Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

Rose:
Thanks for your support. By the time I was done...yes I was smelling...but certainly not like a rose! Anyway...loosing my scale to a sink full of soapy water gave me the perfect excuse to buy a new scale...one that I can set a muffin tin on. Now I can obsessively weigh the batter for my cup cakes, giving me the uniform size I strangely seem to feel is necessary. Tonight I'm making a Chocolate Genoise that I am splitting and filling with whipped ganache and then icing with mousseline buttercream flavored with Grand Marnier (I know my spelling is probably a mess). This is my favorite combination of recipies from TCB. It is so light...it disappears in your mouth...perfect after a heavy meal. Thanks so much for your support and wonderful recipies.

Posted by: Bill | November 4, 2007 9:47 AM #

I don't like most cakes made with oil because they seem greasy to me. Is there a minimal proportion of oil that is needed for good but not greasy texture? I do not like a recipe where oil is half the quantity of flour.

Posted by: TOBY SCHEEL | November 4, 2007 1:16 PM #

Did you see "Teddie's Apple Cake" in NY Times Nov. 4? It calls for 1 1/2 oil to 3c flour. Do you think oil could be cut to 3/4c, or would using 3/4c butter be enough? Thanks

Posted by: TOBY SCHEEL | November 4, 2007 1:58 PM #

Bill, you are a warrior and winning. Managing with the unexpected and solving problems is the essence of baking. Love your creativity and flavor/texture combinations.

In Italy now, having rose blog withdraws, but enjoying what I can quickly read. Will REPORT back!

Chiffon, Chocolate Genoise, what else can I ask for?

Posted by: Hector | November 6, 2007 10:48 AM #

Thanks Hector. I admire all of your beautiful cakes. My decorating skills aren't that advanced...but I'm working on it.

Posted by: Bill | November 6, 2007 2:16 PM #

Bill, normally I haven't followed any of Martha Stewart's cookbooks or merchandise, but one thing I follow from her is when she says "the cake is done decorating when you decide it is done."

So, anyone really can make something advanced without much work really.

Posted by: Hector | November 6, 2007 3:10 PM #

Hector:
Thanks for your encouragement. I can ice a cake smoothly, I can also pipe a basket weave pattern, shell border and buttercream roses...so my cakes always look neat and finished. I just haven't gotten to doing cakes in unusual shapes etc. It's more about flavor than looks for me. As long as they are neat a pretty (which they are) I'm usually happy. Now I feel like I want to try something more elaborate. We'll see how it goes.

Posted by: Bill | November 7, 2007 11:02 AM #

hi
can u please give me a good recipie for making a good moist chocolate cake that can be used for birthday cakes .

birthday cake will be covered with buttercream icing. cake should not be too crumbly when it is cut. normal room temp here is around 30 celcius.

i have been using sponge and even after moistening it it tends to be very crumbly.

i am confused.
thankyou.

Posted by: kavita kapoor | November 9, 2007 4:42 AM #

Kavita:
Hi. I have found that the Chocolate Fudge Cake in the cake bible has always worked beautifully for me. I use it with buttercream frostings all the time!. It isn't a sponge type cake...it is much denser. I'm guessing that since you listed room temperature in Celcius that you are not in the USA. I am now aware that I'm not supposed to post the recipies from the cake bible here due to copyright laws...I'm hoping that you have a copy or can get one. The yellow cake recipe that appears on this website is spectacular. Just click on "cakes" under the recipe section on the left side. But if you want Chocolate...the Chocolate Fudge Cake in The Cake Bible is wonderful.

Posted by: Bill | November 9, 2007 2:45 PM #

I am baking with Duncan hines mixes and have trouble with cake cracking uneven cakes sometimes and tunneling! This happens on and off. Anyone know why this is happening?

Posted by: Beth | November 9, 2007 8:29 PM #

Hi,

I am looking to bake cupcakes for several upcoming birthday events, I need advice on what I could add to it, so that I can bake and bag them long in advance and it will hold a long fresh shelf life.

Thank you so much in advance for your kind help and assistance, it is greathly appreciated!!

I read somewhere that companies add preservatives, would that be a good option?? if so, which once should I add and how much??

Posted by: John | November 11, 2007 12:24 PM #

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Do not add preservatives!. If you need to do them far in advance (how far are we talking?) the best thing to do is to freeze them. If you put them in the freezer until the frosting is firm...you can then wrap them in plastic wrap and then bag them air tight and they will freeze well...for a couple of months. Then defrost them, unwrapped, at room temperature!.

