CHOCOLATE MACARON SUCCESS

:D :D :D

THEY HAVE FEET!



SOME OF THEM DIDN'T CRACK



THEY LOOK SO GOOD!
They are delicious.

Macaron success on second try. Not bad right? ( :

I slightly altered the ingredient proportions from Lebovitz's recipe and followed the same steps. Unlike last time, my batter was actually lava-flow like.



60g egg white (from 2 eggs), at room temperature
40g sugar
110g powdered sugar
60g almond flour
12g cocoa


^forming hard shell

The macarons were still too sweet for my liking. I might try reducing the granulated sugar even more (or less?) to 30g next time. Not sure if that would change the whole chemistry behind the baking. But let's experiment. I can't wait to make some crazy flavor combinations once I master these chocolate macaron.

For the filling, I attempted at making the espresso ganache. Sadly, they didn't quite solidify. The taste was exceptionally good though. Creamy. Espresso-y. And perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness. Definitely need to give this recipe another try and be more careful at the simmering step!



I also did run into the problem of the macarons sticking onto the non- stick silpat. After ripping a few of them off for a quick taste test, I googled for some solutions. :P Turns out putting them back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes works magic!

HAPPY BAKING!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream

My first cupcake with professional-y looking buttercream! This was a really last minute whipped up. With the leftover espresso buttercream I made for the macarons, I decided to make some cupcakes! I really love the new 1M pipping tip I got. It's by far the biggest tip I own and it's just the perfect size to pipe buttercream or frosting (which I usually don't do)! Piping is so much fun when the consistency of what you are working with is "stable"!! (so far, my pipping experience has not been too great :p)

These cupcakes came out pretty moist& dense! I took note of what Kwanster have said about their deceiving wet-looking top when they are done and took them out right at the 17 minute mark. The cupcakes had a good height and a tender moist texture. Although not as light or airy as I usually prefer my cupcakes to be, they are still some yummy cupcakes!

Taste: 3.5 stars out of 5
Texture: 3 stars out of 5

Good tip: If you are giving these cupcakes to elderly or diabetic relatives/friends, throw in a couple walnut or almonds before putting them in the oven! Skip the buttercream(:



Billy’s Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes
-makes 30 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Here's the halved recipe I followed to make my 12 cupcakes(:
(I converted most of the ingredients to grams for easy "halving")
112 grams cake flour
160 grams AP flour
201 grams sugar (I reduced mine to 150grams)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1.6 grams salt
1 stick of butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.



I think I will try out the vanilla cupcake recipe from Joy Of Baking next time!

COMING UP NEXT: SOMETHING WITH CREAM CHEESE! CheeseCupcake?

Chiffon again! Espresso.

Espresso Chiffon Cake
recipe adapted from Fresh from the Oven

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup unflavored vegetable oil (canola or safflower)
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar, separated (I suggest reducing this to 1 1/4 cups)
6 extra large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

- Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325F.
- In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, dissolve the espresso powder in the water, Add the oil,vanilla and egg yolks. Whisk until well combined.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add 1 cup of sugar and salt and stir together.
- Make a well in the center of the dry flour mixture. Add the espresso mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir together until thoroughly combined. (Make sure there are no lumps!)
- Place the egg whites in the grease free bowl of an electric mixer or in a large grease free bowl. Using the wire whip attachment or a hand held mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Slowly sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue whipping until the egg whites hold glossy and firm but not stiff, peaks, about 5 minutes.
- Fold the egg whites into the cake batter in 3 to 4 stages, blending thoroughly after each addition. Transfer the batter to the tube pan. Use the rubber spatula to smooth and even the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a cooling rack onto its feet or over a funnel or a thin necked bottle. Let the cake hang to cook completely. Don't set the pan on a cooling rack on its base. This will cause the cake to collapse onto itself.
- Don't shake the cake out of the pan before it is cool. Once the cake is cool. use a thin blade knife or flexible blade spatula to run across the outer edge and the inside tube to help release the cake from the pan.
_______________________________________



My tube pan is so mini! It's only 4 inches in diameter.. I don't have any bigger tube pan and I am too lazy to convert the recipe to fit my mini tube pan (&also I didn't just want to have a tiny 4 inches round cake!) so I just poured the extra in a 8" springform pan.


^Look at this!

The cake rose tremendously! And I am surprised.. it didn't shrink a bit after I took it out. It's so tall and so awesome to look at! Hehe(: I really should cover and decorate it with some cream to make it fancier. But I just love the rustic feel chiffon cake has! I can definitely use this as a base to any type of birthday cakes I need to make in the future(:



Taste: I made a huge mistake of substituting instant espresso powder with a instant 3 in 1 coffee mix, the kind with milk, sugar, coffee powder all in one! The cake didn't have a prominent espresso flavor and it turned out somewhat sweeter than my liking. (I just bought instant espresso powder so I will be making this cake again soon!)

Texture: Excellent! It did not turn out moist at some parts like the matcha chiffon cake I made the other day. The texture is consistent within every layers of the cake. Airy. Light. Fluffy.