

A simple sketch was drawn as a guide.

Although the fondant animals I chosed were just some simple designs, it still took me a whole afternoon to make them. Then I went on to make leaves of different sizes.

I was certain that I would have enough time to put everything together on Saturday night after I made the cake and filling. After applying a thin layer of buttercream coating I let the cake rest in the cooler. An hour later, I rolled out the fondant to cover the cake. I decided to leave the base white, which I regretted later. It looked like an empty canvas! OCT commented that the cake looked like an incomplete piece of work with the white base.

But it's starting to get late and I was having difficulty smoothening the sides of the cake, so changing the base color was not an option. Up till this point, I have only covered fondant over cake dummies in school which were hard, solid and fairly tolerable to vigorous pressing and smoothening.

With a REAL cake with filling and all, I wasn't too sure of the pressure I could apply. And the thought of destroying the cake at the 11th hour was too stressful. So I tried to do my best and made more grass to cover the bottom of the cake.

When OCT saw my gumpaste figurine, he commented that it didn't have the feature of a tiger. So I made another figurine after putting on all the fondant cut outs on the cake. It was already 2am when I got to that. And it took me a good 30 minutes to make the tiger. Since my first gumpaste figurine was not going to be a tiger, I turned it into a baby bear. Can you see the letter B on his chest? B = BABY also B = BOY! I let the second figurine dry overnight before painting  it.

The next day when we got up, OCT who claimed to be a better artist offered to add the details and paint the tiger. Now that we have 2 figurines, I couldn't decide which one to use. Clearly OCT thought his tiger was better, but I thought my baby bear was really cute too. So I put the two of them in a different container to let Grace choose which one she preferred as the topper. :)

In the end, both of them were put on the cake! It's a happy ending. :)

On hindsight, I should have added more details on top of the cake. But I was trying not to be over ambitious with my first attempt.

It was definitely a good learning experience and I am glad that I did it.:)

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In full bloom and a recipe for coffee cake

There's a cherry blossoms tree outside my apartment building that I am obsessed about when April rolls around.

The first time I saw it in full bloom, it took my breath away. I remembered standing under the tree, with camera in hand, snapping the most romantic pink kanzan blossoms I have ever seen for hours. I would go in the morning and then in dusk, trying to capture its beauty under different lights.

It is one of those things that put a smile on my face.

Last year however, I missed it while attending pastry school. So the first thing I did when I came home in April, was to check out my favorite tree. Lucky for me, the tree bloomed a week later than the years before. So for the first week of April, I waited patiently, passing the tree everyday to check on its blooming progress.

Until one day, almost overnight the tree came alive and displayed its full glory in pink blossoms. I stood under the tree and looked up. All I could see was clusters of pink. It's one of nature's most romantic sight.

I made this coffee cake sometime ago when I came back for vacation. But I think it would be perfect for a little picnic under the cherry blossom tree, either with my love or just myself. Thinking of all the possibilities that a new season brings.

It's a simple cake to make, with chocolate streusel made with brown sugar and cocoa powder that melts into a lovely chocolate tunnel in the middle after baking. The original recipe comes from Chef Claudia Fleming which Rose Levy Beranbaum adapted in her latest book- Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I have been baking a lot from this book, with satisfactory outcomes. So be prepared to see more recipes from this book coming soon on my blog!

Chocolate Streusel Coffee Cake
adapted from Rose's Heavenly Cakes

Chocolate streusel filling
3 tbsp/40g light brown sugar
2 tbsp + 1.5 tsp/ 12g sifted unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.

Cake batter
1 3/4 cups / 200g sifted bleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 + 1/8tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp/ 113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup/ 200g granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg white, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup/ 242g sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350F and coat a tube pan with baking spray with flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter on medium high speed for one minute. Slowly add in the sugar. Beat until the mixture looks pale and fluffy, about another 4 minutes.

With the mixer off,pour in the eggs mixture and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure that all the ingredients are well combined. Beat with medium speed until mixture is well blended. Scape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add flour mixture in 3 parts on low speed and alternate with the sour cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition. When adding the last part of the flour mixture, make sure to just mix until well blended, which is at the point when you don't see a trace of flour in the batter. Overmixing will result in a tough and dense cake.

Spoon half of the batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle the chocolate streusel filling evenly in the middle, forming a ring, and avoid the inner and outer edges of the pan. Spoon the remaining cake batter on top, and spread it evenly.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cake just begin to come away from the sides of the pan. you can also test the doneness with a cake tester/skewer. The cake is done when the tester/skewer comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With a small metal spatula, gently loosen the edges of the cake and invert it onto a lightly greased wire rack. Cool completely.

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A new beginning and a recipe for Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Sometime in life, one needs to make difficult decisions. Like leaving the job you love to be with the man you love. And yes, it is very difficult. Especially when you have gotten more comfortable with the daily tasks and started to know your coworkers better. Even more so when the city you love has just begun to show the slightest sign of Spring after the dreadfully long winter.

