D e l i s i o u c i t y

As much as cupcakes are making such a huge impact onto the world of food today (note sites such as Cupcakes Take the Cake, and Iron Cupcake competitions), nothing seems to surpass the impact that my husband has on me when it comes to football. Let’s just put it this way: I used to own a few Manchester United clothing and was politely asked to throw them out. Subsequently I was supplied with some Liverpool FC frock ^_^ But don’t you be judging us! I think it’s somewhat endearing. I mean, how many of you out there can even dare to hum the melodies of ‘Glory Glory..’ in a house where you were cajoled to swear allegiance to the one and only football club that promises you’d ‘never walk alone’, without getting the pouty, hurt puppy look?!

That’s right. In a world where football club rivalry runs rampant, a divided household is not a happy home ;p So I’m afraid that I have succumbed to the euphoria of football fanaticism. No wait, that’s quite an exaggeration. Let’s just say I support him wholeheartedly and his *ehem* team, albeit from the sidelines. Fair enough? Football fans, and perhaps especially LFC fans, are a hard-core bunch… and I’m probably not wrong to say so. Who else would you see standing tall in silence, giving a respectful military salute to these cupcakes, for God’s sakes? It was hilarious to see husby like that, and I am not sure where the whole sense of allegiance, loyalty, and ultimately, love,  for a football club millions of miles away comes from. Any sociological theory taught by my lecturers on this, I most certainly have forgotten.

Anyhow, I quite enjoyed making the fondant toppers on Liverpool FC that you see here. It was the most fun because I had my husband fully on board, cheering on while I painfully roll and knead the fondants, carefully shaping them into these tiny pieces of edible artwork. Such memories. hehe.

I also found out later on that the family who ordered these had a fantastical party of the red-and-white-theme strain. I want, I want! It is so nice to view their pictures on FaceBook and how everyone is dressed in those colours, and the kids having a cake-eating competition with their hands behind their backs ^_^. They had two cakes, one done by myself and the other by the very talented Candy Chan (who does the most amazing, precise wee details on fondants). It was very funny too as we both found out that our fondant cupcake toppers looked so much alike! And we didn’t even know we were both doing the same project for the same family. Haha.

The jersey-shaped cake turned out shorter than I had conceptualized, boo on that. But it worked nonetheless. Maybe it’ll win something in a tiny-T-shirt contest. Insides Rich Chocolate cake with ganache and Valrhona pearls. Oh yes, the cupcakes are my apparently bestselling Fudgey Walnut Brownie Cupcakes, which is receiving a couple more repeat orders from this family ^_^ Jazakallahu Khairan!

To everyone else, here, have some balls and you’ll find that you’ll never walk alone *koff koff*:

[Eye roll]

xoxo
nix

I am simply ecstatic when someone writes to me to ask if I can do this or that… which is the case with this particular project where the question was: “Do I make 1 pound cakes?”. Truthfully, I answered that I don’t quite know what those are (hehe) because I never really sell cakes by their weight. It’s something that I possibly could look into in the future, but I think it’s safe to say that 1 pound cakes are close to 6″ diameter wide cakes.. and they are really really cute!

Well, perhaps not as cute as 3″ cakes

But here you are: my take on a simple cake for a girl and a boy. Thank you A, for the inspiration and the order!

Girly Theme, with Vanilla Victoria Sponge Cake and Hazelnut Buttercream

Football Theme, with Rich Dark Chocolate Cake, Ganache filling and Valrhona Perles

Just in case you are curious, those are not pins for a corkboard ;p they’re cocktail picks, here used to pin down the satin ribbons. If anyone is interested, I am offering an Introductory Price for both cake designs, for a limited time only. The Girly theme cake, for 6″, is $30 (based on Vanilla Victoria & Hazelnut Buttercream), and the Football cake is $35 (based on the Chocolate & Ganache/Perles). They’re both rather yummy if I say so myself ^_^ Prices will change according to the cake inside., and they will change after the promotional period (up till July 31st).

I wonder how this one would look in baby blue?

The football cake is actually quite apt for the upcoming Father’s Day on 21st June!