Posted by: Bill | November 11, 2007 12:56 PM #

And by the way...to all of you who have had problems with the papers separating from the cupcakes...I think I've figured out why it happens. I baked a batch of corn muffins yesterday, and noticed that the paper separated on just a few of them...on closer inspection I realized that a little stray batter had gotten onto the edge of the paper and was touching the muffin tin. As the muffins started to cool, they shrank, the paper which was stuck to the tin because of the stray batter stayed in place, and the paper started to separate. I don't know if this is the whole problem...but clearly it was part of the issue for me.

Posted by: Bill | November 11, 2007 1:02 PM #

Rose:I have a question for you, I have been doing cakes for a while now and i have done a few wedding cakes. I have been asked for the first time to do a wedding cake three tiers on top one another. They do not want me to assemble it at the location. They want to pick it up at my house already assembled. They want it assembled on top of each other already with they pick it up. I am afraid that it will fall apart while they transport it. Help I do not know what to do. Thanks

Posted by: Jackie | November 12, 2007 11:45 AM #

I am such a fan!!! I have made a few cakes from tcb - my fave is the Golden butter cream cake. I am looking to incorporate this recipe into what i am tentatively calling a vacherin torte. Adding layers of baked meringue, whipped cream, and strawberries. Not sure how to keep whipped cream from making the crisp meringue soggy.

I had a dessert like this in a tearoom in upstate new york and it was the best thing i ever tasted!!

Posted by: Candice | November 13, 2007 7:43 PM #

Hello! Just a quick question....Is there a reason for cooling cakes completely even when you are going to refrigerate or freeze the layers right away? Would it hurt to wrap them and freeze/refrigerate after a short cooling?

Posted by: Cathy | November 19, 2007 2:14 AM #

Not quiet sure where to post this but I have to rave about the GUILT-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIFFON CAKE on page 158. Heavenly. I was so scared to try it but it sounded so delicious. I followed the instructions to a T and my cake turned out exactly like the picture in the book. My first question to you Rose was about cream of tartar (if there was a subsitute) I used the cream of tartar and there is absolutely no taste. I subsituted safflower oil with sunflower oil. I read they're in the same family. And I substituted walnut oil with macadamia oil. I couldn't get the oils in the recipy. By the way Rose I'm not sure if you keep notes of mistakes in the book but just in case you do another revision of the Cake Bible there is a mistake in the ingredients list. It requests for 350 ounces of sugar. I assumed it meant to say grams. If not I stuffed the recipy up. This cake would be absolutely perfect to make lamingtons.

Posted by: Veronica | November 19, 2007 3:58 AM #

Last week I tried the GOLDEN WHEAT CARROT RING on page 75. Yummmmmooooooo. It tastes healthy. My kids didn't like it so I guess that means it is healthy, they seem to be allergic to healthy lol. I was trying to sneak some carrots into them. I failed miserably. The adults undoubtably loved it. Thanks Rose for such a wonderful book. It my new best friend.

Posted by: Veronica | November 19, 2007 4:03 AM #

Veronica good catch on the ounces/grams error - have you checked out the Book Errata page? You can find it in listed under Categories on the upper left hand side of this page.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 19, 2007 7:56 AM #

how does one keep the top of an apple cake moist .... almost as if there is
no crust on top.

cha cha

Posted by: cha cha | November 19, 2007 9:02 AM #

During baking, or after?

Posted by: Patrincia | November 19, 2007 9:44 AM #

after baking.. a neighbor made it and the top was almost like a thin skin

Posted by: cha cha | November 19, 2007 12:42 PM #

I WANT THE CAKE TO BE VERY SOFT ON TOP.

CAN THIS BE DONE?

Posted by: Anonymous | November 19, 2007 3:13 PM #

Dear anonymous, to make a soft top, I use my serrate knife or dental floss and get rid of the crumb =)

Posted by: Hector | November 19, 2007 7:25 PM #

Veronica, re: Golden Wheat Carrot Ring, when I serve it w/o the lovely white chocolate cream cheese frosting, then I get some unhappy friends (just a few).

I can't wait to try this recipe with freshly ground whole wheat flour. You need to buy the wheat and grind it at home. Hopefully Santa will remember that the KitchenAid mill grinder is the ONLY attachment I yet need! According to Rose's comment regarding whole wheat flour for bread baking, when freshly ground the 'strong taste of wheat' is nearly eliminated!

