Red Velvet Cupcakes

Helloooooo everyoneeeeeeee

It’s one more day till school reopens. Honestly, I am kinda looking forward to going back to school because staying at home all day is BORING and you know, I can’t possibly bake everyday because I will get damn fat after that. Oops

However, I think it is nice to share with you this Red Velvet Cupcake I had make before. Its so darn delicious. Fluffy, Soft and yum! It’s even better than the Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cake I ate at the 5 star hotel. [Yup, 5 star hotel…..]

This cupcake is so darn good because

1. One of my friend said that this got to be the best thing I have baked for her
2. It is beautifully coloured (artificially coloured but still, it didn’t bleed like the one I ate at the restaurant)
3. It’s made with love! ❤

I got these cupcakes recipe for Sallysbakingaddiction. She’s the reason why I started baking and I love her so much!

So here’s the recipe:

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

• 2 large eggs, room temperature and separated
• 1 and 1/3 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (32g) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 teaspoons (6g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• liquid or gel red food coloring
• 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 8 oz (224g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups (240g) confectioners sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons (15-30ml) cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Make the cupcakes: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 2 egg whites on high speed in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Sift the flour and cornstarch together to make sure it is evenly combined. Whisk this, along with baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil and beat on high for 2 minutes.
5. Add 2 egg yolks and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vinegar and the food coloring– until you reach your desired color
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
7. Fold whipped egg whites in three batches into cupcake batter with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The batter will be silky and slightly thick.
8. Spoon batter into cupcake liners filling 1/2 – 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-21 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Don’t overbake; your cupcakes will dry out. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

   Make the frosting: 

10. In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and 1 Tablespoon cream. Beat for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 more Tablespoon cream if needed to thin out. Beat on high for 1 full minute. Taste the frosting and add a pinch of salt if too sweet. Frost cooled cupcakes immediately before serving.

Glorious Sweet Potato Bread

Glorious Purple Sweet Potato Honey Bread. Full with nutrients and goodness.

Introducing to you: The glorious sweet potato bread! Sweetened with honey and filled with the nutrient packed sweet potato! Not forgetting the fabulous purple hue it produces!

The bread recipe was obtained from Xiachufang and the sweet potato filling was adapted from Vintage Trinket. However, the sweet potato was not as sweet as I would like but it is also because I did not add any sugar inside, making it even healthier and wholesome. Minimum butter was add in to make it more creamy and that’s all.

A nutrition filled breakfast for everyone and for everyday! Yum! 

Recipe for Bread:

• 200g bread flour
• 50g cake flour
• 55g honey
• 2.5g salt
• 3g yeast
• 125g milk
• 35g egg
• 25g unsalted butter

1. Mix all the ingredients except butter together till windowpane stage is achieved. Knead after the dough is soft and smooth. It may be really sticky at first but do not be tempted to add more flour, but rather, continue to knead the dough. Add the butter till it is incorporated.
2. Let it rise till it is doubled. (Mine took 1hr)
3. Punch the dough down and divide it into 10 portions.
4. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
5. Shape the dough and fill it up with the sweet potato filling.
6. Let it rise for a second time
7. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or till it is hollow when tapped.
8. Devour

 

Sweet Potato Filling:

• 200g mashed and cooked sweet potato
• 20g unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• some milk

1. Add the butter into the hot mashed sweet potato and mix well until the butter melts.
2. If the mixture is too dry, add some milk to lighten it up.
3. Set the filling aside to cool.

 

 

Enjoy 🙂

Lemony orangy Lemony Cake

Hello guys!

Presenting to you one of the loveliest cake with the best crust, that can be eaten plain on its own or use it to assemble a layer cake.

It is full with citrus flavours, and most importantly, it is not overly sweet! The crust on top, oh gosh, I can eat this all day, for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner and for supper. This cake was the main cake component for my friend’s birthday cake, and I would have to admit, this is the best part of the whole cake, because my lemon curd failed and my buttercream, failed even more badly.

However, this cake saved the whole cake. Yes, it did! ❤ It was really easy to make and the texture was just spot on! It was even better than the blueberry lemon cake layers I baked last time, and this definitely have lesser ingredients!

This cake layer is adapted by April Charter ‘Decorated’. There are so many recipes inside that I would like to try out and I hope you do as well! I  am sure you will love this cake as much as I do!

Here’s the recipe (Makes 4x6inch cake layers)

• 225g unsalted butter
• 225g granulated/ caster sugar (it was previously 310g sugar)
• 4 medium eggs (lightly beaten)
• 300g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 120ml milk
• Zest of 2 lemons and 2 oranges

 

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. Grease 2 6inch cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
2. Using a electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 3-4 mins (I beat it for 3mins) till it is light and fluffy.
3. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating after each addition, until they’re well incorporated. I like to beat slightly longer after adding the last bit of egg so that the mixture can be slightly more fluffy (Approximately 20 seconds)
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a clean bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.
5. Add the milk, continuing to beat and then add the remaining flour mixture and the zest and beat until just combined.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins. Bake in the over for 45-50 minutes (mine took 50 minutes) or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in their tins, then turn them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
   

   

   Look at the crust! Oh My Goodness!

Argh So hotttttt

Eating Tang Yuan marks the end of the 15th day of Chinese New Year. Eating Tang Yuan symbolizes 团团圆圆, which also mean a family staying close together. However, jiejie has flown back to Aussie and since the family is not 4/4, we have decided to skip eating Tang Yuan….

Till……

I suggested eating black ball. Wells, the pearls are round… The yam glutinous balls are round, sweet potato balls are round, we are still revolving around the topic of round right? Well, I have tried this many many times and I still love it. The sweet icy winter melon topped with grass jelly and aiyu jelly and other topping, oh gosh! This is way better than a $18.90 Bingsu which is bland and simply put, you are just paying for shaved milk… Both Mama, Papa and I agree that we would rather eat ice but with something that has more toppings and more flavourful and something that is more than half of the price.

The lightning makes this picture looks extremely beautiful and simply make the whole bowl of goodness shines through. Yum! Perfect for such a hot weather in Singapore!

  Loving it <3<3