I think I’m getting the hang of sugar-craft. Sugarpaste (or fondant, or whatever it is you call it in your country), is nothing short of the fun you get from playing with play-doh. But after a million pieces of  tiny, petite, germ-sized pea of a paste, it is safe to say that I am officially needing some good amount of R&R. That however, is nowhere down the horizon: it looks like I’ve been barraged by a stampede of orders. Which, and please don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful for ^_^. This has been one hobby that has exhumed a long dormant desire to vent out my creativity through any conduit possible. One that’s also left a big gaping hole in my purse, no less

But let’s not get too hung up on words today, shall we? I just want to showcase to you a few of the recent sugar craft  designs that I’ve managed to make the past weeks. Enjoy!

First off, He Who Lives In a Pineapple, Under the Sea.

As annoying as he is, tell me who doesn’t love this geeky piece of square sponge who couldn’t seem to pass his driving test?! (or maybe he eventually did. I have not watched him for a while). I wish I had come up with him holding his spatula though! Or a crabby patty on one hand. Ahh, the prospects.

Insides of the cake is a Rich Dark Chocolate Cake with a thick layer of Ganache filling. No, not a sponge cake. *ehem* doo be doo….

Close up, gap between the teeth and all. You can easily make the tongue by using a heart-shaped cookie cutter and chopping off the bottom part according to the shape of the ‘mouth’. Not too difficult if I must say, but just a bit of detail to tolerate with. And this cake came with a set of cupcakes, simplified, because I under-estimated the amount of time to finish the main cake. Simplified means that Spongebob has lost his eyelashes. tsk tsk.

It would’ve been better to use 3D fondant toppers instead, but that would need a lot more time to make.. Since this was a rush order to begin with (remind me to never again!!) What is the cost of these, I hear you say? The answer is: one sleepless night. And the next day I had an important appointment at work too! hehe. The secret lies in the coffee brew ;p

Next, Spiderman. Yes, stark contrast indeed.

I only have one photo of this cake because it was my second night in a week that I had no sleep at all. So I was pretty much useless with the camera by dawn (when the photo was taken). Loads of improvements to this one cake too! In principle it appeared easily executable, but in actual fact it took me an hour just to enrobe the cake!! The reason is because the cake is quite ‘tall’ or rather thick, and had an oval-ish shape. The kneading of the fondant alone took me almost an hour… and rolling it to the right size and thickness was no stroll along the park. At last it was done; though it took two layers as  I needed to cover some holes on the fondant which was a result of thinning and pulling. Boo you gravity! I also wish that the web effect was tidier.

The same order included a selection of sugar cookies: Elmos, Cookie Monsters, and Duckies. Pardon the bad lighting. Dawn was still dark; and I hate camera flashes.

Then, for the next day (yes! I made these after the ‘important appointment at work’!!) , I made simple 2D fondant toppers for some Nutella-filled cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream (which incidentally tasted very interesting). The birthday girl is a cute little toddler called Iman who is , not incidentally, my niece ^_^

Phew! And here are some more from an order made by a young mommy who is so very proud of her very talented son named Kliff. Hope you liked them Kliff! He’s into hip-hop (and has won dance competitions, at only 8 when he did!). His mum was very excited and said the fondant figurine looks just like him ^_^ Cheers Lisa!

In the lineup are his favourites: Converse shoes (well ok, ONE shoe), Transformers (I opted to make Optimus Prime), Goku the dood from Dragonball (I found out he’s got a monkey tail!), and a few hip-hop fashion and breakdance items (Nike wrist bands, breakdancer silhoutte strutting his stuff, Kliff himself in his hoodie and backpack, the infamous rock hand gesture, a radio, and a cap:

Close ups, the Converse shoe:

It took me a looooonggg time to finish this shoe, but it was so worth it ^_^ The details were insane. And the interesting part is that you can actually eat it in one bite! (Though I’d probably be sobbing in the corner if you did).

Here’s another one that tested my patience to the max, yo:

But not as bad as this one!! I know it looks simple and it’s not even 3D, but OMG it took me an hour an a half in finally making the most precise version seen here. Free hand too, as tracing was out of the picture because Optimus Prime here is very small. Ouh, say about less than the size of a 50 cent coin. Crazy, much? @_@

And the other toppers, close up:

And I have some more photos but I think I’ll stop here as this post has gotten pretty long! Till then.

