Pretty Princess cake with glitter!
Cake for 40-50 people.
Mango cake and 1234 chocolate cake, with mango butter cream.
All decor (gum paste flowers, glitter and fondant) are edible.
$125 for just plain chocolate cake.
$145 for mango cake.
Need two weeks notice before the big day!
Hot Stuff Chocolate Sponge Cake
I like the dense and moist texture of this sponge cake, it can be put into the fridge or sit for days under fondant. I added some orange zest and cayenne pepper to enrich the dark chocolate glaze I put on as frosting.
Hot stuff Chocolate Sponge Cake ( 8 inch cake)
1 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup good coco powder
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup whole milk (or whipped cream)
4 TBS unsalted butter (around half a stick)
3 large eggs at room temperature (if you are pressed for time, run it under warm tap water for 5 mins)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (use pure vanilla extract it is so worth the money)
Zest of one orange
- Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Using either butter or shortening grease the bottom and side of a 8 inches spring pan, then sift some flour on the greased pan and roll it over the sink to get rid of the excess flour.
- Sift flour, coco powder, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper together, set aside.
- In a small saucepan, boil the milk on med-high heat, cut the butter in to 4 parts and add into the pan. When the butter had melted, whisk the liquid and turn the heat to minimum.
- Beat the eggs at high-speed until blended, gradually add the sugar in while still beating. (I use a spoon to add the sugar in a steam.) Add in the Vanilla extract at last , after 5 minutes, when you are almost done, the volume should had tripled.
- Sift 1/3 of the dry mixture in over the egg and gently fold it in. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture in 2 more additions.
- Add the hot milk and orange zest into the egg mixture and fold it in. Once mixed, scrape the batter into the pan.
- Cake will take anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes, till the cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the whole pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Run the back of a paring knife around the edge of the pan and release the spring, remove the bottom plate and leave it on the wire rack to cool completely.
Dark Chocolate Glaze (for glazing top and sides of a 8 inches cake, around 1 1/3 cups)
6 oz of bittersweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp of Vanilla extract or Orange liquor
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil, remove from the head and add the chocolate into the pan. Stir until all the chocolate are melted, add in the Vanilla extract or Orange liquor.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it stand cool for 10 mins.
Cut the cool cake in half, level off the top of the cake if it had expand. Place the lower half of the cake on a cake board (or use a really thin paper plate..)
Fill the center of the cake with fillings of your choice (butter cream, whipped cream or jam), then place the top part back on. Place the whole cake on a wire rack. Line a large cookies sheet with wax paper.
Drizzle chocolate mixture on the center of the cake, then tilt the wire rack side to side to in order to let it drip to the side. Use a metal spatula to smooth the side. (save the wax paper in an air tight container in the freezer for later use)
Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes, or till the glaze is set.
I just decorate this with trimmed strawberries, but you can use whatever fruit you have on hand.
Food photography preset for lightroom
A new preset for still life color improvement is available over at the new photo site. This set is design to achieve the crisp clean fine dinning look.
Mango Mousse Cake
This Mango mousse cake use the same basic formula with the Chocolate mousse cake. I opted to use store brought lady finger ( or savoiardi biscuit) when I am press for time. There is a wonderful Italian own supermarket around my house that stock lady finger MADE IN Italy, but whenever the new shipment came in it will sell out in a couple of days. My second choice will be the savoiardi biscuit from super store, you can find them in the cookie section.
For this recipe, you can either use fresh alphonso mango when it is in season, which you can find in most Asian grocery store. When it is not available, I usually pick up a giant can of mango puree from the Indian section of super store, which by far is the closes to the fresh one. They are a bit more watery, so you will have to boil it in a sauce pan to reduce the liquid a bit.
You can follow the instruction on baking your own sponge cake from this post, or use store brought lady finger.
You will need:
7 inch springform pan
parchment paper to line the pan
3 mango, preferably ripened.
1/2 cup 3.5% vanilla yogurt
1 packet of Knox gelatin powder
4 TBs cold water (1/4 cup)
2 1/2 TBs icing sugar
3/4 cup Heavy cream (or whipping cream)
Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Cut mangoes in three part, as closed to the pit as possible, then by using a metal spoon, scoop out the flesh and set aside.
Mix the gelatin with the cold water, then microwave on high for 15-20 seconds.
Using a hand blender, puree the flesh of mango.
Mix the yogurt into the puree, then add the gelatin solution. Make sure everything is mix well.
Using a hand mixer, whipped the whipping cream with the powder sugar till soft peak formed.
