Mango Ombré Cake

Since last year, instead of entremets, I've been making more layered cakes. It's pretty time-consuming to make entremets, and also, there's more cream in it than actual cake (I reckon the family prefers stuff that has more cake bits than cream bits), so unless I have extra time on hand, I don't think I'll be baking entremets much.

Mango Ombré Cake

Mango Coconut Loaf

Loaf cakes are one of the easiest things to bake. The most common loaf-type of cake would probably be banana cake (although it's normally called banana bread - I prefer calling it banana cake because it is not really a bread). When I chanced upon a recipe for a mango loaf cake, I was intrigued because I have yet to encounter a fruit-type loaf recipe which was not banana-based.

Mango Coconut Loaf

Coconut Meyer Lemon Cake

I made this cake last May for my good friend's birthday. Wow, it's almost her birthday again (soon). Time flies indeed...

Coconut Meyer Lemon Cake

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

One can never have too many recipes for chocolate cake. Discuss.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Chocolate Bailey's Cake

You don't really need a reason to make chocolate cake do you? Let's just leave it at that.

 Chocolate Bailey's Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake

I baked this cake a few months ago for my Sis's big three-0.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake

Chocolate Rum Caramel Upside Down Pear Cake

It was a cake not meant to be. Or so I thought.

 Rum Caramel Pears

Blueberry Streusel Cake

I've been meaning to make these for the longest time ever since I saw the post. My freezer always has a long-standing box of fresh blueberries that I've prepped and froze for future uses. I decided to make this finally and all I can think is - Why did I wait so long?

Blueberry Streusel Cake

Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Yeah, this was made after I had already made this and this during my previously mentioned cake-baking frenzy. I sorta had a reason for wanting to make this. It was Fathers' Day. See? A (kinda) valid reason; an occasion worthy enough for a cake. Right? Right.

 Instagram-ed

Berry Mousse Toasted Coconut Charlotte

There was a short period a few months back where I would just bake a cake every weekend. Just because. No special reason. Well, one merit of being single is that I have plenty of spare time on hand when I'm not out brunch-ing (for once!) and when all my (attached) friends are hanging out with their other halves. I get to indulge in my favourite self-activity. Baking.

 Berry Mousse Toasted Coconut Charlotte

Mango Mousse Cake

My fave social media platform has got to be Instagram. While I'm still on Facebook and Twitter, I'm not really active on both except for using them as means to keep myself updated on the latest gossip vine. Instagram on the other hand, is different. People are visual creatures by nature, the overused phrase "a picture speaks more than a thousand words" is certainly true here. I love browsing Instagram, and I'm almost kinda an Instagram addict. When I'm bored, I reach for my phone to check on my Instagram feed most of the time.

There's so many talented photographers out there who have really beautiful Instagram feeds with their pictures of food, coffee, scenery, fashion etc. I've found that the foodies community in Singapore is actually quite big, split evenly between those who cook really well at home, and those who dine out at the latest hot spots. One of the Instagram user I currently follow is @discotilldawn. She had a really delish looking mango cake recipe up on her blog and I knew I wanted to try making it myself as the Dad loves mangoes and is always suggesting mango flavoured desserts.

 Mango Mousse Cake

Tres Leches Coconut Cake

There was leftover coconut milk at home. So I thought about what I could make with it.

You know what? I reckon my bakes almost always start from these two reasons - either there was something that I really wanted to get (in season produce), or there was something lying around (leftovers). I wonder if it's the same with you guys.

 Tres Leches Coconut Cake

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Cream Cake

Ever since I started blogging primarily about food, I've always had a huge interest in food ingredients. One of the things that I've seen before (on many food blogs) was Meyer lemons, which is a cross breed between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange. It was reputedly sweeter than regular lemons, with a much aromatic smell and taste than regular lemons. I wanted it. Yet, I've never seen it before on local shores.

That was until I saw a local food blogger upload pictures of it on Instagram. Want. Much. Need. Now. Many thanks to Pick Yin, I managed to procure a bag of those bright golden orange orbs. Swoon.

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Cream Cake

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake (イチゴのショートケーキ)

It's been a sad weekend. I mean, I had a great time at work on Friday in the afternoon, primarily because we had a carnival of some sort, and everyone basically just chilled out playing some simple childhood games, and nomming on ice cream, popcorn, candy floss and kachang puteh (the theme was "Childhood Carnival"). But, I had been feeling a lil under the weather since Thursday, so I reckon the activities on Friday just pushed me over the edge and I was seriously sick by Saturday morning. I must have gone through a whole tissue box, and my nose was still dripping like a faucet. Sigh.

