Nutella Vanilla Butter Cake

I know I said I was gonna share some savoury treats with you in my next posting. BUT not today, cos today I was so inspired to try this cake after reading Dana's blog. And I just have to share this with you today as I'm still rather chuffed by how they turned out and TASTED.

I used a recipe for a 9" x 5" loaf cake for 8 mini loaf ones instead. We added less sugar, spooned more of the sinful Nutella and sprinkled tops with chopped hazelnuts to be more decadent. We are those kind of bakers who like to go the whole nine yards. Why scrimp on goodness? We just went a little mental over them. Nutella would be very proud of us. LOL.

As I write about this, there a only 3 loaf cakes left as our lovely friend, Carolyn, Kristian and myself have been tea-ing for almost 3 hours. Lovely company, good laughs, scrumptious cakes. Bliss. It's these moments in life you remember and treasure always.

Say cheeeese : ))

Whoops, I have done it again. Have been slacking in the blog posting department. Is not that we have not made anything new to share but the photo shots were not turning out to my liking and we were swamped towards end of last month with Ramadhan and celebration cake orders. I shall upgrade to a better camera soon AND learn the tricks of food photography, I SHALL, I SHALL, I SHALL. Any pros out there willing to give me some tips on turning our fab food into beautiful fab food, please share with me and favor shall be returned with, you guessed it, Bakerellaz baked goods ; )

A double layer mascarpone cheesecake with dark chocolate crumb sides and mini meringue topping. Available for order. RM80/kg.

I made these cheesecake cups for my mum's birthday. A change from the usual birthday cake and lighter in calories too I might add ; ) Two flavors - one was black cherry lemon cheesecake topped with black cherries and the other was praline cheesecake topped with hazelnut praline. Both had biscuit base. I boxed them in a gift box tied with a satin gold ribbon (sorry didn't take pic). These are also great for kids parties or picnics/barbeques. Available for order. RM55/doz.

There's more.....so check back tomorrow. Some savouries this time and coming up, some chic cookies. Tres chic.

Black Gold

It's a strange coincidence that many precious commodities that have flourished and been consumed over civilisations are black in color. Think petroleum, coffee, most minerals and not forgetting the seemingly scarce truffles. Here's another 'black gold', according to us anyways : )

We made these robust and rustic dark chocolate truffles the size of walnuts. They had creamy ganache center of imported chocolate with morsels of prune, apricot, strawberry or date in its epicenter. These were served along with mini cheesecakes and profiteroles for a dinner party at Kristian's last week. Guests relished them one after another with glasses of late harvest Riesling (an excellent accompaniment) and cups of coffee.

The 1st week of August and we are beat

Last week was largely taken up with an anniversary party that we were catering. This is an anniversary cake done over the weekend. The bottom tier is made up of 3 layers of alternating butter almond cake and baked cheesecake. The top tier has 5 layers of the same cakes. Each layer has a lemon curd spread. It is covered in fondant icing with yellow fondant ribbon and marzipan red roses. Marzipan as an icing decoration stays maleable and softer than fondant ones AND definitely much tastier due to the rich almond flavor. I love the contrast of the red roses on white fondant (above) don't you?

We made a mini cheesecake for ourselves to taste before we made the actual size for the required cake. It wasn't hard to imagine the combined flavors of the tangy creamy cheescake, butter cake and lemon curd.

We have made croquembouche or profiteroles several times BUT never managed to take any deserving pictures of them yet! The most recent ones made this past weekend disappeared too quickly before I had a chance of taking some shots...oh well. But try and imagine the above with spools of chocolate ganache arranged in a a pyramid structure with tiny lilac wild flowers and white orchids stuck in between each piece.

The making of mini pavlovas. Again, the finished product disappeared too quickly before they can be photographed. ( I think we need a food photographer friend to help out in this department ) Anyways, they were sensational looking and tasting. In fact, Kristian and I feasted on about 3 pavs each last night with dollops of whipped cream and strawberries while watching 'The Hangover' movie.

On a roll

We've been on a roll all week. Am rather proud of ourselves as we've surpassed our own expectations of making more than 2 new recipes a week (pats Kristian's back). Needless to say there has been A LOT of testy moments coupled with lotsa making up and of course lotsa taste testing. Am fortunate a friend offered to buy some of our 'experiments' and the extras from our orders so I have put together for him a care package of sorts containing loaf cakes, cookies, brownies, and fudge. How lucky he is!!

The above is 3 variations on the date & nut cookie mentioned previously in the blog but had no picture posted. Which do you think is the prettier shape? I have to admit I'm not a fan of dates so naturally these cookies don't really do it for me but Kristian loves them. He polished off the whole lot within 2 days!