I packed and said goodbye to Chicago at the end of March.Off we flew back to Atlanta, where new challenges await.


I must say that it is nice to be home. Amidst the unpacking and cleaning, I found time to reacquint with my long neglected Kitchenaid and caught up with the new cookbooks I barely read.

Cooking and baking are going to take up most of my time now until I find a new job. I hate that feeling. Of starting all over again. But such is life.

Here's the first thing I baked upon my return. A batch of moist carrot cupcakes from my new favorite baking book- Rose's Heavenly Cake. I frosted them with a simple cream cheese frosting from Dorie Greenspan's Baking.

I also used some of the batter to make 2 rabbit cakes with the disposable aluminium tins I bought on sale a few years ago. The decoration was horrible, but I am working on it. Now that I have the free time, it will be perfect for piping practices!


Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Rose's Heavenly Cake

The original recipe includes a tablespoon of cocoa powder, which I find intriguing. It is also the reason that interested me to try the recipe. However, while mise-en-placing the ingredients, I forgot about it until the cakes were in the oven!

Carrot cake
unbleached all purpose flour 300g
baking powder 1.5 teaspoon
baking soda 1 teaspoon
salt 1 teaspoon
cinnamon 2 teaspoon
granulated sugar 300g
light brown sugar 100g
canola oil 269g
4 large eggs,room temperature 200g
vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
coarsely shredded carrots 454g

Preheat the oven to 350F, and coat the pans with PAM baking spray. Alternatively, you can butter the pan and dusted it with flour.

Sift the unbleached all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl.

In a mixer bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, vanilla extract and oil until well blended, about 1 minute. Add in the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated. Finally add in the shredded carrots. Beat for another 10 seconds.

Because the cake rises quite a bit. Fill the cake pans/cupcake liners to 1/2 full.

Depending on the pan sizes, time to doneness may varies. It takes about 20-25 mins for the cupcakes, and 45-55 minutes for 9 inch pans. Always remember to check for doneness by inserting cake tester/skewer into the cake, instead of following the suggested time. Cake is ready when the cake tester comes out clean and cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.

Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking

cream cheese, at room temperature 8 oz ( 1 block)
butter 4 oz (1 stick)
lemon juice 2 tablespoons
confectioner's sugar,sifted 1 pound (3 3/4cups)
shredded coconut for decoration

Cream butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add in the lemon juice and confectioner's sugar. beat until everything is well incorporated. Use it to frost the carrot cake.

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Peach Tatin Cake

I get asked a lot about how I like the winter/cold weather in Chicago by my Chicagoan colleagues. It also happened to be one of the questions in my three rounds of interview. And guess what I told them?

"I love it! It is perfect for baking!" And I am not lying. I love fall and even winter. I love the cooler temperature that nudge me to turn on the oven for warmth and the Christmas decorations that stores couldn't wait to put up right after Halloween. Everything just put me in a festive baking mood. Which I am surely not the only one who feels this way.

Over at work, we have been using lots of apples, pears and pumpkins for the seasonal desserts. The apple tarte tatin in particular,has been a popular one when it was on the menu. I often find myself scrambling to make more in the middle of the busy service nights. No matter how many I have made before the beginning of service. People just can't have enough of them. But how could I blame them? The combination of puff pastry, warm baked caramel apple and rum & raisin ice cream is downright comforting and delicious.

I wish I could share the recipe with you, but I couldn't. Instead, here's a delicious cake, almost the same idea as the apple tarte tatin. Except that it's in the form of cake and meant to be shared with company. I made this with OCT sometime ago to use up the peaches we had. While peaches season has long gone, I am thinking that you could use sauteed apples or poached/canned pear in place of the peaches.

We paired the warm cake with cocoa nib ice cream, but vanilla ice cream will be a great option too.

Peach Tatin Cake
adapted from Tish Boyle's "The Cake Book"

caramel peach topping
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons butter,cut into tablespoons
4 large ripe peaches (18.3oz /520g),cut into wedges

cake base
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup natural yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
9 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10x3-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.

to make the caramel:
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan, heat over medium heat. Stir with a heat resistant spatula until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring and increase the heat to high. Cook until the mixture turn a golden caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Be careful when you do that- the mixture will bubble up furiously. Very carefully pour the hot caramel into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Arrange the peaches around the edges of pan, overlapping them slightly;Arrange another circle of peaches in the center, facing the opposite direction, covering the caramel completely. If you have extra peaches, dice and save them to mix into cake batter.

To make the cake
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and vanilla extract; set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next, add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

At low speed, add in flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the yogurt mixture in two additions and mixing just until blended. (Mix in the diced peaches, if you have leftover)

Pour the batter over peaches, then smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and spring back when lightly touched. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.

