Opera Cake

Host & Recipe : @imeliciouz1085

Here I only made in half recipe, due to limited baking equipment. If you prefer original (full recipe) please email me.

Jaconde Biscuit (Almond Sponge Cake)

Meringue:

75 gr Egg whites

20 g granulated sugar

A pinch of cream of tartar

Almond Mixture:

100gr almond or hazelnut meal*

80 gr confectioner sugar (Original 110 gr)

37 gr all-purpose flour

125 gr Eggs

20 gr unsalted butter, melted

Method

- Prepare 2 pans of 22x30cm (9x12 inch) grease or cover with greased baking paper

- Combine sugar with the eggs and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes until thick and fluffy then fold almond meal, all purpose flour until well combined, then fold the melted butter. Set aside.

- Beat egg whites along until frothy then add cream of tartar beat on high speed, adding remaining sugar gradually and whip until stiff peak is achieved.

- Gently, fold one-third of the meringue into the almond mixture in 3 addition and mix until just combined. Spread the batter evenly into each baking tray.

- Bake the sponges in 200ºC preheated oven for about 7-10 minutes. Once cool, set aside (Joconde biscuit can be kept a couple of days at room temperature, refrigerated a week or frozen for weeks; rolled into parchment and wrapped).

- Each pan, cut into 2 pieces, and one recipe yield 4 layers of 22x15 cm

Coffee Buttercream (Crème Anglaise Style)

100ml full cream milk

40 gr Egg yolks

50 gr castor sugar

7gr of instant coffee dissolved in 10ml of hot water

120 gr unsalted butter, at room temp

Method

- Bring milk to boil, set aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar to blend, add milk and whisk milk gradually into the yolk mixture whisking constantly.

- Return custard to the stove, gently heat the mixture to just below the boiling point 85ºC or until small bubbles appear in sides it will thicken. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle.

- Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a mixer bowl. Beat the crème Anglaise with the instant coffee on high speed until has cooled to room temperature (or just let it cool itself).

- Add the softened butter and whip until creamy on high speed. Buttercream Can be kept refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Chocolate Coating for Chablon

20g dark chocolate compound

2ml oil (I used butter)

Method

- Melt chocolate and oil and spread evenly on the bottom of one sponge cake and chill to set.

Coffee Syrup

130 ml hot water

40 gr granulated sugar

10 gr  instant coffee

Method

- Bring all ingredients to boil and let cool to room temp before using.

Chocolate Glaze

100g liquid whip cream

150 gr dark cooking chocolate compound or couverture

50 light corn syrup

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

- Warm the whip cream, put the chocolate in the bowl and gently stir it.

- Add corn syrup and oil, stir until well combined. Set aside

Opera Cake Assembly

- For the chablon, using a flat spatula, coat the surface of one sponge with the melted chocolate (for the bottom). Cover immediately with parchment in contact and flip over; chocolate side down and refrigerate to set.

- Remove from the fridge and brush generously with the coffee syrup (each layer of sponge must be well soaked in coffee syrup; that’s one of the main characteristic of the opéra cake).

- Carefully, spread the coffee buttercream over the surface of the first sponge, then chocolate glaze, continue to do the same until the last layers.

- Every layers should be : jaconde bicuits, coffee buttercream, chocolate glaze

- Place cake the refrigerator overnight (do not freeze before glazing or condensation will appear on the surface which will damage the chocolate glaze and its effect)

- Spread chocolate glaze over the cake from left to right in a slow but regular motion. Immediately even the surface of the cake with a large offset spatula lightly moving back and forth twice. Refrigerate opéra cake until top is set; min. two hour before trimming off sides and serve. To make cuts look sharper bring a pitcher of hot water, dip the blade in between cuts, and wipe with a towel.

Bake & Celebrate Cookbook

I'm so excited and happy to announce that I was selected to be participate together with other fellow bakers. Marshall Cavendish publisher has invited us to share our recipes in this cookbook, which will be available in Singapore major bookstores in December 2016.

