Updates: January 2017 (Fair Cake review, recent bakes, and more!)

Hi!

Welcome to my first monthly update post. I figured I'd introduce this series in 2017 as I have been (and will continue to be😂) extremely busy in 2016 and therefore not posting as much. The Updates Series will summarise and or preview upcoming recipes and recent bakes, as well as any other pastry related events in my life :)

By the way, this is the second time I'm writing this as Blogspot did not save my last draft and I hurriedly closed the window on my way out this morning 😭.

So here we go! Thank you for reading.

Violin Cake

Teenagers/kids: listen to parents and teachers when they say maths is important 😂. This cake involved a lot of calculations because my friend was sceptical that I could get the dimensions of the cake right, so I was determined to prove her wrong. I feel like I did... except one missing part that  I totally forgot. If you notice, tweet me @minigateaugirl and tell me what I missed out!

The cake itself is all edible apart from the strings (white wool) and the details are all fondant except the bridge. This really was a fun cake and one of my favourites I've ever made. One lesson I learned, though- never use red velvet for a shaped/carved cake without freezing it! I am now a pound cake loyalist when it comes to more complicated cakes, it is so much easier to achieve a cleaner look with less mess and less fiddling. This is the second time I've tried using red velvet, and although I won't be doing it again, it went better than the last time. Two words- sagging handbag. Need I say any more?

Fair Cake London- Ganache cake class

I made this on a fun cake course I went on in August 2016 at Fair Cake London! Safe to say, it was amazing and I definitely learned a lot of new skills and techniques. One of my proudest culinary moments for sure.

Football cake

This was a fairly simple cake- pound cake, vanilla buttercream, fondant. Except... before this, I had never noticed (or cared😂) that there were two different shapes on a football! Anyway, this was a fun project that took me about a day. It was a request for the birthday of a football loving 5-year-old.

Chocolate layer cake

My favourite part about this cake is definitely the white chocolate detail. This was a vanilla cake with dark chocolate frosting. Can't go wrong! This cake was definitely a hit. 

That's all from me for now. Thank you for reading!
MGG x

Red Velvet Layer Cake.

To many, red velvet is a mystery. A lot of people have never had it before and for those who don't live in the US or haven't eaten it before, red velvet can seem.....confusing (Is it chocolate? Is it vanilla? Does it have beetroots?) and to be honest, I don't like to be confused by my cake. You may even be suspicious that the amount of food colouring is dangerous. I can kinda see why....

It's kinda brightly coloured.

But once you eat eat it, you will neither be confused or worried about about the implications for your health.  I mean, come on, it's cake. If your that worried about your health then well, cake isn't for you.

I love red velvet- soft and moist with subtle chocolate, buttermilk, butter and vanilla flavours, complemented by a delicious cream cheese frosting.

Let's talk about the cake. The buttermilk gives it's soft and moist texture, along with the use of both oil and butter. The colour does indeed come from food colouring- the amount varies depending on the type and strength of your colouring. If using liquid, I recommend about 4 tbls. Gel can be unpredictable- something like Dr Oetkers needs 3 tubes, whereas Wilton, Sugarflair or any high quality gel colour would need less. Compare the colour of the batter to your desired colour and work accordingly. Just remember to add it in small amounts.... you could end up with bitter batter that tastes horrible if you add to much. Taste the batter before it goes in the tins. (Tip: make sure your food colouring doesn't contain salt. I say that from a bad experience with powder colour bought at a corner shop. *facepalm* It was designed for making Chicken Tikka Masala.) Also remember to fold the egg whites in gently as not to beat the air out and end up with an undesirable texture.

You'll see a lot of the words 'room temperature' in the recipe. Ingredients usually combine and bake better at the same temperature, unless stated differently in the recipe or when whipping cream (which whips better whilst cold).

For the frosting, you can use either normal cream cheese or mascarpone. Whichever you prefer. Again, remember to use room temperature butter (I sound like a broken record. I'm sorry! It's important...) and beat until soft and slightly paler in colour- this avoids butter lumps in the frosting. Ick. 

Red Velvet Layer Cake.