Run a thin bladed knife around the edges of the pan. Using pot holders, very carefully invert the cake onto a cake plate or platter. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

The cake can be kept in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Light at the end of the tunnel and a simple cake

As my friend J aptly pointed out, this has been the longest break ever on my blog. I didn't realize that some of you still take a peep into this space from time to time to check on me! Truth is, the past month was nothing short of a roller coaster ride. From the despair of inevitable unemployment to the various empty promises, I was all ready to pack my stuffs and head back to Atlanta.

Who would have thought that the last interview I had in less than a week before my scheduled departure would land me a job on the very same day? It feels so surreal and call me superstitious, I try to keep it really quiet before I sign the contract. No job status updates on Facebook, because that has been "established" to jinx whatever good things coming my way.

The first thing I did after signing the contract, was to buy a plane ticket to Atlanta. A much needed break before the commencement of a new career; some quality time with OCT and baking in my long neglected kitchen are in order.

No fancy, multi steps recipes that take days to complete. I have set out to use the seasonal fruits to bake something for my friends and loved ones. This easy fig and blackberry coffee cake simply fit the bill!

I have combined some sierra figs that a friend passed us, together with some blackberries and peach in the batter. The inspiration comes from Zoe's cake, which is an adaption from Dorie Greenspan's blueberry crumb cake.

It's a lovely cake to be eaten with a scoop of ice cream or a cup of tea in the afternoon. I bake the cake as a gift for OCT's colleague and a smaller one to nibble in the afternoon.

Note that the cake rises significantly, so you don't want to fill the cake pan too full. If using a smaller pan or a taller pan, you can add some thinly sliced fruits in between the batter for extra moisture. Although it's not absolutely necessary, I find that resting the cake overnight allow the flavor and moisture to redistribute itself. The cake tastes much better the next day.

Ah, the joy of home baking and taking photos under natural light! Stay tuned for more recipes to come. :)

Fig, Blackberry and Peach Coffee Cake
adapted from here

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
zest from half a lemon
3/4 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup plain yogurt
a couple of figs halved/quartered
a pint of blackberries
half a peach, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly oil an 8-inch square pan.

Combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and nutmeg, sift into a big bowl or onto a piece of parchment paper.

Beat the room temperature butter with sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time; make sure that the first one is well incorporated before adding the second. Scrape the bowl to make sure all ingredients are well mixed.

Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the milk + yogurt mixture. Alternate the addition of dry and wet ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmix will lead to a tough cake.

Pour the thick batter into prepared pan and arrange fruits in a decorative pattern on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean in the center.

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My first cake in school!

I brought home a cake yesterday! It was the first cake we made in French Pastry School and it was delicious. :) The cake in the picture above however, is the chef's cake. The poor lighting in my dungeon-like studio is impossible for photo taking without artificial light source. :(

Unlike the cakes that I am used to bake at home, the preparation of the various elements in the cake takes days. This nougat mousse cake for instant, took us 3 days. We made the dacquoise on the first day,the apricot gelee and nougat mousse on the second, and final glazing on the third day. I love that we are making all the elements from scratch and seeing the final cake taking shape day by day.

In the cake classes, we arebeing introduced to many professional products like glucose, trimoline, gelatin sheets, cocoa paste etc that are only used in the professional kitchen. It is going to take some time before I can decipher the nuance of using them in my baked goods as opposed to the normal baking ingredients I have at home.

We are lucky to have 2 highly accomplished chefs as our instructors for cake classes. While imparting the techniques and skills in class, they also injected great sense of humour that make learning so much more enjoyable.

More cakes coming up soon!

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Lemon Yogurt Cake

I am greeted by my greasy reflection, while sitting in front of a mirror to type this entry. The loose t-shirt I have on, is glued uncomfortably to my back. In case you are wondering, I am far from the dry and cold winter in the northern hemisphere. And yes, we are back to the hot and humid foodies paradise- Singapore!

In my rush to clear up the fridge content before our 3 weeks vacation, I baked this lemon yogurt cake. Instead of our usual travel companion-banana cake, we have this to snack on board the 20 odd hours flight.

The lemon yogurt cake recipe originated from one of my favorite cookbook author- Ina Garten. Her lemon cake recipe is one of the early recipes I have tried when I first started baking. It is also one of my all time favorites.

Her lemon yogurt cake uses the same technique of brushing lemon syrup onto the hot cake, which assures that the cake stays moist and packed full with lemony flavor. The kind of cake that I would gladly eat anytime of the day. Instead of using whole milk yogurt, I used the greek yogurt samples I got from Stonyfield Farm. I added 2 containers of the 5.3 oz Oiko organic Greek yogurt, which was slightly more than the recipe indicated. Because I remember having lots of syrup leftover when I made the lemon cake last time, I simply used the juice from 2 lemons, in which the zest had been added to the batter earlier on.