Fold the whipped cream in batches with the yogurt mixture.
Layer the bottom of the spring form pan with lady finger, make sure they are not touching the side of the pan. The idea is to have mousse draped over and form a nice side when you release the spring.
Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of the mixture into the pan, just enough to cover the lady finger. (Sorry for the blurry photo but I was holding the camera while I try to pour the mixture in….)
Smooth out the top, and then tightly wrap around the pan with plastic wrap a couple times, refrigerate over night.
When you are ready to serve the cake, loosen the side by running a knife around the inside of the pan before release the cake, or you can wrap a hot tea towel around the spring pan. Both will ensure the side won’t stick to the pan and tearing the cake apart.
You can dress it up with CocoFlag or Carmel candy.
The Coco Flag:
1/3 of a bar of your favorite dark chocolate
1/3 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 ts of your choice of liqueur or flavor syrup (optional)
Non-stick aluminum foil
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, use medium level power and at 45 second interval until soften. Stir with rubber spatula.
For the sake of your sanity, use non-stick aluminum foil. Place foil on a cool flat surface matted side up. Using the rubber spatula, start dabbing the chocolate on the foil.
Place the foil on a baking sheet and into the freezer. Chill for 4 hours or till set.
Working quickly, peel off the chocolate piece one by one and store in a air tight container. Freeze till you are just about to decorate your cake.
Caramel drizzle Candy:
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cup sugar
Non-stick aluminum foil
In a sauce pan, bring the water and sugar to boil. It is important to not stir the mixture, shake the pan from side to side instead. Watch carefully, and once the mixture started to bubble and turn into golden color, remove the pan from stove.
Lay the non-stick aluminum foil on a flat cool surface, then by using a spoon drizzle the caramel on the foil. You will need a couple of practice run before you get the hang of thing. Let it cool and peel off the piece.
My son Aidan declared to me today that he will make cookies today, so I ask him what kind he would like to make. Chocolate Chip he said, and we will need flour and sugar. Apparently they had a cooking lesson in his pre-school class today.
Chocolate Chip Cookies are everyone all time favorite, this recipe is base on my ancient Betty Crocker’s cook book. I added the orange and nutmeg for extra flavor. This is super easy as my goal was to make sure my 3 years old can help me add and mix the batter, ideally had him drop cookie dough on the sheet (his favorite cartoon was on right when the dough was ready to be drop..) and wait by the oven and watch as the little ball turn into his favorite cookies
Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies (make 4 dozens)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup Margarine or butter (2 sticks)
1 Large egg
2 cups and 4 TB spoon all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 TBs of Orange zest (grated with cheese grater)
1 package of (12 ounces) dark chocolate chips
Heat Oven to 375 degree.
Microwave the butter stick in a heat proof bowl on med in 10 seconds interval till it is soften.
Mix sugars, butter and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
Add chocolate chips, grated orange zest and nutmeg.
Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper, then using 2 round spoons round the dough and drop it on the lined cookie sheet. They should be 2 inches apart from each other.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the edge are light brown.
Cool the cookie sheets on wire rack for a couple of minute and then remove the cookie from the sheets and cool on wire rack.
Green Tea Yogurt mousse cake with sponge cake mango jelly glaze.
Sponge Cake: ( for 8 inchs spring form pan)
2 eggs, separated
3 TBs hot water
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup constarch
1 ts baking powder
3 TB all purpose flour
1 TB Macha green tea powder (I purchase mine in T&T)
Oven preheat to 325 F. Sift together the dry ingredients.
Beat Egg white with 3 table spoon of sugar till stiff.
Beat Egg yolk with the rest of the sugar on low till creamy and then add the hot water into the mixture in a steam.
Fold the Egg yolk into the Egg white.
Sift in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, work on it as quickly as you can.
Line the bottom of the spring form pan with parchment paper, then pour mixture in and bake till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, around 15 mins. Check the cake starting at 10mins, in case your oven is hotter than usual.
Once the cake is done, transfer the pan to wire racks and cool completely.
Green tea Mousse:
1 TB of Macha green tea powder
1 1/3 cup 3.5% plain yogurt
1 packet of Knox gelatin powder
4 TBs cold water (1/4 cup)
2 1/2 TBs icing sugar
3/4 cup Heavy cream (or whipping cream)
Mix the gelatin with the cold water, then microwave on high for 15-20 seconds.
Mixed the green tea powder with the yogurt, then add the gelatin solution and mix again.