One of my favourite cakes of all time. Simply delicious and semi addictive ;)

Ingredients

Cake

3 cups (345g) cake flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 Tablespoons (10g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar

1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil(you could use canola, walnut or any relatively flavourless oil)

4 large eggs, room temperature and separated

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (22ml) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

liquid or gel red food coloring (see notes for quantity)

1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature

Frosting

2 cups (16 oz, 450g) cream cheese or mascarpone 

1/2 cup (1 stick, 115g) butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups (500g) icing (confectioners, powdered) sugar
2-3 tbls full (heavy) cream
1/4 tsp salt

Method

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and set aside two 9 inch, round, springform cake tins. Spray or lightly butter the tins and line the bottom with parchment/baking paper. Spray or lightly butter the sides.
Beat the butter until pale, then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Next, pour in the oil slowly, then slowly increase the speed and beat on high for around 2 minutes. If it looks... lumpy, don't worry. This is just because the oil hasn't combined. It will later on. Scrape the bowl down and beat again for a few seconds.
Now add in the vanilla and egg yolks and beat on medium-high until combined. Then add the vinegar and food colouring- see the text for recommendations and advice.
Then alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixing each addiction until just incorporated- being careful not to over mix. Finally, beat or whisk the egg whites until light and foamy (soft peaks, search soft peaks if you don't know what that is) and very gently fold the egg whites into the mixture with a large metal spoon or a rubber spatula. Make sure to go around the bowl and fold it over, not mixing or stirring. After it is mostly combined, divide the mixture equally between the two tins and place in the oven for 30-32 minutes, checking at 30 minutes by inserting a toothpick, skewer or even a knife into the centre. If it comes out wet, or with wet crumbs, leave them in the oven for a fews more minutes. But keep making sure the cakes aren't drying out or burning on top. When the cakes are done, remove them from the oven using oven gloves and leave them to cool until mostly cold, before releasing them and turning them onto a cooling rack. if the are domed, place the domed side down.

For the frosting:
Beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed using the whisk or paddle attachment until combined before reducing the speed to low and slowly adding the icing sugar. Once all of the icing sugar is mixed in, add the vanilla and salt. Depending on how stiff the frosting is, add 1 tbls of cream at a time. Only add the third if it is still very stiff- a thick consistency is desired for frosting the cake.

Assembly:
Place one of the cooled cakes on your chosen serving plate or cake stand. Again, if it still has a dome,  cut it off using a bread knife or place the dome side down and push gently on it. Add a dollop of the frosting to the middle, then use a pallet knife to spread it almost to the edges. Make sure not to use to much at this point or you will have trouble covering the rest of the cake. If the second cake has a dome, flatten it by cutting of the top. Set this cake aside for later. Carefully place it on top before adding another dollop to the top and spreading it. If the frosting is the right consistency, you should then be able to take some frosting using the pallet knife and spread it around the sides. If not, put it all on top and gently coax it onto the sides using the knife. To achieve the pattern on the sides of the cake shown, use the pallet knife or a spoon and press on the icing, moving upwards from the base of the cake. Now clean up the edges of your serving plate.
Once the cake is frosted, you might want to put it in the fridge, especially on a hot day. The pattern may even be easier to achieve with cooler icing. Then collect any trimming or cutting or crumbs, crumble them up and use them to decorate your cake.
You're done. Enjoy!

                                                                                                                           

                                         

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes.

I love these cupcakes.

Love, love, love these cupcakes.<3

Dark, moist, slightly crumbly choco goodness topped with a smooth, rich buttercream. It's just fantastic. :D
If your not a fan of dark chocolate frosting, another AMAZING combination is these cupcakes with my Nutella frosting. That is also a dreamy wonderland in your mouth. But this.....

......this is for those who want pure, cocoa amazingness.

