Génoise or Sponge Cake Recipe

Génoise Cake or Sponge cake.
This recipe is wonderful for cake decorating, it's luscious and fairly
firm to allow you to shape any design you want.

Makes 1

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

4 free-range eggs

1/2 cup white granulated suagr

1 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

Using  large pot, bring water to a boil, top with a heatproof bowl but make
 sure the bottom doesn't touch the water.
When the the bowl is warm, add the eggs and vanilla.

Pour the white granulated sugar

Mix well using a whisk until the batter heats through ( lightly transparent and runny)

Transfer the mixture to an electrical mixer, and beat on medium speed until it cools.

Gradually pour the flour and baking powder while beating on low speed.
Once all the dry ingredients has been added,
increase the speed to high until well combined. Use a rubber spatula
to scrape the edges and give the Génoise batter a final blend.

Spoon the Génoise batter into an 8 inches round cake, lined with parchment paper.
Bake on 170◦ C for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
You can add food colorant to the batter and create as many colors as you like.
In this picture I am preparing for a Frozen birthday cake and I have prepared
a shade of blue.

Crème au beurre- French Buttercream

You can use this cream to frost or fill cakes, cupcakes, pies and more. It'f fluffy and light and it's definitely healthier than the regular butter cream since the load is distributed between egg whites and butter.

Makes 5 cups
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

2 1/8 cups (510g/ 18 oz) butter
1/2 cup (125g/ 4 1/2 oz) Crisco ®, All-vegetable shortening
3 egg whites
1/4 cup (55g/ 2 oz) extra fine white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sugar syrup
1 1/2 cups (330g/ 11 2/3 oz) super fine white sugar
1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon (75 ml/ 2 1/2 fl oz)


Preparation
1- In a medium pan, pour the sugar and water. Do not mix to prevent crystallization. Bring to a boil until the sugar reaches 110◦ C.

Sugar syrup boiling

2- Meanwhile, start beating egg whites in the medium bowl of an electrical mixer on medium speed. When bubbles start forming, increase the speed to fast and keep beating until the eggs double in volume. then add the vanilla and sugar in a stream, do not dump in the middle or this will make you lose the air condensed inside of the whites.
Pour the sugar syrup little by little, beating on medium-high speed until the batter is stiff and glossy.

The glossy and stiff egg whites mixture

3- Allow the egg whites mixture to cool for 1 hour, then start adding the shortening and butter beating on medium speed until all is well combined and the cream is ready to be used.

Adding the shortening

Adding the butter

This cream is super delicious and light. I personally prefer the French butter cream for one simple reason: the egg whites give it more volume and fluffiness and there is definitely less quantity of butter.

Gluten free Olives Potato Bread

“A moist heavy gluten free loaf, enriched with olives and thyme flavor, makes a great accompaniment for cheese and wine.” 

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Ingredients
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1h 20 minutes

1 medium (250g/8.8 oz.) potato, mashed
¾ cup (75g/2.6 oz.) gluten- free flour mix
1/2 cup (120 ml/ 4 fl. Oz.) soya milk
1 tablespoon (15g/ 0.5 oz.) all-vegetable shortening
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano ( 1 extra teaspoon for the top)
1 cup black olives, pitted and halved
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Bakeware: 6*3*3 inches dark baking tin

1 Pit the olives, cut them in half and set aside.Preheat the oven to 220◦C (425◦F/ gas 7) and grease the baking tin with shortening.Boil, steam or bake the potato.

2 Peel and mash with 2 tablespoons of the cooking water.
3 In a large bowl, blend the mashed potato with shortening on high speed. Beat in the soya milk, egg yolk and salt.  Add the flour and baking powder gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition.

4 Combine oregano and olives with the rest of the batter. Transfer it to the greased pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Later, remove it from the oven; brush the top with olive oil and oregano.
Reduce the heat to 140◦C (275◦F/1) and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Notes: You can store the gluten free bread in a wrapped basket, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.

