What exactly are black bottom cupcakes?

I'm a bit confused. I've read a few recipes on how to make black bottom cupcakes and I find two differing methods and idea of what makes it... black bottomed. One uses chocolate biscuit (Oreo-like) as a base (think graham crackers-like cheesecake base) and the other uses a dense chocolate cake batter as the black bottom. I like both in different ways (spoken like a true pro who doesn't know what she wants). The recipe with 'biscuit base' often would have a chocolate glaze after the cream cheese filling (the first picture is just before I poured chocolate glaze to fill the cup liners). The one with dense chocolate batter is like the third picture above.

I've heard a few people who dislike these cupcake liners, calling them as just a fad or by saying that it's difficult to eat (because you need to know the how to's of peeling the liners off. My reason for using this is simple, I don't have enough cupcake pans or muffin pans to hold 'normal' cupcake liners (muffin liners) and with these they hold their form because it is designed in such a way that you can say goodbye to cupcake trays! You can spend the money saved from buying cupcake trays on silicone sheets or fondant rollers :D

I've been baking carrot cake, butterscotch cake, marble cake, blondies and cream cheese marble cake but no pictures because I am frogetful like that. Oooh, I made chicken pie for my younger brother's birthday (he's been craving pies because we've been watching Pushing Daisies). Sedap!! (angkat bakul sehh).

Living around cupcakes

Hi all, i'm back after what seem like ages.
For the past month, being unemployed has allowed me to dive into the baking business for abit. Thankfully there are people out there who actually trusts me to fulfill their cupcake orders. :)
I had a couple orders for red velvet cake, chocolate brownie and tarts as well but cupcakes being the most.

So here are some of the photos I would like to share.



















Voila!

Most of the cupcakes that I did were either vanilla or chocolate flavored cake with buttercream frosting. Although there were a few orders of red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting and also a coffee cupcake with coffee flavored buttercream frosting.

I really enjoyed the short amount of time that I had to experience the life of having a cake business, even tho it was a very small one I would say. Sadly, I have to stop for now because I'm starting a new job tomorrow.

However, I strongly believe I'll be back in business in no time.

Till then keep in touch and stay tuned! :P

Much Love,
Lovanilla

Cake, cake and more cake

Greetings...

Here's more update from school... :P

Today i will introduce you to some pretty cakes with layers comprising of three or more elements. Feel free to ask me for recipes as it is too much for me to write all of it here. Enjoy!


Three chocolate bavarian cream cake
Starts with a ladyfinger sponge cake at the bottom and then layered with dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate bavarian cream. Finish with cocoa glaze.



Fraisier
Combination of genoise sponge cake in two layers and mousseline cream. The sides and middle were filled with whole strawberries to give a nice effect before and after cutting. Finish with fondant.



Opera
The classic cake of all time. Comprising of layers of jaconde sponge, coffee buttercream, dark chocolate ganache and finish with dark chocolate glaze. I learned that a true Opera has seven layers and it should be in this order. Jaconde-buttercream-jaconde-ganache-jaconde-buttercream-glaze.



Jamaica
Why jamaica? I don't know, maybe because of a tropical feel this cake has. Consisting of a chocolate jaconde sponge as base, walls and separator between the two mousses. Inside of the cake is filled with coconut mousse with bits of poached pineapple and rum. Topped with mango and passion fruit mousse and jelly glaze.



Royal chocolate cake
This cake calls for a thicker and moist sponge which we just call chocolate biscuit. :P Over the first biscuit goes a rocher layer. It's simply made out of milk chocolate incorporated with almond praline and feuilletine. Basically it tastes similar to those ferraro rocher chocolates only mooshed. Obviously a royal chocolate cake has to have chocolate mousse and also glazed with chocolate.



Pleasure
This cake is supposedly created by Lenôtre. I would say it's a simple and elegant cake with good taste. You couldn't go wrong with it. It's a sandwich of jaconde sponge with a vanilla supreme and chocolate mousse. The top of the cake is brushed with a little egg yolk and sugar and then caramelized with a blowtorch.



Chestnut mousse cake
The name says it all. The whole cake is chestnut mousse, layered inside with hazelnut dacquoise and bits of candied chestnuts. After the cake has set, unmould and cover the outside with chestnut cream making a thorny effect by using a spatula. The dome shape is just an option to show that cakes are versatile and the same recipe could be adjusted to fit just any sort of shape mould.



Raspberry and passion fruit cream cake
Here we increase the elements by using two types of 'biscuit'. The wall is made out of jaconde sponge and the base and separator layer are coconut dacquoise. The filling inside is passion fruit cream and followed by a light raspberry mousse on top. Finish with raspberry jelly glaze.



