Cupcake Chics Red Velvet Cake

I have to thank my sister for this. A couple of years ago, someone opened a bakeshop called Cupcake Chic in KL and she introduced me to the red velvet cake sold by this store.

Since that day, anywhere i go and am offered a desert, I always opt for the red velvet cake, Unfortunately, apart from the red velvet cake at Ben and Jerry's in KLCC and (of course) Cupcake Chic, I have yet to taste one that could even come close to these 2.

Ben's Red Velvet

some just pour on the cheese like theres no tomorrow and some totally miss the point of vinegar in the cake mix.The red velvet needs only a thin layer of cheese cream in between the cake layers and there should a hint of vinegar in the chocolate mix..

I admit I have not tried to bake this myself but i doubt I would be able to create a likeness to cupcake chic's.

Cupcake Chic

I think Ill jus head out and get one now..chio

Butter Cake

They say that all you need is to get the basics right. Then you can make something unique to yourself.

I have to agree with that when it comes to cake baking. The original butter cake was the first cake i baked back when i was a teenager and once i got this recipe right, the other variations became very simple. Coconut cake, rainbow cake, pandan cake, chocolate cake, almond cake..

The trick to getting a soft cake is the batter, It cannot be too thick nor too thin, and it has to be beat at the right the consistency and speed.( Thank god for the mixing machine!) I have tried to bake with only hand mixing, and though i relish the muscle building exercise, it was hard to do it for more than one cake, and proved impossible during a festive celebration.

Ing:

250g butter
220g sugar
250g self raising flour
5 eggs
A can of evaporated milk
a teaspoon of vanilla flavor
a teaspoon of rose flavor
a teaspoon of baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
2. The butter need to be defrosted. So if you have it in the fridge, take it out an hour beforehand and let it soften at room temperature. I have tried baking using butter that was defrosted in the microwave, straight off the fridge, but it made my cake oily
3. Add butter and sugar to the mixing bowl. Beat until butter becomes light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat at low.
5. Sift sugar and baking powder together. Add the flour to the mixing bowl, about the size of a small bowl each time. Alternate this with the evaporated milk. Of course, if you do not have evaporated milk, you can use fresh milk.. The reason if alternated is so that the flour does not get clumpy and we get a smoother mix.
6. Add in the teaspoons of rose and vanilla flavor. At this point, you can use pandan/coconut/cocoa or any other flavoring into the cake instead of rose to get a different flavor
7. Check the batter consistency. It should be a little thicker than the pancake batter, and should easily slide off the spoon.
8. Grease a 9 inch tray. Pour the batter in and bake!

Orange and Almond Cake

I read somewhere that the origin of this cake is Spain. and as a bit of variation, they use sliced almonds and orange syrup on top of the cake instead of a main ingredient.

I did this cake for Diwali, thought i wanted to try something different this year ..and the best "feedback" i got was when this cake was the first to finish.

But if it cant be finished in day, it can also be kept and served over the next 2 or 3 days.The denseness of this cake makes it a good breakfast serve.

I got the below recipe from KitchenSnippets.com and though its good, i would recommend to dry fry the almost first before mixing it into the flour

Ingredients:

226 grm butter
180 grm sugar
180 grm ground almond
150 grm flour
½ tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
Zest and juice of 2 oranges

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degree F. Greased and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together. Mix in the ground almond and set it aside.
2. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at the time and beat well until well combined.
3. Reduce speed to low and add in the dry ingredients in 3 badges alternating with the orange juice and zest. Mix until just incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool.