Category: Chocolate

Cocoa, Coffee & Walnut Swirl Cake

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photo 1-2-1-1

I’m in a butter cake phase. I just can’t get enough of it. I think it might be a pregnancy craving. hehe But then, it isn’t a bad craving to have, is it? What could be better than soft and buttery cake? Absolutely nothing! Especially with a hot cuppa – perfect afternoon tea!

Nespresso SG Fortissio Lungo

I was lucky enough to be sent a tube of the new Nespresso flavour – Fortissio Lungo. It’s the first in the Lungo range with a strong intensity (8) and has a richer taste with fuller body. With notes of cereal, the beans are from Central-South America combined with the precious full Arabica Monsoon Malabar from India. I really wanted to make something with this new flavour, and all I can think of is in a form of a butter cake!

Cocoa, coffee & walnut swirl cake

And I love swirls in my cake! hehe It’s fun making them and also so pretty before and after being baked! So I decided a swirled butter came with cocoa, coffee and walnut! Mmmm (:

Cocoa, Coffee & Walnut Swirl Cake

250g self-raising flour, sifted

250g butter, room temperature

100g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3-4 tsp espresso, cooled to room temperature (I used the Fortissio Lungo)

5 whole eggs, room temperature

1 tbs cocoa powder

140g walnut, roughly chopped and toasted

Ingredients

Steps :

1) Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius. Butter and line the base of a square baking tin and set aside.

2) In a standing mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar, cream till light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat till well combined.

3) Add the espresso and slowly add the flour and chopped walnuts. Mix till all the flour is well combined, but careful not to over mix it.

4) Take half the mixture and place in a bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder in and mix till well combined.

5) Alternately place the coffee mixture and the cocoa mixture into the baking tin.

Cocoa, coffee and walnut mixture

6) Using a knife, run through the mixture from left to right, then do the same after turning it 90 degrees clockwise. You should get beautiful swirls!

Swirled cake

7) Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean after being inserted to the middle of the cake. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Make sure the cake is totally cooled before cutting, or it will crumble!

Cocoa, coffee and walnut swirled cake

This was a big hit in my family and the addition of the walnut made it yummier in my opinion! hehe (: Have a go and let me know what you think!

Remember to always cook and bake with love. Till the next post, xx

Zebra Cake

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Home. I am back in the comfort of my home in Singapore getting ready for the arrival of our little bub, Baby Ho! (: But regardless of which island I’m on, I still always have the itch to bake! Lucky for me, I’m still able to do what I love with the big bump in front of me hehe

SCS Baker's Starter Kit

Also I was fortunately enough to be sent a baker’s starter kit from SCS Butter which was filled with boing essentials that I could use! So off I went to get some SCS butter from the local supermarket and planned what I wanted to make.

Zebra cake

I’ve been wanting to bake a zebra cake for ages, but never got down to making it. Since it’s a butter cake, I thought this would be a perfect time to try it! hehe I was a little nervous as you won’t know how to will actually turn out till you cut it open, almost like a surprise cake! haha So you would be able to see the relieve on my face when I got the first slice out of the bundt! Even though there aren’t as many stripes as I hoped for, I was glad there were at least some! hehe

I absolutely love the texture of the cake baked in a bundt tin – it had a nice crunchy crumb on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, not to mention how buttery it was! And to resemble more of the black stripes, I found extra dark chocolate cocoa which turned out almost black!

Extra dark cocoa powder

I actually got quite a shock seeing how dark it was, but it worked out well! hehe

So here’s the recipe and how I made the zebra stripes!

Zebra Cake (adapted from Ambrosia)

340g unsalted butter (I used SCS butter)

453g cake flour

200g caster sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

6 tbs water

Steps :

1) Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celcius. Butter/Oil and flour a bundt baking tray well.

2) In a standing mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure that each addition is well combined into the mixture. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl when needed.

Adding buttermilk & flour

3) Add the salt and vanillin bean paste and beat for another 30 seconds or so. On low speed, alternate the cake flour and buttermilk until both are very well incorporated. Make sure you start and end with the cake flour. Beat until the mixture is smooth, but careful not to over mix the batter.

Mixing the batter to the cocoa

4) In a medium size bowl, mix the cocoa powder and water. Make sure there’s no lumps. Add 1 generous cup of the cake batter into the bowl and mix till well combined.

Getting ready to make the zebra cake

5) To make the zebra effect, add two heaps spoonful of vanilla batter in the bundt pan, then 1 heap spoonful of the chocolate batter. Continue to alternate the vanilla and chocolate batters until all the batters are used up and the bundt pan is filled. Tap the bundt pan to help in spreading the batters and be more equally distributed.

