Sebastian's Dinomite birthday party - The Volcano cake

My biggest achievement in cake baking life - My very first Volcano cake. I am so happy that it turned out great! I have been praying very hard and God has answered my prayer. Well, I really want to give a very big THANK YOU to the Mycupcakeaddiction, without her tutorials I don't think I can do this.

Mycupcakeaddiction mentioned that it is good to use mud cake as it is dense and easier to manage and I foudn this amazing recipe from thrumykitchenwindow. I really love this recipe. The only thing that I change is the cooking method which I used the tenting method and I baked it for 2 hours at 140'c and 150'c for another hour .

The Very Best Chocolate Mud Cake (adapted from Family Circle)

(I doubled the portions for my cake base)

250gm butter
250gm dark cooking chocolate
2tbsp instant espresso coffee powder or granules
150gm self-raising flour
150gm plain flour
60gm cocoa powder
1/2tsp bicarb soda
550gm caster sugar
4 eggs
2tbsp vegetable oil or light olive oil
125ml milk



Chocolate Ganache

150gm dark cooking chocolate
60gm melted unsalted butter



Instructions
Grease a deep 23cm round cake tin. Line the base and sides with baking paper, making sure the paper extends well above the top of the tin.

Dissolve the coffee in 185mls hot water. Put the butter, sugar, chocolate and dissolved coffee and water in a pan. Stir over a low heat until smooth, completely melted and well incorporated. Set aside.

Sift the flours, cocoa and bicarb of soda into a large bowl. Sift a couple of times. Make a well in the centre.

Add the combined eggs, oil and milk; using a large spoon or spatula mix well into the dry ingredients. Add  half the cooled melted chocolate mixture; stir well till there are no lumps.  Add the remaining half; make sure the mixture is well combined.  It should be of a pourable consistency.

Pour the mixture into the carefully lined cake tin. Place into a preheated oven set at 130 - 150degrees celcius. No higher.  I feel the mud cake requires baking a bit like a christmas cake;  long, slow and low heat. Bake for approx 1 3/4 hours. It is not unusual for the top of the cake to develop a crust or for the centre to be slightly sunken. Place the cake on a rack; leave in tin until completely cold. Once cold; cover securely with a tea towel.  Leave overnight.

Turn cake out, remove all of the lining. Examine the cake. You want a level cake when it comes to decorating; therefore if it is not even it may be necessary to slice off some of the crusty bits until it is level with the centre of the cake. Sometimes the cake may have a slight rise. In this instance simply cut off the risen bit in the centre. Sometimes you won't have to do a thing.

Once you have achieved a flat, top surface, turn the cake upside down. It is wise to do this on the serving plate with some cutouts of baking paper around the edges and under the cake. This alleviates any messiness and once the icing becomes firm, the baking paper can be removed leaving your cake looking immaculately decorated.

In a small glass bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Do not overheat. In another bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Once again, do not overheat or 'sizzle' the butter; just till almost melted. Pour this into the melted chocolate and slowly incorporate the two together. Stir until well combined and you have achieved a nice glossy, pouring chocolate.

Pour ganache onto the centre of the cake. Using a spatula or a knife, spread the ganache all over the cake. If the weather is hot or humid you can take a little more time to get it right. If the weather is cold you may have to work more quickly as the chocolate ganache may begin to harden.

Allow the topping to set at room temperature. If at any time you place it in the fridge you will lose the glossy shine. It won't affect the taste, it just won't look as silky smooth.

This cake keeps moist easily for about two weeks.

Leveling the cake

Well I tried using the second method mentioned in Veenaartofcakes's blog but it was too hard. I used the good old method - the cake leveller which works great!

 

Icing the cake

I used the upside down method illustrated by notquitenigella to ice my cake. There are some good tips in Goodfood blog on cake decoration as well. For the cake frosting recipe, I  used the Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting by theflavorblender.

Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting
from theflavorblender


Ingredients

• ½ cup (125g)  veg­etable short­en­ing softened
• 1.25 lb (567.5g) cream cheese, soft­ened
• 4 oz (113g) softened butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 lbs (1360.76g) sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 tea­spoon salt
• 1 tbsp Lime/Lemon Juice

Instructions

Beat the but­ter, short­en­ing, cream cheese, lemon juice and salt till they are creamed well.

Mix in the vanilla.

Gradually add confectioners sugar a little at a time while the mixer is on low. Once all the Icing sugar is added and mixed - increase the speed to medium till the mix is smooth and fluffy.

