Jumat, 22 Juli 2011

Sun Mini Cakes

If there's anyone who can pull off romantic, it has got to be Peggy Porshen. Hands down. Where as I.... I can probably pull off happy... as the name of my blog implies :)
To say that I love Peggy Porschen is an understatement. Her designs are chic, stylish and yes, it definitely screams romantic. Sometimes, I secretly wish she'd pull off an Angelina Jolie and adopt me. Or perhaps she'd allow me a sneak peak into her head so I can see how she'd do things, where she gets the inspiration and how she puts things together.
And yup, you guessed it right, these sun mini cakes are Peggy Porschen inspired. In her Cake Chic book, she made some Cameo Cakes. And since I don't have rubber cameo molds, I thought I won't be able to make these.

But then I went to Gourdo's and saw this mold. A sun mold, wow! I am able to make a mini cake inspired by Peggy after all. I describe these cakes as Peggy Porschen inspired with a teeny tiny wee bit of a touch of sunny Bake Happy in it.
Using yellow gumpaste, I prepared the sun. It's kinda gritty, isn't it? I should've used cornstarch instead of powdered sugar.
These are the mini cakes. They're chocolate cupcakes turned upside down covered with buttercream and then covered with fondant.
I love the black fondant accent. What a lovely contrast with yellow and white.
And so now... I think I have a proof that I can pull off a sunny kind of happy... but romantic... well, hmm... maybe :)






Happy cupcaking, 
Aikko


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Selasa, 19 Juli 2011

Frostings 101: Whipped Cream and Ganache

Hi guys!


How's your week coming along?
After the Cupcake Baking Tutorials (which you can find here, by the way), we now move on to more exciting things!
Frosting? Icing? What is it called really? Before, I was confused too. Do you use frosting on cupcakes and icing on cakes? Or the other way around?
Actually, they are one and the same and can be used interchangeably. But whatever its name, I am forever fascinated with it. They make cupcakes extra special.
Bake Happy's Frosting 101 Tutorial is divided into three parts. First up, cream based frostings - 


Whipped Cream


This topping is easy to make and at its very basic, it just has one ingredient, whipping cream. 
It can be used as a cupcake topping when your cupcake on its own is sweet enough. It's light flavor enhances the cupcake's overall flavor


Ingredients - 
2 cups whipping cream (I use the non-dairy variety, Avoset Pour N' Whip)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp powdered sugar (if you're using Avoset Pour N' Whip, no need to add sugar)
Procedure:
1. Pour whipping cream in a cold bowl. Add vanilla.
2. Using cold beaters, whip cream at high speed.
3. Whip until stiff peaks form.

Whipped cream is now ready to be piped or spread into cupcakes

Chocolate Ganache

Ganache is basically cream and chocolate combined together. It is one of my favorite frostings to use as it is not overly sweet. And since chocolate is universal, ganache can be paired with any cupcake flavor. Yes, even green tea.
Ganache can be made with any kind of chocolate - dark, bittersweet, milk, even butterscotch flavored. Just make sure to use the best chocolate you can find. Here's my recipe.

Ingredients -


8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt
optional: you can also add liquers like Kahlua, Cointreau or Crème de Menthe

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into a bowl.
2. Heat cream until it simmers (do not allow it to boil), pour cream over the chocolate. Add salt.
3. Let sit for one minute then stir until combined.
Ganache as a Glaze


By now, the ganache can be poured over a cupcake or you can dunk a cupcake into it.
Like so :)
Here's a ganache glazed cupcake.
Ganache as a Spread


Cover the ganache and cool in the refrigerator overnight.
Once cooled, using a scooper then a spatula, spread ganache over cupcake
Whipped Ganache


Let cooled ganache sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, using cold beaters, whip ganache until stiff peaks form.
Having stiff peaks mean the ganache is of piping consistency. You may place some in a piping bag...
And pipe away!


Next Frosting 101 post: Butter based frosting (a.k.a the Buttercream)

Happy cupcaking, 
Aikko




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Minggu, 17 Juli 2011

How to Make Police Academy Themed Cupcakes


This is for JoAnn. 

She emailed a few days back. She has been asked to make cupcakes for a police academy graduation. Hmmm... police academy themed cupcakes... isn't that cool? She asked for suggestions so I thought of putting up a tutorial for her.

It starts with a dozen cupcakes, smothered in buttercream, 6 in yellow, 6 in white. 
I further prepped the cupcakes, using yellow fondant and an embossed rolling pin, I cut 3 stars and 3 big circles with "mini curves".

I did the same with white fondant. I colored a batch of buttercream in blue and placed it in a piping bag with a #20 Wilton tip. I also placed what's left of the yellow butercream in a piping bag with the same tip and did the following - 
  • Using the blue buttercream, I piped circles in 3 cupcakes with a yellow buttercream base
  • I placed the fondant circles with "mini curves" to 6 cupcakes. The 3 yellow fondants are placed in the white buttercream base cupcakes while the 3 white fondants are placed in the yellow buttercream base cupcakes
  • Using the yellow and blue buttercream, I piped stars in blue and yellow.