Apricot almond milk cake
Similar to the previous cake above, this cake uses two different types of 'biscuit'. For the walls, pine nut ladyfinger sponge and for the layers inside, pine nut apricot dacquoise. Dried apricot cut into small cubes and grounded pine nuts were used to incorporate into the dacquoise batter. Creamy apricot filling for inside and topped with an almond milk pannacotta mousse. The same mousse is used to pipe decoration around the sides on top of the cake.



Blackcurrant vanilla cake
I call this a ribena jelly cake...hehe because the blackcurrant tastes similar to ribena and the filling for this cake is a jelly layer instead of the normal cream or mousse. Only ladyfinger sponge is used here for both walls and layers. Followed by the blackcurrant jelly and topped with vanilla supreme mousse. We decorated the tops by piping a design or image using leftover mousse and then filling the gaps with more jelly.



Caramel hazelnut mousse cake
Lastly, a caramelie cake..hehe. Very simple and straight forward. Using ladyfinger sponge same as before with a hazelnut chantilly cream as filling which is basically whipped cream with icing sugar sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts. A caramel mousse of course that goes on top covering the cake with piping around the border edge (any design) to create like a shallow 'pool' in the middle. Fill the 'pool' with caramel glaze.

Wow, that's alot of cakes!

I realize my post this time around is kinda boring. Just straight forward information. I guess it has to do with the fact that i'm feeling kind of blue today but felt the need to blog. Now isn't that weird? Haahhahaa...well i'll be back with more posts soon. I feel my vibe on blogging is coming back...3 posts so far in less than a month. That's progress!

Till then, see ya and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all those celebrating in a couple days time. Maaf Zahir + Batin to all readers and of course my babes here at virginredvelvet.

Salam xx

Happy Ramadhan + Syawal

Hello to my dear girlies and also readers out there. I've been m.i.a for quite awhile and after noticing that my girls has each posted something i guess it's high time i did too! At the same time i would like to wish all of you a warm Selamat menyambut Ramadhan and the coming Syawal. I will be missing celebrating Eid this year as I am still in Bangkok and will be facing my final exams during the 1st week of Eid actually. Which means no baking Eid goodies, no family gatherings, no open houses, no ketupat, lemang, rendang, etc...Booooooooooooo... :(

Enough about that, now I think it's time to post about Thai food! These are photos of delicious food all around Bangkok that I've compiled during the months that I've been here so enjoy... :)


Crispy fried beef (daging goreng)


from bottom: Crab fried rice, Stir-fried crab thai style, cockles (kerang rebus)


clockwise from bottom: Condiments to accompany fresh oysters, fresh oysters, deep fried fish with mango salad sauce


Pad Thai (a must have/try whenever in Thailand)


Crispy on the outside with a soft inside bread smothered with chocolate sauce and kaya
I had this in Chinatown and it was sooooooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooooood! *drools*
There were many other choice for toppings, just to name a few, there's condensed milk, milo, peanut butter, jam, spicy chilli...


Thai style chicken stew on white rice with egg


Som Tum (papaya salad)
This particular som tum was super spicey, look at the amout of cili padi!
I was tearing while eating it but it was good nevertheless.


D.I.Y grilled beef


Pandan chicken


Shrimp and coconut salad appetizer shots and traditional Thai fish cakes


Deep fried calamari


Soft shell crab rolls


Japanese-Thai fusion salad with udon, salmon, oranges, leaves and thai style dressing (funkay funkay...)


Thai green curry chicken


Crispy fried fish (i'm not sure but i think it's sole fish?)


Thai style crab and bamboo shoot curry


Spicy chilli fish


Stir fried chilli crab with basil


Deep fried stingray


Blanched fresh prawns (is that right translation for udang rebus?)


Grilled scallops on half shells with garlic


Yum Pla Salit (spicy sweet and sour salad with crispy fish)
Pla Salit is a certain type of fish which is cut into small pieces and deep fried. One of my favourites.


Clear seafood tomyum soup


Stir-fried fish with thai chilli sauce


Fusion salad with soft shell crab


Geng som pla (sour orange soup with fish)
This Thai soup is usually fiery-hot with both sweet and sour overtones that makes a lively combination, especially with fish or seafood. (similar to our asam pedas)


Fusion spaghetti with Pla Salit (crispy fish)


Khao pad pla salit (fried rice with yet again the crispy fish)


Khao niew ma muang (mango with sticky rice)
The famous dessert of thailand. It is usually just mango, sticky rice and coconut milk but I had this at a restaurant and they served it with coconut ice-cream instead. Extra yummy!

Will be back with more...stay tuned.