Steps to making the zebra patterns

Cake ready to be baked!

6) Bake the cake in the middle rack of your oven for 45-50 minutes. The crust will be golden brown and the cake should spring back when lightly touched. To check if the cake is done, stick a toothpick into the cake and it should come out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 mins in the bundt pan, then invert it out into a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely.

Zebra cake

You can dust it with icing sugar, I wish I did, but I ran out of it! ENJOY!

Remember to always cook and bake with love! Thanks SCS for the starter kit once again! Till the next post, xx

Hazelnut Olive Oil Cake

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Hazelnut Olive Oil Cake

Hooray! It’s the weekend so let’s celebrate with cake! What better way yes? heh I don’t think anyone can really resist cake, even more so when it’s a gluten free and (almost) healthy one!

Is there a particular cake that you will never get tired of and would always go-to cause you know it will not fail you? I definitely do! This is one cake that I know that would definitely be a crowd pleaser! The chocolate olive oil cake by Nigella Lawson is simple, delicious and did I say delicious? Whenever I need to make a birthday cake for a close friend, I always turn to this recipe, top them with fresh raspberries and dust with icing sugar and viola! All ready to be consumed and put smiles on people’s faces!

All along, I’ve made it using almond meal, but I few weeks back when I needed to bake a cake for a close friend’s 21st, I had a eureka moment. Why not use hazelnut meal? It would be like a fudgey and moist… nutella cake! How good does that sound? I was so so excited to give it a try!

And it came out just the way I envisioned it to be. Soft, really chocolatey, and so fudgey and moist! OOhhh la-la! It can definitely make one of the sexiest and most decadent chocolate dessert that I’ve ever made! The hazelnut meal elevated it to a whole new level! Definitely gonna stick to using hazelnut meal now. hehe One slice is never enough!

So give this a shot if you love nutella. You will definitely be hooked! It’s gluten free and if you are on a paleo diet, just change the sugar to 1/3-1/2 cup honey and you’re good to go!

Hazelnut Chocolate Olive Oil Cake (adapted from Nigella Lawson)

150 ml regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)

50 grams cocoa powder (good quality, sifted)

125 ml boiling water

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

150 grams hazelnut meal

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

170 grams caster sugar (or 1/3-1/2 cup of honey if you want it to be paleo)

3 eggs, room temperature

1 small punnet of fresh raspberries (to top the cake)

Icing sugar, to finish

Steps :

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease your springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment. Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.

2. In another smallish bowl, combine the hazelnut meal with the bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt.

3. Put the sugar (or honey), olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream. Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the hazelnut meal mixture.

4. Pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.

5. Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely and place the whole punnet of fresh raspberries neatly on the cake and dust with icing sugar. Serve with a side of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of your favourite ice cream!

Have a chocolatey and hazelnutty weekend everyone! (: Be warned that you won’t be able to stop at a slice for this one! hehe

Remember to always cook and bake with love! Till the next post, xx !

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie : Hot Chocolate Festival

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Yarra Valley Chocolaterie

I have a love-hate relationship with chocolate. More love than hate of course. But after scoffing down too much chocolate, that’s when the hate sets in. But it doesn’t last for long. My love for it is overpowering. haha So you can imagine my face when I walked through the glass doors of the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie! Yeap! You guessed it right! Wide grins, round eyes and I marched straight to the huge bowls of chocolate that are for free tasting. How generous! But just so I don’t look greedy, I just took a (heap) tablespoon full of the dark chocolate buttons and stepped away.

Hot Chocolate Festival

It wasn’t my first time at the chocolaterie, but this time I was really lucky to be asked to the Hot Chocolate Festival by Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Q Strategies to try 8 out of the 31 limited edition flavours they’ve come up with for the month of August! I went with the blogging gang (Shellie, Daisy, Thanh, Agnes & I-Hua) and we were allowed to bring our partners (and Melissa!) along, so it was like a fun road trip with a whole huge foodie gang!

8 flavours that we tried

These were the 7 + 1 flavours we tried that morning. Yes, we had hot chocolates for breakfast! hehe What could be better yes?

Josh - Head barista

We were introduced to Josh, the head barista at the chocolaterie. He’s the one who comes up with all the different flavours! Amazing! From the moment we gathered infront of him, pots and pots of hot chocolate arrived and were served! We were definitely in hot chocolate heaven!

toppings

Each cup (thank goodness they were mini ones!) had a different topping to match the flavours!

Pouring the hot chocolate

So without further ado, here comes the hot chocolates! I’m introducing them in the order that we were having them! Of course, I have my top three choices of the morning and you’ll see them next to their flavours! hehe So, first up….