Anyway, enough on moping. I made a strawberry shortcake again last month for the Dad's birthday (that's four straight years). Sigh. I know. And after all that I had said I wouldn't be baking it again this year...

 Japanese Strawberry Shortcake (イチゴのショートケーキ)

Strawberry Vanilla Almond Entremet

It's official. I've just turned a quarter century years old for about almost a week already. And man, do I...not feel much of a difference actually. In fact, I realise that the years just fly by so quickly ever since I hit 21 a few years back. What I definitely feel is, there is a change in how my body feels at the ripe "old" age of 25, as compared to say, a fresh young 20. I get tired way much easily nowadays. I could stay up late till the wee hours of 2am in the past, get only a mere handful hours of sleep, and still not be tired. Trust me when I say definitely can't do that now. I'll probably be zombie-fied and if I don't get a cuppa of coffee in me, I'll be half dead on my feet for sure.

ANYWAY. I digress. I had a really enjoyable birthday so far this year. I met up with friends for a birthday brunch the day before my birthday. The Sis and I went for a great lunch and coffee on my birthday itself (which was a Monday - but my workplace have a birthday day off scheme!) and I met up with a girlfriend for dinner. Then on the public holiday on Tuesday, I had a few girlfriends over for a homemade brunch party. And there are some more upcoming birthday gatherings...I'm blessed.

I was really fortunate on my birthday. First of all, I dropped $50 in a shop, but managed to find it when I retraced my steps. And second, when I was out shopping, I noticed I had a bleeding blister from the new shoes I was wearing. I asked my Sis if she had a bandaid, all the while rummaging through my bag to look for one. At the moment, the sales lady approached me, offering me a wet tissue AND a bandaid to clean up. That's just so nice of her isn't it?

Anyway, back to the cake at hand. I made this cake recently cos I wanted to use up the strawberry puree in the freezer. And also, because it's been pretty long since I last made an entremet.

Strawberry Vanilla Almond Entremet

Purple Sweet Potato Roll Cake (紅芋ロールケーキ)

I had plenty of purple sweet potato cream leftover as I had made a double batch. I didn't want to use it as a filling of some sort as I had painstickingly took the trouble to strain it. I wanted showcase it, but I didn't want to make another batch of mont blancs. While googling, I found this image and I was inspired to replicate it. I have not much experience making roll cakes, so I decided to try out this recipe that looks pretty good.

Purple Sweet Potato Roll Cake (紅芋ロールケーキ)

Red wine poached pears entremet

Hi. Does anyone even drop by anymore? :)

I know I'm not an expert in many things, but I'm certainly a master in procrastinating. These days, I have simply no urge to blog, nor even, *gasp* bake. It seems my lackadaisical plateau has hit an even lower bottom than I had possibly imagined.

Oh well. I'm not going to question it, but go with the flow. Perhaps I've spent too much time overanalysing this, but I'll try to post some photos today to make up for the absence for the past two weeks. I had a baking session some time back with Evan, and we had decided to make another entremet together (yes, it's so hard to find like minded people who love to bake entremets - or rather, I'm just a very shy person to begin with so I don't reach out my hand first to know more people hee).

Red wine poached pears entremet

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

I decided to make a little something for the Dad. I do love my Dad and all (hey, we're family!), but I'm not one for words of affirmation when it comes to such things. I'm not that kinda girl who'll go "I love you, Dad!". But. I'm still rather a Daddy's little girl nevertheless. So, here's a cake combining a few of his favourite elements for this Father's Day!

This is one cake that will be enjoyed by the men in your life. I mean, I'd risk a bet to say that 90% of men likes rum and raisin as their choice of poison favourite ice cream flavour. So, make this for the special men in your life (fathers, husbands, boyfriends) and I'm sure it'll bring a smile to their faces.

 Caramel coffee rum raisin entremet

Black sesame chiffon cake

And here's another black sesame sweet treat. I still have some more leftover black sesame paste, and I'm thinking of what other black sesame goodies I can make with it...Possibilities are endless but I have something in mind already. Let's cross fingers and hope that when I attempt it, it will turn out fine.

 Black sesame chiffon cake

Yuzu tea (honey citron) chiffon cake

In my recent trip to Taiwan (updates to come when I stop procrastinating when to upload the photos!), I visited the Eslite bookstore, which is one of the largest retail bookstore chain in Taiwan. I managed to buy three books (all in Chinese - HA!). I was actually tempted to get more, before I remembered that I had limited luggage space, and books aren't exactly the lightest of things...

Anyway, all three books were food-related (what's new?), with one being a bento-related book, another being a french patisserie book, and a third, a book on chiffon cakes. I decided to try my hand at baking something from my new books after returning to Singapore - so here it is.

Yuzu tea (honey citron) chiffon cake