Thursday 1 May 2008

It's been a year!!!





Like a drug addict seeking for more magic mushrooms and trying out different little pills to get high I have been frantically searching for my pills. No, I’m not a drug seeker nor a drug pusher but I’m just a food blogger caught up in the blogsphere. A year ago, while desperately trying to download more food pictures onto my laptop, a signed popped up saying “ No more free-space. Please delete unused items”. Hundreds of food pictures were uploaded on to my lap top over the years and I didn’t know what to do with them. Hence, I decided to start a blog. It seems like just yesterday I was trying to figure out how to post a post on my blog. I’m still no expert at it but slightly better now.

I was very dubious about starting a blog as my culinary skills were not close to any of the other well known bloggers. However, after days of thinking about it I did it. You must be thinking I’m such a drama queen and making a mountain out of a mole hill. But that’s just how I am. Not a risk taker at all. But I did it anyway.

Despite having a brief twinge of guilt off and on last year for staying up a few extra minutes to rummage through recipe books instead of using that time to read my text books, I must admit that I have no regrets at all for starting this blog. It kept my head attached to my neck!! I would have ended up in some sort of mental institution otherwise with all my exams and stress I went through last year.

The experience I’ve gained in the kitchen and friendships I’ve build through this blog is beyond the seven seas. The biggest surprise is that I’ve kept the blog for a year. I thought it would have been just like a passing cloud. Hopefully I’ll keep it going for the years to come and won’t be too busy with work.


red velvet slice


I made a cake for my blog and for my friend’s birthday with the help of Sarah and a few friends who saw us playing around with the fondant and wanted to join in the fun. After watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy where Burk made Christina try out different cakes for her wedding and one of them was a red velvet cake, I was very curious about how it tasted.

I got this recipe from Domestic goddess which was originally adapted from Martha Steward.
Red velvet cakeIngredients2 ¼ cups plain flour
4 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbs red colouring
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla exract
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
113g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
For the frosting
2 x 250g packages cream cheese, room temperature
113g butter
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 ½ cups icing sugar
Method
The Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter, line with parchment, butter and flour again one deep 10-inch-diameter cake pan.

2. Sift already sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

3. Whisk the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend.

4. Beat sugar and butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

5. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 - 40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.

Frosting:
1. Place cooled cake in freezer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

2. Slice cake into 2 even layers. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top. Arrange ½ of the blueberries, ½ of the blackberries and ½ of the strawberries on top of the frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side up again. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake - smoothing to a nice finish. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving.)

The verdict of the cake- 9/10. It was moist , light and was a cross between a chocolate and vanilla cake taste wise.