The Dramatic One - Opera cake


Am pretty sure that many people are familiar with this cake. This is the typical birthday cakes, especially among the residents of Surabaya as numerous bakeries sell these. Opera cake is basically joconde, or almond biscuit, layered with chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream. The sides are often left cut and undecorated as the display of the different layers are breathtaking by itself.

This is truly the cake that made the french bakery Dalloyau famous. If you can get your hands on Paris sweets by Dorie Greenspan, and anybody who's fascinated by Paris and its foods should get it, you will find a recipe of Dalloyau's Opera cake.

This version here, I learned from a Japanese pastry chef during a class held in Singapore. The opera is quite unique as it has Japanese influence, where the cake layers are more fluffy and the layers feel lighter. I have layered fragrant almond biscuit, soaked with aromatic coffee syrup and layered with cream-of-the-crop valrhona chocolate ganache, luscious and creamy coffee buttercream and finally topped with shining chocolate glaze, giving this cake its signature classy appearance.

If you'd like a taste of this "Japanese influenced" Opera Cake, Order here.
Rp. 300,000 for a medium rectangular opera cake

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The Cheesecake that makes people say $#&$%^%%^%^


I was surprised the first time I made this cake and served it to my friends. I get called names, not just names, bad names. They were shouting expletives. I can't quite figure out whether it was a good thing or bad thing, because they look kinda mad!


Then half of the cake disappeared in a flash, and their expressions start to change, it became praises, for the super delicious cheesecake that is still half chewed in their mouths. As it was indeed the sharpest and most creamy cheesecake EVER. And I am not bragging, just have a try of this deli-style vanilla cheesecake and you may want to leave your city and go to Philadelphia (Philadelphia cream cheese, I mean. Sorry for the lameness)

The top picture is showing my cheesecake that i baked in mini cups, it's cute!
The second picture is a slice of the full 8" ( 20 cm ) cake

you HAVE to order to try it:
Rp 300,000 for a full size 8" (20 cm) cheesecake

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Magical Cupcakes - Self frosted ones


This has been a common and well-known cupcake out there since the baking guru Donna Hay created her self frosted cupcakes. There has been a crazy commotion out there since this cupcake was conceptualized, especially among avid nutella fans. Ps. There's even a world nutella day!

This is a very simple cupcake with a very beautiful moist and tightly knit crumbs with dollops of the creamy hazelnutty nutella swirled in. As the cupcakes bake in the oven, the nutella melts further and some of it forms a very nice slight crust on top, thus becoming a self frosted cupcakes.

Come on. Who doesn't love the milk chocolate and hazelnut combination? Especially, when it's mixed in with the vanilla flavored cupcake.

To order these Self Frosted Nutella Cupcakes:
Rp. 85,000 for 12 cupcakes

This is one, getting ready to be devoured by your truly...

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KardinalSchnitte - eating the pope's robe


KardinalSchnitte, what a weird name? It's actually quite a common cake in Vienna. And it means Cardinal's slice. And what gives this cake its unique name, is that the slices (when cut) resembles the robe of the pope which is white striped with yellow, with it's white meringue striped with yellow genoise sponge.
This is another one of those cakes that I really admire. For its simplicity and great flavor. Sometimes, it just feels great to go back to the basics. It's basically made by alternating strips of moist and soft genoise sponge cake with super light meringue. A sweet, light and delightful coffee creme is sandwiched in between the two layers. The combination is beyond belief! Perfect for teatime delight! AND... this is made WITHOUT butter. What more do I need to say?

To order:
Rp. 75,000 (one long cake, without the ornaments)

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Bouchee - a mouthful

Bouchee means a mouthful in French. I certainly have not heard of these little treats until recently when I attended a class that is taught by a Japanese chef from this bakery. Do try out the bakery if you have a chance in Singapore. It is a quaint little shop, not very nicely decorated, but their cakes have been featured in Straits Times before. If you can't get a ticket to Tokyo to try out the city's best japanese pastry shops, settle for this one in Singapore for the time being.


Anyways, this is a replica that is made by yours truly. This is always my go-to dessert if i want something light and sweet, a little something that can brighten my day.
It's basically two sponge disks that has been baked with baked layer of icing sugar (so that there's a crisp layer when you bite). In between the two disks is a layer of fresh sweet cream which creates the most perfect moist sensation.

If you'd like to try, order it from me:

Rp. 6,000 per piece (min. order of 9 pieces)

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Fluffy Cottony Japanese Cheesecake


This is a very comforting cheesecake for me. Unlike the traditional cheesecake, this cake is the fairy of all cakes, it's very light and airy. I imagine that this must be how the cloud tastes like. It has the perfect cheese flavour and an almost chiffon like texture.


A variation of this cake is the marbled japanese cheesecake which has the exact same taste, but looks different with the chocolate marbling on top, which I created with a tiny bit of cocoa powder, mixed in with some of the batter.


Price for both is the same at 85,000 Rupiah for 18 cm diameter cake.
Order here.

