10" 2-layers Sashimi Sushi Cake

Made this for my husband's birthday party! This 2 layers sushi cake was made out with 5 cups of rice ~ 10 bowls of cooked rice. The ingredients for this sashimi cake included: Ahi Tuna, Sockeye Salmon, Hotate, Masago, Amaebi, Egg, Avocado, Seaweed and Sesame

On the bottom of pan, I placed a layer of Sockeye Salmon and Ahi Tuna slices. 

2nd layer (Rice)

3rd layer (Avocado, sesame, seaweed, ahi tuna and salmon slices)

4th layer (Rice)

Then flip pan over with a big plate. Unmold.

Decorated with avocado, Radish sprout, Hotate, masago, Amaebi,and Egg.

Raindrop Cake (Mizu Shingen Mochi 水信玄餅)

One night a few months ago, my husband showed me a video of this fun little dessert. I watched the video and I found it is an easy dessert that I can make any time. Yesterday was my husband's birthday celebration party. I made him a Sashimi sushi cake as birthday cake. And I made Oreo Earl Grey ice cream sandwich and Iron Buddha Panna Cotta as dessert. Since it is a Bbq party, I don't have to cook anything. Sushi cake was made in early afternoon and the other two desserts were prepared a head of time. And it is still a few hours before the party starts, I decided to make this little fun dessert.

Year 2016

Year 2024

Texture should not be too hard. It should be clear and soft.

Ingredient: (Makes 6 domes)

1g (~1/2 tsp) Agar agar Powder
1g sugar (optional)
450ml water

Kinako (soy bean flour)

Kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup)

Direction:

1. Mix Agar agar, sugar and water together in a saucepan and bring it to a boil until all agar agar dissolved.
2. Pour dissolved agar powder water to dome mold. It can make 6 domes.
3. Refrigerate until it settled.
4. Served with Kuromitsu brown sugar syrup (I substitute it with Maple syrup because I don't have Kuromitsu at that moment) and Kinako (Soy bean flour).

Hello Kitty fondant topper cupcakes (Hello Kitty 小蛋糕)

I can't remember how long I did not receive cupcake or cake order since I go back to work part time for over a year and a half now. I don't have time for making details fondant cake or fondant toppers like before, and I told my friend that I "retired" and will not take any cake orders now (I was asked a few times over the last year). I am so glad that my friend came back to me to re-order the cakes or cupcakes over the last year. 

This cupcake order is an exceptional case. This friend of mine is very desperate in finding a good bakery in Richmond. And seems like she cannot find any and the big day is approaching. She PM me and asked if I still take cupcake order. At the very beginning I turned down her request. But after knowing a bit more of what she needs, she only needs 20 mini vanilla cupcakes with 12 Hello Kitty toppers for her daughter's daycare birthday celebration. Since I got this Hello Kitty cutter at home, (it looks like I can handle it with my current schedule) and it is not a really time consuming and it is not a big project like before. At last, I am so excited that I offer help to make cupcakes for her. 

When I sit at the table and start working on the toppers, I feel so excited that I can tell I am really enjoy doing all these fondant art. 

Happy 2nd Birthday Charis!

Fondant Recipe:

For Fondant Recipe, please refer to my earlier Marshmallow Fondant (MMF) Recipe  post

Basic Vanilla Recipe: 

Ingredients

Cupcakes: (36 mini size or 24 original size cupcakes)

150g butter, softened

1 1/2 cups Caster Sugar (Adjust to your taste)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla essence

2 1/2 cups self-raising four

1 1/4 cups milk

Buttercream Icing:

100g butter, softened

1 1/2 cups Icing Sugar

2-3 drops vanilla essence

1-2 Tbsp milk

Method

Cupcakes: 

Preheat oven to 350°F or 170°C. 

Beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth, add Caster Sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs and mix well. Add the sifted flour, milk and vanilla, beat until smooth. 

Place paper baking cases in a cupcake tin, spoon in mixture until they are about 2/3 full (don't overfill or they will form peaks). This recipe makes 24 cupcakes or 36 mini size cupcakes so you

might need to do this in two batches. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden or until they spring back when lightly pressed. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool while you prepare the icing.

Buttercream Icing: 

Beat the butter until it is pale and fluffy. Sift in the Icing Sugar, add the vanilla essence and milk until you have a light, fluffy mixture. Add extra milk if you need a softer consistency. Spread or pipe icing over cupcakes and top with decorations as desired.