Another excited news, to thank my blog readers/followers for your continuous support, I will be buying 3 copies of this cookbook to give away to 3 lucky winners. Please visit my instagram @dorisgoz to join the giveaway. The giveaway is open from now until 2nd Dec 2016 - 23.59pm. The winners will be published only on my instagram posting.

Best of luck :)

Note : 

for Malaysian readers, you may buy online at :

http://www.mphonline.com/books/nsearchdetails.aspx?&pcode=9789814771689

Defying Gravity Cake

Recipe & Host : @ikekeidi

CAKE

Ingredients:

125gr Butter

175gr Sugar ( I only used 130 gr)

3 Egg yolks

1/4tsp Vanilla

125gr Flour

50gr Chocolate powder

25gr Corn starch

1tsp Baking powder double acting

150ml Fresh milk

3 Egg whites

Method:

1. Sieve flour, corn starch and chocolate powder together. Set aside.

2. Whip butter and half of the sugar till white and fluffy, add in egg yolk, followed by vanilla & baking powder, mixed well.

3. Add flour mixture with mixer on low speed. Then add in fresh milk, mixed well then set aside.

4. In another clean bowl, whip egg white and the balance of sugar till soft peak.

5. Using spatula, add in whipped egg white gradually to the yolk batter, mixed well.

6. Line greased 6" mould with baking paper and bake for 30mins with 170'c temperature (adjust accordingly depending on each oven) till cooked.

Butter cream : see here

Decoration : Oreo, chocolate, chopstick, melted white chocolate

CAKE ASSEMBLY:

1. Put little bit of frosting on cake board to stick the first layer of the cake.

2. Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting (buttercream/ ganache/ whipped cream). 

3. Insert the chopstick into the can drink. Using melted chocolate, stick the chopstick into the can . Spread melted chocolate (or you can use butter cream) to cover up the chopstick. Then insert the chopstick into the middle of the cake.

4. Decorate with any decoration cookies or chocolate bar 

Raspberry Pistachio Cream Cake

I made these for Drool fundraiser events. The layer cakes consist of pistachio sponge cake, raspberry jelly, custard cream and pistachio butter nuts. The combination is just well blended and very nice.

CAKE - Ingredients:

30 gr Boiling water

15 gr Pistachio Butter Nut **( I used @the_hunters_kitchenette )

10 gr Sugar

2 Egg yolks

25 gr Oil

40 gr Cake four

2 Egg whites

35 gr Sugar

Preparation cake:

- Place Pistachio butter nut and sugar in bowl, then pour in the boiling water and stir well incorporated.

- Preheat oven 200 degree.      

- Hand whisk egg yolks lightly. Add in oil & the butter nut mixture, mix well.

- Fold in cake flour until combined.

- In separated bowl, whisk egg white until foamy, add in 35gr sugar, whisk until stiff (medium peak).

- Pour 1/3 egg white mixture into egg yolk-flour mixture and mixed well, then pour this into the rest of the egg white and mixed well.

- Pour into tray (20x20x2cm) and bake for 10-12 mins.

- Leave to cool on a wire rack

FILLING 1 – RASPBERRY JELLY – Ingredients:

150 gr raspberry puree

50 gr sugar

¾ tsp Gelatin powder

20 ml Boiling water

Preparation raspberry jelly:

- Stir gelatin powder in boiling water and let it dissolve. Set aside.

- Combine raspberry puree and sugar, cook until sugar dissolve.  Remove from heat.

- Add in gelatin, stir well.  Set aside and let it cool.

FILLING 2 - CUSTARD CREAM– Ingredients:

1 Egg

50 gr Sugar

20 gr Conrnstarch

A pinch of Salt

150 gr Milk

50 gr Butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation custard cream:

- Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt and corn flour until thick and pale in colour.

- Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to boil.

- Pour small part of milk over the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Then pour the whole mixture back to the milk in a saucepan and whisk over a gentle heat until the mixture becomes thick and boiling. Keep out from heat, keep stirring (to avoid burn on the bottom part). Wait for a few minutes, add in butter and vanilla. Stir until it well incorporated with the cream. 

