Category Archives: Chocolate

Decadent Milo Layer Cake

I’m looking for guest posts once again! The guest post can be a recipe post, a “tips” on how to bake/cook something post or a nutrition related post. Just email it to qiting93@hotmail.com and I’ll get it up and going!

Warning: please do not read if you’re very prone to depression or to having suicidal thoughts. Scroll to the bottom for the recipe.

Sometimes, the person who seems to be happiest on the outside is the most depressed. Sometimes, the person who seems most patient on the outside is the angriest. Sometimes, the person who seems most outgoing is actually the most inconfident and lonely. Its sad, but its the truth.

even if you don't feel like dancing at all.
even if you don’t feel like dancing at all.

It all goes really well.

You learn to deal with it.

Hiding the pain becomes easy. When someone says something that hurts, you get used feeling the pain, hiding it inside and not letting it show at all. You learn to smile when someone says something or does something that hurts. They don’t know that what they say can hurt. You don’t want them to know. Until one day, you can’t take it anymore. The suppressing gives you headaches. Your depression is getting out of hand. Suicidal thoughts surface more often than ever before. You learn that suppression isn’t the answer to everything. You find it hard to smile a real smile or to genuinely find something funny. You remember the 5 years that you couldn’t smile at all. You don’t want it to happen again.

One of the troubles I’m having with this is this friend of mine. (I have no idea how I keep becoming close friends with people detrimental to my mental and emotional health but it keeps happening– somebody stop me please!!)

We are supposedly close. At least she thinks we are close. Because she’s able to share all her troubles with me and I’ll try to be really helpful and help her all I can. But the thing is, I’m never able to tell her anything because she’ll always turn the focus to her in the end. Say, if I’m having a bad day, I’ll be so happy to see her because yay, finally a friend in sight, and I’ll say “I’m having a bad day. This morning, blah blah blah happened…” and she’ll stop me mid sentence, saying “I’m so happy today! I had a bad day too last week and I’m still reeling in its effects though. A couple of my friends were so nice to me and…” In short, she’lll totally ignore me and shift the conversation to herself.

Every. Damned. Time.

And she wonders why I always seem happy. Hey friend?! Maybe its because you never bother to listen at all??!! I hate always being the comforter and never the “comfortee”.

"I'm always there for you, for every silly little detail of your life. 
But when I need you, you couldn't care less."

I tried to tell her this once, to finally share with her how I feel and this is how the damned conversation went.

(After she tells me about how she was sad that a friend did not talk to her for three days and was it her fault? What did she do wrong? And me saying he was probably busy, don’t think too much about it alright and blah blah blah because that’s all she’ll let me do.)

Me: Hey, you know I’m not actually not as happy as you think I am. I do have troubles too.

Her: Then why don’t you tell me about them?

Me: I always try but you always don’t listen and change the subject!

Her: Really? Maybe I didn’t know you were trying to tell me something! Maybe you should be more clear about it.

Me: Okaaaaaayyyyy…. I’ll try. So, um, these couple of days have been really bad for me…

Her: It’s been horrible for me too! You know, I had a meeting with my project group just now… (proceeds to tell me about her “misery” for the next 10 minutes and ignores me yet again)

As you can imagine, every conversation I have with her has become me screaming on the inside the whole time. The other times, she keeps telling me that she has the worst life ever when she’s actually freaking lucky. Her mother loves her and dotes on her like crazy. She hates peanuts and her family make damn sure not even half a peanut appears on her plate, as do the hundreds of other food she refuses to eat. When she has troubles, she has at least five friends who will listen to her troubles. She has never been through an illness worse than a flu, contracted any disease, is as fit as a fiddle, and aside from a false lack of confidence (she actually has tons of confidence. You need a lot of confidence to believe tons of people enjoy listening to you whine about how horrible or awesome your life is), has had a smooth sailing life. Yes she has been bullied, but even when she was, she still had at least 10 friends behind her during then, so she said after interrupting me when I was saying how horrible my childhood was, which really is terrible to the max, and you’ll know if you read my other posts. In other words, she wants everyone to think her life is horrible though at the same time, she’s trying to make sure everyone knows how terrific it is. When a friend has troubles, she pretends she can’t hear them or ignores them completely. But when she has troubles, everyone has to listen. One word– selfishness.