For a fluffier consistency you can add less sugar, and for a stiffer frosting add more confectioners sugar.

My volcano cake - I used the big cupcake mould. The instruction to assemble the cake can be viewed at mycupcakeaddiction.

The volcano's lava recipe

I used the recipe from mycupcakeaddiction

White Chocolate Ganache Recipe:

• 700g / 25oz White Chocolate
• 300ml/g / 10.5oz whipping cream (35% milk fat)

Method:

I prefer the microwave method because I'm impatient and have a habit of walking away from stovetops and letting the chocolate burn or the cream boil over... Thats just me, but here are your two methods for making ganache:
#1: Microwave

1. Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl (I altered the recipe by combining the gel colour to the cream before I added the chocolate)
2. Microwave on high for 1 minute interval, stirring for 2 minutes in between
3. This should take 2-3 minutes max
4. Stir until there are no lumps

 

Fill the lava into the 'throat' of the volcano. Then put a plastic shot glass and push it into the lava. The lava will start spilling over the volcano. I used a container cover to weigh on the cup so that it will sit in the volcano. Once the 'lava' is set, the cup will be sitting where it belongs.

 

I added some icing on the base cake where I want the volcano to sit on. This is to hold the volcano to the base cake.

Once the volcano sits perfectly on the cake,  start decorating it!

Add some dry ice to into the plastic cup and add a few drops of hot water to create the 'ash cloud'.  

This is my Volcano cake and happy baking!

Tenting Method

Sebastian's dinosaur cake put a lot of pressure on me. I want it to be perfect. (Probably, I am trying to avoid any screw up) My husband has been complaining about my failure on my first few attempts and has requested me to think about plan B.


But I am not giving up....
I am doing research to find tips to bake the perfect mud cake


I read this website that talks about 'tenting' and I found this website that explains step by step on how to make the 'tent'.

Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting recipes

Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting
from theflavorblender


Ingredients

• ½ cup (125g)  veg­etable short­en­ing softened
• 1.25 lb (567.5g) cream cheese, soft­ened
• 4 oz (113g) softened butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 lbs (1360.76g) sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 tea­spoon salt
• 1 tbsp Lime/Lemon Juice

Instructions

Beat the but­ter, short­en­ing, cream cheese, lemon juice and salt till they are creamed well.

Mix in the vanilla.

Gradually add confectioners sugar a little at a time while the mixer is on low. Once all the Icing sugar is added and mixed - increase the speed to medium till the mix is smooth and fluffy.

For a fluffier consistency you can add less sugar, and for a stiffer frosting add more confectioners sugar.

Crusting Cream Cheese Icing/Frosting
from food.com

 

Ingredients:

• 227 grams butter, softened
•  113 grams vegetable shortening
• 453.59 grams cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
• 1587.57grams sifted confectioners' sugar
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

Instructions
Cream butter, shortening, cream cheese and extracts. Gradually add confectioner's sugar and salt. Beat on low speed until nice and creamy. If you want whiter icing, try to use butter without dyes available at most health food stores. 
This recipe is for a stiff consistency. For a thinner consistency, use 3 pounds of powdered sugar instead. 
If you want a very smooth cake, let the cake sit for 15 minutes after icing (longer for a thinner icing). Then using your spatula or fondant smoothing tool (this works best) smooth it with the non-printed side of a Viva paper towel. To do this, take your paper towel and lay it on your icing (after it crusts) and lightly rub over the paper towel with your spatual or fondant smoothing tool to get a smooth surface. If the icing sticks to the paper towel, you didn't let it "crust" long enough. Stick it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to let it "crust" then try again. Don't let it set too much tho then it will be difficult to smooth it.
This recipe will ice, fill and decorate an 8" double layer cake with icing left over.

Crusting Cream Cheese Icing

From Cakecentral

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (250g), softened
• 1/2 cup (125g) solid vegetable shortening
• 1 pound (2 (8 ounce) blocks) cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 pounds(1587.56g) sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Cream butter, shortening, cream cheese and extracts. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and salt. Beat on low speed until nice and creamy. If you want whiter icing, try to use butter without dyes available at most health food stores.
2. This recipe is for a stiff consistency. For a thinner consistency, use 3 pounds of powdered sugar instead.
3. If you want a very smooth cake, let the cake sit for 15 minutes after icing. Then smooth with the non-printed side of a Viva paper towel.

