MultiColour-Striped Swiss Roll with Vanilla Buttercream

The month-long Aspiring Bakers' theme event, which is also the very last theme event is coming to an end. To mark a close for my submission, I shall have another swiss roll bake. ^_^

MultiColour-Striped Swiss Roll with Vanilla Buttercream

I am submitting this MultiColour-Striped Swiss Roll with Vanilla Buttercream Filling to the Aspiring Bakers #40: Rainbow and Ombre Party! (March 2014) hosted by Cynthia of The Baking Biatch.

Microwave (Rainbow) Vanilla Mug Cake

Want a fast and convenient way of cake-making that yields soft and fluffy cake texture similar to one baked from the oven?

Try a microwave mug cake! It is definitely a quick solution for last minute prep or sudden cake craving.
Have a little more time to spare? Add some fun with a touch of colours…

Microwave Rainbow Vanilla Mug Cake

I am submitting this Microwave Rainbow Vanilla Mug Cake to the Aspiring Bakers #40: Rainbow and Ombre Party! (March 2014) hosted by Cynthia of The Baking Biatch.

No-bake Rainbow Yogurt Cheesecake

One proverbial phrase which I never doubted is "time flies", and I'm pretty sure many feels the same. It felt like yesterday when I first created this blog. Looking at what I have achieved so far (with my past blog posts), I do feel proud of myself. *_* While I do not know the reasons behind each bloggers' mind, I felt that this blog is a good testament of efforts put into realising one of my dreams. I never knew I would own a blog, but I'm happy that I do now. ^_^

Since I started baking, I've always been thinking about the first creator behind each recipe and I wonder how many trials and errors have been conducted before making it work in the first place while it gets improved and modified along the way. After much reading and researching, I decided to put one of my "dreaming" thoughts into action, and "miraculously"my very first creation actually worked! Here's sharing The Dream Baker's creation --- No-bake Rainbow Yogurt Cheesecake.

No-bake Rainbow Yogurt Cheesecake

Rainbow Flower Butter Cookies

My other flower inspired bake are these pretty butter cookies. They were re-created from my previous baking post on Colourful Checkered Butter Cookies. These are just too pretty and tasty to resist.

Rainbow Flower Butter Cookies

For ease of reference, I have included the recipe and preparation steps for making these lovely flower cookies here. Happy reading and have fun baking!

Rainbow Flower Buns

The idea of shaping my bakes into a flower shape struck me during one of the sleepless nights I have somehow been experiencing lately, especially when I tend to wake up earlier in the day. @_@

I have not explored much bread-making recipe because I dread the kneading and proofing process. However, I was "seduced" by the appearance of the mini buns when I was browsing through the Aspiring Bakers #8: Bread Seduction theme event which was held in June 2011 (yes how time flies!), and thought how cute they looked before I decided to give it a shot. To my surprise, the buns turned out really soft and fluffy. This is really an easy recipe and a very friendly dough to work with as it is not sticky at all (with the correct measurements of the ingredients). Since then, I have comfortably settled with this bun recipe.

This is not the first time I am making these buns (actually I can't remember how many times I have used this recipe), but I'm extremely thrilled with how the coloured buns turned out in the shape of a flower.

Rainbow Flower Buns

I am submitting this Rainbow Flower Buns to the Aspiring Bakers #40: Rainbow and Ombre Party! (March 2014) hosted by Cynthia of The Baking Biatch.

And I am thankful when the hosts of various baking events allow past baking posts to be submitted to their events. Hence, I am pleasured to share these Rainbow Flower Buns that I'd made with AlphaBakes (July 2014: Letter "R") hosted by Ros of The More than Occasional Baker and Caroline of Caroline Makes.

Ice-cream Cone Rainbow Cupcakes

I was wrong when I thought cupcakes was a frenzy in Singapore until I visited Washington D.C. and New York City last December. I was one of the luckier ones who got ahead in the snake queues at the famous cupcakes stores to sink my teeth into one (or rather two) of the many different flavours that were available. This got me into searching and experimenting various cupcakes recipes after I returned from my trip and I must say this is the best recipe amongst what I have tried so far.

For the purpose of the Aspiring Bakers' last theme event, I made a slight variation in an innovative way. ^_^

I am submitting the Ice-cream Cone Rainbow Cupcakes to the Aspiring Bakers #40: Rainbow and Ombre Party! (March 2014) hosted by Cynthia of The Baking Biatch.

Four-flavour Spiral Mántóu (a.ka. Chinese Steamed Buns)

I have been searching for easy Mántóu recipes that do not require long proofing or even overnight proofing of the dough. Majority of the steamed buns recipes involve either the straight-dough method or sponge-dough method. Although I would think that longer proofing time should yield softer and fluffier buns – credits to the yeast for its hard work and the maker for the patience, I believe there should be some “easy way-out” recipes that make similarly soft buns too.

While I have not tried Mántóu made using the sponge-dough method, I am just as satisfied with the steamed buns made from this straight-dough method that required only proofing the dough twice for 10 to 15 minutes at each proofing stage.

By the way, this was one of the experiments, along with my Kueh Lapis a.k.a. Steamed Nine-layer Cake which I had managed to accomplish within a day when my energy level (and enthusiasm) was at its maximum level as shared in my third baking post. ^_^

Four-flavour Spiral Mántóu (a.k.a. Chinese Steamed Buns)

Colourful Checkered Butter Cookies

Being a home-maker doesn't deny me from looking forward to weekends. Since I will be pretty much occupied with chores, meals preparation, baking and etc during the weekdays, weekends are usually my (self-declared) "off" days.

