Rainbow Cake

My passion in baking is growing this holiday since I have nothing to do and I'm eager to learn it. Baking is definitely not easy compared to cooking. You can just add anything anytime when cooking but definitely not baking. One wrong step and there gone your cakes or cookies. 

Anyway, I spent my Saturday afternoon baking with Emmelina since the boyf has to OT at the office. :) We decided to bake rainbow cake this time because it is colorful and considering the hoo haa rainbow cakes have brought in the internet, why not? And now my mum and I are trying it again in the kitchen since we have nothing to do at home on this scotching hot Sunday. Many people been asking to share the recipe and instructions so here you are:  

Ingredients: 

Cakes:

2 1/4 cup cake flour 

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk (room temp)

6 egg whites (room temp)

3/4 cup butter (room temp)

4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 different colorings (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)

Cream:

3 cups whipping cream

41/2 tablespoon icing sugar (depends how sweet you want)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Grease two small cake pans with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Combine milk, egg whites and vanilla extract in a bowl with a fork. Set aside

3. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt then add sugar to it. Mix at low speed in an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Add butter. continue beating at low speed until mixture look like wet sand.

4. Add 1/2 of the milk mixture and beat for 1 minute then add the remaining milk to it and beat for another 30 seconds. Do not overbeat.

5. Divide batter evenly into six small bowls. Add the respective coloring (5 droplets but if you brighter color feel free to add more) into the bowls. Mix together with a spoon. 

6. Pour the purpled batter into the cake pan and gently shake to smooth batter. Bake at 175C for 15 minutes or less. (use toothpick to test whether it is done or not).

7. Once bake, let cool and continue baking the other remaining batter. This is what you will get once all six layers are done.

8. For the whipped cream: Beat the whipping cream together with the icing sugar until stiff peak on top on a bowl of iced water.  Freeze for 30 minutes then apply on the cake. Make enough to frost the whole cake. 

And the outcome of our cake :) :

Rainbow cake :)~

Hokkaido Cupcakes with whipped cream filling

I have always wanted to try baking this after seeing my friend posted a super beautiful picture of her hokkaido cake in facebook. She (Emm) is my cupcake guru, whatever she bakes is just super beautiful and delicious. My first trial on hokkaido cake, probably my last time baking it also. Why? cause it is not easy!!

Anyway, I adapt some recipe from the internet (forgotten the website) so i'm sharing the recipe here in case you wanna try baking it to kill some time:

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups cake flour 

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk 

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

8 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the whipped cream filing:

2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

I add another 2 spoon of custard powder because I love custard

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175C. Make sure everything is at room temperature.

2. Sift cake flour together with baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, blend well milk, oil, vanilla extract and the 5 egg yolks.

4. Then Add the egg yolks mixture to the dry ingredients and beat it for about 2 minutes or less.

5. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar on high speed until foamy, then slowly add in the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peak form.

6. Fold in the meringue into the yolk mixture in 3 parts using a rubber spatula. Be sure to do it quick and light.

7. Then spoon the batter into cupcake cups evenly (2/3 of the cup). Most people use the square cupcake cups but I only have the round one) 

8. Be sure to give them a couple of big tap on the table to break the large air bubbles of the batter for finer texture of the cakes, then bake at 175C for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. (test with a skewer or toothpick). 

9. Let cool in the oven before removing or you can just cool on the racks. 

10. Mix the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and custard powder into the mixing bowl and beat on high speed until medium peak form. 

11. Fit the piping bag with narrow tip, and fill it with whipped cream. Pipe the cream into the center of the cupcakes after the cakes are completely cooled. Decorate the cupcakes by dusting it with powdered sugar.

And tadaaaa, 

This is the outcome of my cakes. Feel free to try the above recipe and see if we achieve the same results or otherwise. ;)