Thank you for dropping by my blog to read up on what I've been up to! I've posted an update announcement on Face book two days ago, and I had like 42 page views within the same day, a 100% increase from the usual 4 page views per day. *Super touched!*
I'm thinking, maybe I should include easy to do finishing recipes so that those who would love to come up with their own finishing (like Ganache, butter cream, chocolate writing etc) can use the same recipes I use in school, to do whatever they want with it.
There's no recipes being posted up so far, because I don't bake in my own oven, and it's not really ethical to post up school recipes for cakes and whatnot, unless I bake it back home and then share the recipes - that way, the recipes is test proof and I can share my own personal experience. (If you get what I mean).
Anyway!
Today was one of those days that I get back home early from school, after finishing my practical class. We had a morning demonstration yesterday, by the way, and the recipes demonstrated by Chef Willy, are Opéra, and Opéra au thé vert.
Opéra is one of the traditional French cakes being introduced in school. The cake consists of 3 layers of almond biscuit/sponge cake known as Jonconde in French, each layer is imbibe with coffee syrup and spread with ganache & butter cream, before being glazed with chocolate pâtes à glacer.
The interesting thing part about this cake, is that despite the layers of cream, chocolate and sponge...it's only 2cm high. That's different from the usual Opéra cakes we have back home!
Check out the beautiful layers! You can see the thoroughly soaked sponge cake, making it moist. These type of cakes taste better if you chilled it overnight to allow the sponge to fully absorb the coffee flavour.
The green tea opera is baked and assembled exactly the same as the traditional Opéra, with the addition of green tea powder instead of coffee powder.
Chef Willy actually did chocolate writing in Japanese! This joker also said that even if he wrote wrongly, no one in the class can identity the mistake because no one knows Japanese. HAHA!
The sponge is about the size of a baking paper (30 by 50cm) and cut into 3 layers using a rectangle ring mold. The bottom layer is chablonnage with dark pâtes à glacer, imbibe with syrup and then spread with butter cream, before repeating the process with another layer, spread with ganache and then lastly the last layer with the butter cream. In between, you'll have to press the sponge down with a really heavy lid to compress the sponge cake together.
Honestly, it may sound like a heavy cake, but it isn't! It's dainty, a few forkfuls of a square piece, it melts in your mouth and you're done. =)
I think, it is a perfect marriage between coffee and chocolate!
Then, this was what I presented during my practical! =)
There's chocolate writing of the word Opéra. This is from the sample document we have in our folder. My 'O' is the right curvy angle, 'R' is not right, and the rest is good. Now, If only the thickness of the wording could be thinner a little more, size of the word could be enlarge at about ⅓ more, then it is perfecto!
We need to fully utilise the space, you see!
I have time to practice the writing! This is coming out in the exams yo!
Perfect cutting of the sides, according to Chef Aum! He however, told me to be careful while warming up my knife to slice the cake, because too much heat could melt my butter cream and cause it to smudge. Like at the middle area of my cake.
It is not easy to slice the cake okay. You have to warm the knife, slowly slice it down, feel the glaze crack a little, before wiping off the chocolate stains and slice down again. No pressing or you will crack the piece of glaze.
The worse is when you cut it off mark. It takes practice, I tell ya! If still can't cut straight, either get new glasses, or change your arm.
Then!! Chef Aum said that there's a few dots you have to create at some specific endings of the alphabets. He said sometimes, we can even create hearts. Mew, my friend drew a butterfly. I did a mini heart at the end of my 'A'!
There's a smudge mark at the side cause I wiped off my chocolate writing by one stroke. Because my hand went off mark, then it was a really ugly 'A'. HAHA!
Came home after lunch, caught the natural light and started taking shots, as usual! =)
I know that chalkboard is a little overused in nearly most of my photos, but...it's like my identity already lah!
Beautiful layers, isn't it? Would you like to have some? (I already did.)
Okay, that's all for today!
It's 6 plus now in the evening. I've to go shower, having cooled down from my gym workout session (I'm working out again, woohoo!!) I've recently bought a notebook for the purpose of having a diet & fitness diary. Today's day two; so far, I'm progressing according to plan..and if you must know how much weight I've put on, it's fluctuating between 3-4kg.
For all the love I have for baking, how come I don't have high metabolism rate! =(
Till then!
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