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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Cherry Clafoutis

Ever since I have my first taste of Cherry Clafoutis last year, I have been waiting impatiently for the next cherry season to come. Although I enjoy eating them out of hand, the pleasure of biting into one in the form of clafoutis is incomparable.

As soon as I grabbed a bag of the early season cherries, I saved most of them for clafoutis. Insteads of using my "regular recipe", I adapted one from the dessert queen- Ms Tartelette. I replaced the fruits in her recipe with cherries, and added vanilla beans in the batter. The clafoutis is delicious! I love her version so much that I make the clafoutis twice. The first batch, in individual ramekins, with a touch of Chambord; was brought to a gathering at my friend Grace's place. And the second batch, with the addition of rhubarb, was baked on a whim while I was home alone.

The pictures here are from the second batch. Made with cherries and rhubarb in an attempt to clear my fridge before an upcoming trip to Boulder. Sprinkled with chopped pistachios because I like the color and bite.

Since OCT is away attending conference, I decide to take a break from cooking. This cherry and rhubarb clafoutis has become my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometime when I am alone, I can eat the same thing for the whole day. Or if I am feeling up to it, I'll try food with weird combinations, such as fried egg on strawberries and mangoes, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Please tell me that this is perfectly normal! :)

As much as I love the addition of rhubarb in the second batch, it turned out to be too wet.I should have macerated the rhubarb longer (maybe an hour?)to make sure that some of the juice get released.

Cherry Clafoutis/ Cherry Rhubarb Clafoutis
adapted from here

14 oz of cherries (or 2 handfuls or more to your liking)
3 ounces flour
1 ounce cornstarch
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 ounce butter,(2 tablespoons) melted
4 ounces sugar
Pulps from half a vanilla bean, (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2 teaspoons Chanbord (optional)
chopped pistachio (optional)
*substitute 7 oz of rhubarb with cherries if using, macerate the rhubarb with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and left at room temperature for 1 hour, to release some of the juice*

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Arrange the cherries (and rhubarb) on a buttered glass or earthenware baking dish, cake pan (9 or 10 inches in diameter) or skillet.

Mix the all purpose flour, corstarch, sugar and vanilla beans together in a large bowl.

In another mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, melted butter and Chambord, if using.

Slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking well to make sure there is as little lumps as possible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the clafoutis turns golden brown and set. Let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with chopped pistachio or confectioners' sugar.

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Cooling down with a bowl of Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

There isn't much to tell friends when they enquire about my new life in Atlanta. Except that it's hot hot hot here! My brain is sizzling and whatever I make in the kitchen turns out disastrous. Like the rhubarb crumb cake on epicurious.com that many raved about and the traditional madeleines which I made several times with great results before. They all turned out wrong. And yes, I blame it on the weather.:p

Maybe all I need to do in summer months is to churn out batch after batch of sorbets and ice creams. And minimise the contact with oven (and stove). Perhaps, for summer months, my blog should be called "Fresh from the Ice Cream Maker" or something more witty.

Remember I told you about the strawberries and rhubarbs I bought from the farmer markets weeks ago? I used some of them to make this refreshing strawberry rhubarb sorbet. Unfortunately, I do not have the precise recipe for you. All I can recall, is I use 2 cups of hulled, sliced strawberries, 2 cups of cooked rhubarb, some simple syrup (50% water: 50% sugar) and a splash of Grand Marnier. Blitz everything in the blender, taste, add more syrup till it tastes slightly sweeter than how I like it; then pour the bright pink mixture into the ice cream maker for it to do its job. Easy Peasy.

Such is the beauty of homemade sorbet. You don't really need a recipe. You can personalised it with a splash of liquer and add enough sweetness to your taste. No chemicals or preservatives that even a chemist doesn't know what it is.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Tart - One of the Reason that makes Summer bearable

Please tell me that I am not the only one who loathe summer. Tell me that you dislike the sultry heat and 100% humidity as much as coming home ravenous to an empty fridge.(or whatever you really dread). If I could, I'd hide inside an air-conditioned room and eat ice cream for the whole summer. Reading books and food blogs pretending that it is any season but summer.

But if I really do that, I'd miss these juicy strawberries and mound of rhubarb stalks piling gloriously high in the farmers' market. The sweetest, ripest strawberries have finally arrived in my neck of the wood, taking over the spotlight from their mediocre predecessors.

I reached for one punnet, then another, and another, and finally decided that I might as well take half a dozen of them. Afterall, it was more "cost effective" that way. As I sauntered towards the vegetables section, a worker was opening a box of rhubarbs and piling them up under the sign that reads " California Rhubarb $1.99/pound".