For the convenience of packing, I made the cake with my mini loaf pan and did some personalization with each. Frozen blueberries were added to one mini pan, making that a lemon blueberry cake. The next one has poppy seed in it, making it a lemon poppy seed cake. I left one au naturel, and one with lesser poppy seed in case OCT decides he doesn't like poppy seed.

How glad we were having the lemon yogurt cake on board with us! The food that United Airline served in the economy class cabins were horrendous! OCT who is not a picky eater laments that the portion has shrunken too. Naturally, he was hungry before the next meal was served. The yogurt cake saved us from resorting to the airline pretzels. :)

Lemon Yogurt Cake
adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa At Home

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 containers of 5.3oz organic Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons of poppy seed
1/4 cup of frozen blueberries (more if you are making a big loaf cake)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan or the mini loaf pans.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Add in your preferred add on ingredients (poppy seed or blueberries) and bake for about 50 minutes, (if you are using the big loaf pan) about 25-30 minutes (if you are using smaller pans),or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/4 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

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Hazelnut Ring Tea Cake

A few weekends ago, OCT and I played babysitters for his colleague who needed to work in the morning. Thinking of having something sweet for all of us to nibble, after a morning of play, I made a simple tea cake from Roland Mesnier's Basic to Beautiful Cakes . Chef Mesnier who is the former White House Executive pastry chef, has spent 25 years serving desserts to many influential politicians and first family.

I also enjoy reading the little introduction preceded every recipes. For instance, Chef Mesnier wrote that this Hazelnut Tea Cake was referred by President Reagan as "The Crunchy Cake" and had requested it for his birthdays several times. Information like this would be great conversation material on dinner parties, although I secretly suspect our young friend wasn't interested in this snippet of Mr Reagen's birthday cake preference. He was more anxious to get a second slice, with extra crunch on the side.

I adopted the recipe of the cake base, but used the praline buttercream recipe from one of the past Daring Baker's Challenges. Instead of making the nougat suggested by Chef Mesnier, I used Giada De Laurentiis's recipe.

Our little friend enjoyed the cake, especially the crunchy part!So was his play mate. :p

Hazelnut Ring Tea Cake
adapted from Roland Mesnier's "Basic To Beautiful Cakes"

For the Cake:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream, at room temperature. I use sour cream.

For the crunch:
1 cup (about 4 1/2-ounces) hazelnuts/almonds, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

1 recipe of Praline Buttercream. See here for the recipe.

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heavily grease and flour an 8-inch tube pan. I use a 10 cup bundt pan. The cake is not as high as the original recipe, but taste all the same.

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir until well combined, but do not overmix. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Then stir in the butter and sour cream/creme fraiche.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake intil the cake begins to form a crust, about 15 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn the heat down to 350F and continue baking until a toothpick insered into the center comes out clean, 20-30 minutes longer.Let the cake rest in the pan on a wire rack and unmold it. Re-invert it onto another wire rack so it is right side up, and allow it to cool completely.

To make the crunch,
Place the toasted nuts close together in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the sugar mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil and let cook until the sugar is light brown, about 8 minutes. Let the bubbles subside then pour the caramelized sugar over the nuts. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the sugar nut mixture cool until hard, about 30 minutes. When the sugar nut mixture is hard and cool, top with another piece of parchment paper and pound into small pieces, or place the sugar nut mixture on a cutting board and cut into small pieces. Set aside.

To assemble:
Liberally cover the prepared praline buttercream on the cake. Smooth all sides, and arrange the crunch in an appleasing manner.

Serves 12.

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Chocolate Mousse Cake for a special man

OCT's birthday falls on October. Every year, as his special day approaches, I'd pile a few cookbooks on his lap and ask him to pick one as his birthday cake. Ever since I started baking, his request has always been mango cake. Yes, we both love mango, a lot. So I granted his wishes the past two years. We love mango so much that I even make a mango cheesecake for my birthday last year too.

This year however, I think it's time for a change.
"How about having something different for your birthday this year?"
"hmm...but I like mango cake."
"you know, mangoes are not in season now...I will need to use the frozen stuff and you know they are not as flavorful as the fresh ones."
"really? *sigh*....then I will have a chocolate cake"
"great choice, my Lord !"

Then it was up to me on which chocolate cake to make. In the end, I chose a chocolate mousse cake. The cake base was a coffee genoise I adapted from Roland Mesnier's book, and the chocolate mousse was the same one I used for my birthday cake. While the cake turned out disappointedly dry and flavorless, the low fat chocolate mousse was as delightful as I remembered.

I love how the low fat chocolate mousse tastes deceptively rich and sinful. Instead of using heavy whipping cream, eggwhites was used to make the safe meringue. It was then folded into the chocolate mixture to provide the cloud-like texture to the mousse.