I had been making an awful lot of children birthday party cakes and favours lately that I missed out on posting a couple of them here. This short post is all I can muster at the moment, so enjoy!

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing for Aedan’s yacht club pool party guests:

These are bespoke items: hand crafted, custome-made, colour-coordinated, individually wrapped and heat-sealed. The level of customisation ensures Delisioucity’s clients receive premium quality products made out of passion and taste.
(Well ok, I tried very hard to make each one as perfect as possible!)

Amir’s brownie cupcakes. His family aren’t big fans of desserts or sweet things, so I settled on brownies (they’re a rather one-off consumption kind of thing) and the toppers are removable, bien sur! They had a proper ice-cream cake for everyone else too, so the 6 pieces were just right for themselves, post-partee.

I’m liking how Marie Elefantey is turning up to be quite a pseudo-mascot for delisioucity. (hehe)

My niece Batrisyia loves green so much and wanted this ladybug cake made for her birthday party. The inside is a carved Rich Dark Chocolate Cake layered with Belgian Chocolate Ganache and frosted with Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream. Fondant covered, and decorated with fondant pearls. I thought the pale, pastel green makes it look sweet rather than alarmingly alien and unpalatable. But I don’t really know anyone who eats fondant covers or decors, really :p

Having said that, why do we bother with decorations in the first place? Most people just peel the fondant off and eat the cake. But cupcakes I suppose have come a long way… the amount of fancy designs that you can afford makes them a great gift item(s). And the added perk is the fact that the edible, yet uneaten, fondant toppers can be kept for a long time, so they can be picked off the cupcakes and be kept as a memento  As long as they’re away from too much sunlight, the colours will also fade slower.

The insides are made of Almond and Lyle’s Maple Golden Syrup Cupcakes, and frosted with whipped chocolate ganache. It’s a pretty nice combination, and one of the new recipes that I’m experimenting with.

Backbreaking work, these fondants @_@

Some fond moments often occur on birthdays, and in anticipation of that, I made these to be served and celebrated today. Mangoes and myself have come a long way in the walk down memory lane,  but the fondest of memories with these juicy fruits has got to be the ones to do with my parents. As simple as it is, they both  loved mangoes. Mum still does, of course, but she gets the tummy bugs when she eats too much of it so she has to settle with only a slice or two nowadays. A fond and funny story is when my dad used to just throw mango seeds out into the backyard like it’s nobody’s business and they’d grow healthily as if planted with care. Green thumbs indeed, and one that I’ve never been able to inherit. So our family home is dotted with lots of random mango trees of various types and sizes sprouting mainly at the back, and strewn randomly around outside the house. Mangoes seemed to have invaded my life, growing up

Last night at 12 am I officially joined the ranks of those who are at the dusk of their twenties (boohoo).  Yes, I was actually born at 12 am (it says so in my birth certificate!) so I’m both an Aries and a Taurus, if you’re into that sort of thing. I finished making all the components of this birthday dessert for today at about 10pm and let me tell you.. I am smittened by the pistachio joconde layer! Husby also practically gobbled up some leftovers of it after I shaped them into the circular discs.

Pistachio Joconde (adapted from Aran)

55g almond flour
56g pistachio flour
80g icing sugar
30g all purpose flour
130g eggs
100g egg whites
40g sugar
20g butter, melted
Pinch of salt

Whip almond, pistachio, icing sugar, flour, and eggs in an electric mixer until a thick ribbon forms (about 5 minutes). In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until a light meringue forms. Slowly add the sugar one tspn at a time whilst whipping the egg whites. Continue until you get an almost stiff peak consistency.

Now mix a third of the meringue into the first mixture. Fold in the rest gently and finally incorporate the melted butter into the whole batter. Slowly now! Pour the batter into a sheetpan lined with parchment and bake at 375F (about 190.2C) for about 10 to 12 minutes. Watch it at the last few minutes, as you should be aiming to get a lightly browned top.  Let cool, wrapped in greaseprof paper and foil until ready to use.

The joconde is the bottom cake layer and fourth layer from the top. I’d probably want it a bit greener than it is appearing here, but the taste far offsets any shortcomings. The entremet is then layered with a Mango Bavarian Cream, and topped with a layer of Mango Gelee and White Chocolate Chantilly.