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Vanilla Custard Cream

"Whether you call it custard cream, pastry cream or crème patissière, the same directions apply to all. The only difference is that a crème patissière used for cake filling should be a bit thicker which implies the use of 2 extra tablespoons of cornstarch. Enjoy the video and please leave your suggestions."

Ingredients:

2 1/8 cups  (500 ml/17 fl oz) cow milk
2 whole eggs
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup (200g/7 oz) sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

I hope you enjoy the video, and if you would like more recipes, don't forget to subscribe :)

Banana Cupcakes

Banana Cupcakes with Raisins and Spices

"Get your recipe box ready, cause these cupcakes are gonna make their way into it! They are easy, quick and super delicious with their mixed flavors of bananas, spices and raisins. Try them and tell me what you think! "

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes 12

Ingredients

125g (4 oz) unsalted butter
½ cup (125g/ 4 oz) caster sugar
2 free- range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 ripe medium bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (125 ml/ 4 fl oz) milk
2 cups (250 g /8 oz) flour
¼ teaspoon grounded nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup raisins 

1. Preheat the oven to hot 200⁰C(395F⁰). Line a regular cupcake tin with baking cupcake sheets.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a small bowl with electrical beaters until light and fluffy. Gradually, blend in the eggs, beating well after each addition.
Combine the mashed banana and vanilla. Keep blending for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally
3.Pour the milk while beating on medium speed.
4. Gradually, spoon the flour, soda and baking powder. Keep mixing until the batter is well combined for about 1 minute.
5. Using a medium ice cream scooper, fill three-quarters of each cupcake hole. Sprinkle the top with raisins.
6. Bake for 15 minutes on 180⁰C (350⁰F). Reduce the heat to 150⁰C (300⁰F)and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cupcake.

7. Leave the cupcakes for 10 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

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Robin Hood Birthday Cake

Robin Hood Birthday Cake

My daughter was a huge fan of the Disney's Robin Hood movie. So I made her this!

It was a big challenge to sculpt those characters, and kids, as you know, are one of the toughest judges in the world!!! And I had 30 of 'em that day and they were all gonna give a straight opinion about my cake talent. 

The inside was a checkerboard cake- that I will soon be teaching on my youtube channel- filled with chocolate ganache. 

Let me tell you, this was a Big success! Everyone loved the shape and taste. The details were good enough, in my opinion: the bag of arrows, the outfits, flowers, etc. 

I wish you could tell me what you think and give me additional suggestions that I can maybe use in my next cake.

I haven't thought about taking pictures of the making and this was a big loss for me and my readers. So I promise to make something similar in the future and post it on Cook N' Bake .

xoxoxo 

Smarties Bucket Cake

Smarties Bucket Cake

"Smarties and Fingers cake is my kids' favorite! This was a big success among their friends and everyone kept asking for the recipe."

Serves 30

Preparation Time: 1 h

1 40 cm round Chocolate Sponge cake
6 cups Chocolate buttercream

2 packs of Fingers®

2 large bags of Smarties®

1 medium flower cutter (optional)

Yellow cake fondant (optional)

1-Cut the sponge cake into 4 equal layers. Fill each with chocolate buttercream, topping it with the next layer until the whole cake is formed. Afterwards, frost the whole cake with buttercream. Cool in the fridge for 20 minutes before applying a second coat.

2-Cover the edges with Finger® placing them vertically, one next to the other, giving them the shape of a tight wooden fence. Leave 5 cm uncovered.

3- Randomly, drop 3/4 of the Smarties on top of the cake. 

4- As for the 5 cm edge left without Fingers® chocolate, pipe buttercream from the edge all the way to the golden tray of the cake to form a stream. Drop the smarties to cover it all and give it the aspect of a Smarties® waterfall.

5- You can cut out flowers from the yellow fondant for additional decoration but that is optional.

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Soon I will show you how to make a Smarties® Birthday Cake so stay tuned!!

xoxoxox