There are, of course, other things, but I think I’m already dedicating so much of this post to her its annoying yours truly.

Someday I’m going to find a friend who will not only share with me his/her feelings, but will let me share mine too. Someone who’ll give me advice and not interrupt me every time I say something, someone who’ll accept my deep and dark side but will not be influenced by it. Its hard. I thought I had found a good friend in that friend I mentioned above, but as usual, I suck at making the right friends, always finding the ones that’ll push me to suicidal thoughts and whatnot.

Someday, I’m gonna find a true friend.

And to all the horrible friends I’ve made before,

so many times… I guess its time for you to go.
"If your friends cause you to lie or pretend about liking or disliking, enjoying 
or loathing something. 
If you're having to change yourself for them. 
They were never friends to begin with. 
Choose them wisely."

Trust this man. He’s hell a lot smarter than I am.

And to end the “heavier” part of this post,

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MC1b

I made this cake for a great friend of mine for a couple months already. She’s a Christian like me, listens to me, is genuinely sad when she can’t offer me good advice. Although I can’t yet bring myself to tell her everything, I know she’ll always be there for me, and I’ll always be there for her, even though we are miles apart.

MC2

This cake is moist, crumbly and decadent. Its milo flavoured, which really means malted chocolate flavoured.

MC9

For the text version of the recipe, click here.

Hazelnut Opera Cake

After months of school in Taiwan, I’ve realised that there’s something scarily wrong in society. It may be the influence of the media, according to my analysis, that’s making girls feel that they have to conform to the media’s definition of what is “beauty” in order to fit into society. My skinny underweight friends in medicine complain that they are too fat while their chests are as flat as most guys and even flatter than some guys (you know, those who work out). They set weight loss goals which would turn them into skeletons while the other girls, still slim but of acceptable weight, whine about how they need to lose weight all the time. Its downright annoying, and to an extent, even disturbing. 

I can’t understand why people can’t accept their weight for what it has been the last 5 years of their lives (the same weight since past puberty).  My other friends tell me its because guys like girls that way– bony and slim– and so girls, in order to attract the guys they like, want to look skinny for them. Honestly, I doubt guys enjoy girls yapping to them about how they should lose weight without fail everyday. I believe its not the guys’ fault. True love is about loving the person for who he or she is, accepting the person for being him/herself, whether he/she is thin or fat, ugly or beautiful (everyone’s bound to get old one day). Trying to make yourself look skinnier to attract guys, or just because you want to look like a model is wrong. Its alright to believe in yourself, and to believe in God, because He will lead us to the right person.

More about “Fat Talk Free” here:

http://feminspire.com/fat-talk-free-week-changing-the-way-we-talk-and-think-about-our-bodies/

Find the “Fat Talk Free” Pledge here: http://bi3d.tridelta.org/Pledge

Alright, and what better than a calorific Hazelnut Opera Cake to end this post?

opera1

In case you were wondering, here’s the layering of the cake components from top to bottom:

Ganache

Cake

Coffee Buttercream

Cake

Ganache

Cake

Coffee Buttercream

Cake

opera2

This recipe was adapted from Honeybee Sweets

opera3 opera4

opera5

Recipe for Coffee French Buttercream was adapted from 萧影欢城

opera11

opera8

opera9


For the text version of this recipe, click here: Hazelnut opera cake

Ciao!

