My Hot Cake

2 things you should know about dry fruits in fruitcake

Fruitcakes are for mainly for Christmas and weddings in Nigeria. To be sincere the trend is changing gradually you know everyone is trying something new from vanilla, Chocolate to velvet cakes, fruitcakes are still the hit at these times. I sometimes add fruits in these cakes depending on what my customer wants. Its always wonderful to taste the delicious,yummy,moistness in a cake.Its also one of my go to cakes when i want to unwind and refresh with youghurt.

So there’s
The dark fruitcake
The rich fruitcake
The mild fruitcake

The key to a fruitcake is being moist. It should be moist.I doubt anyone wants a dry, hard cake no matter how nice it tastes.

What’s a fruitcake without FRUIT? I’ve seen a lot of recipes with different kinds of fruits.
Raisins
Sultanas
Currants
Cherries etc
There are different methods of preserving your fruits before incorporating it into the cake batter.

Here are 2 methods I’d like to talk about because it has worked for me.

The first step is SOAKING: This would keep the fruits very plump and moist.soaking can be done with alcohol.Some customers don’t want alcohol in their cakes which is funny because the alcohol content evaporates when it bakes in the oven.One could soak it in dark rum a day before baking.Another alternative one could use is sugar syrup, orange juice and lemon zest.It could be there for weeks.

Also STEAMING… This is what you do when you need it asap. You can also do this when you don’t want to use alcohol. Steam the friuits on a low heat for about 10-15 minutes, in a mixture of fruit juice water and spices. You could also use non alcoholic juice.

So how i do mine. I soak my fruits in a topper bucket (you can use any bowl or bottle that is well covered)for at least 3 weeks before i need it. The liquid content is dark rum ,Brandy, Sugar syrup.the fruits in Nigeria are sold in a pack all mixed so i buy like 2 or 3 depending on the quantity i need to use. This can last for 6 months plus.

I’d love to hear how you preseve your dry fruits,so comment, like and follow this Page ❤️

Sweaty buttercream? 3 mistakes you’d never make again.

Sweaty buttercream… Oh No!!!
Have you been wondering why your buttercream is all sweaty and smeared after decoration?.
3 reasons why this could happen.

When I started baking,i made some mistakes… Seriously,a lot of them.One I remember vividly was making my buttercream frosting sweaty.

So,this particular morning,i had a buttercream cake to deliver around 8’oclock. My cake was ready and sitting pretty on the table. It wasn’t too ok, but i was proud of it.Two hours to delivery time and damn… i noticed some smears around the drips like its moving away.😭

My head was hot,I was like what exactly is going on? In one hour, my cake was visibly smeared without touching… I had a horrible feeling deep inside my stomach.Ever felt like this before?😢

Here are 3 mistakes that could cause this…

1) Putting your buttercream frosting in the freezer especially in a hot weather. If you’re not moving it from the freezer to an air conditioned room,a freezer isn’t advisable.Fridge is ok but freezer is a Big no for buttercream especially one with color mixed in already.It would look all nice and clean in the freezer but as soon as it gets exposed to air,it starts to be really sweaty.It starts to melt before your very eyes.

2) Mixing water into the buttercream frosting when smoothing it on a cake.There are different methods of getting a smooth buttercream frosting on your cake, whether you use hot or cold water method do not allow the water to touch the cake.The trick is to dip it into hot water and shake off before applying on the cake.

3) Pouring liquid colour in at once.First thing is i don’t recommend liquid colour for buttercream frosting, but if you must use it.pour it in little by little.it its too much it forms excess liquid and smears the decorated cake.

Can you guess the mistake I made that day?

It sure wouldn’t happen to me anymore.You definitely wouldn’t make such if you read this piece too.I’d love your feedbacks and advice for upcoming bakers.Till next time.Bye.

The secret of my smooth buttercream

🎶 The wheels of my turn table goes round and round, round and round,round and round,the wheels of my turn table goes round and round….🎵

I’m humming to this song as I’m getting ready to decorate my cake. This is my favorite part of being a baker, where my imagination comes alive.

So I’m setting up my equipment table. The delicious vanilla and strawberry cake is fully trimmed and stacked.
There’s the turn table,the cake comb, spatula,piping bag,buttercream frosting in a bowl.

Now to my secret to smooth buttercream.I use HOT WATER.

Once the buttercream is covers the cake, smoothen it first before using you design comb on it.
To get a smooth body,while scraping ensure to have a bowl of hot water to dip in the scrapper and clean for a perfect finish,once you perfect it the hot water won’t be needed again. Take your time and be patient ,don’t be too anxious.

Also,while working on the buttercream,do not use a crust consistency,use creamy consistency instead.

First make sure your recipe is good, try to understand the consistency that works for you, avoid too much liquid in your buttercream.

Anyone tried this before?
Share your experience.
Don’t forget to like and comment 😎

Here’s a quick and easy way to make Cake drips

First method: For white drips.
Melt white chocolate, add heavy cream to it,or simply add your milk. Make sure your cake is cold or at room temperature, while you pour on it…this is the real “ganache”

You can add colours of choice …

For brown drips,melt chocolate and add your heavy cream/milk

Second method:
Get your white butter,add little icing sugar,add water to it.then mix together.

½ tablespoon of white butter
3 tablespoon icing sugar
Little water to thin down(1 teaspoon)

When you get to a bake shop you can buy chocolate chips…or just tell them you want chocolate bar…..

Not those small small chocolate inside nylon used for toppings.
Do you know other ways of making drips, kindly share in the comment section

Healthy Weeknight Meals

Cooking can sometimes feel like a chore at the end of a busy day. It’s often tempting to throw a ready meal in the oven or call for take out. But preparing a simple and healthy family meal doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming. Here are some quick wholesome dishes that you and your family will love. They can even be prepared in advance.

Better than Poutine

I know, what could be better that a steaming plate of fries, gravy and cheese curd? Fries, gravy, cheese curd and bacon, that’s what! Throw in some fresh shallots, chilli, and a splash of roasted bone marrow and duck gravy, and we turn this popular French-Canadian dish into a something sublime.

Breakfast at my House

During the week we’re often walking out the door with a coffee in one hand and slice of toast in the other, but on weekends breakfast is never rushed. It’s a late affair, sometimes spilling over to lunch, with lots of reading and chatter in between courses of fruits, poached eggs, honey and toast. One of our favorite things we like to serve when friends are visiting are buckwheat blueberry pancakes.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

There’s nothing better than a warm bowl of pumpkin soup on a cold autumn day. Combine your roasted pumpkin with some onion, garlic, vegetable broth, and a few spices, and give it some time to simmer away. Pair it with a few slices of fresh bread to turn it into something sublime.