Friday, 2 November 2012

Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

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It seems that nowadays cupcakes are the next big thing, but I find that the ones from many bakeries are too sweet... The icing is packed full of powdered sugar, not to mention that the actual cake itself is loaded with a ton of butter and sugar, as if it wasn't sweet enough. Many cupcakes now come in endless varieties of flavors which then has a load of artificial flavor and coloring added- yuck!
I have come up with a recipe, that is much healthier and delicious, as I have cut down on the butter and sugar, and I also find that it has a softer texture than most cupcake recipes out there! I hope you enjoy me recipe!

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe                                                                                         Recipe by iSaamuel

INGREDIENTS;
2 Eggs,
1/2 Cup of Sugar,
1 Tbsp of Pure Vanilla Extract,
2 Tbsps of Melted Butter,
1/2 Cup of Fresh Milk,
1/2 Cup of Cake Flour.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Eggs and the Sugar until the mixture doubles in volume and becomes thick and creamy. This step takes about 5-10 minutes to reach its maximum volume and texture!
2. Gradually sift in your Cake Flour and whisk gently to incorporate everything. Do not overmix otherwise you'll have tough bread-like cupcakes!
3. In another bowl, whisk Melted Butter along with Milk and Vanilla Extract and pour this mixture into your cake batter.
4. Stir gently until everything's combined but don't mix for too long as the cake batter will develop gluten! The cake batter should be at a nice and creamy consistency!
5. Line your Cupcake Pan with Cupcake liners and scoop the batter with an Ice-Cream scoop or with two spoons, and divide the mixture equally between the liners.
6. Bake at 180c for about 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake.

Enjoy and serve with your favorite icing or a dollop of whipped cream! :)


Sponge Cake Recipe



 

I've always wanted the perfect recipe for moist and soft cake... here it is! After weeks of developing and testing, I have finally come up with this perfect recipe! I love using this for my Birthday Cakes, or just sharing with friends and family beneath a blanket of fluffy whipped cream for a simple decoration- I hope you like this recipe! ^___^''

Sponge Cake Recipe                                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel

INGREDIENTS; 
6 Egg Yolks,
6 Egg Whites,
150g of Sugar,
1 Tbsp of Vanilla Extract,
9 Tbsps of Milk,
110g of Cake Flour,
60g of Butter (Melted).

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Sugar, Vanilla until the mixture is light, thick and fluffy. The longer you mix, more air will be incorporated into the final result, making the cake extra soft!
2.  Add in your Milk and Melted Butter and whisk gently until well incorporated. The mixture should still be slightly thick.
3. Sift your Cake Flour into the Egg Yolk mixture, in three portions, mixing gently after a each addition with a whisk to prevent any flour lumps. Do not overmix, other wise you'll have a very dense and tough cake! Once all of the Flour are incorporated and well mixed through, scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula.
4. Your mixture should be nice and creamy but not too thick or dough-like.
5. Add your Egg Whites in a seperate large mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks are formed for about 3-7 minutes.
6. Gradually add your Egg Whites into your Egg Yolk mixture while folding gently to keep the air in.
7. Once there is no Egg White left, line two 10inch cake pans with non-stick parchment paper and divide the mixture evenly between the two pans. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes at 200c. Be careful not to overbake as it will result in denser cakes.

Let your cakes cool and frost with icing to make a Birthday Cake or top off with Whipped Cream and Fruits for an elegant dessert! Enjoy~

 

Sunday, 2 September 2012

Sweet Crêpes!

  
INGREDIENTS;                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel
1 Egg,
1/2 Cup of Milk,
1/2 Cup of Plain Flour,
2 Tbsps of Sugar,
2 Tbsps of Butter (Melted),
1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract (Optional.) 

