How To: Pandan Swirl Lamingtons (Rubgy World Cup Special)

Hi Nibblers!

    Today I'm celebrating two loves of my life. Baking and Rugby. There's less than 12 hours until the Rugby World Cup. I'm screaming with excitement just thinking about it. It'll be the first time ever that Australia (Wallabies) and New Zealand (All Blacks) have versed each other in a World Cup Final.
     My love for Rugby Union has been steadily growing over the past 10 years. It was Richard who got me hooked. I put it down to wanting to fit in with Richard that made me stay but I've realised that the love is real. For the past month, Richard has been away in Europe. I still woke up at 3am, 2am etc. for the team even when I knew I had work the next day. There were some close games but The Wallabies powered through. So this recipe is dedicated to the boys in green and gold. An Aussie classic with a twist. Hope you enjoy!

How To: Pandan Swirl Lamingtons 
Makes approx. 35 lamingtons                                    Takes: 2 hours including cooling time

What you'll need:
Pandan / Vanilla Swirl component:
- 100g or 1/2 cup sugar
- 100g melted unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 200g or 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. pandan aromatherapy
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
Chocolate Icing component:
- 65g or 1/2 cup cocoa
- 75g unsalted butter
- 200g icing sugar
- 250mL of milk
- 200g desiccated coconut

How To:

Green and Gold!

For Pandan Swirl Lamingtons
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 350 degrees Farenheit
2. Lightly spray a 20cm x 30cm tin then set aside
3. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and butter until well combined (for at least 3 minutes)
4. Fold in 1/2 baking powder and flour into the above mixture until well incorporated
5. Repeat step 4 until all flour is mixed in
6. Divide batter into two equal portions then set one bowl aside
7. Add pandan flavouring to one bowl and mix for approximately a minute
8. Alternatively spoon roughly even amounts of each colour batter into the tin going around the edges first before coming into the centre of the tin
9. Using a skewer or back of a spoon, swirl mixture in tin to create a marble effect
10. Pop into the oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes (checking at the end to see if skewer comes out clear)

Pandan Swirl

11. Leave in tin to cool for about 5 minutes before popping onto cooling rack and then place into the freezer for 15 minutes to cool (or leave to cool at room temperature for an hour)
For Chocolate Icing
1. In a saucepan, melt butter and then add milk until well combined
2. Slowly add sugar and cocoa and whisk until no visible lumps appear then set aside
Assemble
1. Cut Pandan Swirl sponge into equal bite size squares (about 4x5cm)
2. Dip Pandan Swirl squares into chocolate icing then let drip dry before transferring to bowl of desiccated coconut
3. Leave to set and dry for about 5 minutes before consuming!

       Hope you all loved the twist on this Aussie classic! Even if you aren't a Rugby Union fan, this recipe is still going to win you some brownie points. Leave a comment below if you give these beauties a try! They're so simple and still so perfect just like the Wallabies team ;)

   Thinking of you and wishing you all the best!

   GO THE WALLABIES!

Nibble Away,

           Jo

How To: Chocolate Orange Oreo Cupcakes

Hi Nibblers!

        I was flipping through the supermarket catalogues looking for a bargain when I stumbled across Oreo Orange Scream biscuits - a Halloween special. Recipe ideas came rushing through me and I thought I would do what I do best, cupcakes. These cupcakes turned out amazing. It had the perfect balance between chocolate and orange flavours at the base then paired with an Oreo orange buttercream gave the cherry on top. I love the look of these cupcakes and so happy with how they turned out. They tasted exactly how I had planned. It's a shame the Oreo Orange Scream are only around during Halloween (as far as I know) because these cupcakes would work all year around for those citrus lovers. Definitely a recipe to impress. So, if you're interested, keep reading on!