{Round-up} Aspiring Bakers #22: Lightened Up Cakes (August 2012)

Yup! Its September already! Thank you to all the Aspiring Bakers who participated in the August theme and I hope that you have grasped a couple of healthier tips to make your cakes for the health of you and your families. 😀 I received a total of 24 entries. Hope you enjoy them and use them as references to create healthier bakes! 😀

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Soy Milk Muffins by Sharon of Sweet Surrender

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Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake by Jess of Bakericious

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Healthilicious Pumpkin Cake by Cecilia Koh of BeautyMe Loves Recipes 

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Sugar-Reduced Berries Yogurt Cupcake by Hankerie

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Wholemeal Cake by Ann of Anncoo Journal

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Banana Greek Yogurt Cake by Wendyinkk of Table for 2….. or More

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Mini lime marmalade chiffon cake by Cheah of No-Frills Recipes

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Apple Cranberry Olive Oil Cake by Jess of Bakericious

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Flourless Almond Chocolate Cake by Kimmy of Cooking Pleasure

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Banana Bread/Cake by Sassezz of Sassezz’s Kitchen

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Orange Swiss Roll by Hankerie

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Coffee Soufflé Cake by Kimmy of Cooking Pleasure

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Fruit and Nut loaf by Baking Tray

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Lower-calorie Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Green Tea Cream by Mich of Piece of Cake

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Banana Cake by Man of Sappy Tea Flour

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Vegemite Fruity Macarons by Hankerie

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Orange Muffin without Butter by Ann of Anncoo Journal

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Gluten-free banana cake by Annadina of Homemade Heartmade

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Vanilla Swiss Roll with Vanilla Crème Mousseline by Vivian Pang of Vivian Pang Kitchen

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Steam chocolate moist cake by Abbymonster

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Gluten-free Blueberries & White Chocolate Muffins by Hankerie

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Guilt Free Decadent Marbled Banana Bread by Qi Ting of A Dessert Diet

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Pandan Soufflé Cake by Kimmy of Cooking Pleasure

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Almost Fat Free Fudge Brownies by Vivian Pang of Vivian Pang Kitchen

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Gluten Free Apple Cornmeal Upside Down Cake by Alice of I Love. I Cook. I Bake

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Healthier Chocolate Cupcakes by Alice of I Love. I Cook. I Bake

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Low Fat Banana Loaf with Berries by Sammie of Sweet Samsations

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For the next Aspiring Bakers event, check this Aspiring Bakers #23: Desserts on a plate (September 2012)

Guilt Free Decadent Malted Marbled Banana Bread

Good ol’ banana bread. With swirls of malt. And studded with chocolate chips. Topped with crumble. A banana bread really can’t get better than this. That its low fat is just a bonus. 

The recipe for the banana bread/cake base is from: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/11/02/polka-dot-banana-bread/

I changed it by:

  1. Using sugar free maple syrup instead of agave or pure maple syrup
  2. omitting the 1 stevia packet
  3. using 1 cup cake flour + 1 cup whole wheat flour instead of 2 cups spelt flour 

The other changes, like marbling the bread/cake with milo batter are given in the following picture.

The ‘milo truffle’ mixture mentioned can be found here.

Recipe for milk crumbs was adapted from here.

I am submitting my post to Aspiring Bakers #22: Lightened Up Cakes (August 2012) hosted by Qi Ting of A Dessert Diet.

Cocoa Milo Truffles (Reduced Fat and Sugar)

I had never thought I would make truffles.

Truffles are the creamier sister of chocolate that’s, more fattening, artery-clogging, round, eaten on its own, too insignificant to be filling and too high in calories to remove the damage it brings to one’s conscience (darn, I could have eaten 20 biscuits and swallowed the same amount of calories, blah blah blah).

My mum wouldn’t eat it (“Are you trying to kill me???”)

My dad wouldn’t (“I don’t eat chocolate.”–> I know I know, Is he your really your dad?? Rest assured he is).

Truffles.

Obviously, this had to be a healthier version. (And also, I had to try to use up the remaining ingredients like shortening, cocoa powder and milo powder before leaving. Mum’s orders. Who’s to argue?)