These are available for orders, RM25/box (around 400g)
You can specify for roll or pillow shapes.



Okay we had some problems making our fudge. We cooked them without a thermometer as advised, opting to eyeball the hot mixture over the stove for the right color and consistency. It looked fine on the top but little did we realise the bottom was browning too much as the fudge continues to cook after it has been taken off the heat. This lil mishap took moments to rectify and the fudge turned out and tasted excellent ; ) We made them in toffee and chocolate flavors, both with almond bits in them. We are definitely making more of these and in other variations.

Festive Hampers II

This hamper was assembled today. I apologize if you can't clearly see the contents. It has 2 loaf cakes - prune butter and lemon poppy seed, walnut brownies in our Bakerellaz box, heart shape cranberry shortbread and chocolate chilli cookies in the teacups. The wicker basket is well crafted and very sturdy. It is in limited stock so if you like this, please get in touch with us asap. Is valued at RM150.

Now back to the kitchen to prepare for tomorrow's catering.

Brownies Baby : )

OMG, I have just discovered that my Olympus digital camera has a super macro feature!! What a difference my photos look now!! Amazing. Super super psyched.

Let me share our brownie love with you. Is like marrying a bar of chocolate with chocolate cake. The offspring of this marriage would be a brownie. Dense, soft but not too soft, more creamy than cakey, we can't have enough of them.

Brownies shown are:

a)Walnut brownies - RM30/box (abt 480g)

b)Walnut brownies with white chocolate drizzle - RM30/box (abt 480g)

Not shown but also available is black cherry brownies which are deeeeevine - RM33/box (abt 480g) Will post picture of this very soon as well.

Festive Hampers

We've created and started selling hampers! The above is an example of what we've done under a limited edition collection for a client. It has a 500g butter loaf cake, a bag of meringue drops, a bag of sandwich icing cookies, a pair of coffee cups with saucers all nestled in a beautiful rafia basket. It is valued at RM120.

Let us design a hamper for your occassion with a choice of our cookies and cakes with prices starting from RM100. Do refer to menus posted for selections. I am racing to post new cookie and cake offerings and to incorporate them into the menus! But, a preview of new cookies are:

a)Date & Walnut roll - RM25/box (abt 400g)

Note: This recipe can also be offered as a pillow shape and also have apricot & almond filling.

b)Chocolate sandwich cookie with fruit buttercream - RM25/box (abt 400g)

Will post pics of these very very soon, I promise ; p

Getting inked on Best Eats

By the way, we are listed in Best Eats, a KL food guide put together by our fun, feisty foodie friend, Fay Khoo. The guide's reviews are done with candor and has a neutral approach which is much appreciated. I love the cover, don't you? Thanks Fay!

Catching up

I realise the blog has not been updated regularly and is terrible of me. I also know this is a rather new blog so I hope I'm not too missed.........Anyhow, Bakerellaz is back on track after a few months lapse getting side tracked with life to put it very generally. During that time, there has been a few events at my fashion showroom, popUP Showroom, and other venues where sweet and savory treats were served. The above was a huge hit at the showroom with the ladies who came to shop, get pampered and tasted these lil meringues with strawberries and fresh cream.

Ricotta cheese puff squares for a friend's dinner party.

Mushroom bruschetta and chicken wraps with yoghurt lime dressing for a birthday party.

Hors d'oeuvres tray of mini quiche tarts, chicken wrap rolls, BLT club sandwiches, mini burgers, and baby potatoes with sour cream and caviar for an event at Urbanattic Bar & Lounge.

Mini burgers. So cute and so yummy. Disappear in 2 bites or one huge one! This is superb for adults or kids' parties.

More Menus

Please click on images of hors d'oeuvre and quiche menus to view.

Thanks.

Our Cookie Menu Is Done!!

Picture too small? To view menu, pls click on image.

What a good day it has been........one of those which has been bright despite heavy downpour of rain! Had a new customer show up in the morning who found out about popUP Showroom via Facebook. Yes, Facebook is indeed amazing this way : ) In the afternoon, we visited a cafe in Ampang which we were so close to owning but didn't and was truly touched by the staff there who remembered us and expressed how he was hoping we would be the new cafe owners. Ain't that nice? Back home, I received the orders from a couple of girls who wish to start a fashion biz like popUP's in Sydney. Awesome! In the evening, Mark, our friend, came by to seek refuge from the post-rain traffic jam. He stayed on for dinner of lamb lasagna which we made last night. First time using lamb mince thrown together with spinach, tomatoes, and bechamel sauce. Very rich lamb-y flavor but not bad at all. To cap the day, I have just uploaded our menu put together by my friend, Elaine. Am most pleased with it.