This frosting makes me happy :). Chocolatey goodness.
Now, I can't take the credit for this recipe all for myself. I believe that the best way to create a recipe is to experiment and try it all out yourself. But there isn't always time. So this recipe was adapted slightly from Sally's Baking Addiction's Death by Chocolate cupcakes. I loved that recipe but wanted to alter certain things to my liking. I provided some substitutions and alternatives to some of the ingredients, as I know I am often frustrated by not having certain ingredients available as stated in a recipe. Here they are:
1. Soft light brown sugar

This is relatively easy to find in most places. However, I have found that when baking in South Africa or other nearby countries it is un available at supermarkets such as pick 'n' pay. I saw something called 'treacle sugar' that worked in the same way. You can also use dark soft brown sugar or, if you have patience, grind up granulated brown sugar in a food processor with 2tsp of molasses/golden syrup/honey until it is fine and soft. It should be denser than icing sugar and squidgy enough to pack into a measuring cup. If not, add more of whatever syrup you are using.
2. Cocoa powder
This is not a substitution but a note. It does not matter what type of cocoa powder you use in frosting so much but it does in batter. DO NOT use Dutch processed in batters. If you live in countries such as Germany where unsweetened, non-Dutch processed cocoa powder is not easily available, try to find it online. It really alters the rise of the cupcakes. Dutch processed cocoa is alkaline and so will not react with the baking soda. In the frosting, there is no need for a chemical reaction of that sort as there is no baking soda.
3. Buttermilk
Do not substitute milk. Instead, add 2tsp of lemon juice to your milk and let it sit for 5 mins. Your homemade 'buttermilk' is now ready to use. It should be slightly curdled.
Okay! Here we go.

Real Deal Chocolate cupcakes with fudge-a-budge chocolate buttercream

These cupcakes are fudgy, light, and moist- make sure not to overbake them. Instead of the chocolate drizzle, you can top them with candies, chocolate chips, or anything you like. If the drizzle is too solid, give it 5 seconds in the microwave.

Ingredients!

For the cupcakes:

2oz (60g) dark chocolate
1/2 cup (115g) butter
2 large eggs (or medium)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (64g) cocoa powder
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk (see text)
Pinch of salt

For the frosting:

2 1/2 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
6 tbls cold butter
40g chocolate, melted
1 tbls milk

For the drizzle:

60g dark chocolate
1 tbls butter
2 tsp sugar

Method

For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners of your choice.
Melt together the dark chocolate and butter either in the microwave or over a double boiler. Stir until smooth and set aside for later use.
Mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking soda and salt together. Sift into a large bowl. Set aside. Next whisk the eggs, sugars and vanilla together until mostly smooth and then whisk in the cooled chocolate butter mixture. Alternately add the flour and butter milk in thirds and fold in each ingredient carefully until everything is combined. You will now have quite a thick batter.
Divide the batter between the liners (best with an ice cream scoop) and bake for 18 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder to ensure lump-free frosting. Beat the butter (with a mixer or by hand) until fluffy. Add in the chocolate and beat together with the milk. Gradually add the icing sugar and cocoa and beat on low speed after each addition. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
Melt the chocolate and quickly stir in butter and sugar while hot. Decant into a piping bag and set aside to cool in the fridge. When ready to frost, snip a small hole in the tip.
Frost cooled cupcakes and drizzle with chocolate. Add toppings as desired. Cupcakes stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 4 days!
ENJOY!!!!! :)

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Mini apple cakes

Apples.
I love apples. They can be crisp, soft, sweet, tart, and are suited to every season- the possibilities are endless! Pies, cakes, tarts, jams, juice, doughnuts, pastries and more. They are extremely versatile and can be paired with so many different flavours as well as other fruits like pears or berries or even citrus. I already have another apple recipe, and there are only 6. I like apples.
So here's another apple recipe. Mini apple cakes.

They are delicious just on their own with a light dusting of icing sugar, or warm with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. You could jack it up with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg into the apples in each pot for a warm, festive flavour.

Mini apple upside down cakes

Moist cake and delicious apples. What's not to love? You could even use pears, or firm peaches/plums.

