Questions with le (very unqualified) Cupcakeologist!

Cupcake Problem; Question #1
“My cupcakes rise great in the oven, then they tend to sink slightly once they’re out of the oven. They continue to deflate and the cake shrinks away from the sides of the cupcake papers. It’s crumb free from cake testing too.

I make sure I cream the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes and do not overbeat when adding the flour. I bake at 175C with a fan oven.”

Personally, those are the two BIGGEST cupcake problems I’ve experienced! More flour always makes the cupcakes rise higher & stay there, but that means a less moist cupcake on the plate. I know cake recipes always say the cake is done when it shrinks away from the side of the pan but sometimes I think that’s the sign of ‘dry-ness’ and you so don’t want your cupcakes to shrink from its papers!!

So my solution to you is this: I’ve been recently trying a technique of using lower heat & baking it 5 mins longer like at 160 for 25 mins instead. It seems to be working so far! Only when I have the time though. If not, I resort to using souffle paper portion cups instead of the normal fluted paper cups. They’re easier to frost and a good deal less messy. (Messy: Using the fluted paper cups & having the cakes shrink away from the papers is SO annoying! It’s so hard to frost and it goes out of shape. [why lah my cupcakes don't like me!!] I don’t have all the answers, I’d love to get some for other cupcakeologists or baking gurus!)

I know that I get uneven heating from my oven so its always about workin your oven! Testing it over time will let you know your oven’s capabilities and….incapabilities.

I’m not sure if you do, but I also have problems with my cupcake trays. I have this old one my gramma bought half a century ago & it’s very low and wide. Using em makes me end up with big but flat cupcakes. Not good! So I’ll be investing in a proper tray soon which is more upright. Cupcake pans generate heat too, so using souffle cups sometimes will miss out on that; I read that but I personally haven’t experienced it.

Yup, I hope that helped! I don’t know it all definitely, and I’m still having niggly problems with the fluted paper cups. Baking gurus who’ve overcome this & are reading this, do contribute your comments! :) I’d appreciate it tons :D

—-

oh and yes the rumours are true: I do bake more than cupcakes! So if any of you want like…BIG cakes, please please do! you’ll make my day; I’m almost getting this phobia of cupakes already. LOL.

i hope it looks like the correct team’s jersey!

doesn’t the ball remind you of a fishball?

before le fishfootball was placed

i have the funniest customers. LOL. youknowwhoyouare. *WINK*

it was such an eventful week. Samantha, i apologise for being late!
also theres that champions league final coming up!

on another note, i can’t believe i survived this week! God help me! lets see..i got an unexpected angel on the phone, i did the all nighter with the assignment, i practised piano until the cows came home, i had to stop dance until august, i learnt a lot of lessons, “ovations” at college are so relevant (right dan! hahaha), we had only ONE big mac this week, and i accepted orders when i shouldn’t have.

i’m so drained. and that is it. i love you all!

I made this cheesecake a while back..okay soactually last September. Haha. I was rummaging my files and found it just waiting to be posted SOOOO…a nice real durian cheesecake is here:

Durian Cheese

Base
18 digestive biscuits
10 tablespoons of butter

1. Crush biscuits & stir with butter. Press into 8″ round pan.

Cheese
450g cream cheese
150g durian puree
190g icing sugar
2tbsp gelatine
200g cream
1/2 cup hot water

1. whip cream cheese & icing sugar.
2. whip in cream
3. stir in durian puree
4. mix gelatine & hot water, mix (microwaveable) till gelatine melts
5. add cooled mixture into cream cheese
6. pour into pan

refridgerate for 3-5 hours or overnight.

“Cinderelli Cinderelli nice and hairy, Cinderelli….”

that’s what we ALWAYS ALWAYS sang when our moms put us in the living room and turned on “Cinderella”. Which reminds me, aren’t Disney movies the best!?? Not Cinderella, but Aladdin, The Lion King, Little Mermaid…… man. the 90s Disney were the best.

ANYWAYS!! I wanted to blog on my newest discovery: Bakerella!

Yeah, she’s just stinkin awesome! She does things I would never dare. Actually, I hope I never do… I, Eunice of dolce dot swaymyway dot com, would be personally responsible for the sugar shortage in Malaysia. Yeah. It’s that much awesome. HAHHAHA.

I would never have baked her ideas because of

1. The TIME involved
2. The SUGAR involved
3. The INGREDIENTS (chocolate, sugar, chocolate, sugar, mm…chocolate?)

But they are just too cute and she has the greatest ideas and the best part: she actually carries them out! Unlike me..just because we don’t consume too much sugar in this house. Well anyhow..my latest mission is to be the healthy baker. Watch this space for updates! :) I’ve got some ideas….

On to other things, my bakes this week weren’t so good I think! Awww. But I’ve learnt from my mistakes this round and the next time I’m gonna make em as good as they were before and even better! I can’t wait for smore orders so I can try some stuff out. Such as..cheesecakelets! Yup! I’ve been dying to try em out. Then UHU-HU’s came out from The Loaf bakery and they appear to be quite yummy! Dshhhh though. Now I can’t be original. Hahha.

So my To-Bake List would be….

1. Cheesecakelets

 

2. Decorate cupcakes with NEW METHODS & ideas

 

^ YAY!

And think up a Mother’s Day promo & message :)

3. Mint Chocolate Cheesecake (to start using and finally finish my creamcheese. Anyone want to buy some for cheap?)

4. These

5. Lastly, buy a star shaped piping nozzle & paper cups.

6. Oh wait! Most of all…I want to do this: Chocolate-Mint

****************

BUT. I think I’m going to have to take a baking break. (LOL I typed BREAD!!!) It’s taking it’s toll and yeahh, it may be the reason I didn’t do TOO well with my last round of cupcakes! I wish I could give them lovely people another batch man. Hehhh!