Is late at night now, is quiet and air is cool as we reflect on the last weeks, the day and the future. We are appreciative, thankful, excited and hopeful all in one.

What We've Been Baking

Sorry for the quiet. Been caught with festivities, making Valentines cookies & cakes, birthday cakes, and catering a few parties in town. Yah, can't complain....: )

To make up for my silence, I thought I would share a recipe for a great cake with you. Kristian found this old recipe last week. It was passed to him by a Jewish lesbian chef working in Morocco. It's a Tunisian Orange Cake. I'm addicted to it already and will be introducing this as one of our tea cake selections ; )

Here's the recipe:

50g (2 oz) slightly stale white breadcrumbs (this is a flour-less cake)

200g (7 oz) caster sugar

100g (3 1/2 oz) ground almonds

1 1/2 level tsp baking powder

200ml (7 fl oz) sunflower oil (no butter used)

4 eggs

zest of 1 large orange, finely grated (pick oranges with thick rinds to get more zest)

zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated (same as above)

cream, Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche to serve

Citrus Syrup:

juice of 1 orange

juice of 1/2 lemon

75g (3 oz) sugar

2 cloves

1 cinnamon

How To:

* Line the base of an 8 inch round tin with greaseproof paper. (we made individual tea cakes with friand tins last night to bring to Yeen and Julian's dinner)

* Grease and flour the tin.

* Mix the breadcrumbs with the sugar, almonds, and baking powder.

* Whisk the oil with the eggs, pour into the dry ingredients and mix well.

* Add the orange and lemon zests.

* Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

* Put into a cold oven (yes, cold) and turn oven on to 180 degree C(350 degree F)

* Bake for 45-60 mins until cake is golden brown.

* A skewer inserted should come out clean.

* Allow to cool for 5 mins before turning out onto plate.

* To make syrup, put all ingredients into a heavy saucepan and bring gently to a boil, stirring sugar until dissolved.

* Simmer for 3 mins.

* While the cake is still warm, pierce with a skewer or toothpick all over the top.

* Spoon the hot syrup over the cake.

* Leave to cool.

* Spoon excess syrup over the cake now and then until it is all soaked up.

* Cloves and cinnamon may be removed or left on top of cake.

* Now, enjoy this luscious citrusy dense cake with a huge dollop of cream, yoghurt or creme fraiche!!

Some Valentines edibles we made for the occassion......

This was more difficult than it looks. Getting the chocolate to the right consistency whilst working in this high 80's degree heat was no easy task. But these assorted sized chocolate covered lemon butter eventually came together and was my favorite of the Valentines range.

These traditional linzer cookies were worth trying and I think the different shapes and sizes make such a pretty picture.

These are heart-shaped brownies with chunks of walnuts and icing sugar. I made the wax paper for packing by sticking heart cutouts from crepe paper between 2 sheets of wax paper : )

This is a recipe Kristian found last week. It was given to him by an old friend, a Jewish lesbian chef who lived in Tunisia. It turned out fantastic! It's a Tunisian Orange Cake and this recipe is definitely a keeper. I'm a bit OTT on chocolate lately with the Valentines creations so this cake really did it for me. It uses no flour, instead it uses breadcrumbs.

Here's the recipe:

50g slightly stale breadcrumbs (can probably use semolina or polenta meal as well)

200g castor sugar

100g ground almonds

1 1/2 level tsp baking powder

200ml sunflower oil

4 eggs

zest of 1 large orange, finely grated (use oranges with thick rind to get the most zest)

zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated

cream, greek yoghurt or creme fraiche

Citrus Syrup:

juice of 1 orange

juice of 1/2 lemon

75g sugar

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

Line base of 8" round tin with wax paper. Grease the tin. Mix the breadcrumbs with the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Whisk the oil with the eggs, pour into the dry ingredients, and mix well. Add the orange and lemon zests. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Put into cold oven(yes cold) and turn on with the heat set to 180 degree Celcius/350 degree Fahrenheit.

Bake for 45-60 mins but check after 35-40 mins. Go for a nice golden color. Check with skewer. It should come out clean. Cool in tin for 5 mins. Turn out onto plate.

Start citrus syrup by putting everything into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir occasionally. Simmer for 5 mins to slightly thicken syrup.