How To: Chocolate Orange Oreo Cupcakes
Yields approximately 12-16 cupcakes                       Takes approx. 1 hour including cooling process

What you'll need:
For cupcake base:
- 1 cup or 180g self-raising flour 
- 2 tsp. of baking powder
- 1/2 cup or 80g of cocoa powder
- 50g butter (softened to room temperature)
- 3/4 cup or 150g of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50ml of milk
- 3/4 tsp. Vanilla Essence
- 1 large orange - blitzed (skinned and pitted - try to remove as much of the white skin as possible otherwise your cupcakes may taste bitter) - keep 1/4 cup of orange juices aside for buttercream
- 1 Tbs. orange zest (finely chopped)
For Orange Oreo Buttercream:
- 250g unsalted butter softened
- 3 Tbs. of icing sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
- 150g roughly crushed Oreo Orange Scream Biscuits - plus an extra 80g for cupcake toppers (optional)
- 1/4 cup of orange juice (set aside earlier on)
- 1 tsp. orange zest (finely chopped)
- 2 drops of orange food colouring or 2 drops of red and yellow food colouring each to form orange

How To:

Bake me!

Cupcake Component:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Line tin with cupcake paper

3. Beat  softened butter, vanilla essence and white sugar using hand mixer in a large mixing bowl until well combined and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes)
4. Add eggs in one at a time until mixed

5. Add flour and baking powder into the butter/sugar mixture and mix until well combined

6. Add milk, orange zest  and orange juice into the mix until well incorporated.

7. Spoon cupcake mixture evenly, filling it 1/2 of the way up the cupcake liners

8. Pop into the oven for 16 minutes checking with a skewer at the end to see if it's cooked

9. Rest the cakes for at least 15 minutes before decorating

Orange Oreo Buttercream:

1. Beat butter until it changes from a yellow to off-white colour - approximately 7 minutes

Ready to decorate!

2. Add icing sugar continuously mixing until well combined

3. Add vanilla essence, orange juice, crushed Oreos and orange zest until well combined

4. Add orange food colouring until desired shade then it's time to decorate!

                 Note: If you have leftover buttercream frosting, don't worry! You can pop it into the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container or up to 3 months in the freezer.

   Nom Nom! I hope you all enjoyed this recipe and re-create it for yourselves before the Orange Oreos go walking out of supermarket doors! Do let me know how they turned out and leave a comment below if you do. Hope you all have a spook-tacular Halloween!

Nibble Away,

              Jo

How To: Panda Cake - Maple Syrup Cake with Coffee Buttercream Icing

Hi Nibblers!

          Panda cake coming your way this week. My inspiration for this cake came from my brother, Richard who recently celebrated his 26th birthday. He's a lover of pandas and even has a painting to cement those feelings. I had so much fun making this cake. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a Panda face come to life. The only problem I had with it was I totally forgot the fact that once I popped coffee into the buttercream, I ruined the white Panda fur. So, if you're attempting this at home and want to make sure that your cake is a more accurate interpretation on a Panda just omit the coffee flavouring until you're ready to decorate the ears / eyes / nose etc.

How To: Panda Cake - Maple Syrup Cake with Coffee Buttercream Icing

What you'll need:
Makes 3 x 20cm round layers - Takes approx. 4 hours including cooling time
Maple Cake component:
- 250g unsalted butter (softened)
- 250g brown sugar
- 300g self raising flour
- 150g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 250mL milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla essence
- 2 Tbs. of maple syrup - extra for decorating
Maple Coffee Buttercream
- 420g of unsalted butter (softened)
- 150g icing sugar
- 5 tsp. instant coffee with 1Tbs. water
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup
- 3 drops of black food colouring

How To: 
Maple Syrup Cake
1. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celcius or 300 degrees Farenheit (fan-forced - if possible)
2. Line round cake tins with baking paper
3. Beat butter and sugar until well combined
4. Add eggs, vanilla essence, cinnamon and maple syrup and continue mixing
5. Add flour and milk in 2-3 portions and beat until all incorporated
6. Spoon cake batter evenly into three cake tins - lightly tapping so that batter spreads to the edges
7. Pop into the oven and bake cakes for 25 minutes - testing cakes with a skewer to ensure it's cooked. It should come out clean at the end of the bake time. If not, leave in the oven for an extra 5 minutes
8. Leave cakes to cool for 5 minutes in tin then pop onto cooling rack
Note: If you're short on time, pop cake layers straight into the freezer to cool quicker before decorating - Needs at least 30 minutes

Maple Coffee Buttercream
1. Beat butter on high for approx. 10 minutes until butter turns from an egg yellow to an off white colour
2. Add icing sugar and beat until well combined
3. Add maple syrup and beat
Note: Stop now if you want your panda to have white fur. If that doesn't phase you, continue on with the steps
4. Add coffee / water mix and beat well then seperate one heaped cup of buttercream into another mixing bowl
5. Add black food colouring to separated buttercream component then set aside for decorating
Note: If you want your cream a deeper black, just keep adding food colouring a drip at a time until your desired shade

Now it's time to assemble!