Crusting Buttercream: How to Make Buttercream That Sets Firm
from Craftsy

Ingredients:

• 907.18gms (2 pounds) sifted icing sugar
• 113.4gms unsalted butter, softened and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 307.5gms solid vegetable shortening
• 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
• ⅛ to ½ cup whole milk (to desired consistency)

Instructions

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, shortening and vanilla extract until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes on medium speed. Stop the mixer.
Add about ¼ of the confectioners’ sugar. You need to add this gradually, or you might have a sugary snowstorm in your kitchen when you start to mix.
Mix on low speed until incorporated. Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula and add another ¼ of the confectioners’ sugar. Continue mixing and pausing down to scrape the sides of the bowl and add more confectioners’ sugar until you’ve added it all. This mixture will likely be quite thick.
Add ⅛ cup of the milk and mix at low speed until incorporated. At this point, it’s up to you whether or not you’d like to add more–it’s a matter of your preference for the consistency.
Ice your cake. Try to apply the icing as smoothly as possible.
Let set for 20-30 minutes to form a “crust”.
If you’d like a flat surface on your cake, once it has crusted, you can use a square of un-patterned paper towel (or, if you don’t have that, a sheet of clean, white paper or parchment paper will do). Lay the paper on the area of the cake you want smoothed and using your hand, a spatula, a fondant smoother or even a clean and unused credit card, smooth the icing.
Once smoothed, decorate in any way you’d like!

 

Tonight's dinner with Vegemite

I love vegemite! Who doesn't...
Well, I have compiled a few recipes that I can use for the next few nights.

Vegemite Basted Chicken

Ingredients

1 lemon

1 Size 15 chicken

1 tablespoon VEGEMITE, combined with

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

Instructions
Place lemon inside cavity of chicken. Secure legs and wings with string or skewers and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with mixture of Vegemite*, butter and thyme.
Bake in a moderate oven 180°C, allowing 30 minutes per 500g (1 hour, 30 minutes). Baste at least twice during cooking with remaining Vegemite* mixture.


from Everyday Delicious Kitchen

Vegemite and Rosemary Cutlets

Ingredients

1 tablespoon VEGEMITE

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons oil

12 lamb cutlets, trimmed

Instructions
COMBINE the Vegemite, honey, rosemary and oil to form a marinade. Pour over the cutlets and refrigerate for 2 hours.
BARBECUE the cutlets over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.


from Everyday Delicious Kitchen

Vegemite and Honey Marinated Drumlettes

Ingredients

1-1/2 tablespoons VEGEMITE

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon sherry

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1kg chicken drumlettes

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

 barbecued vegetables, for serving

 crusty bread, for serving

Instructions
COMBINE the Vegemite, honey, sherry, garlic and sesame oil to form a marinade. Pour over the chicken and refrigerate for 2 hours.
BARBECUE the chicken over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked through, sprinkle with sesame seeds .


from Everyday Delicious Kitchen

Beer Marinated Steaks

Ingredients
6 x 200g scotch fillet or sirloin steaks

1/2 cup beer

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons seeded mustard

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon VEGEMITE

2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

Instructions
Place steaks in a single layer in a dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over steaks. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator, turning steaks occasionally.
Remove the steaks from the marinade and reserve.
BBQ the steaks over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade until cooked to your liking. Serve immediately.


from Everyday Delicious Kitchen

Tonight's dinner - Potato gratin and Heston Blumenthal's roast chicken

I like using the oven to cook dinner. It is so easy and all I need to do is to prepare the food and pop them into the oven.

 

Potato Gratin from Taste.com.au

• 3 medium potatoes 
• 1 onion                            
• garlic, thinly sliced                            
• salt and cracked black pepper                            
• 1 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan or swiss cheese  

Directions   

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease four 1-cup capacity ramekins. Thinly slice potatoes and onion. Arrange some of the potato over the base of each ramekin and top with a little onion. Sprinkle with a few slices of garlic and season with salt and cracked black pepper. Continue layering with the remaining potato and onion, adding garlic every second or third layer. Combine cream with cheese. Pour into the ramekins then bake for 45 minutes or until potato is cooked through and top is golden. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Heston Blumenthal's roast chicken

Ingredients

• 1.5–2 kg whole chicken
• 6 % brine (300 g salt dissolved in 5 litres water)
• 1 lemon
• 1 bunch thyme
• 125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for rubbing into the skin
• 30 ml dry white wine

For the gravy (optional)

• 20 ml dry white wine
• 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 sprig tarragon
• 1 sprig parsley

Instructions

Resting time 45 minutes
Brining time overnight
Warning In this recipe, while Heston cooks his chicken to an internal temperature of 60°C, if you want to stick to safety guidelines your chicken should reach 75°C in the thickest part of the breast.

