What is light, creamy, and with lots of layers? …Crepe cake! To make a good crepe cake, first you’ll need to have thin layers. Thick layers will give you a dense, hard cake, but thin layers will give you a … Continue reading
Layers after Layers
Author Archives: Tina
A Different Medium
Art comes in many forms. After graduating with a computer art major, i set out to find my own medium. My passion for baking has led me to create edible art. By using Sable Breton(french butter cookie) as a base; … Continue reading
All About the Decorations
A simple cake can be made into an elegant beauty by adding decoratives pieces to it. I made some fondant flowers to put on top of the cake. Some decorations can add excessive sugars and calories, especially with buttercream icings. Using … Continue reading
A Mango Delight
For those of you who’s never had or made bavarian mousse before, it is seriously a smooth, creamy delight. Skipping the most common kind, which is strawberry, I’ve decided to use coconut cream and fresh mango puree. Yum! I’ve talked … Continue reading
Rich Creamy Goodness
Who wouldn’t love a rich, creamy, and moist cake? The trick is to balance the ratio between the icing and the type of the cake used. Since Italian meringue buttercream is a much sweeter and creamier icing than chantilly cream, … Continue reading
Organic Goodness
Organic Goodness As we all know it, summer is here and who wouldn’t want to go out in the sun? The problem is that we don’t put on enough sunblock to shield ourselves from sun damage. Early signs include dark leathery … Continue reading
Berrylicious
Berries contain one of the highest doses of vitamins and antioxidants. The flavonoids in berries are shown to reduce the risks of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Eating these fiber filled fruits will not only keep your blood pressure at bay, but it will also help manage diabetes and keep your weight in check.
This cake was made using two layers of chiffon cake with whipped cream and blueberries in the center. A thin layer of strawberry Bavarian mousse is added to create a textural variation. The top is decorated with blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries with an apricot glaze and a sprinkle of edible glitter.
Enjoy!
Oh that Sweet Tooth
Macaroons are one of the most expensive pastries you can buy. Each little morsels goes anywhere between 2 to 4 dollars. They are extremely sensitive to handle during every step of the procedures; one wrong move and you’ll have nothing but failed artworks.
Macaroons are sweet, dense, and chewy. Eating just one or two with your daily cup of coffee or tea will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Aside from its sweetness, macaroons are made using egg whites, almond flour, and sugar. These little cookies are perfectly tasty by themselves. Most of you however prefer a flavored buttercream filling. I used Matcha (green tea) and dark chocolate with Italian buttercrea m.
Green tea is known to have plentiful health benefits, from extremely high doses of antioxidants, to regulating glucose levels in our body, to lowering bad cholesterol in our blood, the list goes on. Dark chocolate also has powerful antioxidants and also lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) in our body. Make sure to use chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, don’t worry; the buttercream is sweet enough to take the bitter edge off.
Remember, enjoy everything in moderation!
Holiday Reminiscence
For this past holiday season, I’ve decided to create individual Christmas cakes for some of my friends.
Using a chiffon cake base ensures the cake to be light, moist, healthier, and fluffy. A chiffon cake is made using oil instead of butter. Here, I chose extra virgin olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. MUFAs are a healthy source of dietary fat that is linked to lowering the risk of heart disease and promote heart health.
I used a whipped cream base frosting with freshly sliced strawberries in between the layers. The sweetness of the whipped cream is easily adjustable, as I did not make mine very sweet. The reason being is I used a thin layer of Italian buttercream to finish the cake, creating a more sturdy structure for transportation. Buttercream also acts as a barrier for the fondant decoration I put on top of each cake. Italian buttercream is made using whipped egg whites, cooked sugar syrup, and butter. The addition of egg whites will create a slightly less sweet, silky, and lighter buttercream.
No Easy Way Out
Today, there are plenty of diet supplements, diet restrictions, fluid detox that claims to make you lose weight fast. While these may seem to be going out of style, a new “natural” way was introduced to some of our health conscious folks. Tiny tea and Skinnyme tea are some of the brands of teas that is said to promote fast weight lose while cleans and nourishes your body. Many people have posted their before and after photos to promote the effects of these tea blends.
Teas, natural, and fast weight-lose? Who wouldn’t fall for that. Unfortunately, these teas contain senna, a natural laxative. It not only puts the drinkers at a risk of dehydration and nutrient deficiency, but a prolonged use will make your body depend on it because your bowel adjusts to thinking it is always going to get that stimulation. In other words, these “natural” remedies are just laxatives packaged with the word natural for a temporary relief. As for the photos, we all have heard of Photoshop right?
Sorry to say, there is no easy way out if you want to achieve a healthy weight. Work hard, play hard.
The best way to burn fat is to gain muscle. Regular cardio with added strength training is one of the best ways for me to maintain a healthy weight.
Serene 