Iron Cupcake London June Challenge - Celebration

It’s the 1 year anniversary of Iron Cupcake London (ICL) so the theme was ‘celebration’.  Happy Birthday ICL! I was surprised that it was probably the quietest event I’ve attended so far especially since it’s a celebration for ICL.

There were definitely more eaters than bakers this time which didn’t help when it was time for the mad scrimmage for cakes. Unfortunately there was a problem with the flooring this time (it was raised) which meant a row of chairs placed to prevent people tripping over them thus creating an obstacle course of sorts. It was near enough impossible to get to the cakes as only a few people could actually fit by the bar where the cakes are. I didn't even get anywhere near the bar when I went to refill the tray as people just grabbed the cakes off my tray en route.

Luckily I had lots of friends with me this time and we managed to get a good selection of cakes. I got there really early as I needed to finish decorating my cakes (with flake bars and cherries) I therefore managed to take photos of just about every entry which is probably a first for me. So be prepared to be dazzled with lots and lots of photos of cake here. I’d suggest making a cup of tea :)  

Special mention to my fellow baker friend, Karen who made an amazing ‘choc velvet’ cupcake. This is her secret recipe chocolate cake (I’ve already asked for the recipe but it’s a secret) topped with a wonderful cream cheese frosting. Love her icing technique.

You can read the label quite clearly for most of the cakes so I won't repeat myself. Will make a few notes here and there. Enjoy :)

Do check out the caked crusader website in a few days time for a full write up and more pictures.

L to R :Best decorated cupcake, Winner of amateur category, runner up of amateur category.

My ice-cream cupcakes.

These were delicious. I love the little umbrellas. They were made by Anne of I heart cupcakes

Only managed to taste a crumb of this but it was good. These were made by Andrea of Made With Pink

Definitely got my vote for best decorated cupcake. Absolutely stunning! Made by the same baker, Andrea of Made With Pink

One of my favourites (there are many!)

They're so cute!

Love the look of these. Tasted good too. Everyone keeps asking about these. They were made by Kelly of An American Cupcake in London

These were yummy, love the caramel cream cheese frosting. How cute are the champagne candles?

Runner up in the professional category. Another favourite of mine. I have a weakness for peanut butter.

Karen's entry - choc velvet. Definitely a winner in my book.

Praline cupcake, yet another fav

I really liked this as well - it had celebrations chocolate baked in it.

Loved the profiteroles

Didnt get to try this one but looks quite impressive

Winner of professional category. I personally don't like apricots or rice pudding but I really liked this cake. It was really delicious!

Cant remember what berry was in the cake with elderflower but it was yummy

Chocolate orange cake

Still amazed by the decoration

Brownie cupcake with popping candy in the chocolate balloon. I had a taste of the cake which tasted like brownie - yum! Sadly I didnt get to try the chocolate as it was gone by the time I got back to the table :(  These were made by Gem of Cupcake Crazy Gem

Thanks again to everyone who voted for me :)

Ice Cream Cupcakes

Where does the time go? Can’t believe it was time for Iron Cupcake Challenge again. The theme this month was 'Celebration' as ICL celebrates it's 1 year anniversary. I was thinking and debating what to make for a while. Unfortunately I was too busy to try out different recipes but I bounced a few ideas off friends. Chocolate immediately came to mind, specifically celebrations chocolate. I thought about popping candy but wasn’t sure how to make it work and as I didn't have time to experiment, I quickly binned the idea. I also thought about cocktail cupcakes but I'm not much of a drinker so left this to one side. Clearly other bakers had the same ideas as we had a good selection of these on the night (more on that later)

I then got inspiration from Fiona Cairns book Bake & Decorate (my new fav book) to make ice cream cupcakes. I love ice cream and it definitely says celebration to me :) I also thought it would be really fun and cute. I followed her recipe by making an orange drizzle cake (rather than a plain vanilla sponge) and made different coloured vanilla buttercream frosting. The result was simple yet effective. I made a quick test batch and brought it to work and it was definitely a winner! The cake was moist and citrusy and the cone added a little extra crunch. The frosting was a little sweet but I needed it to be thick so I could pipe it on the cakes.

On the Sunday night when I was baking for the actual challenge, I had quite a few mishaps along the way but fortunately it all worked out in the end. I baked the cakes in the cones and some of them overflowed but it was salvageable. The cake to frosting ratio is good as there's cake all the way to the bottom of the cone. The cone didn’t burn or become too soggy which was also good. However, I created a right mess in the kitchen whilst frosting and decorating. It took ages to pipe the frosting as I only have 1 piping bag so had to wash and dry between colours. By the time I got all the cakes frosted, the icing had dried which made it difficult for the sprinkles to stick. Fortunately I managed to get some on most of the cakes (with a lot of wastage) and I topped with flake bars and cherries just before plating. Next time, I'll decorate as I frost the cakes. (I'm still cleaning the kitchen!)

