Valentine's Day - Red Velvet Cake

Valentine's Day 2012

Unknowingly, I had a small bakesale! It all started with the Latin Dancers project as above for my senior. So came the idea of a red velvet heart shaped cake with silhouettes.

This is for Weibin and Yuting :)

And a cake canvas for Ching Kai to Kat... Tough work for him, but definitely worth it. Heehee. ><

Valentine's Day is only lonely if you let it be. Celebrate love, not lovers. For all those single, take heart and let the music play!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

I did it, the 3 kg chocolate cake for Ying Quan's birthday party! He's really quite an awesome guy, and by inviting me to bake his 21st birthday cake really means a lot to me. It took me a whole night and half a day, but it was worth every moment of it.

Almost 70 slices and a whole bunch of happy people enjoying the cake. I can't describe how I felt when they came up and said the cake was awesome. Some moments that really melted my heart were: 1) When a guy came up and asked if I was going to open up a shop, because he felt that I would succeed.2) When another guy told me I'll put awfully chocolate out of business.3) When the few came up to ask for second helpings.4) All the random comments such as: I wish I could have this cake for my birthday every year.5) Everyone who came up to me and told me it was good.Realised that all I needed was just someone to understand how this meant so much to me. To remind myself to have a little more faith that I can take on such projects and accomplish it. It's another milestone and another learning journey for myself.For the next attempt, I'm going to get the crispy thing right. Cause now it's "the chewy chewy thing"...You know what, right now, I'm so damn happy :)

Chocolate Fudge Cake

I think this is my last order for quite some time already. A 3kg Chocolate Fudge Cake for some army boy's birthday!

It was really crazy doing such a big and heavy cake, felt like I was doing weight-lifting everytime I lifted up the cake! But hey, thank goodness I go to the gym. :) But it was an experience and I really hope the cake is fine, though my friend didn't give me constructive advice and he is too nice to me to throw in negative comments. In any case, I was sure I could've done better with a better recipe.

Other than doing Hazelnut Praline for the first time, I printed out my own receipt too! So fun, can't wait to really have my own company next time!



Chocolate Lava Cake

Today, I embarked on a journey to achieve the perfect consistency for Chocolate Lava cake. For those well-versed in the art of a Lava cake, on the outside, it looks like any normal chocolate cake. Once you dig into a Lava cake though, a gooey mess awaits you, waiting to tickle your tastebuds with its warm chocolatey goodness.

First attempt: Overcooked
















Second attempt: Undercooked




















After a few attempts: Perfect!

The origin of this cake is highly disputed. An American dude claimed he discovered it when he underbaked a chocolate cake by accident, but some French man claims that this is another "Made in France" product. Whatever the case, I think it's ingenious. Reminds me so much of how Viagra came into existance: a group of scientists trying to discover a treatment for heart disease realised their test subjects were mostly becoming horny instead of feeling less heartaches.

It's whether you give that ugly duckling a chance to become another kind of swan. Perfection is all but a matter of perception.

23rd birthday

I'll keep it simple this time.

"What kind of cake do you want for your 23rd birthday?"
"I don't like cakes..."

But I insist. So I tried a durian cake.



It didn't work out well. I added too much of the durian paste accidentally and the whole thing was too... convoluted. To say the truth, terribly disappointing. It kept me up awake through the night, as I thought of another one.

Then I realised nothing will come to my mind, because I had other thoughts, feelings that were a little consuming the heart.

Simple, warm, love. Nothing could work more than a chocolate cake. Just a chocolate cake, nothing fancy nothing complicated.

I made the chocolate decorations by melting the chocolate and writing it with a piping bag on some plastic wrap before freezing it again.

Happy birthday my dear brother, thank you for being my best friend and my protective brother. I know that no matter what I bake, you'll still eat it and tell me it's good. I know that you'll never stay angry at me no matter what I do. I know that you'll always make an effort to spend some time with me no matter how busy you are. I know you're always there.

But now, I worry for you. It's why, for the first time, I had no inspiration. Without a clear mind and a light heart, I can't bake, it's terrifying.

I wish things were simple and easy, like the cake. When it's time to let go, and there is no other choice but to let go, can we really do it, or do we simply pretend that we've forgotten? If it hurts so much to love, why do some still love so uncontrollably, pretending that tomorrow will never arrive?

and you say, "happiness is a state of mind." Remember that darling, and remember that some kind of love is forever.