Sweetheart Brownie - Arnya Bday Hearty Cake

My niece's name is Arnya Cait. Her actual birthday is on 13 August but parents decided to celebrate early on 9 August 2008. She's 2 years old this year & I decided to make special cake for her.

Honestly, this is my 2nd time making icing cake. It took me about 4 hours plus the overnight drying including the baking itself to make this cake. I'm glad that people appreciate my work especially Arnya who kept saying "It's mine!!It's mine!!" (due to her picture on the cake. What a smart girl). All other small girls wanted to touch the cake but Arnya really kept an eye on her hearty cake :D

Arnya with dad & mom

Her birthday cake (which her parents bought from a shop) is big enough to feed more than 20 people. It's 3-layered sponge cake.

Coconut Ice

This sweet stuff was also made for my niece, Arnya, for her 2nd year old birthday.

I made the noodle box decoration myself. My niece loves purple & brown.

Custard Meringue

This is my third time making meringue. I already know the secret how to make stiff meringue :) You need to mix it for longer until the egg white becomes stiff. Actually this recipe is for lemon meringue. Since I have the leftover of custard filling, I just substitute the lemon with it. Not bad, it's nice too.

Spanish Cream

This dessert is an adaptation of the Spanish baked custard known as creme caramel.
It is like jelly pudding.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 tsps vanilla essence
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tbsps gelatine
• 1/3 cup hot water

Method:

1. Whisk egg yolks, sugar & essence in large pan until creamy; whisk in milk. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved; bring to boil, remove from heat. Sprinkle gelatine over hot water, stir into milk mixture.
2. Beat egg whites in small bowl with elextric mixer until firm peaks form. Fold whites into milk mixture in 2 batches.
3. Pour mixture into wetted mould (4-cup capacity), or into 4 individual dishes (1-cup capacity); refrigerate until firm.

Serves 4

Lemon Meringue

(25.5 cm diameter)

Everybody loves Lemon Meringue. The delicious thing about this is the lemon filling. It's so lemony...My husband can finish the whole cake :D !!

It is believed that the meringue was invented by a Swiss pastry-cook called Gasparini in 1720. It quickly became a favourite of the French court & Marie Antoinette was apparently so fond of it that she used to make it with her own regal hands!

I like to play with the meringue itself. You can make the topping like that style or just use knife to make it swirly & pointy.

I also make it in different shape like these pictures below. It's more personalised, cuter and just enough for a single serve.


(6 cm diameter)

(10 cm diameter)

(inside of lemon meringue before topped)

The big round-shape is 25.5 cm diameter & 3 cm base-height. Serves 6-8.
The single serve is 6 cm diameter & 2.5 cm base-height. Serves 18.
Another single serve is 10 cm diameter & 2 cm base-height. Serves 10.

Sacher Torte

History of Sacher Torte

Sacher Torte [ˈzɑxərˌtɔrtə] is a very famous chocolate cake from Vienna, Austria. It was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832. The name was derived from a hotel name "Hotel Sacher", which was owned by Franz Sacher.

The Original Sacher-Torte has been the most famous cake in the world for more than 175 years!

The Original Sacher-Torte has been the most famous cake in the world since 1832. Only the Original Sacher-Torte is produced according to this original recipe: The basis is a chocolate cake, thinly coated by hand with best-quality apricot jam. The chocolate icing over this is the crowning glory. The Original Sacher-Torte tastes best with a portion of unsweetened whipped cream, complemented perfectly with a “Wiener Melange” (coffee with milk) from the Original Sacher Café.

Creme Brulee With Sugared Raspberries

Crème brulee is a classic dish of smooth custard with a caramelized sugar topping. The origin of crème brulee is hotly debated. Trinity College in Cambridge, England contends to be the first producer of the dessert in the 1600's when they called it Cambridge burnt cream or Trinity cream. The college has an iron with the official college crest which is used to burn the sugar top.

Gosh...I bake this for 4 hours!!!But it's very worth it. Inside is custard...very good smell...sweet.

Portuguese Egg Tart & Queen of Puddings

Portuguese Egg Tart

It was evolved from "pastel de nata", a Portuguese custard pastry that consists of custard in a creme brulee-like consistency caramelised fashion in a puff pastry case. It was created more than 200 years ago by Catholic Sisters at Jeronimos Monastery at Belem in Lisbon. Casa Pastéis de Belém was the first pastry shop outside of the convent to sell this pastry in 1837, and it is now a popular pastry in every pastry shop around the world owned by Portuguese descendants.

Queen of Puddings

A traditional British dessert, consisting of a baked, breadcrumb-thickened mixture, spread with jam & topped with meringue.

I made them for husband's 30th Birthday on 29 July 2008.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNIEEE!!!

MMMMMMuuuuahhh......


We celebrated his birthday at Uncle Graham's house. Just a simple dinner with some special people. We had Nando's Chicken and all these tarts & puddings.

Blackforest Cheesecake

This cake is called blackforest cheesecake because it has got cherry pitted filling inside.

Most people that try this cheesecake would comment that the base is very nice, very crunchy. I made this & gave away for hubby's colleagues.