I am not inclined to share the genoise recipe, based on the result I got. Instead, I would recommend anyone interested in making this cake to use this recipe. Of course making the lady fingers from this recipe would make the delicious chocolate mousse cake extra special too.

Not wanting to add unnecessary calories with buttercream decoration, I simply adore the cake with hazelnut brittle I have left from another cake.

Before OCT reached home from work, I took out some of his favorite toys to take a picture with the birthday cake. After that,I prepared a seafood noodle, along with 2 eggs for his dinner. The dinner he has requested, along with the chocolate cake. Noodle signifies longevity in Chinese. My mother in law used to cook noodle on OCT birthday every year before he came to the States, and that responsibility has passed down to me now. :)

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Plum and Fig Kuchen

A punnet of figs proves to be plentiful if one doesn't eat them out of hand. After using some in the fig financiers, I am still left with half a punnet of figs! While I rummage the fridge for dinner ingredients that night, I am surprised to see a few plums hidden underneath the shanghai bokchoy! Perfect, now I can bake something with plums and figs. A google search returns with a recipe of plum and Fig Kuchen on Mary's blog- Alpineberry, which is a recipe from Flo Braker on SF Gate Food Section.

Wanted to save some bucks on electric bill, I bake this together with the fig financiers. The batter is made while the financier batter is resting. In my attempt to multi-task, I totally forget about the walnut, which is part of the kuchen ingredients. I don't realize it until I have arranged the plums and figs on top of the batter. Too late to add the 2/3 cup of chopped walnut, so I simply sprinkle some on the batter.

And then, in my hurry to usher everything into the oven, I skip the cinnamon and ground cloves topping in the original recipe. I wonder what all these mishaps will do to my final cake.

The answer, which is revealed 4 hours later, is the cake will still be delicious. But it will definitely benefit from the crunch of the walnut, and make it tastier; have I not forgotten to layer the chopped walnut between the batter and the fruit topping. A step that I should caution you not to forget/miss!

Insteads of using Italian prune plums as the original recipe suggested, I use the red plums I have on hand. Given the forgiving nature of the recipe, (after all the mistakes I have commited) I think one can easily substitute other kinds of nuts and fruit toppings to make the recipe your own!

Plum and Fig Kuchen
adapted from Flo Braker on SF Gate Food Section

Make the cake a few hours ahead or the night before so that the juice from the fruit have enough time to redistribute in the cake.

2 red plums, pitted and sliced
5 small Black Mission figs (about 5 ounces), stems snipped, and quartered
1 cup unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, about 3 ounces (which I forget to use)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, reserved to sprinkle on the fruits topping


Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 2-inch round baking pan and insert a round of parchment paper in the bottom; set aside.

For the cake: Sift flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside. In the bowl of a heavy duty (or use a hand-held) mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium-low speed until creamy smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Scrape butter down the sides into center of bowl. While beating on medium-low speed, pour in granulated sugar in a steady stream followed by brown sugar. Continue beating until well-incorporated and slightly fluffy. Beat in egg, then egg yolks and vanilla. On lowest speed, add flour mixture just until combined. Spread batter evenly in pan, and sprinkle walnuts evenly over batter. (note to self: remember this next time!)

Starting at the perimeter of the pan, arrange the plum wedges, flesh side up, one next to the other in circles around the tart. After using all the wedges of plums, continue the circular pattern where you left off with the fig wedges, repeat placing them flesh side up and fitting them close together. After completing the circles, if any wedges remain, if possible, snugly fit them in where you can.

Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar over the fruit.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until the portion of cake nearest the sides of the pan is puffy and golden brown and the center is set. A good test to see if it needs to bake longer is to tap or move the pan gently. If the center appears liquid and soft, bake another 5 to 7 minutes. If it is firm and set, then remove it from the oven to a wire rack and set it aside to cool for about 1 hour.

To remove the cake from the pan, run a small flexible spatula slowly around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Cover the cake with a wire rack, invert the cake, lift the pan, then gently peel off and discard the paper liner. Place a serving plate on top of the cake and turn it right side up. Serve warm or at room temperature. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of any leftover portion of the cake and store at room temperature.

Serves 12

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More birthday cakes

Remember I briefly mentioned about my first birthday cake order? I promised you an update but I forgot. So here it is. I made a strawberry rhubarb mousse cake for Margaret, whom her husband wanted to throw her a surprise birthday party.

I was in my rhubarb obsessed phase few months ago, so the choice of flavor was obvious. I used the Fool Proof Sponge Cake as cake base, and arranged the ripe strawberries around the base layer before pouring the rhubarb mascarpone mousse to cover it. Insteads of using buttercream, I decided to simply use the remaining mousse to cover the whole cake. Strands of rhubarbs are visible on the top and side of the cake.