Here is the picture I posted a few months ago when I was running my Golden Wheat Carrot Ring marathon.

http://www.hectorwong.com/roselevy/CarrotRing.htm

Posted by: Hector | November 19, 2007 8:48 PM #

You had a Christmas cake that was a white cake with coconut and fruit. My Mom always made it. I am looking for it. Do you have it?

Posted by: Alison | November 19, 2007 11:28 PM #

Hector - I hope Santa brings you the mill!

Posted by: Patrincia | November 20, 2007 8:18 AM #

Thank you, Rose. I knew there had to be something more to it.

Hector, that is gorgeous! Wow. Did you use the savarin ring mold as Rose's recipe calls for?

Posted by: Cathy | November 20, 2007 11:17 AM #

Cathy, thank you. Good question. I didn't have the savarin ring at that time, so what you see has been baked on an angel food pan (2 piece chiffon pan, plain aluminum). The top burned a little because of the extra metal. I purposely took advantage of the hole in the middle to turn the buttercream roses into a wreath. I plan to use the same chiffon pan for panettone, so I can cool it upside down like in Milan.

Patrincia, there are many things I've asked Santa, all for my kitchen! The Zo, the Alessi scale, the KA mill, I am spoiled. I've played with the Alessi scale and it is gorgeous. My Weight makes the same model at half the cost and seems to be the same thing. The scale was a thing of beauty, one solid piece of stainless steel, easy to wash. It is heavy though, so I need to find permanent counter top space for it.

Rose, it is easy to decorate with Rose(s)!

Posted by: Hector | November 20, 2007 1:39 PM #

Hector - I confess, my Christmas list is almost exclusively kitchen items.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 20, 2007 1:45 PM #

Although i like the taste of butter in cooked things, I don't like the cold feel of butter in my mouth. However, the frostings I always seem to like are the ones CALLED buttercreams by others. What frosting should I try from TCB?

Posted by: Candice | November 20, 2007 7:31 PM #

Candice, the Mousseline Buttercream, any of its flavor variations, or in fact any of the buttercream recipes from TCB will hit your spot. Be sure to serve at room temperature or at the temperature indicated.

Posted by: Hector | November 20, 2007 8:18 PM #

I ditto Hector's comments exactly.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 20, 2007 10:34 PM #

THANKS you guys for your prompt response! I made a neoclassic buttercream from the book, and found it to be too dense, like biting a stick of butter. Is mousseline lighter? Did I somehow flub the neoclassic?

Posted by: Candice | November 21, 2007 1:27 AM #

Candice, what do you mean like biting a stick of butter? the taste or the texture?

Try the mousseline, it is mostly italian meringue, EVERYONE I've done it for tells me it is the lightest 'butter' cream they ever had.

Posted by: Hector | November 21, 2007 2:05 AM #

Thanks Hector. It was the texture and mouth feel, chewiness. I would probably enjoy the *taste* of a stick of butter, lol.

Posted by: Candice | November 21, 2007 6:56 AM #

Yes, the Mousseline is the one to make. It's a little more fussy than the Neo-Classic, but it's much more refined in flavor and appearance. And be sure to eat it when it's between slighly cool and room temperature, but definitely not when it's cold (although my family doesn't mind cold Mousseline).

Posted by: Patrincia | November 21, 2007 7:57 AM #

OK all...I'm obsessing about uniform cupcake size again. After loosing my scale to a sink full of dirty water I have bought a new scale that will hold a muffin tin. Someone on the site suggested filling the muffin cups with a pastry bag....so I gave it a try. I found it very awkward to fill the bag...The batter (chocolate fudge cake) is somewhat thin. Also I found it hard to stop the flow at just the right point. Any technique suggestions? I baked 4 dozen cupcakes last night...half frosted with chocolate mousseline, half with vanilla. (I ate two at about 3 AM...Yum)

Posted by: Bill | November 21, 2007 12:55 PM #

Candice, texture and mouth feel of buttercream like a stick of butter is because it was served at a temperature too cold. Try 60 to 90 degrees (room temperature), and not 34-45 degrees (refrigerator temperature). It makes a day/night difference.

Mentioned on CB re the melting point of butter is closest to the temperature of the human tongue! something like that.

Hope you are motivated to try the Mousseline. Patrincia is the expert. Don't be discouraged when making it for the first time(s), it can seem impossible to do. Search the blog there are plenty tips on what happens/to-do when things seems too watery or too thick. I believe the must/critical factor for mousseline is to ***heat*** the sugar to the absolute correct temperature (or consistency).

