Yay, as i write this post, am jumping with joy over my newly bought stand mixer from Borsh. Was at Vivocity and decided to pop by Tangs for fun. The varieties of mixer immediately caught my eyes. I zoomed in to of cos the cheapest haha. The mixer that my instructor used set her back by about $900 plus for the kenwood.
Seriously i am not about ready to splurge on such an expensive mixer or rather i am not that good as yet. Tangs was having another 12 % rebate for Citibank customers on top of the existing 10% discount and offer already offered on the Borsh mixer. The Borsh mixer was like the cheapest there is, the $199 price stand staring back at me.
I guessed for a novice baker like me, this machine would be most apt. I consulted my bf and casually mentioned if he would buy it for me, he agreed almost immediately. :) I was really really happy cos that means i am able to whisk my egg whites to a more consistent texture now. hehe
Knowing my passion for baking and ramblings on how my mum got me a weighing scale that looks like it was manufactured in the 60s, he suggested i also get a digital weighing scale as well...How sweet is my bf. Love him to bits really! I wanted to actually but seriously the weighing scale is kinda ex really. However he still got it for me. :)
I was a happy gal, lugging my mixer all the way back to the car and now still dreaming about what gorgeous cupcakes and puffs i can make with the mixer. :)
Photos of my loot coming up soon...
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Of Durian puffs, cupcakes and a bitch...
Hmm, since i have so much passion in baking now, i might as well strike while the iron is hot so i enrolled myself in more courses. :)
This time, i signed up for the durian puffs and durian cupcakes class at a local CC. As much as i love durians i really can't stand the smell of it!
On the whole, the class wasn't something i had expected though, as the first class i went to was very organised down to the layout of the class, materials, ingredients and all. When the details of the course says hands on, it literally mean hands on! To the setting up of the tables, chairs, to washing of the utensils. Its not that i am complaining as its really quite cheap and all, but i prefered to be informed that i will have to do the above.
The class was initally a size of 7 but 3 signed up last minute on the spot and the instructor had only brought just enough materials and ingredients for 7 people.
There was however one incident that made me really pissed though. When it was my turn to cream my puffs with durian cream, there was none left for me! None! The selfish bitch before me had already used up all the cream, she was literally squeezing lots into every single one of her puffs. I sort of already know that's gonna to happen and told the instructor to give me some of hers which she had excess then. True enough there wasn't a single bit left to cream any of my 6 puffs! That bloody woman was one selfish bitch. And intermittenly through out the class, she kept trying to stand infront of me wanting to catch a better view of the instructor's demo. She was totally oblivious that me being shorter was standing behind her! I told myself then that if she was going to block my view again, i will sure give it to her. Luckily for her, she stepped aside just when i wanted to let go at her.
Now that i am thinking of it, the 3 woman who signed up very much later should be the ones who have to give up their share of durian cream! So what if they pay for the same amount, had they signed up earlier there would be enough for me to cream my durian puff. Not forgetting another group got extra portion of the durian cream to fill their already creamed durian puff!!
The instructor sensing my unhappiness actually gave me an extra puff and one for me to eat on the spot.. but that's really not the point. I still have 6 puffs that were not filled with durian cream and the course i signed up for is durian puffs not empty puffs!! The instructor later decided she will add durian fillings to the cupcake instead so that everyone's cupcake will have durian cream and no one will be unhappy. I know she was trying to pacify the situation but still... i hate very "auntied" aunties around. They bring their KS syndrome everywhere! They are really such a disgrace i feel!
I am so going to write a letter to PA!
Anywhere... pictures of my durian puffs and cupcakes!
And last but not the least... the KS bitch!!
This time, i signed up for the durian puffs and durian cupcakes class at a local CC. As much as i love durians i really can't stand the smell of it!
On the whole, the class wasn't something i had expected though, as the first class i went to was very organised down to the layout of the class, materials, ingredients and all. When the details of the course says hands on, it literally mean hands on! To the setting up of the tables, chairs, to washing of the utensils. Its not that i am complaining as its really quite cheap and all, but i prefered to be informed that i will have to do the above.
The class was initally a size of 7 but 3 signed up last minute on the spot and the instructor had only brought just enough materials and ingredients for 7 people.
There was however one incident that made me really pissed though. When it was my turn to cream my puffs with durian cream, there was none left for me! None! The selfish bitch before me had already used up all the cream, she was literally squeezing lots into every single one of her puffs. I sort of already know that's gonna to happen and told the instructor to give me some of hers which she had excess then. True enough there wasn't a single bit left to cream any of my 6 puffs! That bloody woman was one selfish bitch. And intermittenly through out the class, she kept trying to stand infront of me wanting to catch a better view of the instructor's demo. She was totally oblivious that me being shorter was standing behind her! I told myself then that if she was going to block my view again, i will sure give it to her. Luckily for her, she stepped aside just when i wanted to let go at her.
