Category Archives: Cakes and Muffins

Halloween Cake Pops

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My daughter borrowed a book about Halloween treats from the library last week, there were so many great ideas we want to try. After looking through the book and “researching” on the internet, we decided to make cake pops !  So we went to the store and bought all we need…..cake pop sticks, chocolate, coating wafers, licorice sticks, sprinkles…..and we also picked up some sour candies, dried fruits, peppermint paddies….. oops, I guess we got a little too much ! Oh well, we had a lot of fun shopping and making them, that’s all that matters, right?! The coating wafers tend to be very sweet, so I used less sugar for the cake and dark chocolate for the frosting. They turned out really tasty and fudgy like brownies. My son, who doesn’t have a sweet tooth, said these cake pops are “boss” !

For the cake

  • 135 g self-rising flour (about 3/4 cup)
  • 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 60 g unsalted butter
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 90 mL boiling water

For the chocolate frosting 

  • 60 g unsalted butter
  • 100 g icing sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 60 g dark chocolate (70%)

For the coating

  • Chocolate or candy moulding wafers (You will need about 300 g of wafers to coat 6 cake pops)
  • Sprinkles, licorice, and or other decorations of choice 

Makes about 20 cake pops 

To make the cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Sift together self-rising flour and cocoa powder
  3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy
  4. Add egg and vanilla
  5. Add flour mixture in 2 parts, mix until blended
  6. Gradually stir in boiling water, batter will be slightly runny
  7. Bake in a 9 inch x 5 inch loaf pan, lined with parchment paper, for about 20 minutes 
  8. Let cake cool completely

To make the frosting

  1. Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, let cool slightly
  2. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and icing sugar
  3. Add in vanilla and melted chocolate, mix until smooth

To prepare the cake balls

  1. When the cake is completely cooled, break the cake into fine crumbs with hands
  2. Gradually add frosting, a couple of tablespoons at a time, mix until you can roll mixture into balls
  3. Roll cake mixture into small balls, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least about 30 minutes

Halloween Cake Pops



 To assemble the cake pops

  1. Melt candy melts or chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water 
  2. Dip cake pop sticks into coating about 1 inch deep
  3. Insert coated sticks into cake balls 
  4. Dip into coating, covering the whole cake pop (since it’s a chocolate cake, you may need to do 2 coatings if using white coating)
  5. Gently tap off excess coating
  6. Decorate while coating is still wet, then let dry (alternatively, you can draw on them when they are dry using edible markers)

Pineapple Coconut Cake

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My family took a vacation to Hawaii last week. Both kids and adults had a lot of fun. We swam, snorkeled, paddled even parasailed ! To be honest, parasailing at 300 feet high was a little scary, but it was really fun ! My daughter had absolutely no fear and she just loved it ! We enjoyed the food too. There were garlic shrimps, fruits, desserts of course. Their Japanese food was also really good. Food is always the best part of my vacation ! To reminisce some of these wonderful flavours, I baked this Pineapple and Coconut Cake yesterday. I used canned pineapple as I was too lazy to chop one up, you can definitely use a fresh one.  I guess I am still in holiday mode !  🙂  

Makes one loaf (I used a 4.5″ x 8.5″ loaf pan)  

For the cake

  • 225 g cake and pastry flour 
  • 1 +1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 120 g unsalted butter, softened 
  • 120 g cup granulated sugar  
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 g canned pineapple tidbits 
  • 25 g shredded coconut 
  • 60 mL canned coconut milk 
  • 90 mL pineapple juice 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

For the glaze

  • 150 icing sugar 
  • 45mL pineapple juice 
  • 1 tablespoon shredded coconut 
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Drain pineapples well, pat dry with paper towel and save the juice 
  3. To make the cake, sift together flour,baking power, baking soda and salt, set aside 
  4. Using an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy 
  5. Add eggs, vanilla and coconut milk 
  6. Add half of the flour mixture and pineapple juice, mix until blended
  7. Add remaining of the flour mixture
  8. Fold in pineapples and shredded coconut 
  9. Pour batter into a lightly greased and floured loaf pan
  10. Bake for about 45 minutes
  11. To make the glaze, whisk together icing sugar, pineapple juice and shredded coconut
  12. When the cake is cooled, drizzle glaze on top 