Posted by: Hector | November 21, 2007 1:26 PM #

Oh Bill, you're a midnight baker like me!

To fill the bag, first pinch off, rubberband, or clip the end closed. Then put the pastry bag into a tall glass or vase to support it and keep it open while you pour your batter in.

Use a plain round tip in your pastry bag, and use your finger to start and stop the flow of batter.

You can also try a pancake batter dispenser available at kitchen stores or online.

I like to use an ice cream scoop - the kind with the little sweeper arm, but that's probably not as precise as you were hoping for.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 21, 2007 1:29 PM #

No Hector - YOU are the Mousseline expert :) !!!

The first time I made really big cake for a crowd I was so nervous that, without thinking, I hid the cake in the fridge to keep it safe from the dozens of little ones sticky little fingers. When the cake was presented to the guest of honor it looked fantastic, but when I tried to cut the first slice it was a disaster - even with a hot knife, the buttercream just kind of cracked into shards.

The buttercream didn't reach the optimum serving temperature until about 2 hours after everyone went home. Needless to say, there was a lot of abandoned buttercream left on all the plates that day. That was such a mistake for me, and a HUGE lesson learned.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 21, 2007 1:43 PM #

Bill, try a commercial portion funnel, looks like a big funnel with a wide tip, and you can adjust the portions. Also called a "K" Pancake Dispenser:

(page 266 ) http://www.bargreen.com/2008_catalog/KitchenSupplies.pdf

But, most people just use an ice cream scooper (the type with the spring and sweep)

Posted by: Hector | November 21, 2007 2:33 PM #

Dear Patrincia and Hector:

Thanks for all your input...as always. I'm going back to the icream scoop method. I have one that works great for the chocolate but dispenses too much for the yellow (which seems to rise more). At NY cake and baking they sell them in a million sizes...I'll just pick one up that's a little smaller. Have a good thanksgiving everyone!

Posted by: Bill | November 21, 2007 2:45 PM #

Patrincia, when I made the Hawaii Way cake which had 93.9 cups of mousseline (9677 grams of butter), I made sure my assistants (cake cutters) only served a 1/2" to 1" slices! I also requested really small dessert plates (disposable worked well on this case, but wouldn't be appropriate for a wedding). Serving temperature was 80oF after 3 hours of 90oF display.

I did not sign up as one of the cake cutters because my job was to walk around and check the trash cans for dumped mousseline. There was none.

Lesson learned.

Yes, it will crack when cold, when I had to tower the tiers, the cake was very cold, and it was cracking.

Posted by: Hector | November 21, 2007 2:45 PM #

Hector:
I would try the funnel...but I have no more room for another gadget lol.

Posted by: Bill | November 21, 2007 2:47 PM #

Hector - my kids love the smell of Mousseline being made in the kitchen - they say it smells just like a bakery.

I stack my tiers cold too, but one of the reasons why I leave about 1/4-inch of space between tiers is so there is no direct force on each tier from the one(s) above - It does seem to eliminate any buldging or cracking, but then again, I've never done an 11-tier cake like your amazing Hawaii Way Cake.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 21, 2007 3:19 PM #

Hi Rose - yes, I do cut my supports slightly higher than the top of the cake's surface - it allows for a little extra "wiggle" room for my fingers, and the cardboard round doesn't stick to the frosting below. The 1/4-inch gap is easily hidden with a piped border.

I really prefer to stack the tiers on site so I don't have to worry about moving the cake stacked, but then you have to finish assembling and decorating in front of onlookers. I did successfully deliver a 2-tier cake that was already stacked. I piped a small dollop of buttercream on the supports (dowels in that case) before I placed the 2nd tier on top. Then I piped a border to cover the 1/4-inch gap, chilled the cake well, and delivered it cold. I think the cold border that covered the 1/4-inch gap served as a sort of super sturdy glue that helped to hold the top tier in place.

The cake was supposed to sit on display for several hours, so I wasn't worried about it being too cold when served.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 21, 2007 3:53 PM #

Spatula? Do you mean when placing a tier on top of the dowels?

Posted by: Patrincia | November 21, 2007 4:01 PM #

Oh... aside from the fact that I seem to get covered in buttercream from head to toe :), no - I don't have any trouble. I just push the spatula up against the underside of the cardboard and the whole thing lifts off nicely. I do wear disposable gloves to keep my hands from getting all mucked up though.

