Do girls have more of a sweet tooth than guys? I still find that a recurring trend after the dinner meal is finished and I bring out the cake. 

Well this one night I was only with my two girlfriends, so did not have a male representative give his two cents about this dessert - which was what I wanted to make after eating a cup of matcha mousse + shot of Baileys at a buffet one day night.

Right so this dessert I've wanted to make. It's a three part process: 1) the sponge base 2) the flavoured creme anglaise 3) the italian meringue. Yes, there is no whipped cream in my mousses, which make it super light and enable you to inhale bites because they're so aerated.

Ingredients

Walnut Sponge

Matcha Creme

Baileys Creme

Italian Meringue

A	3	yolks
	20g	milk
	20g	oil
	50g	flour
B	3	whites
	40g	sugar
C	20g	crushed toasted walnuts

A	1	yolk
	200ml	milk
B	10g	matcha powder
	20ml	cold milk
C	9g	gelatin powder
	50g	cold water

A	1	yolk
	100ml	milk
B	150ml	Baileys
C	9g	gelatin powder
	50g	cold water

A	2	whites
	2tbsp	sugar
B	0.25cup	sugar
	2tbsp	water

Method

Walnut Sponge
I. Mix A
II. Beat whites in B on low-medium until foamy soft peaks
III. Gradually add sugar into whites, beat on high
IV. Fold B into A in three additions
V. Fold in C
VI. Bake 15cm x 15cm pan 180 F for 20 minutes (browned top)

Cremes
I. Mix A
II. Heat A on medium, stirring until thickened (still runny), like creme anglaise
III. (for Matcha) Whisk B.
IV. Mix B into A
V Sprinkle gelatin into cold water. Set aside

Italian Meringue
I. Heat B in saucepan with lid, on medium
II. When sugar has dissolved in B, start whipping whites in A
III. Whip whites on medium until soft foamy peaks
IV. Add sugar in A, beat on high until stiff peaks
V. When B reaches 113 C, pour small amounts into A, beating on high.
VI. Side of bowl will get hot. Keep beating when all B is added for another 2-3 minutes to stabilize.


Construction

Prep Base
I. Cut sponge 1cm smaller than your cake rings (you can do 2x layer of cake if you want)
II. Put cake ring on silpat lined tray, one layer of sponge in the center

Assemble Mousse
I. Melt gelatins in microwave (do not boil)
II. Mix gelatins into cremes.
III. Mix half of meringues into each creme
IV. Mix the matcha mousse over a bowl of ice+water to chill until thickened.

Assemble Cake
I. Pour thickened matcha mousse to fill half of cake ring
II. Repeat Assemble Mousse III-IV with Baileys creme (optional: put a layer of sponge on matcha before pouring on baileys mousse)
IX. Chill in fridge until set. 
X. Transfer cake with ring onto serving platter before using torch/hairdryer to warm sides of ring before lifting off.
It seems like a long process, but chunks of time are just eaten up by clean-up and wait time (baking, setting, trying to find those damned cake rings in the disorganized stash of baking equipment...)

I made a huge mistake of not cooling the matcha mousse before pouring it into the rings - and so the matcha didn't completely set when I took it out of the ring (the Baileys part was perfect though). But that meant when I cut into it, the matcha just didn't hold up *tears*

So I waited overnight before un-ringing the smaller rings:

And ran out of mangoes. But used black sesame powder instead. The leaves are not edible. I just took them from the garden.

Postcard worthy, if I had the patience to erase those people

My toes are cold as I'm writing this. I dislike wearing socks at home and dislike wearing boots in the winter, which really doesn't go well with how winter works here.

Dear readers, more recipes on the way!

Happy Autumn weather, it seems how we can break out our beloved sweaters and winter coats and embrace the abundance of pumpkin and sweet potato flavoured things for thanksgiving.

This cake came about because mom made mashed sweet potatoes but with way too much brown sugar and butter. It was rendered impossible to eat as a side. It veered into dessert territory. So I decided,

It's too sweet to eat like this. I'll just make a cake with it.

It was so moist and soft. I didn't notice that I had been eating many slices until the 4th slice because it went down so easily...

You can just make this with mashed sweet potato that doesn't have sugar and butter in it. Recipe is as follows (bracket values are for those who have already sweet sugar and butter = leftover sweetened sweet potato mash)

Ingredients

A

8 yolks

120 g sweet potato mashed

60 g (40 g) oil

60 g milk

B

120 g flour

C

8 whites

100 g (70 g) white sugar

Method

I

Mix A, add in B, mix well

II

Whisk whites in C on low until frothy

Whisk on medium until soft peaks

On high, add sugar in 3 additions, allowing 10 seconds of whisking on high in between each addition

III

Mix 1/3 II into I until well incorporated (don't be afraid to mix hard)

IV

Mix another 1/3 II into I (mix a bit more softly now)

V

Mix last 1/3 II into I (fold gently)

VI

Pour into oiled angel food cake pan.

Bake 350 F 40-45 minutes.

Cover top with foil if it rises too high and browns quickly.

I don't enjoy eating cake without cream. So I went out to Sobeys after the cake cooled to get myself some 35% cream.

Whisking it on high, poured a steady stream of what could be 3-4 shots of Baileys (the creme caramel flavour). And this way, you don't even need to add sugar in your cream. The alcohol cuts the greasy feeling and makes eating whipped cream feel light (though its quite the opposite).

