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Niña
​nin-ya

NIÑA ​ANINIAS

SHOP. COOK. EAT.
REPEAT.

Hawaiian Birthday Cake... Aloha!

8/28/2011

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Hawaiian Shirt Birthday Cake for my hubby. Moist Rich Chocolate Cake with coffee buttercream and slivers and slivers of almond.

Recipes used:
Moist Rich Chocolate Cake
Coffee Buttercream
Rolled Fondant Icing
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Rolled Fondant Icing

7/31/2011

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Picture
My mom and dad's wedding cake on their 40th wedding anniversary when they renewed their vows...
Wow. Never ever thought I'll be writing about Fondant anytime soon. Not the chocolate fondant where it's gooey on the inside which I also love.

I'm talking about rolled fondant that you use to cover cakes for special occassions. The fondant that intimidated me for soooo long, I think a lot of people for that matter. I can't even begin to explain my relief when I looked at my first ever cake, covered in glorious fondant.

Having the stand mixer made my baking life easier. Making a fondant? Stand mixer is truly heaven-sent.

Tip 1: When you reach the stage that you have to add the remaining 4 cups.
If you have a stand mixer, then use it, speed no. 2, using the hook attachment.
Tip 2: To roll out fondant, your pin must be silicon made. Fondant will stick to wooden pin.
Tip 3: To know if your fondant is ready to be rolled by moulding a small shaped stone, drop it on your work surface. It should spread slightly but must retain its shaped.
Tip 4: Sprinkle your work surface with confectioner's sugar to avoid getting your fondant stuck on your surface. If you are in a humid location, like the middle east for example, then use half cornstarch, half sugar. If you use only sugar, it will become more sticky because sugar attracts moisture from the air.
Tip 5: After a couple of rools, turn your fondant a quarter turn at a time to avoid it from getting stuck on the surface.
Tip 6: You should only cover cakes which are firm. Fondant is heavy and any cake that's not strong enough will be easily weighed down by fondant. I made a mistake of covering a carrot cake with a soft bodied cream cheese frosting on my second try, and let's just say, it didn't keep its shape well.
Tip 7: Because fondant is practically solid sugar, most people don't like the taste of it and peel it off the cake, so make sure your cake inside is full of flavour.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup glucose
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon glycerin
8 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
icing colour and flavouring, as desired
Extra confectioner's sugar to find your right consistency

Can cover 10 inch x 4 inch high cake. (appox 36 oz)

Procedure:
Mix gelatin and cold water, let it stand for 3-5 minutes, until the gelatin is well soaked. Using a double boiler, heat the gelatin mixture until it's dissolved. Add glucose and mix well. Add shortening and wait until it's almost completely melted. Add glycerin (flavouring and colour, if adding any). Cool the mixture until lukewarm.

Grease the side of your mixing bowl with shortening. Place 4 cups confectioners' sugar and make a well in the middle. Pour the gelatin mixture into the well. Start mixing from the middle with your wooden spoon until all sugar all sugar are well combined.

Add the remaining 4 cups of sugar, a cup at a time. Mixing well on every addition. Knead until the stickiness disappears and mixture becomes pliable. When it starts clearing the sides of your bowl, transfer the mixture on a smooth work surface, either on a granite counter top or a silicon mat for further kneading. 

Knead your fondant with additional sugar if needed until your fondant becomes smooth and pliable.

Use your fondant immediately or keep it in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Do not refrigerate! If you're ready to use it, knead it again until soft.

Roll your fondant about 1/4 inch thin. Transfer fondant to your previously crumb coated cake and smooth it until your happy with the end result. Add your finishing touches, either other moulded fondant or royal icing designs.

Enjoy your well deserved pat on the back!
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Chocolate Fondant - Molten Lava Cake

10/10/2010

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Picture
FV20-07-1010

I have to say, this blog was the most challenging. My site wasn't working with me the way it should and I had to do this four times to load it up.

I was thinking maybe it's a sign,,, don't share the freaking recipe! Oh well, why shouldn't I? First off, this isn't really my recipe. Second, this is so simple yet a fantastic recipe that it's a sin not to share it.

Mind you, this isn't the recipe I was supposed to learn from my quickie course. You'll be surprised at how easily you will get confused with the ingredients and techniques when you're making three chocolate dessert simultaneously. By the time our chef sent the recipe, I wouldn't know which is which.

Needless to say, my first attempt at this cake was a huge flop. Disaster so humongous that I couldn't even get myself to take photo of it. It got confused whether it'll be an omelette or a dessert.

So after researching as if my life depended on it, I finally want to expose the mystery of this fondant once and for all, well at least to my avid readers. So here it goes...

Tip 1: Use at least 60% coco chocolate when making this. I used 65% Madagascar chocolate bar by Lindt.
Tip 2: If you're using muffin tin, then the baking time will be less 2 or so minutes.
Tip 3: Use cocoa powder to prep the ramekin or muffin tin so when you flip your fondant, you don't have the ugly white flour on your gorgeous creation. 
Tip 4: Fold your mixture, don't beat the air out of your cake... I actually made this mistake but will not do it again on my third attempt.
Tip 5: Add more sugar if you prefer your fondant sweeter.

This took me less than 30 minutes... just about the right time I say.

INGREDIENTS:
100 grams chocolate
100 grams softened unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup flour 

Serves 1 medium fondant or two small ones.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease your ramekin or muffin tin generously with softened butter and unsweetened cocoa powder. Freeze it for 15 minutes to ensure that the grease is well set.

Melt the chocolate with butter on a double boiler or bowl over a pan with steaming water.

Beat the egg yolks, whole egg and caster sugar together until almost double in size.

Slowly fold the chocolate mixture to the egg.

Once all ingredients are well incorporated, pour the mixture to the prepared ramekin.

Bake it for 7-9 minutes or until the dome forms on top. Depending on how gooey you like your chocolate fondant, adjust the baking time down to 6 minutes or up to 10 minutes.
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    Fave Recipes

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