Posted by: Patrincia | November 21, 2007 4:23 PM #

Very good information regarding stacking with a gap. The Hawaii Way cake had 1/4" gaps, a separator plate on top of the bottom layer, and a cardboard cake circle holding the layer above. The pegs were Wilton's hidden pillars; yes it left huge holes! I also reinforced with traditional wooden dowels

The pegs and dowels were cut with precision. But I made one mistake: don't use cardboard cake circles, the bottom circles were pretty flattened up from all the weight, and the cake was leaning by the time you counted to tier #8 or so above.

Posted by: Hector | November 21, 2007 4:29 PM #

Hi fellow bakers! Happy thanksgiving! Just got on the website again after such a long time! Still baking lots and lots of cupcakes!

Oh Bill, the funnel will work. Or just pour from a liquid measure and place the tray on a weigh to get the correct amt each time!

Finally - I've uploaded most of the pics of my recent cakes (still some more that I haven't sorted out yet). Anyway, here's the link to my flickr page:

cupcakesnsuch

The new forums look exciting ... have to go figure out how to use it!

Oh - Nushera - not sure if you are on this blog - I have the agar-agar recipe - not sure where to post it!

Posted by: Elicia | November 23, 2007 1:24 AM #

The link is not working... here it is again!

cupcakesnsuch

Posted by: Elicia | November 23, 2007 1:30 AM #

Elicia, all your cupcakes look beautiful, elegant and also delicious, but I agree with you, your daughter is the most beautiful one!!
Which of Rose´s recipes do you use for your cupackes?

Posted by: Silvia | November 23, 2007 10:05 AM #

Elicia and Silvia, you must not celebrate Thanksgiving!

Your cupcakes are gorgeous, I can see you have perfected them! Love the packaging and the opportunity to work for Marc Jacobs! Love the flavors, colors look delicious, frostings, cream ivoire, and swirls. I can tell you used quality.

Thanks for sharing, we were waiting for you. Great dishes, too, great cook you are, and now tell me: how big is your kitchen/oven?

Posted by: Hector | November 23, 2007 12:27 PM #

Elcia: The cupcakes are amazing!

Posted by: Bill | November 23, 2007 1:20 PM #

Hector, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in CR (one foreigner once asked us, if we ate parrots for TG here, instead of turkeys!!! BTW, we do have turkeys, they are indigenous to Central America, but they're eaten mostly for Christmas).
Anyway, I´m sure you did celebrate it with all kind of amazing and delicious food!!
Are you asking me or just Elicia, about the size of our ovens??

Posted by: Silvia | November 23, 2007 1:34 PM #

Elicia, your cupcakes are stunning and absolutely beautiful. I'm sure they taste great too. Your daugher is a beautiful girl. I'm sure she'll grow up to be gorgeous.

Posted by: Rozanne | November 23, 2007 1:42 PM #

Silvia, we eat lots of turkeys for xmas in Peru, too, and no Thanksgiving there. So in the U.S. now I need to make 2 and maybe 3 times turkey: TG, XM, and NY!

Check 'my' Thanksgiving dinner here (wait a few seconds after clicking the link for the correct entry to scroll down on your computer):

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2006/11/great_tip_for_your_thanksgivin.html#comment-70941

Posted by: Hector | November 23, 2007 4:02 PM #

Oh, size of the oven and kitchen for Elicia.

Posted by: Hector | November 23, 2007 4:02 PM #

Oh only the Christians celebrate Thanksgiving on a small scale here - although I do remember celebrating it in school as I went to a Catholic (convent) school! I love roast turkey - but if I make one - I will be the only one eating it!! We normally buy roast turkey for X'mas!Hector - your thanksgiving spread was out of this world!

The size of my kitchen is fairly big by Malaysian standards - I have the 12' by 12' kitchen as well as an extension L-shaped galley of two 7' x 5' for what we call the wet kitchen - it is where the range is and all the oriental pungent stirfrying is done!

My Ariston build-in oven is the basic one which can only accommodate a 15" tray max. I don't bake on 2 levels anymore as I find that it affects the quality of my cakes if I open the oven door (even if only briefly) to shift the pans! So cupcakes are baked tray by tray - the trick is to do small batches each time.

We have a small plot of land and are planning to build our own little house. I'm already working on the layout - and of course, it is designed around my kitchen space! It will be my dream kitchen, with a dry/pastry kitchen that will have an island to double for entertaining, a butler area connected to the wet/chinese kitchen, plus a small walk-in pantry for all my bulky baking stuff! I hope to buy a 2nd oven - the wider type that can accommodate more trays! It will be at least another 1.5 years, but its worth the wait!