Now that i am thinking of it, the 3 woman who signed up very much later should be the ones who have to give up their share of durian cream! So what if they pay for the same amount, had they signed up earlier there would be enough for me to cream my durian puff. Not forgetting another group got extra portion of the durian cream to fill their already creamed durian puff!!
The instructor sensing my unhappiness actually gave me an extra puff and one for me to eat on the spot.. but that's really not the point. I still have 6 puffs that were not filled with durian cream and the course i signed up for is durian puffs not empty puffs!! The instructor later decided she will add durian fillings to the cupcake instead so that everyone's cupcake will have durian cream and no one will be unhappy. I know she was trying to pacify the situation but still... i hate very "auntied" aunties around. They bring their KS syndrome everywhere! They are really such a disgrace i feel!
I am so going to write a letter to PA!
Anywhere... pictures of my durian puffs and cupcakes!
 |
| hurhur the choux puffs waiting to go into the oven... |
 |
| haha poofed up puffs, some were flattened like shit! |
 |
| Yummy durian cupcakes! |
 |
| Don't let me see you again, i sure give it to you.. bitch! |
3rd attempt at making cupcakes
I left my cupcakes sitting in the oven while i prepared my flower decorations using white fondant. I tinted the fondant to pink and yellow flowers with chocolate or pink buttercream. I love how the decorations ended up. I spend like 6 hours from the baking to the buttercream and decorating of the cupcakes.
It was when i was going to prepare my buttercream then i remembered my cupcakes were still left sitting in the oven. Boo hoo... the cupcakes that were supposed to turn out so well ended up having moisture on the surface and within. As i ate my cupcake, i was quite disappointed that it ended up this way. It was alittle hard in the middle perhaps due to the moisture settling in... :(
I was quite happy with the end product though. However my buttercream was still melting as i piped them onto the cupcake. Do i really have to use the shortening even though its super unhealthy? Also even though there's trans fat free shortening, is it really so?
Got to crack my mind at googling what are my alternatives again.
Anyway, here goes ... my 3rd attempt.
It was when i was going to prepare my buttercream then i remembered my cupcakes were still left sitting in the oven. Boo hoo... the cupcakes that were supposed to turn out so well ended up having moisture on the surface and within. As i ate my cupcake, i was quite disappointed that it ended up this way. It was alittle hard in the middle perhaps due to the moisture settling in... :(
I was quite happy with the end product though. However my buttercream was still melting as i piped them onto the cupcake. Do i really have to use the shortening even though its super unhealthy? Also even though there's trans fat free shortening, is it really so?
Got to crack my mind at googling what are my alternatives again.
Anyway, here goes ... my 3rd attempt.
 |
| I made like 40 over flowers, 20 leaves for my cupcakes! |
 |
| Pretty, can you see the buttercream melting? Sigh... |
Sunday, August 22, 2010
2nd attempt
Found so many pretty cupcakes online, the creators are all so talented.
I will try my hands at one of the easy decors for my 2nd attempt at baking... Let's see....
I will try my hands at one of the easy decors for my 2nd attempt at baking... Let's see....
 |
| Its bow in different colours using fondant, pretty isnt it! |
 |
| Its just ready made roses icing over white buttercream swirls... |
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Pretty cupcakes
Some of the really pretty cupcakes gets me all charged up again, raring to experiment further with the decor and all....
The cupcakes are so extremely pretty... Am going to try my hands on a different designs on each of my off days!
 |
| photo from cupcakestakethecake.com |
 |
| photo image from cake journal |
The cupcakes are so extremely pretty... Am going to try my hands on a different designs on each of my off days!
Never say die....
I do not know if i have a never say die attitude but i just cant stop thinking about my failed cupcakes. Cant keep thinking about what went wrong cos during the class, the cupcakes turned out really good.
My girlfriend labeled me as hardcore haha, seriously i don't know how that fits. I just reckoned that as i age , i get more curious about things around me. I dont use to be like that younger. Perhaps i am just impatient, i just want to see results without going through failures. But its through failure that makes success ya? However i get dejected very easily, am afraid that my 2nd attempt will be like the first.
Sigh dont use to be that pessimistic too..
I wish God will send me a teacher/chef who will be patient enough to guide me along readily.
