Most importantly of all I have done lots of baking. Some of it has been good, and some of it not so good. I managed to source some macha tea from Chinatown and decided it would be cool to make some layered cupcakes:
Green Tea and Chocolate Cupcakes
It was kind of fiddly, having to make separate batter but the results turned out quite tasty. I also tried making tri-coloured ones with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. The layers didn't quite come out as I hope but they tasted all right I guess.
The last few weeks have been especially busy for me, as my parents asked if I could go and help them at their Chinese takeaway in Kent. Unfortunately, as I have not yet found a job I had no excuses not to. Having said that, it was great experience and also something to put on my CV. I am super-speedy at shelling and gutting prawns now lol.
My dad's 49th birthday recently passed and we celebrated with a big family barbecue. Typically, it was like the one day in August where rain was forecast. *sigh* This wasn't the biggest of my worries though as I was obviously called to make the birthday cake. For 20 plus people, people who all know that I have quit my job to make cakes for a living. So I was feeling somewhat pressured.
On top of all that, because I was helping out at my parents during most of the week, I had no time at all to practise. Having made one sponge trial run a couple of weeks before, I had to stick to that recipe and pray for the best. Of course, being the pessimist that I am I asked my brother to buy a backup from Patisserie Valerie.... Well there was no way that my cake was going to serve 20 people anyway - the biggest cake tin I have is only 21cm!!
Turns out that my brother made a rather strange choice in the cake that he bought. He decided on a black forest gateau - an amazing chocolate sculptured affair that had me quaking in my boots. I'd decided to decorate mine with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Something light and delicate. I made four thin chocolate layers separated by cream and fruit. It took me so long to frost! And still I wasn't entirely happy with the results. How on earth do the pros manage to get their cream so smooth? I will find out one day...
So on the big day we finally (after much scoffing of bbq meat) pull the cakes out of the fridge. We decide to cut both cakes simultaneously and I waited with baited breath for the verdict. Aesthetically, the Valerie cake looks more professional and artistic, but mine didn't look totally pitiful next to it:
And the compliments started rolling in. My cake was the winner in the taste test! The Valerie cake was a little drenched in alcohol, which overpowered the rest of the cake. It made the cream taste a little strange and there was too much chocolate for my family's taste. It was a real confidence boost to see my cake disappearing so quickly - there was not a crumb left of it. Despite the Valerie cake being smaller, we still had pieces left over at the end of the night. Obviously my relatives were just being polite :) But still, there is hope for me yet...