Maple Syrup drizzle

1. Level two layers of the cake until they're almost identical then set aside
2. Cut two 9-10cm diameter circles from leftover 3rd baked cake layer - for the ears
3. From the two 9-10cm circles you just cut, slice the circles evenly to form semi circles then set aside
4. For the Panda's snout, cut a small circle with a diameter of 3 cm from leftover 3rd cake tier then set aside
Note: With the leftover cake scraps, they'll be perfect with a cup of tea OR crumbed and made into cake pops. Don't waste the edible bits!
5. Place first cake layer onto cake board / plate
6. Drizzle on a few swirls of maple syrup on top the the first layer then apply and even coating of maple coffee buttercream
7. Add 2nd cake layer directly on the first layer and repeat the drizzling of maple syrup and application on maple coffee buttercream
8. Apply the maple coffee buttercream around the whole cake covering the edges - no need to be perfect as you're trying to represent fur
9. Place the 3cm circle about 3cm south of centre of the cake then cover the snout in buttercream
10. Repeat the drizzle of maple syrup and application of buttercream to the semi circle pieces so that you have 2 ears that are also 2 tiered to match the cake
11. Place ears on a 45 degree angle on either side of the top of Panda's head then apply buttercream
12. Using an open star tip - or whatever you have at home to resemble fur like pattern - pipe black buttercream to cover both ears
13. Proceed to piping/drawing eye patches starting from the snout piece leaving an oval like shape in the middle for the panda's eyes
14. Continue onto drawing a triangle button nose on the snout and a smile as per my picture displayed

Richie with his cake :)

15. Smooth out eye patches and nose with toothpick or an end of a spoon to eliminate the harsh edges created from the piping tip
16. Enjoy!

         I definitely loved doing some arts and crafts with this cake! It's a dense type of cake but the maple coffee buttercream adds a creamy rich texture that seals the deal. If you do give this one a try, make sure to leave a comment down below! I can already see a panda cake tradition happening in the years to come so I guess stay tuned for Panda cake 2.0 one day. Hope you're all having a lovely week.




Nibble Away,
               Jo

How To: Red Bean Cake with Matcha (Green Tea) Buttercream Frosting

Hi Nibblers!

            Have you ever had something where you just couldn't understand what the fuss was all about? I did. And it was anything Matcha (green tea) flavoured. I couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried. I was all about that black sesame craze. Until one day, Kevin bought me a Starbucks Matcha Latte while we were on a holiday in the Gold Coast and something just clicked. I was in love. 

    I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted more Matcha flavoured things. As soon as we came back to Sydney, I wanted to dedicate specific days to have Matcha adventures. I stumbled in Chanoma - a Japanese style cafe which did all kinds of Matcha goodness. It became a weekly ritual back in uni where Tree and I would visit just because. It's been a while since I've gone back. 

    So I've decided to celebrate my love for Matcha by making a cake. I paired the Matcha butter cream frosting with a Red Bean cake - one of the best flavour pairings in this sweet world. Hope you love this little creation!

How To: Red Bean Cake with Matcha (Green Tea) Buttercream Frosting

What you'll need:

Makes a 3 tired cake - Takes approximately 4 hours including cooling / decorating time

Red Bean Cake Component:

- 12 eggs (separated into whites and yolk)

- 1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

- 275g of sugar

- 360g self-raising flour

- 180mL of vegetable oil

- 180mL of milk

- 2 tsp. vanilla sugar

- 75g cooked Adzuki - Red Beans * see 'Red Bean Paste' section

- 3 drops of red food colouring - optional

Red Bean Paste:

- 200g Adzuki - Red Beans - soaked for at least an hour before cooking

- 150g white sugar

Matcha (Green Tea) Buttercream Frosting:

- 200g icing sugar

- 500g butter (softened to room temperature)

- 30g Matcha Green Tea Latte Mix

- 2 Tbs. milk

- 1 drop of Green colouring - optional

How To:

Red Bean Paste: 

Ready to be made into a paste!