Oh yes, and passing the sweet potato mash through a sieve will get rid of the stringy fibers - if you're not into that stuff weaved through your chiffon (I kept them all in mine - couldn't be bothered and qas quite lazy).

My toes are cold as I'm writing this. I dislike wearing socks at home and dislike wearing boots in the winter, which really doesn't go well with how fast the temperature is dropping these days.
For a girlfriend's birthday we went to get our nails and toes done (probably the girly-est thing we've ever done to date) and had lunch at possibly one of the hipster-est cafe we've ever been to. 

Dear readers, stock up on flour and butter now - the baking season is on its way

People in and all around Toronto have been talking about Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake for a while now - how there's a two hour wait line, how you're limited to only purchasing one cheesecake per person, and how wonderfully delicious it is.

My friend who passed by the infamous line up hyped it up, but wouldn't wait in line for me.

My friend who did wait in line ate it all and only told me so when the entire cake was gone (which took like 5 minutes to eat, or so they said).

So I made it for myself.

And then I got addicted and made it two more times:

So instead of waiting in line for Uncle Tetsu's cheesecakes to come out fresh from the oven, make them in your own oven.

~ Ingredients ~

A

250 g cream cheese
50 g butter
60 ml milk

B
5 egg yolks
20 g flour

C
5 egg whites
90 g sugar

~ Method ~

I
Melt A in a pot over medium heat, mix. Do not boil.

II
Remove from heat, mix in B

III
Beat whites until soft peaks on low, then medium

IV
Add sugar in whites, beat high

V 
Fold C into batter 3 separate times

VI
Pour into parchment lined inside, foil wrapped outside spring form tin or cake ring

VII
Bake 300 F 60 minutes

IIX
Remove from tin, cool on rack

Let cool to room temperature or put in the fridge to cool. Cutting it while it's still hot can be messy unless you use a sharp knife dipped in hot water after each cut.

No recipe for this one because my sponge cake recipe is already here:

Sponge/Chiffon Cake

I'd like to announce that I've landed in California (for a few days now), and all my presumptions of Santa Clara have been shattered and walked-on all-over

I. There is a beach close by. Other than the nicer weather and terrible bus routes, Santa Clara is much like Mississauga.

II. I will find a beachside ice cream shop to work at. Refer to I.

Tip: When slicing and layering, place the top layer on the bottom, cut side down. This way, even if the baked top is not flat, you can arrange the middle layer on top to ensure a super flat top.

Then, that aside, my Korean has been honed to a point where I can be understood by my landlords and I can understand them as well.

My lack of biking skills has been brought to light. So much so that my landlord suggested against me riding the bike to work in fear that it would cause me more trouble than walking (which is very true - I encounter difficulties in starting the bike on the slightest upwards incline road).

Next post is based on the ever so hyped Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake, which I made at home because no one wants to wait in line for 2 hours and be limited to just buy 1 of his delicious cheesecakes.

Dear Readers, go stock up on some cream cheese already!

I did not make this cake with the intent of posting it up as a recipe on my blog so those who have nothing better to do for a good 6+ hours of a day and want to make some chestnut mango mousse can do so while enjoying the following step by step pictures. (I made it to satisfy my cake-making withdrawal symptoms. You know, shaky hands, inclination towards the kitchenaid mixer...)

Of course nothing will work out as planned - like how I've always wanted to blog about my pork ribs (yeah, I call them my pork ribs because they're pretty yummy), taking pictures all throughout the process, but always forgetting to take a picture of the final completed dish. So that never made it out (yet).

For this cake I took pictures of the process and what seems to be like 100+ pictures of the final product. "So the recipe will be posted, right?" Nope, because I have no clue what recipe I used (just poured and weighed stuff at the top of my head)

But later decided I could do an impromptu pouring/weighing of ingredients here as well. And so that is how the recipe for mousse ensues:

***

Ingredients

A

1/4 cold water

1.5 tbsp gelatin

(x 2)

B

4 yolks

1/2 cup sugar

C

3 cups milk

1 tbsp rum

2 tsp vanilla extract

D

400g chestnut puree (unsweetened), room temperature

1/4 cup sugar, to taste

E

4 ripe ataulfo mangoes, pureed, room temperature

sugar, to taste

F

400 ml whipping cream, whipped

G

Sponge cake layer (as base of mousse)

***

Method

Before:

Trim cake to be slightly smaller than cake ring (cake pan with no bottom) so cake doesn't show on the outside

Room temperature chestnut and mango so the gelatin doesn't firm up immediately

I

In two small bowls of 1/4 c cold water each, sprinkle the 1.5 tbsp gelatin over top

II

Beat B

Heat C on stovetop until steaming, pour slowly into B, mixing well

Return to heat, stirring on medium-low until thick (runny pudding consistency)

Remove from heat

III

Combine D

Add half of II to D, mix

Microwave 1 bowl from I, mix into III

V

Fold half of F into III, pour on top of sponge cake base

Chill ~30 minutes in fridge (slightly set)

VI

Add blobs of chestnut puree on top of slightly set chestnut mousse

VII

Repeat III with mango and remaining bowl of gelatin

Add remaining F, fold

Pour on top of VI

Chill minimum 3 hours in fridge

IIX

Use hair dryer or torch to slightly warm sides of cake ring so the metal ring can slide off easily

IX

Decorate, serve

P/S

Dear readers, next post is pizza!