my blog vow.

I know I have long promised my blog that I'll post every finished creation (in my case dishes, cakes, or pastries) that I experiment with. I have never been able to do the "every" part. I post on rare occasions, normally when I'm in the mood.

I'll try to revive that promise again. Starting today, and I'm starting with two dishes. :)

Posting the recipes in a few. PROMISE. :)

my first cake.

I baked my first real cake today!

I decided to bake chocolate banana cake after watching a video how-to from the Joy of Baking. It seemed easy, and since I was once again fussing over my baking attempts, I gave it a go.

I was thisclose to baking them as cupcakes but I held it off thinking it might just disappoint me. Thankfully, the finished product was a smashing success. Yay! I'll make them into cupcakes next time though. ;)

Moist, aren't they? And they're already a day old, fresh from the fridge!

The recipe was so easy.. Here it is, straight from the Joy of Baking.

2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar (I used white and brown sugar)
1 3/4 cups (245 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium sized bananas)
1 cup (240 ml) warm water
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) corn, safflower or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract plus a few drops of banana extract

Chocolate Ganache Frosting: (I didn't use this cos I still had leftover ganache from the devil's food cupcakes I made last weekend.)
8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan. Set aside. (I baked it at 160C on my turbo broiler).

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. You will notice that the batter is quite thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  (It took just 20 minutes on my turbo!)

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost with the Ganache.

Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel, or heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat (can also be heated in the microwave). Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. When Ganache has completely cooled, beat until soft and fluffy (I use a wire whisk). Then spread the frosting on top of the cake. Can garnish with dried banana chips.

Serves 16 people.

I'm glad I made this today cos it was just sooo good. It's the kind that would make you go for seconds, or even thirds! Hehe.

This would definitely be a keeper in my book. :)

today's baking challenge: mini cinnamon rolls.

I have been fussing over what to bake last weekend and something inside me was just itching to make some cinnamon rolls. Uh, well, I have been wanting to make some ever since I watched Rachel Allen's Bake! episode with Cinnamon Pecan Buns. I thought it was very easy to make (she made it seem so!), but when I checked recipes online, it seemed like a daunting task.

Rolling and kneading doughs intimidate me. I really don't know why, but I think it's hard and requires too much effort. And then there's yeast! I am a very impatient and I don't like waiting too long a time to complete something. Isn't that a bit ironic? Yeah, I think so too. Hehe.

Anyway, last night's thought came like an epiphany of some sort. I challenged myself to make some cinnamon rolls for today. I was even more convinced when I found a no yeast recipe.

So yes, today, I trashed my fears and was able to overcome the baking challenge.

They weren't bad for a first timer. I just need to make sure that I remove the buns from the pan immediately after they come out of the oven and maybe I have to cut down the baking time a little bit. Next time. :)

Here's the recipe I got from Food.com (my notes in italics):

Dough
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar (The finished product wasn't very sweet, I think adding a tablespoon more wouldn't hurt)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk

Filling
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

• For the filling, in a small bowl combine softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to form a crumbly mixture. 

• Sprinkle 1/2 of the mixture over the bottom of a 9x9 pan.  

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 

• Cut in softened butter (sometimes your hands are the best tools). 

• Stir in milk to form a soft dough. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. I had a hard time rolling out the dough cos it was so sticky, I had to add in more flour -- I can't remember how much though. Hehe.  

• Spread the remaining filling on the rolled out dough.  

• Roll up the rectangle and with a sharp knife slice into 18 small rolls (12 if you want them a little bigger). 

• Bake for 20-25 min at 400°F. I baked them at 160C for 20 mins but the rolls came out toasted, I should have cut down the baking time to 15 mins.

• For the glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl and stir until smooth.  

• Once rolls are finished, drizzle on glaze and serve warm.

I no longer made the glaze, I think it was perfect on its own. Just a few notes:

• Next time, I should add in a little more sugar and cinnamon to the dough so that the sweetness will be just right.
• The buns weren't soft, I guess I need to cut down the baking time and maybe tweak the recipe a little bit more.
• Remove the buns immediately after they come out of the oven! You wo
• The filling would've been perfect with a few nuts and raisins. :)

Really not bad for a first try.

What baking challenges have you guys taken lately?