Mango Bavarian Cream

3 Tbsp gelatin
1 and 1/2 C strained mango puree (about 5-6 Thai mangoes)
5 egg yolks
2/3 C sugar
1 and 1/2 C milk
1Tbsp lemon juice
Several drops of yellow food colouring
1 and 3/4 C whipping cream

Sprinkle the gelatin over the puree and set aside until spongy. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a mixer bowl and beat until light. Boil milk in a saucepan and pour into the egg mixture, while stirring with a wooden spoon. Return this mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whilst constantly watching and stirring. It is done when your finger leaves a clear trail in the sauce when drawn across the back of the wooden spoon. If you overcook this mixture, chuck it in the bin because you would have produced curdled, finely scrambled eggs remove immediately from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin/puree. Get a bowl of ice ready with some water, and immerse the mixture into this bowl and let it cool. It will stiffen up as it cools, so stir occassionally as it thickens with time. Whilst you are doing this, prepare your mixer bowl and beat the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. Add food colouring at this point. When the gelatin/puree mixture is ready and resembles softly whipped cream, fold the whipped cream carefully into the gelatin/puree mixture.

Mango Gelee

After you’ve pureed your mangoes for the Bavarian cream, you will obtain a nice thick mango nectar which you can then sprinkle with about 2Tbsp of gelatin. Add a tspn of lemon juice and some yellow food colouring. Let sit. It might take a while to thicken.

White Chocolate Chantilly (adapted from Aran)

This is my next favourite component! I could just eat this as dip for fresh mangoes!

100g heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
50g white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Add a third of the whipped cream into the chocolate and whisk vigorously. Then add in the remaining cream and fold gently with a spatula.

If you love mangoes, this is definitely a must try/must make. The mousse-like effect can be a tad overwhelming for this one though.. but I think the joconde did the trick with a dimension of texture. The macaron shells (orangey round domed discs you see in the picture) also lay a hand in providing a nice crunch and some sweetness. The gelee is rather sour, but like I said, the macaron does the job well. All in all, I love this birthday ‘cake’ for myself and I will probably start developing a taste for fancy entremets from now on! (Read carefully as: signs of ageing). hehe.

April is officially making my fingers cramped. This month, I’ve made birthday cakes for my brother, my best friend, my niece, cupcakes for my nephew, entremet for myself (auto-post will be up!), and some more coming up for my cousin’s son. Oh did I also forget to mention? I am also making macarons for Senor Pablo’s charity do, the Foodie Bloggers event next Sunday (26th Avril). So if you’ve been wanting to make an intellectual and palatial comparison between my macarons and those of *koff* Fleur de Lys (the only ‘other’ macaron that you can possibly find in Brunei), do ask Pablo how you can attend the event

You know when I went to Hua Ho to get this Barbie doll, I did NOT anticipate to stay at the toys section for half an hour. Care to consider the very phrase “like a kid in a candy store”? The truth of the matter is that I used to play all things Barbie when I was small; I used to dress her up and I used to have her kitchen set and some other. Non of my sisters played with Barbie… but then I am the youngest and most possibly the loneliest as everybody grew up and left home. Poor sod I was! haha… (long sigh). Anyhoo. Yes, it was quite fun being there, browsing about the different types and looks that Barbie could possibly be. She has absolutely changed I tell you, never have I seen so many different Barbie faces, and some were actually quite fugly to be honest! Anyway, I settled for the ‘kinder’, prettier one for my niece. Don’t want her getting nightmares now do we Barbie plays leading roles in several animated films, I’ve come to understand. And one of them is this one: she plays Odette, the girl who was cursed to become a swan, falls in love with a prince (hah!), somehow got turned back to a human/doll, married, and lived happily ever after. Or so that’s what I think anyway. Maybe I’m wrong but they all have the same soppy storylines, oui ??

The skirt is made from lemon Victoria sponge cake, and layered with Italian Meringue Buttercream. Barbie is donning a handmade fondant swan dress (ok I missed out on her sleeves), and piped with royal icing. Her clothes were packed in her original box, and yes, Barbie nowadays wears an undetachable pair of white knickers. Hoorah for that.