I have always admired the likes of Fatboybakes and the Just Heavenly duo. Witty, good looking, multi-talented and really amazing bakers. Just throw a bunch of ingredients at them, and they’re able to whip up something probably unpronouncable with Zs and Qs (notice how the more amazing the cake, the more the obscure consonants in the name?…which reminds me of this episode of Family Guy where Peter takes a shot in the dark at a Wheel of Fortune gameshow…the clue is Actor & Show and he comes up with Z, 4, Q, Q, Q and the batman symbol(!), then correctly guesses Alex Karras in Webster…hehehe).
And on the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s me. I am a reluctant baker. (And talking about reluctant bakers, Bald Eagle calls me a reluctant PJ(Petaling Jaya)-driver ‘coz in all my years of driving (and mind you, I have an excellent sense of direction), I have refused to learn my way around PJ….but in my defence, PJ roads are stupid…they’re numbered but not in sequential order and I cannot embrace anything so illogical). Anyway, back to baking, my palms get clammy, and I start sweating the small stuff. To overcome this fear, I persuaded Aunt in Oz to teach me how to bake.
The first lesson was the Pav. I was worried that my success in baking a pavlova was merely beginner’s luck, so I embarked on another baking project immediately after that.
“This one’s easy,” Aunt said.
Of course, “easy” is relative. I’m the type of girl who can kill a cactus or guppies (longkang fish) effortlessly.
Step 1:
Chuck 200g dark chocolate, 150g castor sugar, 150g butter, 1 tablespoon strong espresso coffee and 1tablespoon rum/brandy in a bowl.
Step 2:
Sit the bowl in simmering water (i.e. double boil) until all the ingredients melt.
Step 3:
Remove from heat and stir well to combine 100g ground almonds/hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon of plain flour. Then beat in 5 egg yolks, one at a time.
Step 4:
Beat egg whites (from the earlier 5 eggs) till stiff. Ladle spoonsful into chocolate mixture and fold in.
Step 5:
Pour into lined tin (23cm diameter). Bake at 180°C for 40 – 50 minutes.
Step 6:
Dust with icing sugar and serve.
What joy. My SECOND edible cake. Time to celebrate.
If I can do it, so can your dog.
Okay lah, I just wanted an excuse to put in this ultra-cute picture of an ultra-cute doggy belonging to ultra-talented Aunt in Oz.
Well Done! Baking really isnt all that difficult la.. in fact, I prefer baking to cooking! Your cake looks lovely as do your photos. I like how you always seem to take angular shots and close crops!
dearest LL,
The photos are beautiful. I can’t really find another word to describe it…fabulous? fantabulous? superb? incredible? out of this world????
I like the whipped up egg white….this is the kind of picture they should put in cookbook when they say ” whipped the egg white until firm and glistening”
Because, I can really see the “glister” in the pic…
cheers!
PS : I’m hopeless with KL’s roads instead. Giv me PJ roads anytime….
Hey, great photos! As a chocoholic, this is definitely a recipe I would like to try.
Heh heh. Lovely! Only you can make a bowl of cut butter, sugar and chocolate look beautiful, leh. Congrats on another pretty cake! You’re starting to lose your baking sweat, looks like.
Cute funny dog. Schnauzers are very smart, hor?
(Was too shy to ask if you read the book. Funny how Eleanor wanted to lick the nutty man’s face, eh?)
Hi5 on the PJ roads silly numbering!
Your pictures are Amazing… and recipes look equelly as well…The Expresso Cake I will try to make over the weekend.. possibly you can share some of your recipes with the members of recipebuddys.com… I am sure we can use your advice on baking…thanks
Andy
http://www.recipebuddys.com
The ultra cute doggie is so ultra adorable!!!
The cake looks good!! Are you going to bake one soon? Slurp 😉
ooo.. yummie.. and i wanna squeeze that dog! too cute!
Dharm: I prefer cooking to baking because I like agak2-ing measurements! But baking can be quite rewarding, I suppose. 😉
MH: Glad you like the pictures! Yeah, it always helps to know exactly what consistency to expect when trying new recipes. Wah, you know your way around PJ ar? I’m sooooo impressed!!! Really!!! 😀
Linda: Thanks for dropping by! This is an easy peasy recipe which I’m sure you’ll be able to do!