Method

6 tbls (3/4 stick, 85g) butter, plus 3 tbls and more for greasing
2 firm apples, peeled
3/4 cup (159g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (80g, 80ml) sour cream, plain/Greek yogurt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) plain flour
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 tbls soft brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar to dust over the top(optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350Fand generously grease 6 ramekins. Place them on a baking tray and set aside.
Heat the brown sugar and 3 tbls of butter together in a small pan until the butter has melted and the sugar is fully dissolved. Do not stir- this may result in crystalisation. After you can see that this has happened, leave it on the heat for another minute or two then take off and set aside. Cut the apples into quarters, core them and then slice each quarter into three(lengthwise). Cut all of the slices in half and arrange them in the bottom and on the sides of the ramekins then pour the butter sugar syrup onto the apples.
Next, beat the butter and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the yogurt/sour cream and vanilla. When all of those ingredients have been mixed together, sift in the flour, salt, and baking powder bit by bit, mixing as you go.Now add the milk and Beat until the batter is smooth and then scoop equal amounts into each ramekin. Bake the cakes for 30 mins. If the tops start to burn, cover the cakes with foil. To turn them out, run a knife around the edge, turn them onto a plate and tap. They should slide out.

Best eaten warm with a dusting of icing sugar and a scoop of good vanilla ice-cream :)

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The BEST chocolate chip cookies ever.

Not to toot my horn own but....
TOOT, TOOT TOOT, TOOT TOOT TOOT!
These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Like, EVER. Soft, chewy, chocolate chip-y, rich, sweet....aaaaahhh.

I honestly think that there is no reason why you shouldn't make them. Unless you don't like cookies. Or you have an allergy to one of the ingredients- in which case, really don't. I don't want anyone dying from cookies.

Anyway, for all of us that can eat food without worrying whether we're going to implode, the cornstarch/cornflour, soft brown sugar, butter and chocolate make for a soft, chewy, rich, chocolatey.... Wait, I'm repeating myself. Sorry!
The takeaway is, make these cookies. And no, you cannot omit the cornstarch. Or only use granulated sugar. Well... You could. But then you might as well make some other, mediocre cookie recipe. If you don't have or can't get soft brown sugar you can add a 1/4 cup of honey/molasses/golden syrup to 3/4 cup granulated.
These cookies will blow you away. They are THE BEST chocolate chip cookies you will ever taste. Trust me. Toot Toot.

The BEST chocolate chip cookies ever.

Soft, thick and gorgeous!

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks/170g) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) white granulated/castor sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp good vanilla extract
2 cups (250g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cornflour
1 1/2 cup (270g/9.5oz) chocolate chips or chunks (note: I also love adding nuts (e.g. pecans) to these cookies, or using M&Ms. The possibilities are endless :) As long as the total weight of the add ins is not above 350g feel free to experiment!)

Method

Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attatchment until its soft and slightly lighter in colour. Add all of the sugar (brown and white) and beat the three together for about 3-4 mins on high speed, or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla, mixing them in in at medium speed until combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cornflour together and add the dry ingredients in a third at a time. Next, add the chocolate chips; or if you're using chunks, chop the chocolate now into pieces the size of about 4 choc chips. Add all of the chocolate and any other add ins and mix on low-medium speed until it is all evenly dispersed. Roll the dough into balls (about 2 tbls of dough) and place the in the freezer for at least an hour (or the fridge for at least 2 hours). 15 mins before time is up, preheat the oven to 190C (375F).
After 2 hours, evenly place the balls on two baking sheets, lined with foil, baking paper or a silpat sheet. Place them in the oven for 8-10 mins. If the cookies come out of the oven and seem too thick, I press them down gently with a spoon while they're still warm. Leave them to cool until firm, about 10 mins. Enjoy!
(trust me, you will.)

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Profteroles with chantilly cream and chocolate sauce

Ahhhh!
Tu parle Francais?
#wowedbymylinguisticskills:)
Oh, the joys of choux pastry. I love the puffy, golden wonder that is a profiterole or eclair, filled with whipped cream, ice cream or pastry cream and covered in velvety, rich chocolate sauce... Sorry, got a bit carried away there. So, um, as you may have gathered, I love choux pastry. And it is so much more simply than you would think. Pastry, cream, chocolate.... What more do you want?

And the elegance and sophistication of croquembouche is almost unparalleled in the world of wedding desserts. Ok there's the bog standard cake, cupcake towers and such but the delicacy of choux pastry is like no other- except maybe Napolean cake. Now it's time for a string of random French words. Vive la France! Oui Oui! Macaron! Bonjour! Versailles! Louis Vuitton(you wish)! Paris! Pierre Hermes (again, you wish)!


