Red Velvet Cupcake

Yields 2 doz cup cake

3/4 c sugar
1/4c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4c vegetable oil or extra light olive oil

1 egg


1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (1/4c evaporated milk + 1/4c hot water + 1.5tsp vinegar)
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2  Tablespoons red food coloring

Dry ingredients:
1 1/8 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F, bake at 325F.
2. Whisk together all dry ingredients, set aside.
3. In the bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Turn mixer to high and add  the egg (one at a time).
4. Add the vanilla and vinegar.
5. Add dry ingredients to the batter,  alternating with the buttermilk. Beat on high until smooth.
6. Add the red food coloring to desired color.
7. Spoon batter into a paper lined cupcake baking pan and bake at 325 F for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.
8. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them of a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting

Classic Tiramisu

Classic Tiramisu


I'm discovering the use of Mascarpone cheese; and I'm surprised to know that a 250 gram tub costs almost P500 at Tinder Box.  Let's see how good this cheese is.

1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
1/3 cup (75 mL) water
1 1/4 cups (300 mL)strong coffee or espresso
1/4 cup (50 mL)almond or coffee flavoured liqueur
2 tbsp (25 mL)custard powder
3/4 cup (175mL) milk
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1 tub (475 g) Tre Stelle® Mascarpone
8 egg whites
2 packages (150 g) ladyfingers
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder

Sprinkle gelatin over water to soften. Heat until dissolved. Combine coffee and liqueur; set aside. In a large bowl stir custard powder into milk. Add sugar and Tre Stelle® Mascarpone. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat dissolved gelatin mixture into Mascarpone mixture until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. One at a time, dip ladyfingers into coffee mixture and place fingers in bottom of a serving pan. Spoon 1/3 of Mascarpone mixture evenly over. Repeat with 2 more layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone. Sift cocoa over top and refrigerate overnight. Makes 10 servings.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

It's actually a mistake, I was craving for red velvet like the one I had at Cheesecake Factory.  Browsing through my photos, I realized it was not just any ordinary red velvet, twas a red velvet cheesecake.  Cheesecake Factory's red velvet cheesecake was definitely to die for.  It's their second best seller next to the classic new york cheesecake and the only one flavor that's not classic that remained on the shelf after several years.  Who introduced me to red velvet?  Oh, no less than Oprah Winrey :)

Red Velvet Cheesecake

---

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 11-13 pieces

Crust Ingredients:
32 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt

Ganache Ingredients:
3/4 cups heavy cream
10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used half semisweet and half bittersweet)

Cake Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 ounce red food coloring

Filling Ingredients:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Decorative Toppings (optional):
2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
white chocolate for drizzling
strawberries

Directions:
Note on cheesecake making: Cheesecakes are simple and super customizable. New to cheesecake making? Watch my 6 minute Cheesecake Video Tutorial for visual assistance!

Note on scheduling: This cake is easily separated into two days of preparation, and can be prepared ahead of time. On day one, prepare the red velvet cake, cool it, and freeze it. On day two, prepare the cheesecake. You can then assemble and decorate right away, or leave this for day three.

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and the sides of an 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan when it’s done. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Make a paste of the cocoa and coloring and add to the shortening mixture. Add salt and vanilla. Add buttermilk alternately with the flour, beginning and ending with flour. Mix vinegar and soda right before using and add to mixture by folding in. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely, cover in wax paper, and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Make the cheesecake: To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).

Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed. Pour 1 – 1.5 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust. Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. Beat in the flour. Add in the vanilla and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.

Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set.

Assemble topping: Whip room temperature ganache to create a fluffy texture perfect for piping. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar to make a small amount of cream cheese frosting for decorating.

Assemble the cheesecake: Wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides. Carefully remove the springform. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Place cake layer on top of cheesecake (right side up). Decorate top of cake with drizzled white chocolate, piped cream cheese frosting, whipped ganache, and strawberries.