Oh Sylvia, I use mainly Rose's Golden Luxury Butter Cake for my plain cupcakes, and the Choc Fudge for choc. I sometimes add choc chips or crushed Oreo to the Golden Luxury Butter Cake - its fabulous for kids! It also pairs so well with lemon curd and Creme Ivoire glaze - the glaze keeps the cupcakes moist for days!

The Golden Luxe rises a lot, filling the cupcake liners half full will do - if not the glaze will not go on flat!

And Hector - I have you to thank for the encouragement to start piping - I'm proud of my roses now I must say! And oh - the mousseline with fruit purees/curds are heavenly - most of my customers thought it is whipped cream and not buttercream which they associate to the grainy sweet stuff made with shortening and confectioners sugar.

Its fun making the cupcakes look pretty, but the best compliments are that the cakes (and frosting) actually tastes delicious! What can I say - Rose and the Cake Bible makes fantastic bakers out of us! Thks, Rose!

Posted by: Elicia | November 23, 2007 8:12 PM #

Elicia, so that is how it should be done, have a separate galley wet/chinese kitchen. Great idea.

No concrete plans yet, but in my mind, I want a kitchen with more self standing stove/ovens placed side-by-side than countertop space! Like putting 3 four-burner ranges next to each other. That gives you 12 burners and 3 ovens, and like how Emeril does on TV, you can cover unused burners and use as counter space.

The rest of the counter space will several sinks, with covers too. I realize I do most of my prep directly on the sink!

And a couple of refrigerators/freezers, one to place the food that needs to be refrigerated/frozen, and when the food reaches the refrigerated/frozen temperature then I place it on the second one for actual storage!

I am so glad to hear that I helped you to get rosed up!

Spending most of my black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) dealing with left overs. I am getting a little paranoid about how to properly handle this, like storing well refrigerated or frozen and reheating to reach food safe temperature!

Posted by: Hector | November 23, 2007 8:36 PM #

Thks Rose!

Oh Hector, the wet/dry kitchen style is common here. Most new housing developments offer this layout so there's no need to hack walls for extensions nowadays.

I think free standing units are better too. I currently have problems reaching ants behind my built-ins! So I will be minimizing built-ins in my new kitchen! Even the island will be mobile.

I currently do most of my baking on a 2'x3' wooden table as I do not have an island now - it is lightweight and extendable to 4'x3' for extra serving space when I entertain. I utilise the space under the table for storage using trolleys that fit under it! And I've just got a separate freezer for storing all my baking stuff, so I'm happy that my cakes don't have to share space with raw meat!

I've read abt those leftover woes! I remember Martha Stewart had an article on half a dozen ways to deal with leftover turkey - from sandwiches to potpies!

Posted by: Elicia | November 23, 2007 10:22 PM #

Bill - just found a couple of batter dispensers in the Chef's catalog. They were both around $30.

Posted by: Anonymous | November 23, 2007 10:59 PM #

Elicia - wow, you are the cupcake queen! I love them all - and your daughter is so adorable!

Posted by: Anonymous | November 23, 2007 11:06 PM #

Elicia- wonderful cupcakes! hope you are going to work for even bigger projects. nice to know that you still remember the agar-agar request:) . the new forum has got the most appropriate place to post recipes if(and only if) you have enough time to spend. your daughter is so adorable!

Posted by: nushera | November 25, 2007 4:55 PM #

Thks everyone for loving my cupcakes and my angel!

Oh Nushera, I'll just post the recipe here - its pretty simple and I've adjusted it for a 9"x13" sheet pan.

Mix 200ml fresh coconut milk (from 1 coconut) + 200ml milk + pinch of salt.

Boil 42g agar-agar powder + 2 liters water + 650g sugar + a few pandan leaves.

Use the mixture while warm - for every layer mix 4 tbsp water (or coconut milk mixture) + 200ml agar-agar mixture. Add a few drops of colouring. Pour into tray - let set slightly, then scratch the surface with a skewer before pouring on the next layer. Alternate the clear layers with the milk layers - using the same shade for 1 layer of each. You shld have 6 colours x 2 layers each.

Note you may need to reheat the agar-agar mixture halfway thru. And pour each layer gently or you may break the bottom layers.

Its as simple as that!

Posted by: Elicia | November 27, 2007 7:25 AM #

Thks everyone for loving my cupcakes and my angel!

Oh Nushera, I'll just post the recipe here - its pretty simple and I've adjusted it for a 9"x13" sheet pan.

Mix 2