My baking journal for the week...

Last week, I did some baking that was why I was so busy... As I mentioned earlier, I will try to bake more often and take a break from all workshops.

My bakes were all not very satisfactory. I realised baking really need practice. My cakes were either overmixed or underbaked and till now I'm still not familiar with my oven temperature.

Marble Cake

Started with Valarie's Marble Cake, baked this last Friday. It was not really a disaster but not soft enough, I think the baking temperature was too high. I was too embarassed to show the slice cake picture as the marble effect was so urgly...LOL! But, it was tasty and moist. I baked into 2 x 6" round tin and gave one to my brother. He's a butter cake lover and he always enjoyed my bake.

Fraisier

I made Chef Keiko's Fraisier for Aunt Peggy's birthday. I picked this cake because it uses lot of strawberry and strawberry is her favourite. It's been a long time since I made a birthday cake for someone, I think the last time was last year Oct, a Tiramisu for my brother. Fraisier is a custard cream strawberry cake with a layer of sponge cake as base and the inside are packed with fresh strawberry. The cream was piped to cover the fruits and level it. Lastly glaze with raspberry puree.

It was an unsuccessful attempt as the cake don't look good. Why is it so? I don't have enough strawberry to fill the cake and decorate it. The custard cream was too stiff and not smooth, maybe I overhandled it. Since I don't have enough strawberry to fill the cake, I need more cream but I didn't make extra so I have difficulty piping the whole cake nicely especially the top. That's why you can see lumps of cream beneath the raspberry puree. The raspberry puree was mushy instead of jelly liked, maybe I did not add enough gelatine. The only thing I did right was the sponge cake....LOL!

If it doesn't look good, it should at least taste good right? Another disappointment the cake don't taste good too. The strawberry was not fresh and taste flat. The recipe required vanilla pod and kirsch liquor for the custard cream since I don't have, I replaced them with vanilla paste and kirsch flavor. This totally altered the taste of the cake, it was so different from what I tasted at the workshop. Nevermind, I will have a 2nd attempt soon.

Earl Grey Tea Cake

My next attempt on Tuesday (17/3/09), Chef Keiko's Earl Grey Tea Cake. It's a lemon pound cake w/Earl Grey tea. It's suppose to split open on top for a pound cake but mine was not instead it looked like a butter cake. And the side of the cake was not brown at all after I peel off the baking paper. Is it underbaked? I'm not sure too... but at least the cake still taste delicious even though it was not as soft as the one made by Chef Keiko. My baking tin was bigger than a pound cake mould, that's why the cake became wider and shorter.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Last Thursday was my 2nd time baking a chiffon cake in my baking journey, the first time was 3 years ago. Recipe from Richard Goh's baking class. Well, tasted great except a bit sweet and damp. I should bake for another 5 mins more instead of 40 mins, was it due to underbake or the temperature was not right that's why the side was not brown or is it because I baked 2 chiffon together? I was too ambitious, I thought since I have 2 chiffon moulds might as well made 2 recipes together. Wow, it was so tedious as I had difficulty combining the 10 egg yolks & egg white mixture together. I brought it to office the next day if not we can never finish the 2 pandan cakes. I'm going to bake it again tomorrow using Baking Mum's recipe.