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Spam Musubi


Be delighted people! I would like to share a recipe here today. This is especially dedicated to my cousins (and of course my sister, but she doesn't count as she can contact me ANYTIME to get ANY recipe) and friends out there who just started studying overseas and has not learned to cook. Trust me, you will learn how to cook once you decided to change your life and STOP THE JUNK FOOD and reverse the freshman pounds!

This is a very simple recipe that is great as a snack, or as the carb portion of your meal. I used to make lots of these and keep them in the fridge so that I can have two portions as a meal as one of my many diet attempts (which kinda work by the way).
I believe that spam musubi is a very popular snack in Hawaii, a version of the Japanese onigiri. I started making these during my bento making craze and the spam musubi looks absolutely cute as the carbohydrate portion of my meal.

Feast your eyes on some of the pictures of my old bento:

Overflown bento




















SMILEY bento
















So anyways, here's the recipe for spam musubi:

3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce (I recommend Japanese soy sauce)
6 tbsp sugar
1 can spam (slice to 10 cross wise)
2 cups Japanese rice, cook normally
Nori, cut into 5 cm strips

mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Soak the sliced spam into your homemade teriyaki sauce for 5 minutes. Heat some oil in non-stick pan. Pan fry the spam slices until slightly crispy on the edges (completely pat dry the spam from the sauce with kitchen paper towel). Form rice with your hands into a rectangle, about the same surface area as the spam slices and about 3.5 cm thick. Lay the spam on top and wrap with cut nori (secure the nori with some water)

Tips:

  • wrap individual cooled musubi in clingwrap and microwave 10-15 s before eating
But our family always devour all 10 within an hour.
  • You can also use store bought teriyaki sauce to soak the spam slices.
  • There will be teriyaki sauce leftover, dump some chicken pieces into it and stir fry with some sliced onions! Always a favorite.
ENJOY!

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Molten Lava Cake - don't let the gold drip to your shirt


This is the MOST popular cake in many restaurants, especially during that certain holiday when there are many pink hearts used as decorations. This is a very simple chocolate cake, with a very nice surprise inside, where the inside of the cake is actually molten (like a lava of a volcano, hence the name). Break into it with your fork and you will be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful gold (erm.. chocolate used to be as precious as gold, being the drink of the gods) hiding within it. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired to heighten the sensation further (imagine the mixture of flowing hot chocolate with COLD vanilla ice cream)

This is also the cake that has caused many accidents and many fights. For the accident part, because you're so excited when eating that the chocolate may spill. And also because this cake is nice for sharing, but is NEVER enough to share that you may fight over the last bite.

To order
:
15,000/cake (min order of 4 cakes)

microwave for 10 seconds before eating to heat it up.

You may also opt to have an uncooked batter and bake it at the comfort of your own home, 15 min before end of the meal.

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Magic Balls - Snowballs

I learned to make these cookies from a Japanese pastry chef from one of the numerous baking classes that I have attended in Singapore. This is quite a popular cookie in Japan. It has a melt in your mouth texture and you feel good eating it because it containes healthy nuts, almonds.

There are many names to this cookie. Sometimes it's called the Russian tea cakes, which is a common pastry eaten during the middle ages in England. A very popular name for these little cookies though seems to be Mexican Wedding Cake. A celebration cake (still a cookie) that is eaten during weddings. I feel that the round balls coated with a white dusting of icing sugar is perfect for the occasion

I think this is the cookie that is great to have anytime in the house to be served to guests at any time. Or just the kind of cookie that is perfect to be chomped down in an episode of desperate housewives.

There are many versions out there. The main ingredients for these cookies are nuts, butter, sugar, flour and icing sugar. Some use pecan, or walnuts for the "nuts" part. But I use blood-cholesterol-lowering-the-almighty-almonds. It contains potassium, vitamin E, good fats and antioxidants. Another main ingredient is great quality french butter. Creating the most delicious (at least in my opinion) magic balls, a melt-in-your-mouth snowballs cookies.

To order:
Rp 65,000 for about 36-40 cookies (it is quite a big cookie)

I recommend to eat them ASAP as I don't use any preservatives.

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Al-Azhar - YUMMY

I am sorry people. I just have to brag about what i ate today (well, yesterday now, but it was about 2 hours ago). I had the most delicious supper that is my go-to place at the latest hour, precisely it's open ALL THE TIME! And they serve the best maggi goreng ayam!

First off, let's start with the cheese naan and butter chicken, which turns out to be everyone's favorite today:




















The butter chicken has just enough creaminess in its really savory sauce and the cheese naan is slightly puffy and soft, with a bit of chewiness. It really holds the sauce well. I think al-azhar has done the butter chicken REALLY well today. One of the best i have tasted in Singapore since I had my first taste of butter chicken in a north indian restaurant in Buffalo, New York!

Next up, is the mee goreng. I feel that this is quite a normal indian mee goreng. The thick noodle or "mee" is stained with shocking red tomato sauce and has a slight spiciness to it. Each bite is perfectly coated with the tiny ground chicken pieces. (you probably can't really see from the above picture.)


