Foodelicious!

Master Jack turned one today! Master Jack is back from Nairobi and what can be better than a cake with all his favorite animals from his many safaris with his mama, dada and cheh cheh. His favorite flavor for the cake too! woo hoo..

This is a 2 tier chocolate butter cake with all Master Jack's favorite animals made from fondant. Total weight of this cake is 2.8kg and not only Master Jack liked the cake very much, his cheh cheh love it too! Miss Maya couldnt have enough singing Happy Birthday and cutting the cake!!

This year is zooming by really very fast!! It's Raya time again!! It felt like it was just last week I was busy with the many Raya hampers but in fact, it's nearly a year ago.. Sigh.. I wish the days dont zoom by so fast when you have so many things to do.

Anyway, this year's Raya gift is centered on cakes. Partly because I am working and dont have the luxury of creating hampers, partly, I dont like to do repeats! Heh! heh! heh!.. The above are traditional indonesian layer cake all packed up nicely and prettily decorated! Hehehehe.. oh! for those of you who is wondering, these layer cakes are made using President butter.. which is the top of the range. With the on going halal issue with Golden Churn butter, all my cakes are now using President butter. Yes, this brand of butter is more expensive but I suppose this is the only butter that is on par with Golden churn. Oh.. I deviated from the topic! Hahahaa..

So, these pretty gifts are sold at RM180 and yes, there are limited stock only which means, first come first serve. Hehehe..

Oh yes, to all my Malay friends, clients and all, Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin.. Be safe on the road and have a really jolly good time!

I bought these seeds from Kew Gardens and when I got back, I grew them.. the first packet didnt work but the second packet blossomed! Hehehehe...and now I have a pretty pot of Greek Basil.

The ones I saw in London were of smaller leaves and greener.. The fragrant was also very different... it was very mild and sweet in London.. but over here, this plant is rather similar to Thai Basil.. sweeter in taste and smell...

Oh.. I also have courgettes growing in my garden... they are still baby stage and once it grows bigger, I shall capture a picture and post it.. Hehehe..

A few months back I was so enticed to grow roselle plant after hopping over to bangchik's blog, http://http://mylittlevegetablegarden.blogspot.com/ and after winning some seeds from him, I started my little roselle farm.. hehehe.. ok, ok, ok..I have just 3 plants for a start ok.. didnt want to use up all the seeds...

After about 3 months and a trip to London, the little 3 plants grew and I have so many roselle! Yay!! the next challenge was I didnt know when I could pluck them so, I left them on the tree hoping they will grow to be really big like those sold in the market. Yes, those are like pears!! they are huge... anyway, when my friend came home from Nairobi, she asked me what was I waiting for! Hahahahahhaa.. so, with a basket, I harvested as many roselle fruit as I could...

With the fruits in hand, I made some really yummy syrup by simply boiling the roselle with cane sugar. The taste of the syrup is tangy with a very fruity flavor. The drink is very soothing especially when it's loaded with ice and little kiwi seeds just like below..

Frangipani & Roses... A wedding cake! Yes, it's the time of the year again.. the time for weddings.. aaaaahhh.. dont you just love it?? I do..

Yes, to say I do is never easy but for some, who are fortunate enough to find their soul mate, it must be the easiest thing to say.. and I suppose that calls for a celebration! And what celebration it will be if there is no cake... hehehehe..

This cake was requested by the bride who cant decide if she wanted something tropical like frangipani or her initial concept of roses.. You see, she came over to discuss about her cake and she saw my frangipani tree in full bloom.. and throughout the discussion in the garden, she could smell the lovely fragrant from the frangipani flowers and she was enticed... hehehe..

Anyway, she left it to me to decide and I have decided to marry both ideas.. frangipani and roses.. I think roses is romantic and will always compliment weddings.. and frangipani, being a seductive and enticing flower, it's a very suitable for weddings too.. well, marriage isnt all about love.. it has to have some seduction, some enticement, some romance, some laughter, some fun, some soul....

Well, I wasnt quite sure as to what or how I would do it.. but I had a feeling that the cake will turn out pretty.. hehehe.. so, creating as I go along, I am rather pleased with what I came up with..

This cake is a full fruit cake with the works of marzipan and fondant for a traditional feel.. This cake weighs in at 5.3kg and was sold for RM750. Yes, moulding roses are not that easy when the weather decided to be funny.. rain and cloudy for days just dont work for roses made of gum paste.....

I knew what a peony look like.. I knew that peonies are the favorite flower of most chinese emperors and empresses.. I also knew that it is a flower that cannot be grown in Malaysia hence, didnt have much interest in peonies until Kew Gardens....

In Kew Gardens, there were so many varieties of peony.. the double petals, the single petals, the miniature ones, the 2 colors ones, the this and that.. it was madness!! It was love at first sight maddess!! Hahahaa.. I was mesmerised by this exotic looking flower and finally could understood why it was the favorite flower of most emperors and empresses... it is a very majestic flower and for some variety, it has a very light but pleasing fragrant that dance in the air during spring. It was indeed a flower that represented love.... ok, I am a die hard romantic..

Recently, I suddenly missed London very much.. I miss the sight, I miss the crowd, I miss the sound and smell of London.. and most of all, I miss the sight of flowers in full bloom everywhere, every corner of London and with a deep deep aching feeling, I miss Kew Gardens and its peonies.. Sigh..

Anyway, since peonies are not available here and the plastic ones dont do justice to the majestic flower, with some fondant, I sat in my work room and tried my hands in making a miniature peony.. Have a look and let me know what you think of the peonies I made..

A set of vanilla cupcakes with MU theme for Nic's birthday. These were sold for RM5.50 each with a minimum order of 16 cuppies.

Hehehehe... Isabelle wanted her security bunny to be the mascot for her birthday cake this year! However, Isabelle made a few changes to her security bunny.. specifically, "white bunny instead of blue, pink bow instead of yellow and must have lilac paws. Ivan must be sitting in a garden with flowers" Now, this is what I classify as a client who knows what she wants!! Hehehe..

So, with the above instructions and an instruction from Isabelle's mama "the cake must be your bestest chocolate cake" I came up with the above.. a super moist chocolate cake with chocolate ganache icing and all Isabelle's requirements.

On collection day, Isabelle couldnt come as she had to go to school.. her baby sister came instead and Nat Nat squealed in delight!! Hahahahaha.. that's when I know the cake has pass its test!

This cake weigh in at 2.5kg and was sold for RM300.00