As I was assembling the cake, I couldn't help scrapping and savoring the leftover mousse with the cake that I levelled off. (hey, I had to taste test it before giving it away!) It was a pleasing combination. The sponge cake was airy and moist, while the rhubarb mousse was refreshing. According to the feedbacks, the party enjoyed the cake! Although OCT had collected more comments, it had been awhile, and all I remembered, was they liked it. The birthday girl certainly did! And that's all that matters .

The second cake, was for Margaret's son. Their birthdays were a month apart. I suggested a banana cake with chocolate buttercream, because Homer- the son which OCT befriended to, love chocolate and was reading a book about Dora baking a banana cake at that time. The only request was to make the cake sweeter. I heard he liked strawberries too, so I used some to decorate the cake.

I used the same banana cake recipe here and covered it with Pierre Herme's chocolate buttercream. Because Homer's birthday was almost the same time as some of his visiting cousins, they decided to celebrate it together. This explains the list of names on the cake.

The photos were taken within a short time before they were packed and delivered, which explained the poor quality. I wish I had rememberd to ask for a photo of the cut cake! :(

I am meeting up with my girl friend in NYC in less than 12 hours, so I better go and pack now. Recipes of the cakes will be up when I am back next week!

Have a good week ahead everyone.

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Chocolate Raspberry Charlotte & I am 30!

Every year when our birthdays roll around, OCT and I prefer to stay low key and spend our days quietly in each other's company. Sometime we go out for dinner, sometime when we are too lazy or tired, we stay home and eat in. As much as I love to be around friends and having dinner parties, birthday is the one day which I like to just sit quietly and reflect on the things I have done in the previous year, the books I have read, the milestone I have achieved, the new foods I have discovered, the recipes I have tried, the loved ones I have lost, the places I have travelled, the new friends I have made, and all the blessings and good things that come my way. Most importantly, on my birthday every year, my heart is filled with gratitude for the woman who gave birth to me. This year marks the 30th anniversary of her bravery.

Because being emotional is not something our family is accustomed to, I feel terribly awkward to utter simple words like "I love you mum" & "thank you for giving birth to me all those years ago". Instead, I decided to make a pretty cake to pay tribute to mum.

The Chocolate Raspberry Charlotte from Alice Medrich's " Chocolate & The Art of Low Fat Desserts" sounds like a good idea. I love all the recipes I tried from that book. What is more importantly, as I've always told my tasters, they don't taste "low fat" at all.So that's the plan. I will make the cake a day before my birthday and post a nice tribute on the actual day to mum.

The cake was made, but my hopeless piping skill left the homemade lady fingers a lot to be desired for. As for the mousse, instead of using the recipe provided, I swapped it with another from the same book which I have tried and liked. Big mistake! Although the flavors were compatible, the recipe I used yield less mousse, and left the charlotte looking awful. I had to trim the lady fingers which explains the jagged/rustic look of the lady fingers wall. Despite of all the mishap, the lady fingers tasted 100 times better than the store bought ones. I think I will make them again and fill the charlotte with lemon mousse and berries next time for a summery dessert.

I called home on my birthday, too embarassed to mention about the unfortunate cake, and too shy to say "thank you mum for giving me life".Instead, I found myself sobbing, and stammering. And I confess to my parents about my fear of being 30 and that my friends teased me about still liking Mickey Mouse at 30 years old....

As for the cake, if you can look past its wretched shell, it tastes really great! I am sure the Varlhona cocoa powder and chocolate bar used certainly made a difference. You may not be able to see in the picture, but there were lots of raspberries buried in the rich chocolate mousse. The next time I make this, I will try the original mocha mousse recipe from the book. But this chocolate mousse recipe will certainly make appearance in my future cakes. I still can't believe it's a low fat recipe!

Chocolate Raspberry Charlotte
adapted from "Chocolate and The Art of Low Fat Desserts"

ladyfinger charlotte liner (see recipe below), baked and cooled
chocolate truffle mousse (see recipe below)
2.5 to 3 cups raspberries, rinsed and well dried

Line the 8 inch springform pan with a disk of lady finger circle, cut to fit. Next, line the side if the pan with the liners made earlier. Arrange raspberries on the circle and pour in half of the mousse, or enough to cover the raspberries.

Fit the second lady fingers disk in, and lightly press it against the mousse. Pour the remaining mousse on top to cover, and decorate with the remaining raspberries.

To make the ladyfinger charlotte liner:
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sifted cake flour (3.5 ounces)
2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Position the rack in the lower and upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375F. Trace two 7 inch circle and two 12x3 inch rectangles on parchment paper. Make sure to have at least one inch space between the rectangles. Turn paper inside out to line the baking pans.

In a small or medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar for 2.5 to 3 minutes until very thick and pale.Scrape into a large bowl and set aside.