Make the Crêpes savory, by omitting the sugar and adding a 1/2 tsp of Salt to the batter! Serve with Grated Parmesan Cheese and Ham, sprinkled on with freshly ground black pepper to make the best breakfast ever! ^___^

1- In a large bowl, whisk together the Melted Butter, Egg, Vanilla Extract and Sugar together until everything's well combined.
2- Add the Flour in a few additions while whisking vigorously to prevent a lumpy batter.
3- Heat the pan on medium-low heat and use a ladle to scoop the batter on to the pan.
4- Swirl the pan until the batter is distributed evenly and is in a circle. Once the crepe is filled with air, it is ready to flip. When the crepe is flipped, place it on a plate to let cool down.
5- Repeat Step 3 and Step 4 until there is no crepe batter remaining and all the crepes have been cooked.
6. When all the crepes have cooled down, decorate them with some whipped cream and fresh fruits- yum! Be creative and sprinkle them with Powdered Sugar for an elegant look and a hint of sweetness.


This is when the Crêpe is ready flip!

















Now that you have the best crêpe recipe, go ahead and make it to impress your family and friends now! You could also drizzle on some Chocolate Sauce/Syrup or spread each crêpe with Nutella... yum! (: Like this recipe? Please share to your friends and family!

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Chocolate Cupcakes!

 

INGREDIENTS;                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel
3 Eggs Whisked,
1/2 Cup of Sugar,
1/2 Cup of Cake Flour,
1/4 Cup of Cocoa Powder,
1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract,
2 Tbsps of Chocolate Chips (Melted) *I used Milk,
1 Tbsp of Instant Coffee,
1/4 Cup of Hot Water.

Whipped Cream;
3/4 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream,
1 Tbsp of Powdered Sugar,
1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract.


1- Whisk together the Cocoa Powder, Instant Coffee, Vanilla Extract, Melted Chocolate and Hot Water in a small bowl. Set aside.
2- In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer until it doubles in volume and turns pale, light and fluffy in appearance. (Beat for about 5-10 minutes to get the right consistency)
3- Add the Chocolate mixture into the light egg and sugar mixture you've set aside in Step 1. Whisk until well combined and mixed through.
4- Gradually sift in the flour and gently mix with a small whisk to prevent flour lumps. Do not overmix otherwise you'll have bread-y/chewy cupcakes! D:
5- Once the batter is well mixed and combined, portion the batter evenly into cupcake liners with an ice-cream scoop.
6- Bake at a preheated 180C for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a center of a cupcakes comes out clean without any batter!
7- In a large bowl, pour your heavy whipping cream, along with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Simply use a whisk and some elbow-grease to whip the cream until it forms a soft peak. (Go ahead and use your electric mixer, you know you want to. ;) )
8- Place the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a 'star tip' and gently pipe your desired pattern. Decorate as you like- be as creative as you can!

Impress your family and friends with these delicious Chocolate Cupcakes as you bring them to a Birthday party! Enjoy! (:

Saturday, 26 May 2012

Extremely Soft and Chewy Nutella Cookies!







INGREDIENTS;                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel
1 Egg Whisked,
1 Cup of Flour,
1 Tsp of Baking Soda,
1 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder,
1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract,
1/2 Cup of Nutella (Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread),
1/4 Cup of Butter,
3 Tbsp of Brown Sugar.

1- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. (Flour, Baking Soda & Cocoa Powder)
2- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light, creamy and smooth.
3- Add the Egg, Vanilla Extract and Nutella, and mix for 3 minutes until the mixture is very fluffy.
4- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Then, switch to a spatula to combine everything well.
5- Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper and scoop cookie dough with an ice-cream scooper, then, place them on the baking sheet.

Cookies before baking!~

6- Flatten the cookies out and bake the cookies at 180°C for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are soft in the middle. Do not overbake!
7- Let the cookies cool before serving. Enjoy! :)

Impress your family with these super chocolatey cookies! They will love this so much! A soft and chewy cookie combined with Nutella to create the ULTIMATE chocolatey cookie! (:

Monday, 21 May 2012

Light, Fluffy and Buttery Scones!



 

INGREDIENTS;                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel
400g of Flour,
2 Eggs,
4 Tsp of Baking Powder,
70g of Sugar,
100g of Cold Butter - taken from the fridge,
140g of Milk - " "
1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract.