Pineapple Coconut Cake

 

Mini Blueberry Loaves

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To me, the best part of summer is the large variety of fruits we get to enjoy, berries, watermelon, peaches, etc. And blueberry is our no.1 favourite ! Every summer, we can easily go through over 30 pounds of blueberries!  There are many blueberry farms in our area, fresh, local, sweet and at a very reasonable price. How can I resist ? And as a baker, how can I not bake with them ?!  Again, I tried to use less sugar. So, I used use vanilla-flavoured almond milk instead of milk and added some honey, and was very pleased with the result !
I asked my daughter, who is my “art director” for my blog, to draw me something with blueberries and here is what she came up with ! I guess she is right, blueberries made you happy and healthy rather than blue ! 

You Aren't Blue

Makes about 6-8 mini loaves

  • 150 g fresh blueberries 
  • 270 g all-purpose flour + extra for coating blueberries 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 120 g unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • 60 g granulated sugar 
  • 2 large eggs
  • 100 mL vanilla-flavoured almond milk 
  • 60 mL honey
  • 15 mL lemon juice 
  • 5 mL pure vanilla extract 
  • zest of half a lemon
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Sift together flour,baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside 
  3. Coat blueberries with about a tablespoon of flour, set aside 
  4. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy 
  5. Add eggs, honey, almond milk, lemon juice and vanilla
  6. Add flour mixture in 2 portions, mix until blended, scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl (it’s ok if batter is slightly lumpy)
  7. Gently fold in blueberries and lemon zest
  8. Spoon batter into slightly greased and floured mini loaf pans
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes 
  10. Cool for about 10 minutes in pans, then completely on rack 

Mini Blueberry Loaves

 

 

Raspberry Swiss Roll

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The other night, my daughter said,”mom, I want some cake ! ” , but I didn’t have any at home and it was a little too late to bake.  So the next day, I decided to make a Swiss Roll, using some fresh raspberries that I had.  The first attempt……not so good, I put too much filling in and did a bad job in rolling, so it looked more like a Halloween cake with “blood” all over.  Lucky the cake tasted pretty good, so my daughter could at least have some tasty cake.  The second time around, much better.  I tried not to use my electric mixer and do everything by hand. It came out perfect! I actually learned that when making meringues, you can get more volume whisking it by hand. Also you don’t need to worry about overbeating, cause you sore arms will tell you to stop! I used raspberries as the filling, you can switch it up easily with other fruits, whipped cream, Nutella, even peanut butter.

Makes one log (about 6-8 slices)

For the raspberry filling

  • 350 g fresh raspberry
  • 60 g granulated sugar (adjust to your own taste)
  • 15 mL lemon juice

For the sheet cake

  • 4 eggs (separated)
  • 120 g granulated sugar (20 g is used for the meringue)
  • 75 g cake and pastry flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • icing sugar for dusting

Meringue

  1. Prepare raspberries by heating them together with sugar and lemon juice in a non-stick pot over medium heat
  2. Turn heat down to low when liquid starts to bubble
  3. Gently mash raspberries with a wooden spoon, cook until thickened
  4. Strain seeds, let cool
  5. To make the cake, preheat oven to 350ºF
  6. Lightly grease a 8″ x 10″ baking tray and line bottom with parchment paper 
  7. In a mixing bowl, beat together egg yolks and 100 g of sugar until pale
  8. Add vanilla and the flour, mix until blended
  9. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites, and cream of tartar until frothy, then add sugar slowly, a little at a time, and whisk until medium peak is formed
  10. Gently fold meringue into batter, do not over mix 
  11. Pour into baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes until golden
  12. Let cool, but still a little warm to touch
  13. Gently invert cake and place on top of another piece of parchment paper
  14. Carefully remove top sheet of parchment and trip sides of cake
  15. Spread a very thin layer of raspberry sauce on top
  16. Gently roll cake up
  17. Dust with icing sugar

Raspberry Swiss Roll

 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

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My daughter said “zucchini is my worst enemy ! ” But with this yummy cake, I have successful converted her enemy into her new friend ! Yes, zucchini is definitely chocolate cake’s best friend. It makes the cake moist and soft. And you can eat your vegetable right inside a dessert !

Makes one 9 inch round cake

For the cake

  • 200 g grated zucchini
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1+3/4 cups cake and pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup demerara or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the ganache

  • 1 cup whipping or heavy cream
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

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  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Lightly grease 9 inch spring-form cake pan with oil, then dust with flour
  3. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
  4. Add lemon juice into milk, let sit for a few minutes
  5. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat oil and sugars at medium speed until blended
  6. Mix in eggs, milk with lemon juice and vanilla
  7. Add flour mixture in 2-3 portions, scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl
  8. Add grated zucchini, mix until just blended
  9. Stir in 2 ounces of chopped chocolate 
  10. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 30 minutes (toothpick should come out clear when inserted into middle of cake)
  11. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache by heating cream in a non-stick pot over medium heat
  12. Turn heat off when cream just starting to bubble
  13. Pour over chopped chocolate, let sit for 1 minute
  14. Stir until smooth, let cool at room temperature
  15. When cake is ready, cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then completely on rack
  16. Cover cake with chocolate ganache, smooth with a spatula
  17. Let chocolate set, keep in refrigerator

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Tools I used and you may like

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KitchenAid K45SSWH Classic 4.5-Quart Bowl Stand Mixer, White

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Wilton 409-7716 Angled Icing Spatula, 13-Inch, Black

You can get these tools through the Amazon website by clicking the above link. I will receive a small compensation if you purchase the item. 

Carrot Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

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These cupcakes are a delightful treat for kids at Easter ! The carrot cupcakes are soft and moist. The marshmallow frosting is fluffy and shiny but actually contains no real marshmallows ! Overall, they contain less fat and are lighter than a regular carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  Hey ! I think I just saw an Easter Bunny taking one of my cupcakes !

Makes about 15 cupcakes
Total time = 90 minutes

For the cupcakes

  • 200 g grated carrots
  • 1+1/2 cups cake and pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside
  3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Mix in eggs,milk, lemon juice and vanilla
  5. Add flour mixture in 2 portions, mix until blended
  6. Add grated carrots
  7. Pour batter into lightly greased paper muffin cups
  8. Bake in muffin tins for about 20 minutes
  9. Cool in tins for about 5 minutes, then completely on rack before frosting

For the marshmallow frosting

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Put egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof mixing bowl, and place on top of a pan of simmering water
  2. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm (3-4 minutes)
  3. Remove bowl from heat, continue whisking with an electric mixer until stiff peak is formed (start slow, then increase speed to high)
  4. Add in vanilla
  5. Best to use immediately, may refrigerate for 2 days

Original marshmallow frosting recipe is by Martha Stewart at marthastewart.com

Japanese Cheesecake

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Last Sunday, I made this Japanese cheesecake with my daughter. It turned out very nice. It has a lighter taste and a softer texture than a regular cheesecake, but is still very creamy. The special ingredient ? ……. Meringue ! It allows more air to be incorporated into the cake batter and hence, a fluffy cake. So if you find regular cheesecake too heavy, this may just be right.
By the way, you can now “yum” my recipes on Yummly if you have an account.  Just click the Yummly button under each recipe. Thanks in advance !