Gingerbread

Gingerbread (2nd place)! This was made using their milk couverture chocolate and had quite a strong cinnamon and ginger taste to it, which I love! It was served with some gingerbread crumbs which gave a slight crunch to the drink.

Mint madness

Next up was mint madness! This was also made with their smooth milk chocolate and served with a fresh mint! I actually quite enjoyed this, as it reminded me of an After Eight chocolate! hehe and I absolutely love those thin pieces of chocolate! hehe

Cookies & Cream

Cookies & cream was somehow known as the King Kong of all flavours made with smooth milk chocolate and topped with crushed oreo cookies! This was delicious but it kinda of tasted like normal hot chocolate, and nothing too special. Though the crunch of the cookies added a good texture!

pina colada

I’ve been into coconut everything these days, so I was quite excited when I saw Pina Colada (3rd place) on the tasting menu! It had a strong coconutty flavour made with white chocolate and topped with toasted coconut! DELISH! hehe It was quite a favourite among us that day to be honest!

Indian Chai

When the next flavour was indian chai, Shellie and I were smiling at each other, as we both love our chai! Unfortunately, the dark chocolate was a little overwhelming and I couldn’t really taste the chai spices. Sad face! I really thought this would make number 1 on my list!

Snickers

This, ladies and gentlemen, is SNICKERS! The champion of the day! It was so delicious, and it really felt like you were having a snickers bar. It was nutty and chocolatey. Everything a hot cup of hot chocolate needs! Topped with roasted slithers of almond – A perfect cup! I secretly wanted another cup! haha But had to safe some space for the two more to come!

Lemon myrtle

If you’re a fan of lemony and citrusy drinks, this would be the one for you! I never thought that lemon would go well with chocolate. But after drinking this, your mouth is left with a subtle taste of lemon, kinda refreshing! Each cup is topped with a candied slice of lemon.

Jaffa

Our last cup for the morning was Jaffa. It was a special addition to the tasting menu we had! Before we could taste it, Josh grated some orange zest and the aroma of oranges just filled the air!

Handmade marshmallows

After all the hot chocolates, we were also introduced to some handmade marshmallows! There were 4 flavours (from top) : tropical, vanilla, strawberry & chocolate ! They were all so FLUFFY (imagine me saying this in Agnes’ voice, from Despicable Me! haha) !!! Loved it and they weren’t overly sweet! I had to stop at one though, cause I definitely reached my sugar quota for the day! hehe

Chocolate freckles

After the private tasting session, we walked around the chocolaterie and it was like being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! Every where you walked to, you would see chocolate of all kinds!

Rocky road

So do go and visit the chocolaterie before the end of August and taste all the different flavours of hot chocolate they have to offer and hit a sugar high! (: You’ll definitely enjoy it as much as we did!

chocolate cups stacked

So what flavour of hot chocolate would you love to try? I really want to try the popcorn flavour that’s coming up next week! hehe What are you waiting for? Head over there asap!

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery on Urbanspoon

Lianne @ Food Made With Love attended the hot chocolate festival as a guest of the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Q Strategies. Thank you so much for this yummy opportunity! 

Milo Brownie Pound Cake

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Milo Brownie Pound Cake

MILO. Just the thought of it brings me back to my childhood. Milo was something I grew up drinking. A cup everyday and even when I was older, I would still love drinking it. And yes, eating it by spoonfuls too! Don’t be shocked! I’m sure lots of you do it! heh I remember when we had to do the yearly cross country run (more walk than run to be honest haha), the one thing that we all look forward to was the milo van at the finishing line!

milo brownie pound cake

These days, what I would sometimes crave for when I’m back home in the heat is some ice milo or even milo dinosaur, which is pretty much ice milo with a whole heap of milo powder on top. Can you say YUM?!! Can’t get enough!

Milo brownie pound cake

So when I came across this recipe of a milo cake on Pencil Kitchen, I couldn’t wait to start baking to taste it! I have to admit though, I probably overbaked mine cause it didn’t come out as gooey and light like hers, but after warming it up before eating it, it was still pretty delicious! Definitely tasted like having a warm cup of milo! So definitely gonna make this again, but cutting down my baking time!

milo brownie pound cake

Milo Brownie Pound Cake ( Recipe closely adapted from Pencil Kitchen )

175g butter, room temperature

150g caster sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

200 ml milk

200g milo powder, extra 50g for dusting

a pinch coffee granules

40g cocoa powder

200g all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 pinch salt

1 tbs salted butter, melted

Steps : 

1) Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius.  Prepare a 9×9 inch springform baking tin by lining the bottom with grease proof paper and lightly coating the interior with olive oil.

2) Dissolve 100g of milo powder and coffee granules in milk. Heat it a little to allow it to dissolve quicker. Set it aside and allow it to cool completely.