The next five minutes, I was trying to grab as many stalks as my bag allowed. Which came up to be slightly less than 4 pounds. I was already thinking of incorporating some in my May Daring Bakers Challenge, and some in the form of tart, cake and sorbet.

Suddenly, summer seems bearable. The heat and humidity is justifiable for the sweetest berries it promises. I need to write down a list of "10 reasons why I love Summer" and stick it on my laptop. The first reason would be this strawberry rhubarb tart.

Made with my favorite buttery sweet tart dough, and a topping of macerated strawberry and rhubarb that baked to a jam consistency. The peak of season fruits really doesn't need much adornment. Even OCT who isn't a strawberry fan polishes one up when I insist that he tries a bite.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

This recipe is inspired by Anita's strawberry rhubarb tart, which she made for her birthday. I added vanilla sugar to macerate the fruits, and cornstarch to thicken up the juice. Sprinkle with chopped pistachio adds color and crunch to the tart.

1/3 batch Sweet tart dough (make a full batch and save the rest in freezer for other use)
2 cups of sliced strawberries
2 cups of sliced rhubarbs
3/4 cup of vanilla sugar/ granulated sugar(more or less, to taste)
1.5 tbsp cornstarch
splash of lemon juice (optional)
chopped pistachio and strawberries when serve (optional)

Follow the instruction on the sweet tart dough recipe to bake the tart shells using your tart rings or tart molds with removable bottom. Remove from oven when the tart shells are dry and lightly colored.

Combine the sliced strawberries, rhubarbs, sugar and cornstarch in a big bowl. Add a splash of lemon juice if you wish. Let rest for 5 minuts. Taste the fruit, add sugar to taste.

Brush the eggwash on the bottom of tart shells. Spoon the macerated fruits into the shells. Becareful not to pack too much filling into each shells. Add spoonful of juice collected at the bottom of bowl into each shells and bake for 35-40 minutes at preheated 350F oven.

The filling will bubbling when it's almost ready. The fruit and juice should looked set when it's ready. The finished tart will have a filling of jam consistency and not runny.

Remove the cooked tarts from oven and let cool. Sprinkle with chopped pistachio and fresh strawberries for color. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or as it is to fully enjoy the flavors of the tart.

Makes 5 3.5-inches individual tarts.

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May Daring Bakers Challenge and My Fallen Opera Cake

I was really excited when the May Daring Bakers Challenge was revealed in the beginning of the month. It is L'Opera, the cake that I have always wanted to tackle, but have constantly putting off because of the many components it requires. Now that our hostesses Ivonne and Lis, together with co-hosts Fran and Shea have chosen it as our May challenge, it gives me the necessary nudge to make it. No excuse to sit on it anymore.

Except, I actually did sit on it until the last minute. Even though I have gone through the possible flavor combinations of the Opera cake for no less than 10 times in my mind, I didn't get to tackle it until 2 days before the posting date. Life is so unpredictable, and May just happens to be a month full of emotional roller coaster rides.

Unlike the classical Opera, in which chocolate and coffee are the dominating flavors; Our hostesses stressed that only light colors are allowed in this challenge. The reason? We want to dedicate our individual Opera Cake to Barbara of Winos and Foodies, the force behind "A Taste of Yellow", a food blog event that unites food bloggers around the globe to rally for LiveStrong Day. "It is Lance Armstrong Foundation's one day initiative to raise awareness and fund for the cancer fight". You can read more about LiveStrong Day here

I settled on a french vanilla buttercream and rhurbarb mascarpone mousse combination for my L' Opera. They tasted exquisite on their own, so I have high hope that the cake would turn out a huge hit. The buttercream was on the runny side when I made it on Monday midnight, but I thought it would firm up once it's chilled. And with that optimistically naive mindset, I charged on and assembled the cake.

As you can see, the buttercream didn't firm up, and I have a fallen Opera cake. Did I tell you that I didn't halve the recipe? The original recipe is good for 20 servings. Arghhhh...I am debating what to do with the rest of the cake. I hate to waste food, so I am risking my reputation (even though I doubt I have any)to shove the cake to OCT new colleagues.

So my first Opera Cake adventure isn't as successful as I have hoped for, but I certainly have fun putting it together. I finally tasted Pierre Herme's French Vanilla Buutercream and the Tartelette inspired rhurbarb mousse. I will certainly try making it again because I love all the components here, or perhaps I will do one with coffee and chocolate, or one with Asian inspired flavors. The flavor combinations are endless if you check out the Opera Cakes our 1000+ Daring Bakers have come up with for this month's challenge. You can check out their fascinating Opera Cakes here

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