For the cake

  • 3/4 cup cake and pastry flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 400 g soft cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 60 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 200 mL whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pot of boiling water for baking cake

For the meringue

  • 6 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

To make the cake

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF
  2. Line a 9 inch spring-form cake pan with slightly greased parchment paper
  3. Wrap base of pan with two layers of aluminium foil to prevent seepage
  4. Sift together flour and baking soda, set aside
  5. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy
  6. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, vanilla extract and whipping cream, mix until blended
  7. Add flour mixture, mix until smooth
  8. Pour batter into a different large mixing bowl
  9. Clean and dry used mixing bowl thoroughly before making meringue
  10. To make the meringue, use the electric mixer with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until frothy
  11. Increase speed to high, gradually add in sugar
  12. Whisk until stiff peak is formed
  13. Gently fold meringue into cake batter until just blended, do not over mix
  14. Pour batter into cake pan, place on a tray filled with boiling water and bake for about 60 minutes until golden brown, a tooth pick should come out clear when inserted in the middle
  15. Turn oven off, leave oven door ajar for about 20 minutes before taking cake out. This will prevent cake from shrinking too much due to sudden drop in temperature.  A slight shrinkage is normal.
  16. Remove baking tray, let cool on rack completely
  17. Remove from cake pan, refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight in an air tight container
  18. Cut, serve and enjoy!

 

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Adapted from http://www.justonecookbook.com

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

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This dessert is definitely for chocolate lovers like me !  It is simple, yet very yummy and looks amazing.  It makes a great Valentine’s dessert.  Try it with vanilla ice cream, it’s divine with the warm chocolate “lava” ! I don’t think anyone can resist that.   

Makes about 4 servings

  • 4 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1/4 cup cake and pastry flour, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 50 g unsalted butter at room temperature, more for coating ramekins
  • 1/4 cup demerara or brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF
  2. Melt chocolate in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, cool slightly
  3. Generously coat ramekins with butter
  4. Using an electric mixer, cream 50 g of butter and sugar until fluffy
  5. Add eggs and vanilla extract
  6. Slowly pour in melted chocolate, mix until blended
  7. Mix in flour and salt
  8. Pour batter into ramekins, about 2/3 full 
  9. Bake for about 10-11 minutes
  10. Cool for about 5 minutes, invert ramekins over plates, cakes should come out fairly easily
  11. Dust with icing sugar, serve warm

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Honey Muffins

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One of my goals this year is to use less sugar in my recipes without compromising flavours.  Japanese sweet potatoes have red skin and light yellow flesh.  They are a good source of vitamin A, C and dietary fibre. They taste very sweet, so you don’t really need to add much sweetener.  I only added some honey and they came out super tasty ! They are very healthy too !   

Makes about 10-12 muffins

  • 240 g mashed Japanese sweet potatoes
  • 1+1/4 cups cake and pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 240 mL milk
  • 100 g plain Greek yogurt
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To prepare the sweet potato

  1. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks
  2. Prick with a fork a few times
  3. Bake in an 400ºF oven until soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour
  4. Peel and mash, cool and set aside

To make the muffins

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside
  3. Blend mashed sweet potatoes, milk and honey to make a puree
  4. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy
  5. Mix in eggs, yoghurt, vanilla and sweet potato puree
  6. Add flour mixture, mix until just blended, do not over mix (it is fine if mixture is slightly lumpy)
  7. Pour batter into muffin tins lined with slightly greased paper or silicone muffin cups
  8. Bake for about 20-22 minutes

Orange Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

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For me, the taste of chocolate and orange brings back a lot of childhood memories.  One of my favourite treats when I was young was Jacob’s Club Orange Chocolate Bar.  It’s a orange-flavoured wafer biscuit coated with chocolate.  It’s absolutely delicious !  So when I was thinking about a cupcake recipe, this combination came to my mind.

For the cupcakes

  • 1+1/2 cups cake and pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (120g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • zest of one large orange
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1 +1/2 teaspoon pure orange extract
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
  3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Add eggs, orange juice, orange zest, milk and the 2 extracts, mix until blended
  5. Mix in flour mixture in 2-3 portions
  6. Pour into baking tins lined with baking cups, about 2/3 full
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes
  8. Cool completely before frosting

 

For the chocolate frosting

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (150 g), at room temperature
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  1. Sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder
  2. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, cool slightly
  3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy
  4. Add milk and vanilla
  5. Add sugar and cocoa powder in 2-3 portions, mix well after each addition, scraping sides of bowl
  6. Add melted chocolate, mix until smooth