Snow Globe Cake for Christmas?

 

 

 

When I saw this thin glass sold at Daiso (local $2 shop), it gives me an idea to do something for Christmas, that is a Snow Globe on top of coconut cake. I choose coconut cake because they look like snow. At first I thought of using shredded chedar cheese but i find coconut is whiter and resemble snow.

 

 

 

Its actually pretty easy cake to do and let your imagination run into designing the globe. What I did is to put some cotton on top of the glass and with a little red ribbon and I place all the cute disney cartoon that I got from some chocolate eggs that I ate the other day.

As for the cake:

1. Bake a sponge cake of you choice or you can follow my recipe below.

2. Cut the cake into 2 layers and spread some whipped cream/coconut pastry cream in between.

3. Cover the top and sides of the cake with more whipped cream/coconut pastry cream.

4. Sprinkle coconut flakes all over the cake and its done.

 

Ingredients

5 egg whites

80g sugar
5 egg yolk
30g honey
30g butter
80g cake flour

Flaked, sweetened coconut, for sprinkling

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line bottoms of 6-inch. round/square baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.
2. Melt the butter in microwave for 30 seconds and let it cool.
3. In a large bowl, whip egg whites and half of the granulated sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Then add the rest of the granulated sugar and whip them until firm peaks form. *If it's thick enough, you can turn the bowl upside down without it sliding out.
4. Meanwhile, combine melted butter, honey and yolks in a bowl and mix well.
5. Once egg whites are stiffened, add in the butter mixture in step 4 and mix till well combined.
5. Shift in cake flour and fold well with spatula.
6. Pour batter into the pan around 70% full and bake in the preheated oven for around 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.

7. Cut the cake into 2 layers and brush syrup onto the each layer (wet but not flood).

Note:
To make syrup, mix 2/3tbsp granulated sugar, 20ml hot water and 1/2tbsp fruit liquor (optional).

8. Place one layer on a serving plate, spread whipped cream/coconut pastry cream and then place the second layer over and then spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake; sprinkle with coconut flakes. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

 

As for the frosting, you can either use whipped cream or coconut pastry cream.

 

Whipped Cream

200 ml heavy whipping cream

1tbs granulated sugar

 

Beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form.

 

Coconut pastry cream

250ml milk

2 egg yolks

20g corn flour

50g sugar

25g butter

1tbsp coconut liquer/1tsp coconut flaour essence

 

Bring milk to the boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a medium heatproof bow, gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return mixture to pan; whisk over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove form heat; whisk in liquer/coconut essence and butter until smooth. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Stand until cooled to room temperature and refrigerate before use.

 

 

 

 



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Is it Takoyaki or is it Cake Pop?

I came across this cake pop dessert when I was surfing around the internet, This lady had done quite a lot of nice and beautiful cake pop that you can think of.

http://www.bakerella.com/pops-bites/cake-pops/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpIifr0VOxY

Of cos some of her design is too challenging for me and I prefer to do it with a cake pop mould as it is much easier. And then I come across this Chef Ochikeron that make something fun and super easy to do cake pop, that is Takoyaki Cake Pop. Its a great idea to surprise your friends with your new dessert.

You know Takoyaki?

However you need to have the folloing mould to make this cake pop. The brand is Nordic ware.

My recipe below is to do white chocolate cake pop and I did only a small serving of 12 cake pops just nice from one time baking.

Ingredients:

((Cake Pops))

65g  white chocolate chips
55g  butter
50g  sugar
1 eggs
50g  cake flour  
1/2 tsp. baking powder)
1/4 tsp. salt

((Decoration))

Chocolate Syrup
(you can also melt some chocolate in microwave oven for 30seconds and stir it well and put into a pastry bag and cut a small hole to use it to decorate)

Condensed Milk
Green tea powder
Red chocolate rice

Directions:

((Cake Pops))

1. Preheat the oven to 170C (338F). Grease and flour pan.
2. In medium saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate chips and butter together. (Stop the heat when the butter starts to melt and mix with residual heat with patience. Otherwise the mixture will be separated.) Stir until smooth. Then pour into medium bowl.
3. Add sugar and mix until blended. Add egg and mix well.
4. Sift in flour and salt. Stir until blended.
5. Spoon the batter into bottom half of pan (without holes) filling each well so it mounds over the top of the pan.
6. Place top half of pan on top and secure with keys. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out almost clean.
7. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove cake pops from pan to cool completely. Trim the edges of cake pops, if needed.

For the decoration part:
Top with Chocolate Syrup to look like Takoyaki sauce and condensed milk to look like mayonnaise. Sprinkle with matcha green tea powder to look like green laver and top with red rice chocolate to look like red pickled ginger.

I did this for my last Christmas...

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