Valentine's Day 2014

Starting off my first post on Valentines' Day.

And my present for him is.. 

Tadah! A DIY Chocolate Raspberry Cake.

Trust me, eating a cake is really "a piece of cake". Making one is... tiring.This is my first time making layered cakes. Slept only for 2 hours making this cake to wait for different components to set in the fridge, and JESUS! the mousse was a great failure, so runny that my raspberry confiture started to run off with the mousse.

And the heartpain story is - the raspberries cost me a bomb! $7.50/pkt, which i bought 4 packets, for the decoration and fillings.

THIS! was what i am expecting.. ):

Even though the outcome wasn't as what i've expected, but what makes me happy is still the compliments i am receving from him even though i know the cake tasted "eww?". 

One thing i have gained from this experience, is that i found the perfect way to make a dark chocolate ganache that is so tasty, and it actually makes my cakes taste a little bit better.

I've tried certain chocolate glaze recipes, either it is too runny that my glaze starting to run off my cake and im left with a soggy piece of cake or it turns out to be hard that like i have topped my cake with chocolate chunks. And this glaze i found online is REALLY glazing. You could even see reflection from the cake.

And THIS is the perfect recipe for Chocolate Glaze that you wouldn't want to miss it (and it sure does goes into my little notebook):

Chocolate Glaze (Recipe Used and Adapted from: "Cafe Fernando":

Makes: 1 1/3 Cups

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 Cup Cold Water

2. 2 Tsp Powdered Gelatin

3. 2/3 Cup Caster Sugar

4. 1/3 Cup Water

5. 1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp Corn Syrup

6. 3/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (I use Hershey Unsweeted Cocoa)

7. 1/3 Cup Heavy Cream (I used Millac Dairy Whipping Cream)

Methods:

1. Pour cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the top and give it a light stir. Cover with a cling wrap and set aside.

2. Heat up small saucepan in medium heat and whisk sugar and 1/3 cup water till sugar a completely dissolved. Remove from heat and use a wire whisk and stir in corn syrup followed by the cocoa powder till mixture is smooth and glossy. (Best result is to sift your cocoa powder to remove any lumps of chocolate which can be hard to whisk in the mixture.)

3. Return pan to heat in medium heat, stir in the heavy cream and bring it to boil. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool till 60C.

4. Stir in the softened gelatin mixture till completely dissolved.

5. Allow mixture to cool down to 27C before glazing the cake. (You will not want to destroy your cake with a piping hot glaze.)

Happy Valentines' Day People!