1- Sift the Flour and Baking Powder into a large mixing bowl and then add in the sugar. Mix with a whisk until thoroughly combined.
2- Place the Butter into the Flour mixture and rub them together with your fingertips. Do not use the palm of your hand as you don't want the butter to melt, because we are looking for a 'flaky' and moist scone! The mixture should be very crumbly, but should still have large chunks of butter throughout!
3- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the Milk, Eggs and Vanilla Extract until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4- With a wooden spoon, mix the together gently and don't overmix, otherwise you will have very tough scones!
5- Cut out a large sheet of Cling Film/Plastic Wrap (I used Parchment Paper) and Pour the dough on top. Gently pat the dough to incorporate the left over Flour.
6- Wrap the Dough and Chill for 30 minutes in the Fridge.
7- 30 MINUTES LATER! Unwrap your dough, and pat it until it forms a rough rectangle. Then, using a knife or a Flour Scraper, cut/divide the dough in half, and fold one over the other. Pat the dough again, and repeat this process 5 times. Do not pat the dough too hard, or you will develop gluten which will cause hard and tough scones!
8- Pat the dough into a rectangle roughly 20cm by 15cm with a thickness roughly of 2.5cm.
9- Use a round cookie cutter and roll it in flour to prevent it from sticking. Press out dough and place them on a lined cookie sheet. If you have left over dough, pat it into a ball and then pat it again into a thick rectangle to form more scones until you no longer have any dough left. 
Brush each scone light with milk before baking them.

The scones before they are baked! n_n

 10- Bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and will spring back when touched! (:

Serve these with a thick tab of butter with some jam, eat them on their own and taste the amazing 'buttery-ness' or even eat with Nutella! Yum! Have fun making these and enjoy! Your family and friends will ask your for more! (:


Saturday, 28 April 2012

Incredibly Soft and Fluffy White Bread!




INGREDIENTS...                                                                    Recipe by iSaamuel
For the Water Roux;
1/2 Cup of Water,
1/6 Cup of Flour.

For the Bread Dough;
2 and 1/2 Cups of Bread Flour,
5 Tbsp of Sugar,
3 Tbsp of Butter,
2 Tsp of Yeast,
1/2 Cup of Milk,
1 Egg,
Water Roux.

1. Mix the ingredients for the Water Roux on a saucepan on Low Heat. Keep whisking/mixing until the mixture thickens and leaves a 'trail' behind. Then, set aside and let it cool!
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (Bread Flour, Sugar and Yeast) until well combined and pour into a larger mixing bowl. (Stand Mixer Bowl)
3. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together (Milk, Egg and Water Roux) until the mixture is well mixed through out. Then, pour the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
4. On a stand mixer, mix the mixture on low speed for 2 minutes until it forms a soft ball.
5. Add in the butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing after each tablespoon until the mixture is smooth, but it shouldn't be dough like.
6. Knead the mixture on high speed, for about 17-20 minutes until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Don't have a stand mixer? Knead the dough fully for 25-30 with some elbow grease :D

How do you know when the dough is fully kneaded?
When you stretch out a piece of dough, it should not break-apart easily, but it should be stretched out until really thin and becomes translucent, and you can practically see from the dough. (See video for more details).

7. Place the dough in a well-greased bowl and cover the dough with a tea-towel to rise in a warm place (Microwave with a Cup of Hot Water) for 40 minutes or until double in size.

How do you know when the dough has 'rised' enough?
'Dip' your finger in flour, and then 'dip' your finger in the dough and leave an indent, if the indent stays, then your dough has risen enough!


8. Place dough on a clean surface and divide the dough into two pieces.
9.  Form each piece into a dough ball, and place them in a greased baking loaf pan.
10. Cover the dough and let it rise for 40 minutes or until double in size.
11. 40 minutes later, whisk together 1 Egg and 1 Tbsp of Water for the Eggwash, and brush over the bread before baking.
12. Bake at 180c for 25-30 minutes or until the bread springs back when touched! (:


This is the best bread recipe that I have ever come across, this also so easy to make and guarantees you every time with soft, fluffy white bread! Serve with a big tab of butter with some jam and you will impress everyone!~ Please make this wonderful recipe for your friends and family~! (: