Drunken Strawberry Chocolate Gateau

Here is a birthday cake I made for my darling birthday. It is always difficult to decide what  cake should I preapre for his big day with my limited skills and also limited time. He suggest to have a traditional soft sponge celebration cake and that sound like not too difficult thing for me. I just simply use an old recipe then add some strawberry will do. 

But I personally feel like that really nothing special and feel like lack of sincerity too. So I twist the flavour a bit on the cake by using marscapone cheese with some Cointreau and Baileys. That combination turn the cake to become very special although the outlook is just a normal birthday cake which could easy bought from a bakery shop. I brushed the sponge with plenty of Baileys that make the cocoa sponge so moist and soft then sandwich with the mascarpone cream that had added lots of Cointreau. The strawberry is a compliment that makes the whole cake so refreshing and looks prettier too. 

I could see the surprise expression from his face during his first bite on the cake and his smile told me he is super satisfy with the birthday cake. 

May the Lord Jesus Christ keep him and bless him on the year a head. 

Recipe

8 inches Cocoa Sponge Cake

Mascarpone Cheese 500g

Caster Sugar 100g

Freshly squeezed Lemon juice 2 tablespoon

Cointreau 4 tablespoons

Whipping cream 260ml

Half cups of baileys or more

Some strawberry

Whipping cream 300ml

1 tablespoon caster sugar

Some shredded chocolate flakes

• Beat the mascarpone cheese with sugar then add in the lemon juice follow by the Cointreau and mix well.
• In another bowl, whip up the whipping cream until about the same consistency as the mascarpone mixture. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.  Be aware not to over work with the mixture as they might split and the mixture will become rough. 
• Divide the cocoa soonge cake to 3 pieces then generously brush the baileys all over the cake. Spread some of the mascarpone cream on the brushed liquer cake then arrange some strawberry and cover with some mascarpone cream. Sandwich with the second piece of cake on top. 
• Brush some baileys on the second piece of cake then fill in the some mascarpone cream follow by the strawberry and then the mascarpone cream again. 
• Sandwich with the last piece of cake then brush all over with the remaining baileys on the cake. 
• Whip up the whipping cream with caster sugar until peak foam. Cover the whole cake with whipped cream then decorate it with some strawberry and shredded chocolate. Chill in the fridge for 5 hours or overnight before serve. 

Hokkaido Cupcakes

l think l have been very outdated these years as you might already heard about this hokkaido cupcakes a long time ago or you might have even bake them for many times but I am just started getting into the channel. I read a lot of hokkaido cupcakes from YouTube, facebook and other baking buddies websites and wonder what so special about it until I give it a try lately.  

Finally I understand why people get addicted to bake it again and again. The softness and lightness of this little dessert is absolutely fit the Asian taste buds. I went through few attempts and the texture getting better and better.  Thanks for those who generously share the recipes and experience at facebook and youtube to guide me to every successful attempt. Really appreciate!

Here is the recipe from a blogger Kitchen Tigress. However, I used plain flour instead of cake flour and the outcome is equally good to me. I also did not follow the baking time and temperarure as I feel that these little hokkaido babies need a gently and slowly temperature to grow in the oven. So I followed another baking buddy from a facebook who recommend me to bake the cupcakes in low temperature and longer time. It seems to be quite troublesome to keep adjusting the oven temperature within 45 minutes from 100C to 150C, but I must tell you it worth the effort.

Ingredients
45g egg yolks
20g caster sugar
35g vegetable oil
45g full cream milk
60g plain flour

135g egg whites
40g caster sugar

200g whipping cream
Some fresh fruits or strastrawberry
Some icing sugar

• Whisk the egg yolks with caster sugar until pale in color then add the oil follow by the milk. Shift in the plain flour and mix until no any lumps left.
• In another clean bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy then add the caster sugar in three batches and keep whisking until nearly to a stiff peak foam. 
• Fold in the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture in three batches until well mix.
• Divide the mixture into each hokkaido cups about 80 to 90 percent full and bake in 100C preheated oven. 
• Bake at 100C for 10 minutes follow by 120C for 20 minutes then 140C for 15 minutes and lastly 150C for 10 minutes. 
• Bring out the cupcakes from the oven to cool down while preparing the cream.
• Whisk the whipping cream with a tablespoon caster sugar until stiff peak.
• Once the cupcakes completly cool down, pipe the whipped cream into the cupcakes and decorate it with fresh fruits. Dust some icing sugar if you like it to look prettier.
• Best serve cold.