Remove the trussing from the chicken then place it in a clean container. Pour over the brine, ensuring that the chicken is submerged, then cover the container with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
Remove the chicken from the liquid and dry well with paper towel. Remove the wishbone and place on a wire rack set over a tray.
Preheat the oven to 90ºC (about 70°C fan or gas mark ¼, but use an oven thermometer to get an accurate temperature).
Roll and pierce the lemon, then place it in the cavity of the bird with half of the thyme. Rub some butter on top of the skin.
Place the chicken on the rack in a roasting tray and place in the oven. Roast the chicken for about 3–4 hours or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast is 60ºC.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 45 minutes. Turn the oven temperature as high as it will go.
In the meantime, melt the butter in a pan and add the wine and a few sprigs of thyme. Bring to the boil then remove the pan from the heat and use the melted butter to baste the chicken before and during browning.
Once the resting time has elapsed, put the chicken back in the roasting tray and return it to the oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown, taking care that it doesn’t burn.
Once coloured, remove the chicken from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
To carve the chicken, remove the legs by slicing down where they meet the breast and splaying them outwards to expose the joint, which you can then sever.
Remove the breast by running a sharp knife deeply into the flesh along one side of the centre bone that extends the length of the bird, making a deep vertical cut. Then cut horizontally through the flesh at the bottom of the breast until the horizontal cut meets the vertical, separating the breast from the ribcage. Repeat the procedure on the other side of the centre bone. The breasts can then be laid cut-side down on the chopping board and sliced.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
If making the gravy, when the chicken has been browned and removed from the roasting tray, place the tray containing the juices on the cooktop over medium-high heat. Add the white wine and scrape and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the chicken stock and cook until reduced to a sauce. Strain into a small saucepan.
Before serving, stir in the mustard and warm through. Finish with freshly chopped tarragon and parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Tonight's dinner - Roasted garlic and rocket chicken with Cauliflower Gratin

My favourite dinner combo for my family. It is simple and easy to prepare and it tastes great!

Cauliflower Gratin by Martha Stewart

Ingredients 

• 1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions   

Preheat oven to 400 degrees(204c). In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, heavy cream, flour, and 3/4 cup grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over cauliflower. Dot with butter and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted garlic and rocket chicken by Donna Hay

• 3 small heads garlic, cloves separated
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 x 1.6kg whole chicken, butterflied (see cook’s tip, below)

rocket dressing

• 1 cup baby rocket (arugula) leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the garlic on a baking tray, drizzle with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top of the garlic and rub with the remaining oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour. Move the garlic from under the chicken to the edge of the tray and roast for a further 30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and the garlic is tender. While the chicken is cooking, make the rocket dressing. Place the rocket, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine. Serve the chicken with the roasted garlic and rocket dressing. Serves 4.

cook’s tip: Butterflying a chicken allows it to cook faster and more evenly. To butterfly and flatten a chicken, position the chicken, breast-side down, on a board so the back is facing up and the drumsticks are facing towards you. Using sharp kitchen scissors or chicken shears, cut closely along either side of the backbone, remove the bone and discard. Turn the chicken, breast-side up, and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. Tuck the wings under the chicken before roasting.

Sebastian's Dinasour birthday party

Sebastian is turning 3 this April and this year party theme is Dinosaur. I have booked a Dinosaur room in an indoor play centre and I think Sebastian and his friends are going to have so much fun!


Most of the food is prepared by the centre and I am planning to make a Dinosaur "inspired" cake and cupcakes. For the cake, I am planning to make a Volcano cake.  I found this Volcano cake from Cupcakes Addiction and I thought it looks easy enough for me to make it.(Just some information about myself, I am pretty clueless in baking) Cupcakes Addiction used mud cakes for the Volcano and I found this Mudcake recipe from thrumykitchenwindow. The mud cake looks amazing and I am going to try this out. Finger-crossed, this cake is going to be amazing. (If everything works out!)