Now, this is the STAR for me. I think this is how ALL instant MAGGI noodles should be cooked. I asked for Maggi goreng ayam. Which means that the MAGGI is mixed with fried chicken. Each bite has a slight crunch (sometimes from the crisp chicken skin that is mixed in the noodle and sometimes from the broken chicken bone that has been accidentally mixed in the noodle - but i forgive all that)
I know that this dish is probably laden with lots of MSG, aside from those that is inside the MAGGI noodle seasoning packet. But, oh don't whine, just drink lots of water afterwards. This is a should-not-miss.

And that's my cousin on the left, Hutomo (read: Cihong) and my little sister, Lily who seems to be VERY "delighted" that they are going to get their fill of GREAT food at 10:30 pm.

Information: If you're drooling right now, just looking at the pics, please know that this is probably from 1 percent of their menu. For the other 99 percent. You have to explore on your own @ 11/11A Cheong Chin Nam Road, Singapore

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Eclair - eat at lightning speed only

As according to the greatest writer on food ever, Dorie, author of Paris Sweets. Eclair in french literally means "flash". So eclair has been created since the beginning to be eaten in a flash - at lightning speed. Look at these little (or not so little) treat:
the shiny, glossy chocolate glaze looks tempting enough. But what is lurking beneath it is a tender choux pastry dough that is hollow in the middle, just meant for a good douse of creamy, silky, not too sweet filling.

The chocolate glaze is tenderly made with good quality 55% valrhona equatoriale chocolate, together with the creamiest sweetest french butter and a good drizzling of whipping cream. The result: as what you can see from the above, a very chocolatey (not for the faint hearted as this chocolate is quite dark) cover.

The choux pastry is made with a basic pastry dough which is baked to perfect tenderness and hollowness.

The custard filling is the best that I've made so far. It's definitely not too sweet and thus perfect to complement the chocolate glaze. And not too oily/fatty and give you the perfect feeling of satisfaction without being overwhelming. and... I can't describe further. You just have to try it!

to order, simply contact me

there is a minimum order of 15 pieces at 8000 rupiah each. (without gold foil)

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The pear tart that drives me crazy

This is truly the pear tart that drives me and my whole family crazy! Because you can't stop eating. One bite is never enough! And it may go straight down to your hips. ^_^ It is composed of a crumbly, buttery sweet tart dough that has been prebaked, and layered with creamy, sweet, silky almond paste and then topped with syrupy pears. The tart is then dusted with a douse of icing sugar to create the snowing effect!

Stick your fork into this french delight and you can feel the different textures already. Biting into this, you can also feel the different textures in your mouth: slight crunch of the pear, the silky smooth almond paste, and the crumbly buttery sweet tart base.

Don't pass on these! It's a must must try.

To order:
135.000 (1 full size tart)

Bon Appetit!

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Melty Kiss Brownies


Brownies are usually either cake like or fudge like. I like mine with crispy top and soft centers. But have you seen one with a melted center? I thought this concept is pretty similar to the molten cake where the middle was left raw. But the ladies at NCC are real genius, they make a typical brownies batter and layer the middle with chocolate chunk pieces. The result? A melted center that just burst in your nouth once your teeth sinks into these babies.

As usual, I only use imported french butter and intense dark valrhona chocolate in this brownies, and the result is magnificent!

If you'd like to have a taste of these babies at the highest quality:
Rp. 135,000 (1 brownies tray = 13x 24 cm)

This is what the brownies looks like whole:

If you give it to friends and family, don't let the secret out! Let them be surprised as the melted insides burst in their mouths and the smooth chocolate trickle down their throats.

Ciao!

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Layers of sweet heaven (Mille Crepes)



I only started to notice this cake after visiting japan and taiwan. This cake, mille crepes, is quite a popular cake in those countries. Well, they are countries that really love soft fluffy cakes and making variations of popular cakes from various countries, eg. France to suit their own taste. For example, in Japan they also love the mochi mochi texture and hence make their breads a little chewy. Taiwan, being very close in proximity to Japan, also like to adapt these tastes. I really admire their creativity and ideas in adapting to recipes.
You'll see after this page that a lot of my creations would be influenced from various countries and also some Japanese-French influence.

Back to the Mille Crepes, it literally means thousand crepes. (erm... but I will break my back before making thousand crepes). So forgive me, I will only make about 20+. But these 20+ fluffy layers, filled with luscious vanilla creme, is enough to create the melting effect in your mouth. The fragrance of high quality Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract creates additional depth.

If you'd like to enjoy this fluffy goodness, please contact me to make an order.

Price: Rp. 180,000 for a standard cake size
Optional: I can add additional crunch on top by sprinkling sugar on top and torching it before pickup for free! (GRATIS LOH)


This is what happens when you're too eager to devour the cake and cut it before it sets. The creme is still soft and melty. As you see, the top is golden with caramelized sugar. Yum...

This is taken the next day after the creme sets. torching the sugar just before eating gives it a nice contrast of warm top and cold insides. Heaven!

My dearest friend, Elfa, just pointed out to me that there is a VERY famous shop in NYC called Lady M that is famous for this cake. So if you'd like to try what it tastes like, don't forget to order from me! Please note that they are selling each cake for 75 USD!!! gasp!

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