Using a hand mixer, beat the cream and sugar together till it is glossy and stiff. Fold the whipped cream in batches with the yogurt mixture.
Loosen sides of sponge cake by running the flat side of a knife blade around the side, release the spring and place cake on cutting board.
Cut the cake in half, you can use a ruler and tooth pick to mark down where you need to cut. Once done, place the bottom part of the cake back into the pan. Pour enough yogurt mixture in just covering the cake. Place the top layer in and put in the rest of the mixture. Smooth out the top with a angle specular.
Use plastic wrap to tightly wrap around the pan a couple times, refrigerate over night.
Mango Jelly layer:
We just need a little bit for decorating the cake, the rest you can save in a air tight container.
1 pack of Knox Gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 can of mango juice (or puree 2 flesh of Manila mango)
1 ts of Vanilla extract
Dress up: Handful of strawberries, cut in slices.
Chocolate flags (see here for recipe)
Mix the gelatin with the cold water, then microwave on high for 15-20 seconds.
In a small sauce pan, heat up the mango juice of your choice. Stir often and let it reduce a little bit. If you are using mango puree, check the sourness and counter that with a little bit of sugar.
Remove the pan and stir in vanilla extract, add in the gelatin solution. Stand cool.
Arrange strawberries slices on cake, you can overlapped them or spell out name (Entirely up to you!). Once you are done, pour in around 5mm of the mango gelatin solution. Refrigerate still the gelatin is firm (an hour to two hours)
When you are almost ready to serve the cake:
Run a knife around the inside of the pan before release the cake, or you can wrap a hot tea towel around the spring pan. Both will ensure the side won’t stick to the pan and tearing the cake apart. Place chocolate flag around the side of the cake. When serving, make sure you have a bowl of hot water around, clean the blade with the hot water and wipe down with paper towel after each cut.
Chocolate mousse cake
Chocolate mousse cake, decorated with 50% dark coco flag.
Cake base: This receipt will yield a very thin base for the mousse cake
Sponge Cake: ( for 7 inchs spring form pan)
1 eggs, separated
2 TBs hot water
1/4 cup sugar
2.5 TBs constarch
1/2 ts baking powder
2 TBs all purpose flour
2 TBs good coco powder
Oven preheat to 320 F. Sift together the dry ingredients.
Beat Egg white with 1 1/2 table spoon of sugar till stiff.
Beat Egg yolk with the rest of the sugar on low till creamy and then add the hot water into the mixture in a steam.
Fold the Egg yolk into the Egg white.
Sift in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, work on it as quickly as you can.
Line the bottom of the spring form pan with parchment paper, then pour mixture in and bake till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, around 15 mins. Check the cake starting at 10mins, in case your oven is hotter than usual.
Once the cake is done, transfer the pan to wire racks and cool completely.
Mousse:
6 oz good semisweet chocolate or dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup 3.5% vanilla yogurt
1 packet of Knox gelatin powder
4 TBs cold water (1/4 cup)
2 TBs icing sugar
3/4 cup Heavy cream (or whipping cream)
Melt 6 oz of good Dark chocolate chips in microwave. Set the power to level 5 and microwave at 45 second interval until soften (semi-melted), stir often with a spoon to check the consistence. Stand cool if it is too hot.
Mix the gelatin with the cold water, then microwave on high for 15-20 seconds.
Mixed the chocolate with yogurt, then add the gelatin and mix again.
Using a hand mixer, beat the cream and sugar together till it is glossy and stiff. Fold the whipped cream in batches with the chocolate mixture.
Loosen sides of sponge cake by running the flat side of a knife blade around the side, pour in the chocolate mixture. Smooth out the top.
Use plastic wrap to tightly wrap around the pan a couple times, refrigerate over night.
Run a knife around the inside of the pan before release the cake, or you can wrap a hot tea towel around the spring pan. Both will ensure the side won’t stick to the pan and tearing the cake apart.
The Coco Flag:
1/3 of a bar of your favorite dark chocolate
1/3 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 ts of your choice of liqueur or flavor syrup (optional)
Non-stick aluminum foil
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, use medium level power and at 45 second interval until soften. Stir with rubber spatula.
For the sake of your sanity, use non-stick aluminum foil. Place foil on a cool flat surface matted side up. Using the rubber spatula, start dabbing the chocolate on the foil.
Place the foil on a baking sheet and into the freezer. Chill for 4 hours or till set.
Working quickly, peel off the chocolate piece one by one and store in a air tight container. Freeze till you are just about to decorate your cake.