3) In a large bowl, sift the flour, 100g of milo powder, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4) In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and beat till just combined. Stir in the vanilla bean paste.

5) Add the flour mixture and milo milk alternately, starting with the flour mixture.

Before going into the oven

6) Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread it out to make sure it’s evenly spread. Bake the cake for 30-40 mins (nothing more as it will overcook!) and allow it to cool in the tin for 10 mins.

all baked and ready to cool

7) Carefully release the spring and invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Brush the top with the melted salted butter and dust with 50g of milo powder.

milo brownie pound cake

Slice and enjoy it as it is, or zap it in the microwave to have it warm with a scoop of your favourite ice cream! (:

So dear readers, what is your favourite childhood drink? Would love to know!

Till then, remember to always cook and bake with love! xx

Easter Egg Masterclass By Cacao

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Easter Egg Masterclass by Cacao

It’s the time of the year when you start indulging in chocolate eggs and bunnies and the only aisle you want to walk at the supermarkets is where all the deliciousness is located. Walking the aisle actually feels like I was partially in the chocolate factory of Charlie! The smell of chocolate is unbeatable and just inevitably puts a smile on my face. I have to say this is one other time of the year that I love and have lots to be thankful for.

Just a week back, I was invited to a Easter Egg Masterclass by Cacao Fine Chocolates & Patisserie and TinkPR with a few other awesome food bloggers (Iron Chef Shellie, I’m So Hungree, Brunch Addict, Sweet Cherrie Pie, Off The Spork, Melbourne Food Snob Peach Water & Never Too Sweet For Me ). Was so good to see everyone from the Pizza challenge and also put faces to some whom I’ve followed since I’ve started blogging! hehe Needless to say, this was one educational and fun class! hehe Do be warned that this post will definitely make you hungry and possible make you crave for some chocolate & salted caramel! hehe

Cacao Fine Chocolates & Patisserie

Address : 52 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

Phone : 03 8598 9555

Website : http://www.cacao.com.au

Hot chocolate

When we got there, we were asked if we wanted a cup of their signature hot chocolate, and I don’t know how anyone could resist such an offer? It was my first time having their hot chocolate and I have to say, it is one of the best ones I’ve ever had! And it was perfect for the cold windy night. Their hot chocolate is made from Belgium chocolates and it’s so rich and definitely chocolatey! I just couldn’t stop picking my cup up and sipped continuously! hehe

Canapes

Canapes

Canapes

We were also served some delicious canapes and they were perfect with the hot chocolate. It was good to fill us up before the class so we don’t gobble all the Easter eggs we were going to make! hehe (:

Tim Clark

Tim Clark who is the mastermind behind all the delicious chocolates and macarons introduced himself and led us to his kitchen which had a beautiful marble top which I’ve always dreamt of having in my kitchen! And we got down to business immediately!

Tempering chocolates

Tim taught us the art of tempering chocolate and the importance of doing it – so that we can get smoother and shinier chocolates! hehe We also learnt that different types of chocolate temper at different temperatures. Tim made it look so easy spreading the chocolate out and scraping it back again. It’s like second nature to him! He could do it with his eyes shut! hehe Once the chocolate was tempered, it was ready to be used for our Easter Eggs!

Ashely @ I'm So Hungree did really well at tempering the chocolate too!

Ashley of I’m So Hungree gave tempering chocolate a shot and I have to say, she did a marvellous job! hehe She looked like a pro doing it! hehe and while she was tempering, and us watching, the beautiful Julia of TinkPR came around (like an angel) offering us macarons and chocolates! How pretty is this box of macarons? I wanted to steal the whole box! hehe

Macarons

I tried the cookies and cream one and it was SO GOOD! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The ganache was not too sweet as well! Really enjoyed it and was so tempted to go for seconds, but had to control myself! hehe

Tim Clark showing Daisy and us how to fill the shells

The time has come when we learnt how to make the shells of Easter Eggs! Miss D stepped up to give it a shot! hehe Before filling it up with the luscious chocolate, we first have to make sure the shell moulds are polished and shiny. This can be done just by using a cloth or paper towel! hehe

Filling the mould up

Then we fill the mould up all the way to the top!

Tapping the air bubbles out

Then tap the side to make sure there are no air bubbles in between and then scrape the top.

Making chocolate shells

Then comes the fun part : flip, tap, allow it to drip and scrape the access off! What you get in the end are some nicely covered egg shells!

Salted caramel chocolate egg shells

To make it extra special, we sprinkled some salted caramel crystals before covering and sealing them with another layer of chocolate! Yummo! Next up, Tim showed us how to be the best salted caramel EVER.