- While cooling, cover it with the plastic clingwrap to avoid the cream turn dry.

FILLING 3 – PISTACHIO BUTTER NUT ** ( I used @the_hunters_kitchenette )

Decoration:  Fresh Raspberry , pistachio nuts

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE :

- Divide the cake into 3 parts.  Spread raspberry jelly on the each layer. Let it set in the fridge for 10 minutes.

- On the flat surface, place one cake with raspberry jelly layer, spread custard cream, dizzling topping with Pistachio butter nut.

- Continue by adding cake layer, raspberry, custard, pistachio butter nut.

- Finish with  cake and raspberry layer.          

CAKE SLICING :

- Let the cake set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing. Cut slices of desired thickness. Serve it with fresh raspberry and pistachio nuts.  

NOTE :

If you cannot buy the ready made pistachio nuts, you may option to make your own.

** Homemade Pistachio Butter Nuts :

200 gr Pistachio nuts, toast

1 tsp Castor sugar

½ tsp Salt

Method:

- Blend it until 80% smooth, add in sugar and salt, blend it until smooth.

- Ready to use or keep it in tighly sealed container, keep in the fridge after use it.

Pumpkin Sago Desserts

Ingredients :

100 gr Pumpkin, steamed and mashed

50 gr Sago, cooked and drained

1 tsp Custard powder

1 tsp Corn flour

30 gr Coconut milk + 100 ml Water

30 gr Sugar

Method :

- Mix Pumpkin, custard powder and corn flour, set aside

- Boil coconut milk, water and sugar. Once boiled add in pumpkin batter, stir until incorporated.

- Add in Sago, stir a while, switch off the fire.

- Ready to serve.

Note : If you prefer cold dessert, just let it set in the fridge, minimum 2 hours.

Yields : 3 Ramekins (S)

Homemade Noodle aka Chicken Noodle

Recipe : @shirleyliem

*Noodle Ingredients

250 gr  High protein flour / Bread flour

1/4 tsp  Salt

95 ml   (1no egg + water) ## ( I used Spinach Phuay Leng )

## Other alternative :

For vegetarian, you may just omit the egg and replace with water.

For vegetable noodle, you may replace the total fluid amount to juice chye sym/juice carrot/juice spinach/juice tomato

Other sauce ingredients for Noodle:

3 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Soya sauce 

1/8 tsp Salt

Method:

1 Mixed all the noodle ingredients, roll the dough using rolling pin until smooth and flat until approximate 25 cm long with the thickness +/- 0.2cm. Left part of the dough for cracker (optional)

2 Boil the water and add in the noodle, cook until it tender.

3 Put the cooked noodle to a big bowl with other sauce ingredients in it. Mix until well incorporated.

4 For cracker : Make as per preference and fried it until cook or golden colour.

*Chicken in Dark Sauce Ingredients:

250 gr  Chicken meat (sliced in cubes)

2 Tbsp Oil

2 cloves Garlic, minced

3 nos    Shallots, minced

1/4tsp pepper powder

1/4tsp salt

3 Tbsp Dark Soya sauce (kecap manis)

Method:

Stir fry garlic and shallots in hot oil until fragrant, add in chicken meat and pepper, cook until chicken change colour (white). Add in dark sauce, then salt, with low heat, cook until seasoning is absorbed and chicken is cooked. Ready to use.

*Soup Ingredients:

Chicken bones from 1 no. chicken

2 Tbsp Oil

2 cloves Garlic, bruised

1/4 tsp  Pepper powder

2 litre   Water (Boil) ( I only used 1 litre )

Salt

Method:

Stir fry garlic with hot oil until fragrant, add chicken bones. Cook until the chicken chicken change colour, add pepper, stir fry for a while, add boiling water and cook until the bones cook. Add salt for the taste.

Traditional Mooncakes II

Recipe : @liangoenawan

SYRUP Ingredients: (OPTIONAL or can buy ready made Golden Syrup)

300 gr Sugar

200 g Water

1 no Lemon

½ tbsp Maltose

¼ tsp Salt

Method:

- Cook all the ingredients in a pot for 1.5 – 2 hours or until thickened

- Set it cool and ready to use. It can be stored up to 1 year.