In a clean dry mixing bowl, beat the eggwhites with the cream of tartar at high speed until soft peak form. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup of granulated sugar until mixture is stiff but not dry.

Using a rubber spatula, fold a third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Scrape half of the remaining whites on top and sift half of the flour over them. To fold effectively without deflatting the batter, cut down through the center of the mixture to the bottom of the bowl with the spatula. Scrape a large scoop of batter up the side of the bowl. Lift it above the rest and let it fall gently back on top. Rotate the bowl and continue to cur, scrape and lift batter without mixing, stirring, or smoothing.Don't worry, the different parts will come together. Fold until barely combined.Scrape the remaining whites on top of the batter and sift the remaining flour over them,. Fold again, as described, until combined.

Scrape the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 9/16-inch plain tip (ateco #7) or closed star tip (ateco #7). Pipe disks by starting in the center of a circle and pipe a spiral of batter to the edge of the circle. Sieve powdered sugar on top.

Using the rectangular guides, pipe a series of straight of S-Shaped ladyfingers 3 inches long and only 1/4 inch apart within the guide. They will puff and attach together as they bake.

Repeat in the second rectangle. Sieve powdered sugar over the batter.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate sheets from back to front and upper to lower racks about halfway through the baking time. Turn the oven temperature to 300F and leave the oven door open for about 1 minutes. Close down and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately lift or slide the parchment papers off the baking sheets and turn them upside down. Peel away the paper from the ladyfingers rectangle. Bend one to fit the inside of the 8-inch springform pan with the flat side facing inside. Repeat with the second rectangle, triming to fit snugly against the first. Set aside to cool completely in pan.

*the ladyfinger liners may be stored, well wrapped at room temperature up to 1 day.

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Mousse

1 3/4 teaspoon gelatin
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup low fat (1%)milk (I used 1 cup soy milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of cold water in a small cup. Let stand without stirring for 5 minutes, or until needed.

Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl near the stove and have ready a small whisk. Combine the cocoa, sugar in a 1.5 quart saucepan and stir in enough milk to form a paste. Stir in the remaining milk and bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, reaching all over the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent scorching. Stir the chocolate mixture continuously once it begins to simmer. Simmer gently, stirring for about 1.5 minutes.

Remove from heat and whish a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Scrape the mixture back into the pot and whish well to combine. It will be hot enough to be safe. It will thicken without further cooking. Stir in soften gelatin, chopped chocolate and vanilla. Let stand a minute or so and whisk again until chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is perfectly smooth.

Set the saucepan over a bowl of ice water to cool and thicken. Stir and scrape the side from time to time. If mixture set before needed, remove from ice bath, whisk and set aside. If the mixture set, place the pan in a bowl of hot water, and stir until resoftened.

To make the safe meringue:
Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a large skillet. Combine cream of tartar and 2 teaspoons of water in a 4-6-cup stainless steel bowl. Whisk in the egg whites and 1/2 cup of sugar. Place the thermometer near stove in a mug of very hot tap water. Set bowl in skillet. Stir mixture briskly and constantly with a rubber spatula, scrapping the sides and bottom often to avoid scrambling the whites. After 1 minute, remove bowl from skillet. Quickly insert thermometer, tilting bowl to cover stem by at least 2 inches. If less than 160F, rinse thermometer in skillet water and return it to the mug. Replace bowl in skillet. Stir as before until temperature reaches 160F when bowl is removed. Beat on high speed until cool and stiff.

Fold about a quarter of the cooled chocolate mixture into the beaten egg whites. Scrape egg white mixture back into the remaining chocolate mixture. Use immediately in the mousse cake. Or scape mixture into dessert glasses or a serving bowl, cover and refrigerated for at least 4 hours, or until set.

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Mini Cherry & Almond Tea Cakes

As much as I enjoy eating cherries out of hand, I have to confess that I usually reserve them for baking. I find there's something mystically alluring about baked cherries. It would have been a challenge if the cherries were sweet and juicy. But the 2 lb that I bought last week didn't leave me with such dilemma. They were as bland as water.

I thought they were destined to be baked and transformed.

I went on auto pilot mode and whipped up a batch of cherry clafoutis for breakfast and used the next 30 bland cherries in the mini cherry & almond tea cakes recipe. When I first saw the picture of the tea cakes here, I know this would be the best use for those cherries. Not to mention, I could finally use the mini muffin pan that I have bought but long forgotten.

Although the author named the recipe tea cakes, the list of ingredients and method of preparation reveal a close resemblance to financiers, which I love. I decreased the amount of brown butter from 10 tablespoons to 8 tablespoons and replaced Chambord for Kirsh which the original recipe suggested.

I like the simplicity of the recipe. Other than browning butter, all one needs is a whisk and a bowl to combine the ingredients. I served them on a tray before a dinner party, and one of my friend's husband loved it so much that I let him took the rest home. Even OCT who usually complains about the hassle of removing pits in cherries like the mini cherry tea cakes.