Tim Clark making salted caramel

We all stood around him and all you could hear is the Ooos and Ahhs as the salted caramel is being made. We were big fans of the salted caramel and just couldn’t wait to taste it! hehe

Almost done!

A pot of gold just about completed!

sifting the salted caramel

The pot of salted caramel is then blended before going through a fine sift and there in the big metal bowl is magic. Just thick and delicious. You just want to lick the whole bowl and any drips around it. haha

when it's cooled

Once it’s cooled, all is left to do it to dig a spoon in and ENJOY!

spoonful of salted caramel

And we did just that of course! hehe We each were given a (tea)spoon to try and OH-EM-GEE! It was super yummilicious! Wish we could have more, but no double dipping! 😛

Filling the small shells with salted caramel

We piped the salted caramel into the small egg shells that were made prior to our arrival and they were sealed with even more chocolate before capping it with the other shell. This small chocolate ball of goodness was going to be placed within our large chocolate egg!

Shiny chocolate egg shells ready to go!

Our chocolate shells were popped out of the moulds and getting ready to be filled and sealed too! (: We each did one after Tim demonstrated how it should be done. We never knew how it was sealed and it’s always great to learn something new everyday! hehe

sealing the easter egg

Just lightly heating the egg shells, then placing the small egg filled with salted caramel then sealing it! VIOLA! An easter egg is formed!  Or some would say, this is how the baby egg is formed. haha

Completed shells

Take home box

We were lucky enough to take an egg back at the end of the class and there was nothing but big smiles on our faces! hehe Thank you Tim Clark from Cacao & Julia from TinkPR for this wonderful opportunity to learn how to make beautiful Easter eggs and irresistible salted caramel! I definitely enjoy every single bit(e) of the class and will be back for more macarons and hot chocolate! Mmmm (:

Happy mid week everyone! Just one more day till the long weekend! Remember to always cook and bake with love!

PS : Did you see the Humpy Dumpy display at the top? Do head to Cacao at St Kilda to have a closer look! Everything is made with chocolate and each Humpty Dumpty used 40kg of chocolate! Happy Easter everyone!

Disclaimer : I was invited to this Easter Egg Masterclass as a guest of  Cacao Fine Chocolates & Patisserie and TinkPR.

Weekend Baking : Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Raspberries

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chocolate olive oil cake with fresh raspberries

It’s been a while since I’ve baked something and I was really craving for some olive oil cake. Since it’s the weekend, and it’s been pouring, I decided to stay in and bake! (: Which was a perfect idea, if I can’t say so myself. hehe I was searching around for a recipe, and thankfully, Miss D  shared with me Nigella Lawson’s chocolate olive oil cake. The best of my two worlds : olive oil & chocolate. Who wouldn’t like chocolate yes? Plus, it is actually good for you!

chocolate olive oil cake with fresh raspberries

I was a little worried about making it as I haven’t really made any cake with completely no flour. But it came out beautifully and was rich but surprisingly not too dense! It was still crumbly and actually pretty light. Was a hit with the mr from the first bite! (I sounded like I was rhyming there haha) Love the intensely deep colour of the cake in contrast with the white icing sugar. For some reason, icing sugar reminds me of snow. And it’s really magical, it makes every cake prettier! (:

Chocolate olive oil cake sliced and topped with freshly whipped vanilla bean cream

The original recipe of the cake is really quite healthy; no flour, no butter and not quite as much sugar as well. Just olive oil which is good for you and the chocolate component only consist of cocoa powder and water! How good is that? To make it a little healthier, I added fresh raspberries which added a little zing to the cake! And not to mention how pretty it looks with the specks on red when cut! (: Plus it’s gluten free! Wheeee!

chocolate olive oil cake with raspberries

Do note though that if you do put fresh raspberries in, you might have to finish it in a day or two if you leave it out. Probably can only be kept for up to a week in the fridge. But it probably won’t last longer than that anyways! hehe

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Raspberries (adapted from Nigella Lawson)

150 ml regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)

50 grams cocoa powder (good quality, sifted)

125 ml boiling water

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

150 grams ground almond

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

170 grams caster sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1 small punnet of fresh raspberries

freshly whipped vanilla bean cream, to garnish (or ice cream)

Steps :

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease your springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment. Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.

2. In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.

3. Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream. Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond mixture.

4. Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula,and add the fresh raspberries. Give it a gentle stir until the raspberries are well mixed in. Pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.

5. Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some freshly whipped vanilla bean cream or some ice cream.

pacman

Couldn’t help myself but had to take a shot of the cake when it looks like pacman! hehe (: Have a good week ahead everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love!

Daylesford Adventures

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This being our first time at Daylesford, we definitely had to explore and do some touristy things! But before we set off for our adventure, we had the most amazing breakfast at Shizuka Ryokan.