Next challenge was how to transport the cakes. They were too tall for my cupcake carrier so I tried putting them in cake tins but a few fell over. I ended up using a cake carrier box I have and piped icing on the bottom of each cone to act as a 'glue' I also had to pack one of the boxes with lots of tissue and bubble wrap so the cones wouln't fall on top of one another. It was definitely a challenge and a half travelling through London in rush hour with these cakes. So pleased that most of them made it there in 1 piece.

I was really pleased to win runner up prize in the amateur category :) Quite unexpected! Thank you to everyone who voted and especially to my friends who came to support me. More on the challenge itself in the next post so do check back later.

Back to the cakes....

Cream butter, sugar and zest until pale and fluffy

yummy cake batter

cones waiting to be filled

This was the fun albeit messy part :)

testing out the cherry

This was a result of me being too lazy to wash the piping bag when changing from white to pink frosting. It made a 'raspberry ripple' effect which i really like. Should have done a few more of these! I'll know for next time :)

They look much better with flake and cherries on top :)

Orange Drizzle Cake

250g unsalted butter, softened

250g golden caster sugar

grated zest of 2 large oranges

75ml orange juice

4 eggs, lightly beaten

250g self-raising flour, sifted

(I made a double recipe which yielded 35 cones and 3 cupcakes)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (adapted from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery)

110g butter, softened

400g icing sugar

~4 tablespoons milk

Food colouring (optional)

(I made 2.5 recipes which frosted all my cakes plus some extra)

35 flat based ice cream cones

Sprinkles, flake, cherries - anything that takes your fancy :)

To make the cake batter: 

• 
  
  Preheat oven to 170C
• 
  
  Cream the butter, sugar and zest until very pale, light and fluffy (see picture)
• 
  
  Add the eggs gradually, beating between each addition, along with 1 tbsp of the flour to prevent curdling. 
• 
  
  Fold in the remaining flour and lastly, slowly mix in the orange juice.

To make ice-cream cupcakes:

• 
  
  Place ice cream cones on a baking sheet.
• 
  
  Divide the cake batter evenly between them and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until they spring back to the touch.
• 
  
  Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

• 
  
  Make the buttercream frosting by combining all the ingredients together, preferably in a mixer.
• 
  
  If using different colours, divide frosting and colour each portion accordingly.
• 
  
  Pipe buttercream on top of each cake using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
• 
  
  Decorate as desired.

Daring Bakers' May 2010 Challenge - Piece Montée or Croquembouche

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

This month’s challenge recipe is for a Piece Montée, which means literally “mounted piece.” You may know this dessert by another name – Croquembouche (“crunch in the mouth”). It is a kind of decorative confectionary centerpiece in an architectural or sculptural form used for formal banquets traditionally served at parties celebrating weddings and baptisms in France.

I had to sit out the last challenge due to various reasons so I was really excited to get back into the kitchen for this challenge. Unfortunately I didn't have time to do it justice as I've been really busy lately and made this at the last minute. I wanted to make a caramel glaze and try my hand at spun sugar but I'll have to save that for another time. However, I was really pleased with the final result and everyone at work loved it as well.

I've never made choux pastry before and was slightly nervous that it would not turn out but fortunately it did. It was so exciting watching it rise in the oven! Making a croquembouche looked daunting initially but it was actually quite simple and not as time consuming as I thought it would be. I'm so glad I now know how to make this as I can re-create it for future special occasions. I used classic flavours - vanilla and chocolate. It was really fun to make and even more fun to eat :)

pate choux batter

adding eggs - it looks runny but dont worry, just keep adding the eggs and keep stirring.

piped batter

flatten the tops and brush with egg wash

choux pastry

So pleased that it puffed properly

vanilla cream patissiere

pastry filled with cream

For the Vanilla Crème Patissiere (Half Batch)

1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.
Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.
Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.
Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.
Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.


For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):

Bring ¼ cup (about 50 cl.) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces (about 80 g.) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.

For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe)

Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)

¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Preparing batter:
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.
Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.
As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.
It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.


Piping:
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.
Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.
Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).


Baking:
Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.
Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.


Filling:
When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.
Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces/200 g. finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)
Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.

Hard Caramel Glaze:
1 cup (225 g.) sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:

You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.
Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up.
When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate. Have fun and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Orange Chiffon Cake

My second attempt at making chiffon cake which turned out even better than the first :) I made an orange one this time using my mum's recipe and it tasted much nicer than the chocolate one. Everyone loved it. It was really light, moist, spongy and citrusy.

Beautiful egg whites

Cake batter

Look how much it rose in the tin!

Egg white foam
5 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
100g caster sugar

Egg yolk batter
5 egg yolks
252g plain flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
152g caster sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest of 2 oranges

• Make egg white foam by beating egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
• Add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Sieve flour, baking powder and salt twice and set aside.
• Add egg yolks, orange juice and orange zest, oil and water and beat until well mixed.
• Blend into egg white foam gently until everything is incorporated.
• Pour batter in an UNGREASED 22cm tube pan.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 130C for 35 minutes then 160C for a further 25minutes.
• Remove from the oven and invert the cake tin onto a wire rack.
• Allow to cool completely before unmoulding from tin.