This is my first food post without having processed my images through photoshop and illustrator and I really miss them. They’re, were, my buddies. 😦

I never thought I would have too much cocoa powder either.

“Wow! It only costs $4.95! That’s about 2 bucks cheaper!!!” got me 2 extra boxes left unused 1 week before I need to leave. I’m considering bringing them along so I can get doses of hot chocolate when I’m feeling crazy.

A Cookie Special

less than 8 weeks left!

till I leave Singapore for seven years or forever.

till I can no longer bake. (or for at least 7 years anyway)

and its all worth it.

So many years of struggling and trying to get there… all worth it.

 

That news is all for another time! For now, enjoy some cookies!

You know, that really shows nothing.

 

 

Yup, that’s it. Way better!

 

 

In case you were wondering, these cookies have chocolate chunks (hand chopped from a bar) and Oreo pieces.

A peep at the oatmeal raisins ones, which were ridiculously un-photogenic. Urgh.

 

 

The Chocolate Chips Marshmallows Cookies. My favourite! Marshmallows make a whole lot difference. They are my mandatory cookie ingredient.

 

Puffy, chewy, soft in the middle, gooey from the chocolate chips…

 

 

Recipe is from How Sweet Eats: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/07/giant-rainbow-cookies/

 

 

 

Try making them for yourself! You won’t regret!

 

(Below: failed madelines)

 

 

 

 

Fudgy Chocolate Cake with Nutella Frosting and Cheescake Filling

Sometimes, I’m scared.

When cockroaches fly-pounce onto my shirt (avoid bright colours near cockroaches).

When my health is out of my control because  even a change in diet or taking medicine doesn’t work.

When a “complex numbers” question appears on my examination paper.

When I dislocate my right wrist but can’t feel any pain.

When I’m doing supposedly-fun-stuff-that-are-not-so-fun-because-my-reflexes-are-not-quick-enough-when-cockroaches-are-not-pouncing-onto-me-or-when-scary-cats-are-not-chasing-after-me.

When I have nothing to do (rarely happens because my dear Toshiba is still alive and kicking thank God!).

When I’m baking cakes via the beating-egg-whites-till-whatever-peaks method (in this case, positive, healthy fear).

When my asshole of a brother aims his heavy and dirty basketball at me.

When I get reminded that the future is uncertain. Though it’s better now, life is still stuck at suck-ish, depressed, pissed and “my soul is stuck in the wrong body” stage. 

And people say praying works. I say it doesn’t work for everything. 

PS: Somehow, I think its rather weird to pray for cockroaches to not jump onto me since I’m asking for it by wearing bright coloured tops stained with chocolate, cake batter or whatnot. Those cockroaches don’t exactly deserve death. Poor little 小强s.

But as always, distraction works! Especially distraction in the form of baking. 

 

 

My friend and I made this for another friend’s birthday. Its a chocolate cake with cheesecake filling and Nutella frosting. As usual, because of Singapore’s crazy hot weather, the frosting liquidated almost immediately and needed multiple trips to the freezer. 

That said, it turned out fine in the end! I love the cheesecake in the middle, which balanced out the fudgy chocolate cake perfectly. 

 

 

 

Recipe notes:

Chocolate Cake is adapted from : My Baking Addiction

Cheesecake is adapted from : Pencil Kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m getting sick of chocolate!

 

 

 

 

Like a Sachertorte

I made this cake with a lady friend of mine with an intense love for anything dangerously rich and calorie-laden, and who despite this, owns a slim physique. The world is unfair, I know– that is until I get well again. I will live for that day… if I do manage to get through the months and possibly a year or two leading up to it… 

Enough about me. Take note of purple nails and mature wear. That’s my friend. Or signs of her anyway. You’ll see another young lady in one of the pictures. Its a nice picture. You don’t get to see pictures of people around here. Take a deep breath and savor the moment. 

