Blogging Again

Woah! Its been more than 3 years since my last update. Haven't been blogging but I sure have been baking quite a bit since then! Wanna see some of my past creations? Click here! Due to work commitments, I haven't been baking much these days. 

Mark's birthday is coming up and each year I will bake him something. This year, he has requested for a Lemon Meringue Tart. I have not tried making a tart before and have always want to do it. So off to the internet to search for a recipe that I think I can handle. 

Surfing and reading thru many baking blogs has inspired me to start blogging again. Toyed with the idea for a few days and I finally decided that I should just do it! Hopefully this time round, I can sustain my blog! 

Tomorrow I am going to try my hands on making my first Lemon Meringue Tart! Wish me luck! 

Another basic - Butter Cake

Butter cake is one of the basic cake that I feel I should try. Sounds simple but yet hubby and I feel that there's a set of requirements it should fulfill like it must smell and taste buttery enough if not why a butter cake? It must also be heavy and solid enough. At least that is Mark's requirement each time I bake a loaf cake. I've been testing and trying a few buttercake recipes that I can't remember what is the exact butter cake recipe I used for this one but I know the butter I used was not buttery smelling and tasting enough. The test... my mother in law! She just loves butter cake and this certainly didn't pass the test.

Not giving up, I continue my search for the butter cake recipe that meets our requirements. Here's another one I tried but this feels a bit too light and fluffy and still not buttery enough. I added a chocolate buttercream frosting on it and Mark brought it to his office. They thought it was nutella on it. 

In the end, I realised it was nothing to do with the recipes but it was the butter that I should have used! 

Cuppies Minified

As I was surfing for recipes, I came across some mini cupcakes creations and they are just so cute. Didn't know such stuff exist so I asked Mr Google about the mini cupcake pan and was disappointed when his answer were mostly sold overseas. Refusing to believe that I can't get the mini cupcake pan in Singapore, I decided to explore the only few baking supplies stores in Singapore. I've already been to Phoon Huat in Hougang so the next stop was BIY. It was in BIY that I found the mini cupcake pan. Obviously I can't wait to use it! As these minis are smaller, I can't use the same amount of baking time as the regular-sized ones. It took me a while to get the right timing and not over bake them. Aren't they cute?!

Up next... Vanilla Cuppies

After the chocolate cuppies attempt, what's next? Vanilla, of course! The next basics. Back to surfing the Internet again. This time round I know I want to bake cupcakes so I managed to narrow down my search  for a easy and highly raved vanilla cupcakes recipe... I am an amateur after all... This time round not only did I surf for recipes, I surf for piping techniques as well. What's a cupcake if its not dressed up. Headed down to Phoon Huat to buy some piping tips and disposable piping bags and here's my creation... Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting.

Unfortunately, I can't remember which vanilla cupcake receipe I used for this cupcake. These 2 cupcakes were given to Sharon and Alan. I'm glad they like it.

Chocolate Cuppies

So where's the best place for me to start looking for chocolate cakes recipes wihout spending a cent on a cookbook... the Internet of course, and there are just so many different kinds. Being an amateur, I started looking for the easiest recipe I can find one and what can be easier than a One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe. Reading the reviews of the recipe also gave me the idea of them into cupcakes as they are smaller and not as intimidating as the big 9 inch ones. My hands were also itching to try frosting on my own but I can't remember which was the frosting recipe that I had used. I can only remember that it was something, yup you guess it, chocolatey. So here's my very first attempt at baking and frosting on my very 1st cupcakes some 9 months ago (July 2009).

Mark was my 1st guinea pig and he loved them and I decided his opinion was not objective enough so I brought them to office for more objective opinion and I got some good reviews for them and that really encouraged me to start exploring more into the world of baking and of course improve on my frosting skills! 

How it all started...

One weekday afternoon, my dearest friend Sharon msned me a link to a cheesecake baking class at Creative Baking and asked if I’m interested in attending with her. I said yes and the rest was history.

What hooked me? It was piping those small lil carrots on the cream cheese frosting of the carrot cake that I baked in the class. My very first attempt at cake decorating…

After the class, I couldn’t get my mind off those little piped carrots and baking but I can't do anything without a mixer. I didn't want to get an expensive mixer as I dunno how long this passion of mine will last. So each time I went to Carrefour or walked pass any of the electrical departmental store and I would look out eager for any mixer that's on offer. Cheapo me was not willing to spend anything above $20 for a mixer. Hee! Of course I can't find any! Sweet hubby of mine came home one night and surprised me with a Philips mixer! I was so so happy, heart pain that it cost way above what I wanted to pay, but super duper happy and excited! 


What better way to thank Mark for his nice surprise then to bake for him and so I turned to him and ask what would he like me to bake for him. His answer… Chocolate Cakes! Chocolate cake it is and off I went in search of the ‘perfect’ chocolate cake recipe…my first bake!