To make the handcuffs - 

  1. I rolled gray fondant and cut 3 big circles
  2. Using a smaller round tip -
  3. I then cut a smaller circle inside the big one.
  4. Then rolled 3 small balls and arranged the handcuffs

To make the police badge - 
  1. I rolled fondant in Americolor Gold and cut 3 ovals.
  2. Using a flower cutter
  3. I cut the top half
  4. Placed a blue circle in the middle
  5. Then placed a yellow star on top of it
To make Mr Police Man - 
  1. Using a flower cutter, I cut 3 blue fondants for the hat
  2. The cut a strip of it
  3. I rolled flesh colored fondant and cut circle for the face and placed a button nose, then attached his hat
  4. Using a rose tip, I made him smile
  5. Then placed a small star on his hat and made eyes out of black fondant.
  6. Using a fondant tool, I pressed down on the eyes and attached some hat hair on him, too.
  7. Ta-daaahh!!

Once all toppers are done, I placed them on the cupcakes. Done!


Hope I am able to help JoAnn. Good luck! :)

Happy cupcaking, 
Aikko

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Sabtu, 16 Juli 2011

Welcome to the Salcedo Saturday Market

Hello hello hello!

How did your week went? Mine.. well... mine was full of checklists but enough about that. I thought I'd take you on a tour today... being sunny and all that. It even feels like it's still summer. 

So what are we going to do today? We'll visit one of my favorite places in Makati, the Salcedo Saturday Market. 
The Salcedo Saturday Market started in 2004. Several neighborhood residents thought of putting up a number of stalls every Saturday selling fresh produce, native delicacies, homemade goodies in the hopes that it would motivate building dwellers to go out, see other people, and sample the best of what the market has to offer. 

The market indeed has a lot to offer, the best maja blanca ever (Ginang Bukid), the tastiest baklava (Anatolia's),  the juciest barbecue in town (Ineng's)... the list is endless but what you will see below is the Salcedo Saturday Market from a cupcake baker's perspective.Things that could inspire a baker into a cupcake baking frenzy. Let's start? Yeah!!!

We often see strawberry, blueberry and mango jellies in groceries. Here, we can find jellies made from local fruits... like guava. I like guava jelly with peanut butter in a sandwich. I can probably eat three in one sitting, yup... three.
Rizal Dairy Farms has a stall here, they sell fresh mozarella, ricotta, milk among others. And if you are making red velvet, you can buy buttermilk here too.
Aside from locally produced fruits such as mangoes, jackfruit and suha, the market's fruits stall sells cherries, nectarine, pears, persimmon and plums too.
Pretty rolling pins for cookies and chopping boards for mise-en-place. Cool!
Ate is too shy to smile for the camera... here are some locally grown nuts - peanuts, pili nuts and cashew nuts.
The Spices and Flavors stall sells different kinds of salt. I've been looking for a vanilla flavored salt... too bad they don't have it here. Or maybe I can make one? Hmmm...
Craving for champorado? (sweet chocolate rica porridge) Here are some tablea - pure cacao. Then, all you need is some sticky rice and evaporated milk and your good to go.
Ahhh... sugarcane juice. I always make it a point to buy some every time I'm at the market. So refreshing especially if you are a late riser and you're at the market at when the sun is at its hottest. 
And ohh.. here are some Himalayan pink salt. I am definitely starting to develop a fascination with salt... I have fleur de sel and pink salt. They make great sprinkles for extra sweet cupcakes. They kind of counter balance the sweetness - just use it sparingly.

Hope you enjoyed our little tour! Next stop, Cooks Exchange.
And oh, while you're at it you may want to revisit our previous tours :)

Gourdo's World Market and Landmark Makati

Happy Cupcaking, 
Aikko
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Sabtu, 09 Juli 2011

Bake Happy Blogger's Fondant and Royal Icing Workshop

Remember Amie? Yup, my fab friend who I met though Bake Happy. I made her these cupcake toppers. We've been friends ever since. Rad.


A couple of weeks ago, she invited me to do a demo-sort-of-workshop on how to use fondant and royal icing for cupcake toppers for her and her friends, Rowena and Angelique. Of course, I gladly obliged. I'm telling you, you don't want to miss an opportunity to spend a day with fellow cupcake baking enthusiasts. 


Want to see how it went?


Here we are with Eika, seriously trying her hand at cupcake fondant topper making. Bake Happy Blogger in the middle, and Amie. Amie, by the way, sells delicious cupcakes. Look her up on facebook. While you're at it, look up Bake Happy too and click on "Like" :)
L-R: Eika (a.k.a Future Pastry Chef), Aikko (a.k.a. Bake Happy Blogger) and Amie (a.k.a Baking Diva)
Amie requested for a demo of pig cupcake topper, I made her a lazy pig. Miss Piggy looks like she's so full she just can't stand up!
Beautiful Amie, working hard on a Thomas and Friends topper.
Eika was so fascinated by the lazy pig, she wanted to do one all on her own. Good job on the lazy pig Eika!
Thanks Americolor for the electrifying colors.
 Here's what we did, Angry Birds, Angry Pig, lazy pigs and Thomas and Friends toppers.
They look so small (but definitely cute) from this angle. Here's Rowena, taking a picture of the Eiffel Tower topper.
 Rowena's sister, Angelique with Eika (Say Cupcake!)
Mr and Mrs Angry Birds - I didn't know there is a female Angry Bird till now. Just checked, the ribbon it's color yellow pala.
Thanks Amie, Rowena, Angelique and Eika for the wonderful day!!! Super enjoyed it! :)

Happy cupcaking, 
Aikko


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