While cake is still warm, pierce it on top with skewer. Spoon hot syrup over cake and spread evenly over top of cake. Leave the cinnamon and clove from the syrup and used as garnish if you fancy.

Serve with whipped fresh cream, Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Saw this on the AppetiteForChina site that is run by Diana Kuan, a Chinese lady with diverse exotic backgrounds in love with Chinese food from all corners of the world and its applications.

But isn't that just the coolest apple? fa cai guo, or prosperity fruit as it's called in China where they can be bought. If anyone of you go there anytime soon, please buy me some!!

I don't know about you, but this Chinese New Year, I have not had my fill of eating. Maybe is because I was busier than usual with running the showroom plus helping Kristian with the CNY cookie orders. Besides the New Year's Eve steamboat dinner I had with my family which always ends with way too much leftovers, there has been a lack of serious gluttony this year. Is healthier, I know, not to over indulge during this time of year. BUT I am quite determined to tuck into more New Year foods before chap goh me! There's still time for nien gao, homemade pineapple tarts and love letters from Penang, and maybe even mum's siam laksa : )

I thought this list should be of interest to you. Here's a rundown of what one should eat to bring more prosperity,longevity and overall well being in the new year:

a)fatt choy - in translation, means to prosper.

b)dried oysters - or hoe see meaning good tidings.

c)lotus root - my all-time favourite vegetable especially cooked in soup. It symbolises longevity.

d)water chestnuts - sweet and crunchy, these can be stir fried with snap peas and scallops in the hopes of bringing a sweet year ahead.

e)whole chicken - braised, roasted, cooked in soups, a whole chicken symbolises completeness.

f)whole fish - same as above, a whole fish served steamed, fried or in sauce symbolises togetherness and abundance.

g)nien gao - or new year cake, is a must-have for Chinese New Year. It signifies a prosperous year ahead,

h)prawns - ha in Cantonese, sounds like laughter hence it is a welcomed food element.

I am sure there's more that can be added to the list. The Chinese will be at their most creative and imaginative when it comes to food hehehehe. Would love to hear more so do add your comments.

Where is Kristian?

See if you can find him amongst the assembled boxes in the photo ; )

This pre-CNY week has been intense and stressful in some moments as we rush to fulfill orders. We're learning how to bake bigger orders instead of the smaller ones we have been getting. Call us kitchen scientists as we multiply, divide, add, break down, convert temperatures and weights, and analyse our recipes accordingly to meet demands. Tricky to say the least. Alas, cookies are baked and collected today on time even though I was half asleep this morning handing cookies over to Jenny, my dear friend and ardent Bakerellaz fan : p

We feel exhausted. Achy. Gratified. Happy. Slightly delirious from the lack of sleep. And looking forward to CNY finally.

In case you are wondering where is our menu, I am still working on laying it out in a way that is effective and aesthetically pleasing. Please bear with me and I promise to post link to menu real soon. This is what they call birthing pains. So many things to do and learn!!

Putting care back in baking & more

Go Obama! Historic day in the world today. Together let's work on being a more caring society.

I am usually known as a fashionista, not a foodie. After all, I own and run a fashion showroom in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. But food is my other passion especially pastries, cookies and breads.

I started baking chocolate chip cookies and banana breads in college through my early twenties living in the US. My baking skills and repertoire was pedestrian, i thought, but I knew what I liked and sought out the best breads and cookies everywhere I went. Then I laid dormant with my baking like a big brown bear for many years, only rising once in a long while to bake.

Kristian, on the other hand, has been around great cooks on the Italian side of his family most of his life in New Zealand where 'nonna's' Italian pastries and cookies were bountiful in the kitchen. This, plus his chef experience in cafes/bistros in NZ and Australia has been great influences and inspiration for his cooking and baking. And it is him, that has reawakened my passion for baking.

Living in KL, we felt there was a lack of good fresh baked goods. This has led us to bake more and more at home - Classic French onion tart, quiche lorraine, assorted dessert pies, tea cakes, cookies (of course), even pizzas and focaccia bread.

From small orders from our equally enthusiastic friends and family for X'mas, we've decided to formalise our passion and begin this blog/online bakery. There's no looking back now although we realise that we are now embracing a lot of other factors that could take the fun element out of our passion : p

Now, we are ready to take your orders so you too, can enjoy fresh baked goods.

All our products are 100% homemade in our well equipped kitchen using quality ingredients. We pride on quality and high standards in our products and only sell products that we ourselves love and approve.

We hope that you will enjoy our blog which will not only feature our menu but also related culinary adventures/misadventures and we would love to hear from like-minded people as well as happy customers.