Cupcakes - Cookies, butterflies, grape

Taking a big risk, I took up the order, wishing my oven will cooperate and work one more time for me last Sunday... She has a gathering and it would be a pity to not get cupcakes...and I will be so sad not getting to make any! 

It works, finally! And I got these up... Made the Cookies 'N' Cream cupcakes from harwood podcast.com which was so delicious the other time I made it I had to do it again! Adopted some deco ideas from crumb boss, I made the delicious cookies and cream cupcakes... followed by hot cocoa cupcakes from crumb boss (without the cyanne pepper) and made the butterflies and grape design on a slice of fondant... I had great fun making them and customer was super happy... :) Can't wait to take up more jobs! (and of all... get my oven repaired so I can do so...)

Microwave Chocolate Cake

Saw this microwave cake recipe from youtube Nicko's Kitchen, I couldn't resist trying it out... it looks so super simple and yet delicious... and on Sunday morning, I did it, with my dying multifunction oven's microwave function. 

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (Self-raising. For AP Flour add 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1/4 cup 'stevia sugar' (or 1 cup sugar - I use 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup milk


There's no peanut butter at home so I left it out and replaced with 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Just dump everything in into a microwave safe bowl with big enough space for any expansion, mix well and then pop it in and set on HIGH for 3-5mins. 5mins works fine for me. When it comes out, it kinda shrinks abit while it starts to cool off, but that's good because it actually helps it to come out so easily.It just plops out onto the plate. The texture is moist and dense... just like a usual rich chocolate cake.

That brings me to this eggless (vegetarian) cake... from a request by another colleague... I have no chance to try it out but I found this recipe from an Indian cooking channel... which looks good.... I might just try it out once my oven gets repaired and comes back to me...

Microwave Eggless Chocolate Cake

Introduction: Chocolates bring wide smiles on our faces! And wouldn't it be great if something more chocolaty, fresh, spongy, fluffy gets ready in just 5 mts. Yup yup I am talking about 5 mts Egg-less Chocolate Cake recipe. What are you waiting for? Invite your guests and impress them with this an easy to make Egg-less Chocolate cake at home :) Preparation time : 10 mts Cooking time : 5 mts Serves : 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup All Purpose flour / Maida

• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 tbsp Cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp Oil

  Method: Prepare microwave safe dish by greasing it using some oil and line up at bottom using some wax paper or aluminium foil. Mix milk and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Sieve maida, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda in milk mixture. Combine everything to make sure there are no lumps of any dry ingredient. Add vanilla extract and oil and again mix well. Finally add 1 tbsp lemon juice and mix everything well. Pour batter in microwave safe dish and microwave over high power for 5 mts. Insert toothpick if it comes out clear cake is ready. Give it a standing time of 5 mts. Then gently transfer cake on a cooling rack. Enjoy with a scoop of cool whip, vanilla ice cream topped up with some chocolate syrup! Tips: Power setting for each microwave differ so cook cake as per your own judgement. If after 5 mts, cake is not cooked, allow it to cook for another 1 or 2 mt in microwave. Make sure to use deep and wide microwave safe dish. So that cake batter will nit overflow from dish. The ingredient listed above are suitable to our taste buds, you can pretty much change the quantity of sugar and cocoa powder.

  
  
  Source: http://madhurasrecipe.com/index.php?p=1_247_Microwave-Eggless-Chocolate-Cake-Whip-up-in-just-5-mts

Durian Cake

Had a durian cake request from colleague the other day and I attempted at one, even though my oven is at the verge of death... It can only work for one time a day, there seems to be some problem with the main control knob which basically controls EVERY FUNCTION. Thus I was worried that I under-cook the cake... and I tried to counter that by cooking it for a longer time. How WRONG! The cake turn out to be OVERCOOKED... and it has become kinda dry. Not being able to make another, I had to use it anyway. 

I used crumb boss's vanilla cake recipe (with additional of a few drops of durian essence), and with the durian pulp I removed from 2 durians, I beat it into the fresh/whipped cream with another few drops of durian essence to enhance the flavour further. As I do not have too much time on hand, simple decoration does it. Made 3 smaller loafs with the large rectangular pan... and even though the cake texture is not as good as usual, the yummilicious filling and topping makes up for every bit... Couldn't love it more... Will definitely try it again with keikos light sponge cake or redo with the vanilla cake recipe... once my oven gets repaired...