How to make Red Velvet Cake

I was craving for some sweets today,  I came home early from work so I dropped by Leona.  Often mistakenly called as Leona's, Leona Cake and Pastries Company serves one of the best breads and cakes in Cebu, ideal for home or for give aways.  Their price is fairly reasonable for good quality stuff.   I particularly like their moist chocolate cake, guava chiffon cake, their mamon comes close to Goldilocks, their wheat bread is an everyday bestseller.  I grabbed a few slices of banana carrot loaf, mamon, moist chocolate cake and was dumbfounded seeing a four inch red velvet cupcake selling for P50.  It looked so tasty, I can't wait to get a bite.  Except for the white sprinkles on the icing, although less cheesy than Los Angeles' Cheese cake Factory version, I was totally satisfied with this one.  Aaah, heavenly!

I'm off to the grocery since I'll be trying out this recipe:

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Red Velvet Cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside. 
2. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. 
3. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. 
4. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. 
5. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 
   Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: 

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. 
2. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. 
3. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. 
4. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Serves 10 - 12 people.

Source: http://www.joyofbaking.com/

Location Map of Leona Bakery in red star

Leona Cakes and Pastries Company
Juan Luna Avenue, Cebu City
Contact number (032) 233 0386

Door #5 GQS Plaza, Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad

232-4450  () ‎

BasicChocolateCake

Octoberfest is chocolatefest for me. But I seemed to be having a hangover this November - here's another chocolate treat. This will be the last (for this year) promise! ;D

Black magic cake, moist chocolate cake, whatever you call it, it's a basic chocolate cake that spells M-O-I-S-T. (mo-west as we jokingly pronounce it.)

This is my dad's favorite. I know he's not suppose to eat chocolates, but he just can't resist this.

1 3/4c all purpose flour
1 3/4c brown sugar
3/4c cocoa powder
2tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
2pcs egg
1c strong black coffee
(mix 2tsp instant coffee + 1c hot water)
1c buttermilk or sour milk
(mix 1tbsp vinegar + 1/2c evaporated milk + 1/2c hot water)
1/2c vegetable oil
1tsp vanilla

Preheat oven for 30 minutes at 350F.

1. Sift and whisk together dry ingredients.
2. Make a well*, add the eggs and other wet ingredients in the center.
3. Beat at medium speed for two minutes.
4. Pour batter into a greased & floured pan (13x9x2 or two 9-inch pan)
5. Bake for 35-40 mins.

You may top it with your choice of chocolate frosting, but for me, the cake itself is good enough.

*make a well, is a technique to avoid crumbling when mixing dry & wet ingredients together. First, in a bowl, make a hole (like a well) in the middle of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients in the well, then gently mix them together in the center until smooth and well blended.

ChocoCarrotCake

Ah! Mrs. Fields is my all-time favorite when it comes to pastries with chocolates. Her version of chewy choco chip cookies and brownies are the best I've ever tasted! Long before they are commercially available in our country, I can only find them in Hong Kong's Ocean Terminal. I took a small bite each visit to the ref, to save the best for a longer time.

I have a collection of Mrs. Fields' recipe and here's my friend H's fave...

Put a twist to a usual carrot cake, with cocoa. Just enough chocolate flavor to be noticeable without being overwhelming with the same moist crumb.

2c all purpose flour
2c brown sugar
1/2c cocoa powder
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2c unsalted melted butter
1tbsp vanilla
2c grated peeled carrots
1c crushed pinapple with juice
3tbsp all purpose cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans

1. Sift and whisk together dry ingredients, set aside.
2. Put the egg, butter and vanilla in a large bowl, beat until smooth on medium speed.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture little by little until smooth.
4. Fold in the carrots and pineapple.
5. Divide the batter in 3 9-inch cake pans.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake pans to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes.
7. While still warm, brush cream on each layer to assemble.
8. To Assemble, spread with thin layer of CREAM CHEESE FROSTING on each layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides.

Garnish with your choice of nuts and/or chocolate chips. I usually top it with lots of orange colored chocolate shavings, accent with green colored chocolate shavings and sprinkle it with mini chocolate morsels/chips. Perfect presentation of Choco-carot-cake.

Adopted from Mrs. Fields' Great American Deserts