Glazing Ingredients:

2 Egg Yolks

1 Egg

Lightly beaten and filtered

SKIN Ingredients:

 A  

- 180 gr Low Protein Flour / Top Flour

                    

B  

125 gr Syrup ( I used ready buy Golden Syrup )

45 gr Groundnut Oil

½ tbsp Alkaline Water / Air abu

1/8 no lemon water

Filling : Lotus paste, Chicken Floss, Assorted nuts, Salted eggs (optional)

Method:

- Combined ingredients B to A, mix well. Let it set minimum 5 hours, or more in closed container.

- Scale as per your mould, or about 60 gr with filling of 100 gr lotus paste, with 1 egg yolk, wrap it.

- Dust mooncake with flour, tap out excess flour. Place in a mooncake mould, press gently. Knock out and dislodge imprinted mooncake.

- Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven of 175C (depend on individual oven), remove and let it cool 2 mins, then glaze surfaces with egg yolks. Rebake for another 10 minutes. Remove can glaze with salad oil (optional).

Cool mooncakes, best served after a keep of 2-3 days.

Bread Cake

Recipe : @lysa_tangkulung

BREAD Ingredients:

125 gr Bread flour

25 gr Plain flour

25 gr Butter

20 gr Castor sugar

1 sdm Milk powder

1 sdt Yeast

2 gr Salt

1 btr Egg yolks

15 gr Condensed milk

70 ml Milk

50 gr Raisin / Cranberry

Method :

- Mix and knead all the ingredients, except yeast. After 10 minutes add in yeast and knead until smooth.

- Roll flat the bread dough as big as the bread tin (see attached picture), then add raisin / cranberry on it,

- Roll from the bottom and press it while you roll until the last part of the dough, and then seal it by pinching the dough. Please grease the bread tin or use greaseproof paper if you are not using non-stick tin.

-  Put the dough into baking tin ( W12,5 cm x H 12 cm x L 23 cm)  and put the pinching part facing below and let it proof until twice the size or about 1 hour 15 minutes

- After 1 hour, please start to make cake batter.

CAKE:

Egg yolks Ingredients:

3       Egg yolks

20     gr Castor sugar

30     ml Milk

30     ml Olive oil / vegetable oil

55     gr Plain flour

1       tsp Pandan paste

Method :

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale add milk, oil and flour. Mix until incorporated, set aside.

Egg whites Ingredients:

3       Egg whites

1/4    tsp Cream of Tartar

30     gr Castor sugar

Method :

- Whisk the egg white and cream of tartar until foamy, gradually add in sugar. Beat on high speed until frothy and medium peaks form.

- Gently fold into egg yolks and egg whites with spatula, mix until well blended.

- pour on top of the proved bread dough.

- bake in preheated 180C oven for about 40-55 minutes or depending on individual oven.

Ayam Kodok (Frog Chicken - Deboned and Stuffed Chicken)

Source : Endang JTT via @nirmawidi

Ingredients:

•             1 whole Kampong Chicken

•             500 gr chicken mince from the deboned chicken meat

•             4 no steamed egg, remove shells

•             300 gr beef mince ( I change to prawn )

•             6 slices bread loaf ( I omit this )

•             200 ml fresh milk ( I omit this )

•             2 no eggs, lightly whisk

Seasoning:

•             1-1/2 tsp pepper powder

•             1/2 nutmeg

•             8 cloves of garlic

•             8 cloves of shallot

Other seasoning:

•             2 tbsp light soya sauce

•             1 tbsp oyster sauce

•             1-1/2 tsp chicken powder

•             1/2 tsp salt

Glazing sauce when BBQ the chicken:

•             2 tbsp black sweet sauce (eg. kecap ABC)

•             1 tbsp light soya sauce

•             1 tbsp vegetable oil or melted margarine/butter

Brown sauce:

•             1 tbsp butter/margarine

•             1 no onion, finely dice

•             4 cloves garlic, finely dice

•             1-1/2 tsp black peppercorn

•             1/2 nutmeg, grind

•             1/4 tsp pepper powder

•             2 tsp oyster sauce

•             3 tbsp black sweet sauce

•             1-1/2 tbsp light soya sauce

•             1/2 tsp chicken powder

•             500 ml broth

•             2 tbsp corn flour, dilute with 2 tbsp water

METHOD :

Skin removed preparation

1. Place chicken on flat surface. Rub whole chicken with coarse salt. Rub until clean. Rinse under running water. Now chicken texture will be rough and shiny.