Argus the December Dogma: Thanks for the book! I really didn’t know what to expect at the beginning, wondering what genre it belonged to, and I suppose I’m still confused about the genre at the end of the book! It’s really funny. I like the ending. 🙂 And no, I have not lost my baking sweats yet. It’s more terrifying than childbirth.
Tummythoz: Groovy baybeh!
Andrew Abraham: Thanks! Will visit your site. 🙂
Precious Pea: Yeah, Casper’s a darling. As for a repeat performance, we shall have to wait and see, won’t we? 😉
cumi&ciki: Squeeze the dog ar? Comes at an expensive price wor…a flight ticket to Sydney! (for me too, coz I gotta show you the dog mah.)
true. my dog (if i had one) can also do it, but when it comes to the taste, i think urs would fare better ;p
ooh doggy is cute and I don’t even like dogs…nice cake lah…all your step by step pics so gorgeous too – what if i made this cake and it din look so gorgeous step by step?? Gosh I hope you are getting better!
Once through the first bump, you won’t stop! Many happy bakings ahead ^.^ *I want a bite of that delicious cake~*
Nicely done cake. Haha, it’s my bday today and it’s great to c some cake on the net.haha!
hey tt’s a schnauzer, a dog i want! i love them , they look like silly old men!n you CAN bake, you CAN!
*CLAPS*
You’re really good and your pics are marvellous…oooh, and I must applaud your great taste in picking a strawberry to be on the cake, I LOVE strawberries…I vote for you!!:D
Btw, that’s a cute little jock too;)
I think you are being too modest– it certainly looks delicious, not just edible 🙂 I wonder if the flour is even necessary at all– whether it could be substituted with cornstarch. A mystery for another day.
Like a fair few other people, I find baking much easier than cooking 🙂
How can.. 2 ‘births’ (pav and ess) and I have yet to see them babies.. 😀
By the time I come back, you’ll have more than a dozen successes under your belt. I’ll come for tea. 😀
slurppp slurrppp, the cake is great! the ingredients are simple n can be found easily… thanks for the recipe ya!~
yeah, i agreee with GFAD. when are we gonna try your babies, the various successes from under your belt?
the cake looks gorgeous.
Eh, when will I get to enjoy the fruits of your labour? Well done! Wheres da muruku?
Combine flour and…opps!? no flour? and baking powder….opps!? no bp? Melting butter and fluffy egg whites. That’s all it takes.
I was amused with the title that seemed to say, ” Indulge yourself with this tempting treat that has all the fun and Zero Carbo.” Best thing of all, it came with a pinch of rum!
Lightly moisturizes and Smells heavenly~~~ i’m just lovin’ it!thanks for sharing !
another baker in the making? im sure once lucky, twice lucky..third time is gonna b a breeze?
Agree with nipples…Third time’s gonna be a breeze. When can we get a sample? *wink*wink*
the photos are amazing!!! You’ve made it look so good that I could just eat all that batter without the baking… 😛
if there’s one thing you can’t do, i think it’ll probably be…nothing.
good job there, chewytee! 😉
cute dog. bringing you a ‘dead rabbit’ in exchange for a slice?
Uh… baking is my nightmare (can even screw up those pre mix ones, hebat tak?) but hey, you’re making progress! *hugs
Nicely done! If you continue like this..soon we shall see more delicious cakes and bakes!!!!!
Beautiful pictures. The color of your butter is so much different than ours here in the US. Must be the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed cows…or maybe it’s just more food coloring?
Looks delicious. Looks. We won’t know for sure till we try, hor? 😉
*joins long line to sample LL’s well-baked goodness*
Looks fab! Tell me when you will make this for me again. 😉 Thanks luv.
Did I hear flourless? I will be ready to have a go at making this! Thanks, dear.
The butter’s lovely. The strawberries’ lovely. The chocolate’s lovelier.
oh my god! that cake sounds heavenly. I will give it a try myself… and report back. But sorry about the dog… that isn’t cute. It’s the size of a(n Aussie Rules) football, and should be treated accordingly… that is, kicked.
Sorry LL!