Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

My laptop is giving me problems again!!! Urgggh! It happened after we got a free subscription for virus and the usual activity of checking mails, editing photos, write a post, etc became snail slow. I really couldn't stand the speed (pun intended) and the frustration that sometimes the laptop get hanged after i open a few application, and even shutting down the laptop is a pain!

The last straw came when chatting for 2 lines in msn with my friend, the laptop decided to stop responding for more than 2 times today. Out goes the virus scan - bye ;-) Hopefully i won't have other problems with the laptop or its speed.

All these technie problem made blogging a nag, which is why my tiramisu charlotte cake took a while to be here. I love how the cake looks in Happy Home Baking, and of course, mine couldn't hold a candle to hers. Although the cake taste good, it was almost 'melting' by the time we eat the cake. Luckily the recipient of my cake is very pleased with it, and thank me profusely. She's none other than my aunt wendy's mil. If i could put up the pictures taken during that day, you could see how happy she was on that day, because it's another of our big family gathering and celebration! The next time i attempt this delicious and pretty cake, i would probably add gelatine.

Oreo lemon non-baked cheesecake (Icebox cheesecake)

Many times i got stuck in what i want to write in my blog, and how to start writing or have an opening statement... just like now.

Perhaps i should just leave it as Wordless Tuesday, or maybe not?

This Oreo Lemon non-baked cheesecake (aka icebox cheesecake) is made especially for my youngest aunt steph, whose birthday falls on this Thursday. We had a little celebration on Sunday and we will be getting a birthday treat from her this Friday. It's celebration-makan-and celebration-makan and more celebration-makan since Dec and it does not seem to end anytime soon ;-) That's how fortunate coming from a very big family like us!

Ingredients/ Method:

(Recipe adapted from Food-4Tots with modifications)

Crust

11 slices of digestive biscuits

55g unsalted butter, melted

1. Crush the biscuits and mix with melted butter and press firmly in 8" round springfoam baking tin.

2. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling

1 tbsp gelatine powder

3 tbsp hot water

250g cream cheese, room temp

40g caster sugar

2 large egg yolks

zest from 1 large lemon

3 tbsp lemon juice (i doubled the amount and it was too sour)

2 tsp cointreau (can omit)

150g diary whipping cream

Oreo topping

6 pieces of oreo biscuits, crushed finely

1. Dilute gelatine powder with hot water in small bowl until dissolve. Set aside.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until soft and creamy.

3. Add in egg yolks, followed by lemon zest. Mix well and set aside.

4. Pour dissolved gelatine powder into cream cheese mixture and mix quickly.

5. Add in lemon juice and cointreau. Mix well and set aside.

6. Whip cream with hand whisk till creamy and soft peak. Do not overbeat the cream.

7. Fold in whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until well combined.

8. Spoon filling onto crust. Smoothen the surface.

9. Spread crushed oreo biscuits onto the cake and press lightly.

10. Cover the baking tin with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours (best overnight) until firm before serving.

Closing 2009, Beginning 2010

As usual, Dec is always a busy month and with holidays, festive season celebrations, there's not much time left for baking and blogging. Hence, this space has been very quiet for more than a month!!

Nevertheless, to close year 2009, these are a few bakes that have not been posted. These are the not-so-satisfactory ones, except the last being a Banana Chocolate Cake which i did for my elder brother's birthday. Fortunately, it was a very well-received cake and it gave my baking-blogging 2009 a sweet closing ;-)

Strawberry Chiffon Sponge Cake

"Sour"-honey popcorns

Portugese egg tarts

Banana chocolate cake

Other than a sweet closing for 2009 in terms of baking, we had a wonderful time spent together as a family with our loved ones; our unplanned & impromptu night began with a simple dinner fare, followed by a ride to mt. faber (which was surprisingly very crowded) and ended up counting down at an almost secluded place - Soprano at Wessex Estate. That made our first second of year 2010 filled with love, joy, fun and warmth!!!

Happy New Year to everyone & thoroughly enjoy yourselves in year Twenty Ten B-)

Update 4 Jan 2010, recipe & video on banana chocolate cake(video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM5vRvcIUvM&feature=related)

Ingredients/ Method:

203g whole eggs (6 nos.)

32g egg yolk (2 nos.)

135g caster sugar

21g glucose

1g salt

32g vegetable oil

21g cocoa powder

106g cake flour

1g baking soda

21g milk

1) Warm vegetable oil and put in cocoa powder until well mixed and dissolved. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, add eggs, sugar, salt and beat on HIGH speed until foamy and double in volume, and sugar dissolve.

3) Add in glucose and beat on MEDIUM speed until ribbon stage.

4) Sift flour and baking soda over beaten egg mixture. Mix flour on LOW speed for 3 seconds just to combine most of the flour. Thereafter, turn to MEDIUM speed for approximately 20 seconds until mostly incorporated. Fold in the remaining traces of flour using rubber spatula.

5) Scoop some egg mixture and add into cocoa powder mixture to lighten the mixture. Thereafter, pour into egg mixture, add in milk and fold till well combined.

6) Pour batter into 8" round cake tin and bake at 170 deg C for 35 mins.

7) Invert the cake tin on cooling rack after removing from oven.

Chocolate Filling

2-3 Delmonte bananas

250g non-diary whipping cream

35g cocoa powder

35g hot water

2tsp instant coffee powder

1) Mix cocoa powder and coffee powder with hot water.

2) Whip the cream until stiff peak.

3) Add the cocoa-coffee mixture to the whipped cream.

Ganache
300g whipping cream
250g melted chocolate
50g butter

1) Mix all ingredients and microwave till well combined and smooth.

2) Leave to set before pouring onto cake.

To assemble

1) Slice the sponge cake into 3 layers.

2) Spread the chocolate filling on the first layer, and put freshly cut banana slice on the cake, and spread some chocolate filling on top of the banana slices.

3) Repeat Step 2.

4) Cream & crumb the entire cake with remaining chocolate filling.

5) Put the cake in the fridge for 10 mins so that it will be easier to spread the chocolate ganache.

(Note: I got problem with the chocolate ganache as it was either too watery or too solidified to spread or pour nicely on the cake. I ended up putting into the microwave to liquidify it, and back to the freezer to solidify it, a few times of doing the same thing just to get the right consistency. By then, my kitchen top and floor were in a mess, and had to clean up frequently as my house ants were very active & alert that day!!)