However, it was pouring heavily in this small city in the west of Florida last Sunday morning. I reckoned, and true as forecasted, the rain should last for the rest of the day. Although I managed to sleep in a little later just like other weekends, I decided to turn my "off" day into a "working" day since I was reluctant to step out of the house.

I began running through my "to-bake" list, a list which I have built over time from recipes I come across from everywhere, and wondering what I could "twist' and execute to fit the Aspiring Bakers last theme event on Rainbow and Ombre Party when I spotted the checkered butter cookies, originally in vanilla and chocolate flavour. I instantly related the checkered cookies to my recent MultiColour Checkered Cake and decided to make a colourful version of the butter cookies.

Colourful Checkered Butter Cookies

Kueh Lapis a.k.a. Steamed Nine-layer Cake (九层糕）

One of the things to overcome while being away from home is the craving for local food. By home, I mean Singapore, my home country. It may not be as bad had it been an Asian country after all. However, it is quite different in a western country where there aren't any hawker centres or street stalls to wake to for a morning breakfast with traditional kaya toast, a bowl of Tau Huay (soybean pudding alike), a plate of Chai Tow Kway (stir-fried cubes of radish cake, a.k.a. fried carrot cake) or even Bak Chor Mee (minced meat noodles in direct translation).

I am convinced that it is often when you don't have it that you think well of it. Perhaps this is also how the proverbial saying of "taking things for granted" prevails. Having said that, in the world of globalisation and ease of human mobility, many (though not all) asian products can now be found in non-asian countries and vice versa. Which means, it is not impossible to enjoy certain asian cuisine in, for example, the States.

But what about traditional snacks which are just not popular or even non-existence amongst the westerners? Well, have them homemade then. This is how I started my research on recipes from baked goodies to traditional snacks like steamed bao and kueh and have them made at home myself. Of course, I have to first make sure that the required ingredients, if not equivalent substitutes, called for in the recipe can be found in the local asian supermarkets.

Although I have thought of making this Kueh Lapis a.k.a. Steamed Nine-layer Cake and gotten the ingredients ready months ago, I was only driven to execute it by the force of the Aspiring Bakers' last theme event. ^_^ The making of this Kueh really brings out one's patience. The reason why I had shelved it for some time was also because of the thought of waiting involved in steaming layer by layer. But trust me, this is definitely not a difficult recipe after all.

Kueh Lapis a.k.a. Steamed Nine-layer Cake

MultiColour Checkered Cake coated with Dark Chocolate Frosting

I have been overwhelmed with lots of baking ideas lately. These ideas have been keeping me busy as I just can't wait to execute all of them. During one of those days when my energy level hit the max, I even attempted two baking experiments in one day. I was occupied for the whole day and by the time I was done, I ended up fixing microwave food for dinner and realised I had forgotten about laundry altogether. @_@

That particular day was quite an achievement albeit exhausting. But that was only possible when the ingredients and the preparation involved were much simpler. Certainly not for this recipe which I am going to share because it took me almost the whole day before I could sink my teeth into it. I shall share the other two baking experiments which I had accomplished within a day in my upcoming baking posts as I simply can't wait to reveal the surprise in this cake.

MultiColour Checkered Cake coated with Dark Chocolate Frosting

"Ta-da"! How pretty, isn't it? Although I wouldn't say this is perfect, but this is definitely good considered my very first whole cake baking attempt. I am so delighted!

M&M's® Cookies

I hope my flaming enthusiasm will not be extinguished too soon. My brain activity has been working overtime since I started my blog. But apparently, it has also given me a great sense of satisfaction and contentment which I've not quite felt for a while after I left my last job of more than seven years about six months ago.

However, I must admit that my recent zest is largely attributed to the eagerness to participate in the current and also the last Aspiring Bakers theme event.

I thought I had a "clever" idea when I was staring at the load of items stacked in the cabinet and saw a tube of M&M's® chocolates until I tried to google online that I realised I wasn't as creative after all. Nonetheless, it did not dampen my excitement and I was even more excited to carry out my baking experiment.

M&M's® Cookies

Polka Dots Swiss Roll with Nutella® Buttercream

It was a tormenting night for me yesterday because I could hardly fall asleep. My mind was flooded with imaginative ideas of various designs I hope to create for my blog. Imaginative I would say because I could hardly figure how to customise the default simple template, let alone create fanciful designs (for now at least). To further complicate my "already-going-to-burst" mind, I was also brainstorming about recipes that I could experiment in order to fit into this month's Aspiring Bakers' theme, "Rainbow and Ombre Party!".

Anyway before I know, I had fallen asleep and the next moment when I open my eyes, it's daytime! I couldn't wait to get out of bed after my husband left for work because that means I will be free and alone to commence my baking experiment!

Saying I am excited may be an understatement. But I simply can't wait to see the very first publication of my baking post on my very own blog!

To fulfil the Aspiring Bakers theme, I have decided to make my all time favourite (which is also what I have mastered pretty well so far) - Swiss Roll, decorated with colourful polka dots. To top off its yumminess, I thought I would fill it with another all-time favourite - Nutella®.

Polka Dots Swiss Roll with Nutella® Buttercream

The birth of my blog...

Despite dreaming of starting my own blog many months ago, nothing was done until today.

It was an almost instantaneous decision to put my thoughts into actions after reading the post on "Aspiring Bakers Last Theme" by Small Small Baker. I thought it was quite a pity for this event to come to an end because most of my researches revolved browsing through the recipes roundup by respective hosts before I attempt my own baking experiment.

Without intentions, I clicked on the link to the website of the host for the last theme and realised that I am way ahead of the deadline for submission.

My next thought, I want to participate in the last theme through my very own blog. ^_^