The Very Best Chocolate Mud Cake (adapted from Family Circle)

250gm butter
250gm dark cooking chocolate
2tbsp instant espresso coffee powder or granules
150gm self-raising flour
150gm plain flour
60gm cocoa powder
1/2tsp bicarb soda
550gm caster sugar
4 eggs
2tbsp vegetable oil or light olive oil
125ml milk

Chocolate Ganache

150gm dark cooking chocolate
60gm melted unsalted butter

Grease a deep 23cm round cake tin. Line the base and sides with baking paper, making sure the paper extends well above the top of the tin.

Dissolve the coffee in 185mls hot water. Put the butter, sugar, chocolate and dissolved coffee and water in a pan. Stir over a low heat until smooth, completely melted and well incorporated. Set aside.

Sift the flours, cocoa and bicarb of soda into a large bowl. Sift a couple of times. Make a well in the centre.

Add the combined eggs, oil and milk; using a large spoon or spatula mix well into the dry ingredients. Add  half the cooled melted chocolate mixture; stir well till there are no lumps.  Add the remaining half; make sure the mixture is well combined.  It should be of a pourable consistency.

Pour the mixture into the carefully lined cake tin. Place into a preheated oven set at 130 - 150degrees celcius. No higher.  I feel the mud cake requires baking a bit like a christmas cake;  long, slow and low heat. Bake for approx 1 3/4 hours. It is not unusual for the top of the cake to develop a crust or for the centre to be slightly sunken. Place the cake on a rack; leave in tin until completely cold. Once cold; cover securely with a tea towel.  Leave overnight.

Turn cake out, remove all of the lining. Examine the cake. You want a level cake when it comes to decorating; therefore if it is not even it may be necessary to slice off some of the crusty bits until it is level with the centre of the cake. Sometimes the cake may have a slight rise. In this instance simply cut off the risen bit in the centre. Sometimes you won't have to do a thing.

Once you have achieved a flat, top surface, turn the cake upside down. It is wise to do this on the serving plate with some cutouts of baking paper around the edges and under the cake. This alleviates any messiness and once the icing becomes firm, the baking paper can be removed leaving your cake looking immaculately decorated.

In a small glass bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Do not overheat. In another bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Once again, do not overheat or 'sizzle' the butter; just till almost melted. Pour this into the melted chocolate and slowly incorporate the two together. Stir until well combined and you have achieved a nice glossy, pouring chocolate.

Pour ganache onto the centre of the cake. Using a spatula or a knife, spread the ganache all over the cake. If the weather is hot or humid you can take a little more time to get it right. If the weather is cold you may have to work more quickly as the chocolate ganache may begin to harden.

Allow the topping to set at room temperature. If at any time you place it in the fridge you will lose the glossy shine. It won't affect the taste, it just won't look as silky smooth.

This cake keeps moist easily for about two weeks.


Chocolate Ganache by Cupcakes Addiction


Dark Chocolate Ganache:

• 600g / 21oz Dark chocolate
• 300ml/g / 10.5oz whipping cream (35% milk fat)

Milk Chocolate Ganache:

• 650g / 23oz Milk Chocolate
• 300ml/g / 10.5oz whipping cream (35% milk fat)

White Chocolate Ganache Recipe:

• 700g / 25oz White Chocolate
• 300ml/g / 10.5oz whipping cream (35% milk fat)

Method:
I prefer the microwave method because I'm impatient and have a habit of walking away from stovetops and letting the chocolate burn or the cream boil over... Thats just me, but here are your two methods for making ganache:
#1: Microwave

1. Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl
2. Microwave on high for 1 minute interval, stirring for 2 minutes in between
3. This should take 2-3 minutes max
4. Stir until there are no lumps

#2: Stovetop

1. Bring your cream to a rolling boil (this just means a boil with bubble all over the surface, to just around the outside edges.
2. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate to the saucepan
3. Stir until there are no lumps

Tips:

• Cover your ganache with plastic wrap and make sure the wrap touches the surface of the chocolate
• Watch the video to see how to achieve the perfect pouring, whipped and spreadable consistencies for your ganache
• Try to at least frost your cake before you commence eating the ganache straight from the bowl
• Don't be afraid to dip marshmallows and strawberries into freshly warmed ganache - its delicious
• 1 heaped tablespoon of room temp ganache folded into 1 cup of whipped cream makes and amazing chocolate mousse

DIY Sebastian's invitation card
I love making my own invitation card. There are a lot of free invitation card templates available online.