My girlfriend labeled me as hardcore haha, seriously i don't know how that fits. I just reckoned that as i age , i get more curious about things around me. I dont use to be like that younger. Perhaps i am just impatient, i just want to see results without going through failures. But its through failure that makes success ya? However i get dejected very easily, am afraid that my 2nd attempt will be like the first.
Sigh dont use to be that pessimistic too..
I wish God will send me a teacher/chef who will be patient enough to guide me along readily.
Confused...
Been staying up till the wee hours and reading up on why my cupcakes shrank tremendously after taking out of the oven and why my buttercream melts as i pipe buttercream on the cupcakes! I do have lots of answers to it (thanks to google) but however alot of different versions. As i already got a ready recipe of the american buttercream, i just needed to know what else can be done or added to it to make it stiffer to pipe the swirls, decorations, flowers and rose petals such that it doesnt melt.
I do live in a warm climate so how do i actually prevent the buttercream from melting. I tried putting it into the fridge but however while piping, some of the buttercream will come off in junks therefore putting a break to my beautiful buttercream swirl.
I chanced upon many websites.. i wish one day i will be able to bake cupcakes as beautiful as this.
I do live in a warm climate so how do i actually prevent the buttercream from melting. I tried putting it into the fridge but however while piping, some of the buttercream will come off in junks therefore putting a break to my beautiful buttercream swirl.
I chanced upon many websites.. i wish one day i will be able to bake cupcakes as beautiful as this.
 |
| Photo image from cakejournal.com |
Friday, August 20, 2010
More baking classes?
A part of me feels demoralized but yet a part of me still feel like going for more baking classes cos i felt that i didn't learn much during the 1st baking class that i went to.
My friend told me that i wouldn't learn much out of the baking classes which i cannot but agree. Usually in a class of about at least 12 or sometimes even more particpants, everyone will be like snatching for a good spot to see the demo done by the instructor. Especially so when you have aunties... like really aunties who have the KS syndrome all in them. I didnt even get to hands on as well during the creaming part... probably thats why my creaming part failed! The aunties just kept passing the whisk to other aunties, and i felt so extremely outcasted! I just didnt fit into the group of aunties. I would think i fit in better with a group of teens or even kiddies.
And the class isn't cheap as well considering that i could have found cheaper ones at local CCs with le cordon bleu chefs!
However i must admit my instructor was really helpful.
There is somehow still this burning baking passion inside me. I just feel that very strong desire that I can do something with baking, that i should do something associated with baking.
I guessed i will know better coming this monday. If the outcome is still the same, i guess than that i am not fated to bake.
We shall see....
My friend told me that i wouldn't learn much out of the baking classes which i cannot but agree. Usually in a class of about at least 12 or sometimes even more particpants, everyone will be like snatching for a good spot to see the demo done by the instructor. Especially so when you have aunties... like really aunties who have the KS syndrome all in them. I didnt even get to hands on as well during the creaming part... probably thats why my creaming part failed! The aunties just kept passing the whisk to other aunties, and i felt so extremely outcasted! I just didnt fit into the group of aunties. I would think i fit in better with a group of teens or even kiddies.
And the class isn't cheap as well considering that i could have found cheaper ones at local CCs with le cordon bleu chefs!
However i must admit my instructor was really helpful.
There is somehow still this burning baking passion inside me. I just feel that very strong desire that I can do something with baking, that i should do something associated with baking.
I guessed i will know better coming this monday. If the outcome is still the same, i guess than that i am not fated to bake.
We shall see....
1st attempt buangz
hmm.. my 1st attempt at making my cupcake failed. My cupcake shrank terribly and tremendously the moment i took it out from the oven and as it cools further, it started to shrink from the sides as well.
The cupcakes tasted rubbery and tough...boohoo. Didn't know where went wrong actually cos the more i tried creaming the butter and castor sugar the more creamy it gets. I suspect the butter was too soft maybe? It just didn't attain the light and fluffy texture.
Following that i added 3 eggs which made it worse... it became more creamy as i creamed it further. The mixutre literally like fell off my spoon the minute i spooned them into the cup cases. Its definitely different from what i saw on youtube and at my baking class.... urghh.
True enough, the cupcakes turned out sigh... ( no words to describe how i felt)
Until now i still don't know what has gone wrong cos i just couldnt get the castor sugar and the butter to attain the light and fluffy texture which was the most important step i think.
Don't know if i should go for another shot at baking on Monday.. a bit demoralized now
The cupcakes tasted rubbery and tough...boohoo. Didn't know where went wrong actually cos the more i tried creaming the butter and castor sugar the more creamy it gets. I suspect the butter was too soft maybe? It just didn't attain the light and fluffy texture.
