long overdue updates
I have become a tragically lazy blogger - perhaps too absorbed in eating and baking that I've quite forgotten about keeping up with my little journal that I regularly look back at to remember what I've done on a daily basis - or well, what happened during special events and days (for example: when I first realized that I didn't know when my first date with mark was, I sought the help of my handy dandy blog... however I was lazy on that occasion and didn't do so... and now I'll never know when was our first date or what we did because mark refuses to tell me and my only source of reminder has failed on me #fml)
On the 16th of July it was the mothership's birthday and we took a weekend trip to BKK the few days before - my bag tragically dropped during our first dinner and with it, my lens died. So I wound up with few pictures so I ran to the nearest camera store (to mum's birthday lunch venue) and got the first lens they wanted to sell me (big error) but I'm extremely relieved that I've tonnes of pictures of my mum's 60th celebrations and it was completely worth the amount I overpaid (lol).
Birthday dinner at Jumbo:
We also had a Surprise birthday celebration for the mother on Thursday and the days following up to it were horrendously hectic but so enjoyable at the same time -
I made a trial birthday cake and made sure everything would hold together and taste good - so here's Mark with his slice of coconut cake with gula melaka swiss meringue buttercream (a real bitch to make to be quite frank). I also finally got a candy thermometer - meaning I could finally attempt at swiss meringue buttercream... and as much as it's a real pain to make it, I can now never go back to ordinary buttercream or regular meringue frosting *weeps*
my sister also got me a nordin ware cake pops pan! So I made some coconut cake balls with it and they were super yummy!
Made Pandan chiffon cake in a mini donuts pan (because I'm cheesy that way and thought it'd be quite to have mini pandan chiffon cakes to give away as door gifts) so I made my own Pandan paste because my mother, with the world's most sensitive tongue can taste the moment anyone uses artificial flavourings and colours
The outcome after several tries at the perfect temperature and baking time
Surprisingly! My first attempt at pandan chiffon cake turned out pretty well !
layer 1 of piping work
So.. i changed my recipe again... and I suppose I'll keep changing it until I'm really fully satisfied.. which means a lot more coconut cake to be consumed
The new recipe meant a fluffier cake, but it also meant that the cake fell apart a lot more easily than the previous one... which kinda sucks for a massively huge 9 inch cake that needs to be sliced up for 20 people... although I suppose another factor that contributed to the difficulty of keeping the slices upright was that they were so thin but so tall.. oops?
2 layers of piping work, white sugar balls for decoration and word piping
Was super happy with the final outcome (although slightly distressed by the cake...I think I need to add another egg... anyway, the fact that it wasn't all that perfect stressed me out and now I'm headed into another round of baking tomorrow because i am THAT determined to perfect my recipe) nonetheless - it was my first time ever making such a hugggee layered cake and i nearly strangled myself over the first set of meringue buttercream because it split when I was distracted watching masterchef...
lool, the surprised mother singing happy birthday to herself!
love you both so very much!
the extended family on mummy's side
Us and lizzie (my god daughter and niece)
Also, the sister left to Melbourne today -
:( Am mildly depressed and I miss her so much
But I guess bubbles deserves his mummy back and til' December/ January !
ALl in all, it's been really hectic and I'm completely exhausted - but as the holidays draw to a close and celebrations come to an end, it's been a great summer so far and I've really maxed out the oven and my ancient hand held mixer is dying on me.. as are all my mixing bowls - but it's fantastic and I've loved most minutes of it!
On the 16th of July it was the mothership's birthday and we took a weekend trip to BKK the few days before - my bag tragically dropped during our first dinner and with it, my lens died. So I wound up with few pictures so I ran to the nearest camera store (to mum's birthday lunch venue) and got the first lens they wanted to sell me (big error) but I'm extremely relieved that I've tonnes of pictures of my mum's 60th celebrations and it was completely worth the amount I overpaid (lol).
Birthday dinner at Jumbo:
We also had a Surprise birthday celebration for the mother on Thursday and the days following up to it were horrendously hectic but so enjoyable at the same time -
I made a trial birthday cake and made sure everything would hold together and taste good - so here's Mark with his slice of coconut cake with gula melaka swiss meringue buttercream (a real bitch to make to be quite frank). I also finally got a candy thermometer - meaning I could finally attempt at swiss meringue buttercream... and as much as it's a real pain to make it, I can now never go back to ordinary buttercream or regular meringue frosting *weeps*
my sister also got me a nordin ware cake pops pan! So I made some coconut cake balls with it and they were super yummy!
Made Pandan chiffon cake in a mini donuts pan (because I'm cheesy that way and thought it'd be quite to have mini pandan chiffon cakes to give away as door gifts) so I made my own Pandan paste because my mother, with the world's most sensitive tongue can taste the moment anyone uses artificial flavourings and colours
The outcome after several tries at the perfect temperature and baking time
Surprisingly! My first attempt at pandan chiffon cake turned out pretty well !
layer 1 of piping work
So.. i changed my recipe again... and I suppose I'll keep changing it until I'm really fully satisfied.. which means a lot more coconut cake to be consumed
The new recipe meant a fluffier cake, but it also meant that the cake fell apart a lot more easily than the previous one... which kinda sucks for a massively huge 9 inch cake that needs to be sliced up for 20 people... although I suppose another factor that contributed to the difficulty of keeping the slices upright was that they were so thin but so tall.. oops?
2 layers of piping work, white sugar balls for decoration and word piping
Was super happy with the final outcome (although slightly distressed by the cake...I think I need to add another egg... anyway, the fact that it wasn't all that perfect stressed me out and now I'm headed into another round of baking tomorrow because i am THAT determined to perfect my recipe) nonetheless - it was my first time ever making such a hugggee layered cake and i nearly strangled myself over the first set of meringue buttercream because it split when I was distracted watching masterchef...
lool, the surprised mother singing happy birthday to herself!
love you both so very much!
the extended family on mummy's side
Us and lizzie (my god daughter and niece)
Also, the sister left to Melbourne today -
:( Am mildly depressed and I miss her so much
But I guess bubbles deserves his mummy back and til' December/ January !
ALl in all, it's been really hectic and I'm completely exhausted - but as the holidays draw to a close and celebrations come to an end, it's been a great summer so far and I've really maxed out the oven and my ancient hand held mixer is dying on me.. as are all my mixing bowls - but it's fantastic and I've loved most minutes of it!