2. Prepare pairing knife or any small sharp knife. Now we will remove the skin from the whole chicken.

3. Start removing skin from bottom opening of the chicken ( the chicken buttock)  Note: do not tear the skin. Handle with extreme care slow and steady. Now you can insert your fingers in between the skin and flesh.

4. Carefully remove the tissues underneath the skin. If knife is difficult for you, use scissors.

5. Remove skin from 2 directions. Option A: top “chicken buttock” opening . Option B: Bottom “chicken buttock” opening. This step enhance your fingers reaching middle.  Do the same for thighs slightly cut the thigh joint so it doesn’t “clip on” but not detaching from the whole chicken. Lift the thigh skin up. Pull up thigh skin so you can Insert your fingers in until you touch the joint end. Cut the thigh flesh which is close to the joint end. Use chopper or hammer to break it ( I choose stone pestle)

6. Now the skin shouldn’t be attached to flesh at all.

7. Lay the skin flat now.

8. Now stitch whole chicken skin up to make a sack. Note: stitch it tightly. Leave the “neck area” opening for fillings insert later part.

9. DONE! Cover the skin to prevent dehydration. 

Here is the video link that I found out quite useful on how to deboned chicken skin

Filling:

Remove the chicken meat from the bones, and will be collected about 500 grams of meat. Minced meat with a sharp knife and insert into a food processor and process until blended

Soak bread in milk, knead until the bread is soften. Add milk / water if the bread is not soggy. Set aside

Prepare a bowl, put chopped chicken meat, minced beef, scrambled eggs, spices and bread. Stir well. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, broth and salt , mix well. Try it (by cooking a tbsp. of it), if less salty, soy sauce added to it.

Fill in the filling batter to the chicken skin:

Lay the chicken skin flat on the chopping board, make sure the skin is nicely laid (pic. 10). Enter half the filling batter by piping into the skin of the chicken, press and push so it become fully filled and firm. Insert two hard-boiled eggs in the left and right sides of chicken (pic. 12), reinsert the remaining filling up to the thigh and chicken breast section, make sure it fully filled-up. Insert another 2 hard-boiled eggs in the bottom part, left and right.

Press and push the filling batter until fully filled. Compress the filling batter and pull the skin to close, using a sewing needle and thread to seal.  Turn the chicken, get it  shaped.

Put the chicken in the pan steamer, steam over medium heat for 35-45menit or until chicken is cooked

Too long steaming chicken will make the skin becomes broken and damaged.

Check the water used to steam the chicken, take as much as 500 ml from the remaining boiled water (pic.15). It is part of water dripping from the chicken broth, we'll use to make brown sauce.

Brush the chicken with glacing sauce, spread thoroughly to the chicken surface with a brush, flatten to cover the entire surface of the chicken (pic. 16) Bake the chicken in the oven with a temperature of 170C for 15 minutes or until the surface of the chicken becomes golden brown and looks shiny. Remove the chicken, spread again with the glazing sauce once again and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken, transfer to a serving dish. 

Brown Sauce Method :

Heat margarine in the saucepan until melted and hot, saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and browned. Pour the rest of steaming chicken broth 500 ml, and cook until boiling.

Enter the soy sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, bouillon powder and pepper powder. Stir well. Pour the cornstarch solution to it. Stir until thickened solution, taste great, lift.

Dish presentation

Cut chicken lengthwise from the middle of the neck to the back end. Thinly slice each piece so that the egg can be nicely sliced as well. Place on a serving plate and pour the brown sauce