Following that i added 3 eggs which made it worse... it became more creamy as i creamed it further. The mixutre literally like fell off my spoon the minute i spooned them into the cup cases. Its definitely different from what i saw on youtube and at my baking class.... urghh.
True enough, the cupcakes turned out sigh... ( no words to describe how i felt)
Until now i still don't know what has gone wrong cos i just couldnt get the castor sugar and the butter to attain the light and fluffy texture which was the most important step i think.
Don't know if i should go for another shot at baking on Monday.. a bit demoralized now
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Baking essentials
Boy was i so charged up over my cup cake baking session that i went ahead and bought most of the items i needed the very next day. I even bought the oven as well when i have a oven(small one) already sitting at home. However if i want to do, i might as well get serious over it ya?
I headed to simei to get most of the ingredients, flowers, stencils, rolling pin, piping tips and bag, fondant, wilton ink colouring etc.. Then headed over to Ntuc to get the butter, eggs and full cream milk and ya my oven!
The beautitul flowers you see below according to my teacher was purchased at daiso. I searched high and low for the stencils but just couldn't find it. I can't believe i actually went back to daiso 3 times just to hunt for it again. In the end, i settled for the much bigger flower stencil cos i was really desperate in getting them! I should have waited longer cos today i went to the daiso in Ion and found all the items i wanted including the smaller, exact same flower stencils that my teacher was using! Was really so damn happy haha.
Below are all my loots! I sure bought hell lotsa stuff that i probably wouldn't even use but then again i don't want to be caught in the situation of not having the things just when i needed it.
This above stencil i bought it at daiso.. cute right!? its not as simple as just a flower and butterfly, apparently you can create a picture out of those stencils. So cool..
So looking forward to my first solo cupcaking tomorrow! Be back with more pictures!
I headed to simei to get most of the ingredients, flowers, stencils, rolling pin, piping tips and bag, fondant, wilton ink colouring etc.. Then headed over to Ntuc to get the butter, eggs and full cream milk and ya my oven!
The beautitul flowers you see below according to my teacher was purchased at daiso. I searched high and low for the stencils but just couldn't find it. I can't believe i actually went back to daiso 3 times just to hunt for it again. In the end, i settled for the much bigger flower stencil cos i was really desperate in getting them! I should have waited longer cos today i went to the daiso in Ion and found all the items i wanted including the smaller, exact same flower stencils that my teacher was using! Was really so damn happy haha.
Below are all my loots! I sure bought hell lotsa stuff that i probably wouldn't even use but then again i don't want to be caught in the situation of not having the things just when i needed it.
This above stencil i bought it at daiso.. cute right!? its not as simple as just a flower and butterfly, apparently you can create a picture out of those stencils. So cool..
So looking forward to my first solo cupcaking tomorrow! Be back with more pictures!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
1st cupcake lesson
I begin my very first cupcake lesson on the 14th August and from there i was hooked! Have always been a big fan of desserts and anything sweet.
Since young i will always peer into the bakery looking for beautifully designed cakes. Just looking at the pretty stuff makes me happy. I will always like young girly ones refused to eat the cake, just admiring them and then savouring them bit by bit.
After my first lesson, it seriously got me all charged up, having visions of owning my very own cupcake bakery shop. However, i still have a long way to go.
This blog serves to chart my journey of cupcake making. I think my very first cupcake taste wonderful, much better than i expected. The lovely decoration on the cupcakes as you can see are my creation.
I hope to embark on the cupcake journey, baking for the people i love, for young girly ones, for kids who love cakes, for people with sweet tooth , and for anyone who wouldn’t mind a novice but passionate baker.
Hop on the cupcaking journey with me…. and yes a beautiful one.
Since young i will always peer into the bakery looking for beautifully designed cakes. Just looking at the pretty stuff makes me happy. I will always like young girly ones refused to eat the cake, just admiring them and then savouring them bit by bit.
After my first lesson, it seriously got me all charged up, having visions of owning my very own cupcake bakery shop. However, i still have a long way to go.
This blog serves to chart my journey of cupcake making. I think my very first cupcake taste wonderful, much better than i expected. The lovely decoration on the cupcakes as you can see are my creation.
I hope to embark on the cupcake journey, baking for the people i love, for young girly ones, for kids who love cakes, for people with sweet tooth , and for anyone who wouldn’t mind a novice but passionate baker.
Hop on the cupcaking journey with me…. and yes a beautiful one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