Recipe from: Chelsea Sugar Website

Jelly inside jelly (Coconut and mango) 芒果椰子啫喱

Tonight's dinner party, we have 10 adults and 11 kids. Beside making Iron Buddha Tea Panna Cotta dessert and Honey Lavender Ice cream, I am looking for something more kids friendly dessert. What I come to mind is Jelly, I guess jelly is all time favourite for both adults and kids. I originally thinking of making Milk Tea with coffee jelly cube. But my other panna cotta dessert already used tea (caffeine) ingredient, I better think of some ingredients that is not caffeine related. I searched over my kitchen and trying to find any ingredients for jelly recipe. I found a box of Mango Jello powder. Coconut and mango came in my mind and I found a can of coconut milk too. White and orange bring good colour contrast and taste are also good match.  I can save a trip to grocery store and I can made an extra dessert.

Ingredients:

(Mango Jelly)

1 packaged of Mango Jello

225ml hot water + 225ml cold water

1/2 tbsp Gelatin (1/2 envelop of gelatin)

(Coconut milk jelly)

300ml Coconut Milk

100ml Condensed Milk + 100ml Boiling water

1 tbsp Gelatin (1 envelop of Gelatin)

Directions:

(Mango Jelly)

1. Dissolved Mango jello powder and 1/2 tbsp Gelatin in 225ml boiling water.

2. Add 225ml of cold water. Mix well.

3. Coat container with oil and pour jelly mixture into container.

4. Put in refrigerator for 3 hours or until set.

(Coconut Jelly)

1. When Mango Jelly is set. Boil 100ml water in saucepan. Add 100ml condensed milk and stir until dissolved. Turn off heat

2. Sprinkle Gelatin in condensed milk and stir until all gelatin dissolved. 

3. Add 300 ml coconut milk. Mix well. Set aside until cool a bit.

Assemble:

1. Unmold Mango Jelly, and cut into cubic shape. Scattered into other greased Jelly pan.

2. Pour coconut jelly mixture to jelly pan with mango jelly cubes. 

3. Put in refrigerator for 3 hours or until set.

4. Unmold Jelly and cut into cubic shape. Serve Cold.

(Tieguanyin) Iron Buddha Tea Panna Cotta 鐵觀音奶凍

Last week I had dinner at Zakkushi and tried their roasted tea pudding. It was so good and I remembered I had Iron Buddha (Tieguanyin) soft ice cream when I was in Hong Kong. These two pudding are using Chinese/Japanese tea leaves as ingredients. I did Chai, Thai tea and Earl grey panna cotta before. Why not using some Chinese tea to make panna cotta this time? It should taste good.

Ingredient: Served ~30 x 2 oz cup

1/4 cup of (Tieguanyin) Iron Buddha Tea leaves (or 5 tea bags)

800ml whipping cream

200ml whole milk
1 1/2 Tbsp Gelatin (or 1 1/2 envelops of gelatine) with 4 1/2 tbsp water
1/3 cup sugar (Adjust accordingly to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat 400ml heavy cream and 200ml milk in a saucepan until simmering hot. Then add the tea bags. Turn off heat and soak tea bags. Cover the pot and let soak for 20 minutes.
2. Squeeze tea bags and take out tea bag from saucepan. Add remaining 400 whipping cream. Heat the Panna Cotta up a few minutes to warm it back up. Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5-10 minutes. Microwave gelatin for 30 seconds or until all gelatin dissolved in water.
3. Place a sieve over the bowl of gelatin and strain the Panna Cotta mixture into it, stirring until the gelatin is completely mixed.
4. Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the cups and chill them until firm, about 2-4 hours.

Honey Lavender Ice cream (eggless) 薰衣草蜂蜜雪糕

Recently bought a jar of Culinary Lavender for my daughter's Macaron French project. And I love to make some dessert with Lavender. Here I try lavender honey ice cream without egg. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender
• Violet Food Colouring (Optional)

Directions

Add the heavy cream, milk, honey, and lavender to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, bring the lavender cream mixture to steaming.

Check to see that the honey is completely dissolved into the cream and then remove the pan from the heat. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the lavender cream and discard the solids. Add Violet food colour and mix well (Optional).

Chill the mixture for 1 hour and then freeze it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Receipt adapted from: Lavender Honey Ice cream from about.com