Our package included breakfast every morning and we could choose between the japanese breakfast set or the usual eggs, toasts and bacon. We decided to try the japanese breakfast and boy were we glad we did! It looked more like lunch/dinner to be honest. But it was absolutely delicious and healthy! Definitely a win-win in our books. (:

After our very satisfying breakfast, we set off on our roadtrip! Our first stop was actually the Information Centre in Daylesford to grab all the brochures and maps! Then we sat down and started planning our route. The first place we decided to visit was the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens and Lookout Tower.

There was a driving path for cars to actually drive around the beautiful greenery. On each side of the road were rows of trees which kind of reminded me of my dream drive way. hehe And yes, I did remind the hubs about it. hehe But actually, to think about it. I do have a long driveway now. Just that it’s shared with my neighbour. But baby step, yes? hehe

Sitting on top of the hill was the Wombat Hill House cafe, garden and store. Unfortunately, we were still stuffed from our brekkie so we didn’t get to dine there. Definitely will be on our to-go list the next time we make our trip up! hehe Do note that they are closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays!

Our next stop was the Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm. Although it wasn’t the right time to see the blooming lavender flowers, it was still worth our visit there especially since it coincided with the Swiss & Italian Festival! In fact it was the La Primavera, which was the celebration of Spring! They had BBQs and stalls offering a range of delicious food! When we got there, it was so packed and there was just people sitting on their picnic mates, enjoying the sun, food and company!

The Mr and I spotted these beautiful willow trees and the first thing he said to me was, they look like my hair when I was younger! hehe How funny is he? So we decided to snap a shot with it! Please excuse my tired eyes! The weather was absolutely glorious!

It was a pity that it wasn’t the best time to visit the farm. But I could just imagine how beautiful it will be when they are all blooming! It would be a sea of purple, just thinking about it makes me smile! Not forgetting how amazing the whole place would smell!

There was a house on display that showed us a typical house of an italian family. It was really interesting! You could totally tell that the kitchen was the place that brings people together! Definitely my kind of house. hehe

As we walked out of the house, we bumped into a couple of boys doing the mime!

I was told by a few people to try their delicious lavender ice cream and of course I couldn’t leave the place without giving it a try! It was perfect since it was rather warm that afternoon. hehe It seems like everyone was craving for some ice cream cause of the weather.

We order a lavender ice cream waffle cone and a cup of lavender lemonade. The lavender ice cream was really smooth and had a very subtle lavender flavour which we really enjoyed. But the lavender lemonade was nothing special, it tasted like sparkling water with not much of a lavender flavour. Though it did help quench our thirst! I would definitely recommend heading up to the Lavandula Farm especially during their festivals! The next one scheduled is the Lavender Harvest on the 6th of January, so don’t miss it! (:

After spending some time at the Lavandular Swiss Italian Farm, we made our way to Trentham for lunch and to see the beautiful waterfall. On our way there, I just couldn’t not snap a shot of the trees that had blackened trunks, which kinda reminded me of when there was the forest fires a few years back at the Grampians, and the tree trunks look the same. I wonder what the story behind these trees were. Definitely a time for reflection. (:

Our first stop was to feel our tummies! Of course, when you go to Trentham, the place you have to visit is Red Beard Historic Bakery! Sourdough bread! That’s all I could think of, but I was wrong. It was much more than just fresh delicious bread. The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and cakes for tea too! Hidden at the back of a small lane, this was definitely a gem we found!

The first thing that greets you when you enter the cafe are two shelves filled with freshly baked sourdough bread that are all baked in their 140 year old scotch oven! All individually and neatly packed and presented on the shelf. They had a whole range : rye, multigrain, sesame seed crusted, fruit loaf and the special of the day was walnut! I wish I could just buy all of them and try every single loaf! All their flours were stone ground and they even had a wheat free loaf that included a mixture of light and dark rye flour. So there is a loaf for everyone!

They sold jams and other condiments too! Just love the rawness of the cafe and thankfully we found seats as it was the peak lunch time! Lucky us! (:

As the Mr had been driving the whole day, he was craving for some hot coffee – latte was his choice that afternoon. I decided to stick to water to hydrate cause of the hot weather having. Not that I would complain! I would prefer hot to cold weather any day!

We had one of the specials that were available that afternoon : frittata with red onions, chorizo and potatoes. It was SO GOOD. It was really light and definitely the fluffiest frittata I’ve had! We both loved it. Each meal came with a side of mixed greens with a mustard vinaigrette. Refreshing with a little spicy kick to it, YUM!