1. Boil 500mL of water then add soaked Adzuki Beans into the pot and leave to simmer for approx. 40 minutes with the lid on - stirring occasionally - until beans a soft all the way through

2. Drain beans in a colander and set aside approx 75g of cooked Azuki beans for cake mixture

3. Return the rest of the beans to pot on a low heat then add sugar

4. Stir until well incorporated

5. Pop mixture into a blender and blend until it forms a consistency of peanut butter - takes about a minute in the blender

6. Pour red bean paste into a mixing bowl then set aside to cool to room temperature 

Red Bean Cake Component:

1. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celcius/ 320 degrees Farenheit fan forced

2. Line three circular 20cm cake tins with baking paper or lightly spray with cooking oil to prevent cake from sticking to the pan

Mixing in the Adzuki beans

3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form then add sugar and continue beating until it forms a bloody stiff peak finish - approx. 10 minutes of a high beat setting

4. In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until it changes from a deep orange to a light beige colour - takes approx. 5 minutes

5. Add oil and milk to egg yolk mixture and beat until well incorporated

6. Add vanilla sugar and cream of tartar to the mix and beat

7. Using a spatula, gently fold flour and egg white/ sugar folds in small little increments - it takes time but allows for mixture to stay aerated and soft

8. Continue step 7 until all flour and egg white/ sugar mix is well incorporated

9. Add cooked Adzuki beans and red food colouring to the cake batter and fold until well combined

10. Evenly divide batter into cake tins ensuring all batter is spread evenly along the edges of the cake tin - lightly tap tins on a flat surface if you need that extra push

11. Place tins in pre heated oven for approximately 35-45 minutes - swapping cake tin positions at around 25 minutes to ensure all layers are baked evenly 

12. At 35 minutes check if cakes are cooked by placing skewer into each cake layer and skewer comes out clean - if no, leave cakes to cook for a further 5 minutes then check again

13. Allow cakes to rest in tins for 5 minutes then transfer onto cooling rack and set aside until cooked - spread up the process by placing cakes in the freezer for up to an hour

Matcha Green Tea Buttercream frosting:

1. Beat softened butter until  it turns from a yellow butter colour to and off white colour - Takes approx. 7 minutes in high

2. Add icing sugar to the mix and beat until well incorporated

3. Add Matcha Latter mix to frosting and well for a further 5 minutes

4. Add milk and green food colouring and beat for a further 5 minutes until well combined

Note: if you feel the frosting is too dense, just add a Tbs. of milk and mix until desired texture

          If it's too soft, add a heaped Tbs. of icing sugar to thicken the frosting

Cake scraps to be eaten, nom

Once all cakes and pastes are cooked, it's decorating time! Feel free to decorate however you like but if you liked how mine turned out, here's how:

1. Level cakes as identical and flat as possible

2. Place one tier on a cake board then even spread a layer of red bean paste

3. Place 2nd tier on top and spread an even layer of red bean

4. Place 3rd layer of cake then using the Matcha buttercream, evenly coat cake to create a crumb coat layer

5. Place in freezer for 15 minutes to set

Building my layers

6. Add more Matcha buttercream to the cake until evenly coated around cake

7. For the top of the cake, place red bean paste in one piping bag and Matcha buttercream in another then pipe a small blob around the edges of the cake alternating between the two colours

Note:  If you ever find yourself with left over red bean paste or buttercream frosting, pop them in seperate air tight containers and freeze for up to two months or a week in the fridge! Just defrost and use for your next batch :)

      

       This cake was moist and delicious. I love the sweetness creaminess of Matcha buttercream teamed with the dense sweetness of the red bean paste. I loved this cake and it definitely put me back into the Matcha craze. If you do give this recipe a try, make sure to comment below and let me know how you do!

P.s. I have more cakes coming your way so stay tuned!

Inside snap!

Nibble Away,

Jo