The holiday season

December was a busy month; apart of S and K taking turns falling sick, there was S's school winter market to bake for, K's daycare christmas party, M's annual lab christmas party and small bakes that we do for people at our local Saturday market. The gingerbread houses were done as our annual first advent…

Baby Shower cake

I was asked to make a cake for a my friend's colleague's surprise baby shower. I was excited to do this as it would give me a chance to work with gumpaste decorations. I had the idea of making little booties which would sit on top of an 8-inch round cake (victoria sponge with a…

Craving chocolate

Hi, I'm Renita and I am a choco-holic! I love chocolate, it's my weakness. I can resist most sweet things except chocolates and I had a MAJOR craving for a luscious, chocolate layer cake with a rich chocolate frosting!!; the recipe from the "Barefoot Contessa"- an episode I had watched awhile back- sprang to mind.…

Deepavali 2015

Tuesday (in Singapore anyway) was Deepavali, "the festival of lights". It's one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar; celebrating "Light overcoming Darkness". The story that I grew up with was the victory of Rama over Lord Ravana and his return to Ayodhya; the people kept oiil lamps (Deepams) burning during the battle as…

2 cakes for 2 parties

Last Saturday was party city and my teeny kitchen was cake central! It was good fun and I was more than happy to make the cakes for a 5-yr old and for our neighbours; who are our dear, dear friends. First up a Piñata cake for a 5-yr old with whom my daughter was friends…

A Vanilla and Chocolate layered cake with Oreo icing

It was M's birthday last week, and I wanted to bake him a cake; He wanted a layer cake preferably chocolate but he also knew that S doesn't like an all chocolate cake. I knew they both LOVE Oreos; The answer- a two layered cake (one vanilla, one chocolate) with crushed oreos in a vanilla…

chouquettes

When I was living in London, my favourite on-route breakfast treat was a small hot chocolate and 5 chouquettes (Profiteroles with sugar sprinkled on them) from Paul's. At the time, there was a Paul's on every street corner. Or so it seemed. There was one just across the way from South Kensington station...it was just…

Blueberry cupcakes with lemon meringue icing

Truth be told, I prefer baking to cooking. While I like cooking, in particular recreating a dish from my "taste memory", I love the science of baking. It appeals to the scientist in me I suppose; the way in which the reagents... or rather ingredients work to create a lift in the cake or bread…