The other thing we had was a chicken and leek pie which was absolutely delicious! The creamy chicken and leek mixture was enveloped in their own freshly made puff pastry which was buttery, crispy and flaky. Every mouthful was a delight! I wanted more after we finished it. hehe The portions were not huge, but we were leaving our tummies for more yummies later in the day, so it was a serving size.

What I love about this place is that they use seasonal produce so their menu would change quite often. Plus, they are doing their part to protect the environment, what could you not love about that? (:

After filling our tummies, we decided to head to Trentham Falls for a short walk. I don’t know about you, but there is just something magical about waterfalls. They make me happy and at that moment, when you’re infront of the falls, nothing else mattered. Just me, the mr and the waters. One day, just one day, I would definitely visit the Niagara falls. I think I would be in awe! *wanderlust*

Calling all Chocoholics! This is one place you don’t wanna miss! Just 7kms away from Daylesford sits a place that would make alot of people happy : The Chocolate Mill. The first person I thought of was of course Miss D. I knew this would be a place she would not miss if she comes to Daylesford. hehe I was really excited about this place! hehe

There were free demos everyday at 11am and 2pm. We were lucky to reach there just in time! We saw how their chocolates were perfectly made each time and it was a really patient process. Would definitely love to give it a try at home. haha We shall see, too many things I would love to try. The cool thing about this place is that we were standing in a building made out of straw bale! 900 straw bales to be exact! Isn’t that amazing? You know what is more amazing?

This.

and this.

and a close up of those perfectly shiny handmade belgian chocolates! YUM! My eyes were drawn instantly to the hazelnut praline, so I of course had to buy a couple for our drive back to Daylesford after. hehe

Love their packaging! I am definitely a proud chocoholic! hehe

We then adjourned to the chocolate cafe for a cup of highly recommended hot chocolate! I was really looking forward to this cup of hot chocolate, cause it was said to be one of the best ones in Melbourne!

I opted for the dark hot chocolate which was so smooth and thick. DELISH! There was a thick layer of melted chocolate at the bottom served with steaming hot milk. We had to stir it well to make sure we weren’t left with a heap of chocolate at the bottom, although that wouldn’t be a bad thing either! hehe

The Mr chose the chilli hot chocolate which had the same smooth and thick consistency but the amazing this was that the more you stir, the spicier it gets! Although it wasn’t the kind of spicy that takes over your taste buds. It was just enough to leave your throat warm and tingly. hehe We definitely left the place with smiles on our faces and bellies very very happy! (:

Not sure if you realise that the mr has loads of Threadless t-shirts which are really cute! hehe He decided to pose the same way as Mr T is on his t-shirt. hehe Love his spontaneity! (:

So what happens when you crave for more hot chocolate after you leave this chocolate filled place? You could always buy a packet of their hot chocolate and all you need to do is add hot milk and viola! (: Cravings satisfied! We bought a couple for the mr’s sister, as she loves her hot chocolate! hehe You have three options : white, milk and dark!

Definitely a whole day of beautiful scenery and yummy food! I don’t think a roadtrip could get any better! Have a great weekend everyone! There will be one more post to come about the last few things we did in Daylesford, so do stay tuned! But for now, TGIF, be kind to one another and remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Salted Caramel Chocolate Lava Cake

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So it was my mr’s birthday yesterday and I really wanted to make him a cake especially since it’s his birthday I’m celebrating with him as his wife! (: So I have been thinking and thinking what would he like as his cake. As he loves salted caramel, I was inspired by Ms D’s cake  (the queen of desserts hehe) that she made for her mr’s birthday! So after much research, I found a perfect cake that the mr would love!

I was really nervous with how it would turn out cause I havent baked a lava cake for the longest time. And I was quite stressed when making it cause there was no turning back. I had no back up cake plan at all. haha You could definitely see the relief in my face when the cake came out cleanly from the ramekins and I found out there was a gooey molten middle! SUCCESS!

And it was definitely a hit with the mr! He has requested that I make him this cake every year on his birthday! hehe I have to say, nothing is sexier than having the luscious salted caramel oozing out of the cake the moment you cut your fork through! It just puts a really big smile on my face! And I could just see how happy and satisfied the mr was. To me, that was the most important part of the day – that he enjoyed what I made him. hehe

Salted Caramel Chocolate Lava Cake (adapted from The Endless Meal)

For the chocolate salted caramel : 

142 g dark chocolate

1 cup caster sugar

28 g unsalted butter

1 tsp fleur de sel, plus a bit more when layering dessert

2 tbs water

1/2 cup thickened cream

For the lava cake :

284g dark chocolate

113 g unsalted butter

3 large eggs

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup icing sugar, and more for dusting

2 tbs cocoa powder

extra butter and cocoa powder for ramekins

Steps :

1) For chocolate salted caramel : Melt chocolate in a double boiler, over a small pot of boiling water.