You’re looking at a ‘Sachertorte’ that has no characteristics of an actual Sachertorte, save for the cake base which is from a Sachertorte recipe. We frosted it with a thick peanut butter chocolate glaze that is too peanut butter- ish for some so its a failure I think. It needs whipped cream. Mountains of whipped cream!!!! I miss my Emlea whipped cream!

No prizes for spotting her. 😉

I highly recommend a ganache recipe that I tried 2 weeks ago. It goes well with this cake. 

Recipe for Cake is adapted from : http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sachertorte-231043

Use the Chocolate Ganache recipe from here: http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2011/04/tim-tam-cake.html

Strawberry Caramel Layer Cake (Vegan, Whole Wheat)


Yeah, its me. Back after twisting another foot, surviving a fever that’s (thank God) not due to dengue, and bearing with the aftermath of the fever– the worst kind of cough that causes even air to tickle the throat. Yikes. Now I have Show Luo’s eye bags, my bro’s practically permanent panda eyes and a toad’s voice. 

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The Nonsense I learned this week:

Kiwis aren’t friend material. They bite.

When your fringe gets too long, it gets into your eyes. Its prickly and painful. 

Leaving a book untouched for too long causes it to cake on dust.  

Shoes that are too tight make feet hurt.

Guyliner still sucks. 

Cockroaches are creepy. 

A dancing detached tail of a frantic lizard is freaky.

If golden highlights don’t work, get bright red ones. 

Caramel cake tastes pretty good. Especially with strawberries (since their prices have dropped). 

Ps: strawberries are  are chockfull of antioxidants and other essential nutrients that can flavorfully help you reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, inflammatory diseases, and birth defects as well as mouthwateringly manage your weight. (source).

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Can you believe it? I made healthier (practically fat free) dulce de leche in 40 minutes, without stirring continuously all the time, from scratch. Some people are just lazy. Its easy.

800ml skim milk (vegan: non dairy milk of your choice)

300g sugar

1/4 baking soda

heat milk and sugar in a heavy and VERY deep saucepan over high heat. stir with wooden ladle till sugar melts completely. lower heat and allow mixture to simmer until mixture becomes slightly brownish. quickly stir in baking soda. let mixture continue to simmer. after mixture seems to have thickened, start stirring continuously. turn off heat when a dollop of dulce de leche won’t fall off your spoon. scoop everything into a heat proof metal bowl. Do not touch with bare hands. The dulce de leche is really really hot.

The ‘buttercream’ you see contains no butter, shortening or cream. My frosting skills have not matured. Let’s just pretend a three-year-old frosted it. Guy must be a genius.

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Recipe notes:

Recipe for vegan white cake is adapted from My Vegan Cookbook.

Recipe for non-vegan cake is adapted from Honey What’s Cooking.

Recipe for syrup is from Technicolour Kitchen.

Recipe for strawberry filling is from Chockohlawtay.

Cocoa powder in caramel frosting may be omitted!

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #18: Layers of Love (April 2012) hosted by Sam of Sweet Samsations.

Sesame Chocolate Entremet

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I’ve been sick the past few days, since I went off medication. My cousin’s passing still feels like a blur– like its half real and half a nightmare.  So much like a dream that most of the time I still believe he’s alive and not suddenly without heartbeat. The last time something like this happened was with my 大姨丈(mum’s biggest sis’s husband) who died from a mild stroke complicated by the negligence of the medical team taking care of him. I honestly don’t know what to say to comfort my aunt and uncle; I imagine words will only bring more pain and sadness. 

Anyway, I made a Sesame Chocolate Entremet today. I was so tired it turned out so ugly my wonderful camera could only make it look this ‘okay’. Don’t worry, there’ll still be regular recipes back on soon. 

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Its dangerously delicious. 

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Recipe is from Japanese Cake Boutique/日本蛋糕名店, recipe is by 铃木一夫

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Click here for larger version.

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Be back soon.

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