I am already thinking of making another batch for our next picnic.

Mini Cherry & Almond Tea Cakes
adapted from Martha Stewart Living

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for muffin tin
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for tin
1 1/4 cups finely ground unblanched almonds
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg whites
4 teaspoons Chambord / kirsch (cherry brandy)
30 sweet (Bing) cherries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 30 cups of 2 mini-muffin tins with butter, and dust lightly with flour.
*Note: I used a 24 cups mini muffins pan, and filled the rest of the batter in 3 disposable aluminium muffin cups.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to sputter, reduce heat to medium. Cook, swirling skillet occasionally, until butter has lightly browned. Skim foam from top, and remove skillet from heat.

Whisk together flour, ground almonds, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add egg whites, and whisk until smooth. Stir in chambord/kirsch. Pour in butter, leaving any dark-brown sediment in skillet, and whisk to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Ladle 1 tablespoon batter into each buttered muffin cup, filling about halfway. Push a cherry into each, keeping stem end up. With a small spoon, smooth batter over cherries to cover. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and cakes are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen, and unmold. Cakes can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature overnight.

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Daring Bakers Challenge:Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

In my usual procastinator fashion, I approached this month challenge almost on the last minute. The last weekend before the posting date to be exact. I envisioned the cake to be the perfect dessert to serve in the intimate dinner party we hosted, with lots of oohs and ahhs, sighs of admiration from our guests. Except I underestimated the amount of time required for the cake and the dinner itself.

In my limited time, I managed to cover the cake in ganache, but unfortunately not enough time to do any buttercream decoration. The gateau did leave our guests speechless, probably because they didn't know what to say about the half-naked cake. However, after sampling the cake, they heartily offered their compliments. I know they didn't say this out of politeness, because the two couples volunteered to bring back the remaining cake!

My verdict:
The gateau with its multiple components tasted nice. I followed the recipe and didn't alter anything because I liked to see how the original recipe tasted.The only glitch was the genoise, which I found to be slightly dry. I should have used more sugar syrup. The praline buttercream that was made from scratch, was time consuming and a pain to make, because I had to grind the praline paste multiple times in my small coffee grinder. I must not forget to mention the amount of bowls and plates that awaited cleaning after making each component.

But all the work was worth the effort. My dinner guests loved the gateau, which was all that mattered. After making them eat the burnt lemongrass chicken dish, I was glad that the dinner ended on a high note.

Thank you Chris, our July Daring Baker host for choosing this recipe. I am glad that I get the opportunity to make praline paste finally. There's still some leftover and I look forward to playing with it in another recipe, along with the few egg yolks leftover.

Apology for the poor quality photos! It was really stressful to take photos under 5 pairs of eager eyes, all waiting for the dessert to be served. Check out my fellow Daring Bakers' takes on this month challenge here

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
From Great Cakes by Carol Walter

1 Filbert Genoise
1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum
1 recipe Praline Buttercream
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 recipe Apricot Glaze
1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using
3 tablespoons filberts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Filbert Genoise

Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.

1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted/skinned
2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
7 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar, divided ¼ & ¾ cups
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. grated lemon rind
5 lg. egg whites
¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan.

Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another ½ minute.
Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.

With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon. **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking.

Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cool the cake completely.

*If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup
Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers

1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. *Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream
1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
1/3 cup praline paste
1 ½ - 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)

Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.

Swiss Buttercream
4 lg. egg whites
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice
1 tsp. vanilla

Place the egg whites in a lg/ bowl of a elevtric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.
Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.

Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.*

On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.

Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.

Wait! My buttercream won’t come together! Reheat the buttercream briefly over simmering water for about 5 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful and do not overbeat. The mixture will look broken with some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium speed just until the cream comes back together.

Wait! My buttercream is too soft! Chill the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and rewhip. If that doesn’t work, cream an additional 2-4 Tbsp. of butter in a small bowl– making sure the butter is not as soft as the original amount, so make sure is cool and smooth. On low speed, quickly add the creamed butter to the buttercream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 16-oz. plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Praline Paste
1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless
2/3 cup Sugar
Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.

Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. **Remember – extremely hot mixture.** Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Apricot Glaze
Good for one 10-inch cake

2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. water

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.

Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze
Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake

**Ganache can take on many forms. While warm – great fudge sauce. While cool or lukewarm – semisweet glaze. Slightly chilled – can be whipped into a filling/frosting. Cold & solid – the base of candied chocolate truffles.

6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt
6 oz. (¾ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreay, or dark Jamaican rum (optional)
¾ tsp. vanilla
½ - 1 tsp. hot water, if needed

Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside.

Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Assembling Cake

Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.

Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.

Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-ich blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.

To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting. Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake.

Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.

Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

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