2) In a large pot, add the sugar and water and heat over medium heat until sugar melts and turn dark amber. If you have a candy thermometer, it should reach 176 degrees celcius. Take it off the heat, and carefully add the thicken cream. (Do note that it will bubble vigorously, so do not stand too close.) Whisk the mixture until smooth, then add the melted chocolate. Once it’s mixed well, stir in the butter. Set aside.

3) For the cake : Prepare 6-8 ramekins (depending on the size), and butter them well before coating them with cocoa powder, turning them upside down to make sure there is no excess. Set aside.

4) Melt butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl, over a mall pot of boiling water. Once melted, set aside allowing it to cool a little.

5) In a mixer, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until well combined. Add the cooled melted chocolate and butter mixture, and stir well. Combine the flour and icing sugar, making sure there are no lumps, then slowly add to the mixture. Mix until smooth.

6) Fill each ramekin half way. Then place a big teaspoon of chocolate salted caramel in the middle and sprinkle a little bit more fleur de sel, before covering with more cake batter until it’s 3/4 filled. (At this stage, you can either bake it straight away or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.)

7) Preheat oven to 210 degrees celcius for 10 minutes. Place the ramekins in the middle rack of the oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes. If your ramekins are smaller, please reduce the baking time to ensure the gooey middle! Remove the ramekin from the oven, and run a palette knife through the sides to loosen the cake.

8) Carefully place a plate over the top of the ramekin and invert it. Carefully lift the ramekin up. Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped vanilla bean cream if desired.

ENJOY! (:

So happy birthday my dearest hubs! So so glad you enjoyed the dinner after a 12 hours day at work! Thank you for working so so hard just to make sure we live comfortably. I couldn’t ask for more really. I love you! And I promise to make this for you every year on your birthday! hehe

Boozy Nutty Brownie

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When you think of St Patrick’s Day, you think of stout. Word association I say. That was exactly what we got to have on this special day (: Of course, I am more of a cider girl, so my choice was the Dirty Granny.

We never really celebrated St Patrick’s Day, but this year, I was just really itching to bake something. It has been a while since I used the oven for baking sweets, so I thought I should really get cracking. I bookmarked a recipe from Steph from her amazing blog Raspberri Cupcakes  a long time ago, and as I went through my endless list of “recipes to try”, my eyes was drawn to her ‘Beer & Nut’ Brownie! So I had to give it a try for sure (:

This was a perfect recipe to whip up on a Saturday night, it was quick and definitely delicious! Especially when you’re craving something chocolatey. This would definitely satisfy that craving, or any sweet craving that’s for sure! It was crispy on the outside, moist on the inside! Don’t worry if you’re not a huge fan of the taste of stout (like me), cause like Steph said, the taste of stout is really subtle, you will taste more chocolate than stout for sure! And if you ask me, the addition of peanut butter was just perfect. Yes, peanut butter. Just for extra crunch, I used the crunchy one. YUM!

My brownies didn’t turn out as beautiful as Steph’s though. Sadly, my swirls came out as blobs. haha But nevertheless, it was delicious and definitely something I would make when I am craving for something nutty and chocolatey!

Thanks for allowing me to share the recipe Steph! (:

Steph’s ‘Beer & Nut’ Brownies from Raspberri Cupcakes

(serves approximately 20)
125g semisweet chocolate
100g butter
100ml stout (Steph used chocolate stout but I couldnt find it but the regular stout worked too!)
2 eggs
3 tbsp dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
75g plain flour
190g caster sugar
160g peanut butter (smooth or crunchy, your preference!)

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Grease very well and line the bottom and two long sides of a 20x30cm baking tin. Let the baking paper hang over the long edges so that it will make it easier to lift brownie out later.

2. Break up chocolate into small pieces and chop up butter into 1cm cubes and place in a heatproof bowl. Heat over a saucepan of boiling water. Stir and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. Sift cocoa powder, sugar and flour into a large mixing bowl. Add melted ingredients, stout and eggs to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Take care not to overmix or the brownies will be tough. Pour into prepared tin.

4. If peanut butter is coming out of the fridge, you may need to heat it gently in a small saucepan to make it less viscous. Using a teaspoon, place dollops of peanut butter over the surface of the brownie mix. Using a round-bladed knife, swirl peanut butter into the brownie mix.

5. Bake for 22-25 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

6. Remove from the oven and place tin on a wire rack. Cool completely in tin before removing and cutting into squares. Can be stored overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.

Before you serve, microwave the brownies on high for 20 secs to warm them up and serve with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Match-made in heaven. (: ENJOY!