(Note, April 2016: Je suis plus forte en francais maintenant. I was such a weird child lol. What's with the hashtags? Cringe.)

Profiteroles with chantilly cream and chocolate sauce

I think that I have said enough and that it is time for you to try these puffy morsels. They are absolutely delicious and a favourite dessert of mine- and friends and family!
P.s, I used a different chocolate sauce recipe in this picture but found the one shown here to be the best so yours will probably be thinner than shown here. Sorry for any worry or confusion:)

Ingredients

For the profiteroles
1 cup milk (235 ml) , whole or skimmed
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113g) butter
1 cup plain/all-purpose/cake flour
4 medium eggs
For the chantilly cream
3/4 cup (200ml) double/heavy cream
1/2 tbls castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract/ 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the chocolate sauce
3.50z (100g) Dark/bittersweet chocolate or milk chocolate

100ml double/heavy cream
2 tbls castor sugar (to be omitted if using milk chocolate)
1 tbls brewed coffee (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c/375f.
Heat the milk and butter together in a saucepan. Stir slightly with a wooden spoon along the way. When the butter has melted, dump in (yes, I said dump in) the flour all at once. Do not add it gradually- ALL AT ONCE. Stir rapidly with the heat turned down low until a cohesive ball is formed. Once that happens, take it off the heat, tip into a glass bowl and leave to cool completely.
Once the mixture has cooled, beat in the eggs one at at time with a stand mixer or electric whisk. Make sure each egg is fully encorporated before adding the next. When the eggs have all been added and the mixture looks smooth, spoon it into a piping bag fitted with with a large, round tip. Pipe mounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or baking paper and smooth the tops with a finger dipped in water. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until they look puffed and a light golden colour. Leave them to sit, turned over, for another 10 minutes with the oven turned off and then cut a small slit to release steam and leave to cool.
Add some hot water to a saucepan and simmer. Place a glass bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure it is not touching the water and add the cream, sugar(if you're adding it) and coffee. You won't be able to taste the coffee, but it will enhance the chocolate flavour. You can omit it if you want to but you really won't taste it. When the cream mixture is hot, add the chopped up chocolate. Stir it until the chocolate melts and it is smooth. Set it aside to cool.
Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft/slightly stiff peaks are formed( when you remove the whisk, the cream drops very, very slowly). Fill the profiteroles either by spooning the cream in or piping it. I used a disposable piping bag with no tip and filled them through slit that was already there. Dip them in the cooled chocolate sauce and serve. They can be eaten while it is still liquid, or popped in the fridge for the chocolate to harden slightly.
Enjoy!

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Tarte au citron

Once again, welcome to the world of the French. You probably answered this question last time, mais.... Tu parle francais?
Tarte au citron is citrusy, fresh, delicious and just amazing. I love the flavour and tartness of lemon, and so does my Mom so this tart is a hit in our house :).
If you have seen this recipe before, and you have noticed that there is no more 'sorry that it looks horrible', this is because I followed my recipe and adjusted a few things so that it looks as it should. The problem before was that the curd had not set and therefore there was this.... globular mess instead of nice, clean cuts. It tasted great- but didn't have the professional look that I am(and I'm sure many of you are) looking for. So here it is. Living and learning. Tarte au citron, take two!

Tarte au citron

Lovely, lemony, luscious... This tart is a sure hit for citrus lovers!

Ingredients!

• 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• grated zest of one lemon, preferably unsprayed
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into bits
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large egg yolks
• Baked pastry case- from the tarte aux pommes recipe or your own.

• Method!
• Preheat the oven to 180c/375f. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together. Set aside. Add the lemon juice, zest, sugar and butter to a saucepan and put on medium heat. Stir it until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Add about half of the mixture slowly to the eggs, whisking them constantly. Next, pour all of this back into the saucepan and stir it every few seconds until it thickens and begins to bubble slightly. Pour this into the pastry case, smooth the top and put in the oven to set for 12 mins, or until it is completely set. When coming out of the oven, the curd should have only a slight wobble and seem not to be runny or liquid at all. Leave to cool COMPLETELY (it should be completely cold to touch with very little, even no wobble in the middle) in the fridge before cutting and serving. You can have it with cream, custard or just by itself.
• Enjoy!

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