Chocolate Oreo Cake, Best Seller for the Week

Considering I make this quite often, I never actually get to try it, coz it's hard to do test cakes for these layered cakes. However, yesterday, I had an order, as well as a freebie, for my bro in law's birthday, so I actually got to eat the cake. I was surprised actually, at how it tastes rather good, if I may masuk bakul angkat sendiri. It was moist...I'm not sure where the moistness comes from, as the sponge looks rather dry to me, and not too sweet.


One of the areas that I reckon vastly needs improvement is the icing on the cake, ie, the chocolate ganache. I dunno how the commercial ones get such a perfect surface. Does anyone or can anyone enlighten me on the process? I want a finish like secret recipes chocolate banana cake. Smooth chocolate. Mine looks like a teenager with bad skin, all pock marked. I tried using the spatula dipped in boiling water, which I learnt from my Wilton ICCA course, but that applies for buttercream icing.

Ah, more about the Wilton ICCA Level 1 cake decorating course. I've attended one class so far; it's very interesting, but I have to say, Wilton is to cake baking what Roman Catholicism is to Christianity. Very concerned about externalities, and very by the book kinda thing. Oh, and the ingredients prescribed, are of course, from Wilton. Our "homework" for the next class is to bring an iced cake, using the method and icing we learnt in Lesson 1. Frankly, I think between us floggers, people like Boolicious, snowdrop and spot, we could probably start our own denomination in the baking/decoration world.

Last Sunday, for my wife's niece's birthday, we revisited an old haunt I haven't been to since our courting days. ie, circa 10 years ago. Hard Rock Cafe. Being lunch time, I couldn't eat anything heavy, so I had the spaghetti marinara, which I found a tad sour/salty. For RM30, they could have been a bit more generous with the seafood, and not bombard the plate with squid. Unless marinara is italian for calamari. Oh, hangon, marinara probably IS italian, what am I talking about.

I managed to catch a shot of the fajitas that the group of lady guests ordered to share. Reason I wanted a record of this is so I know what I missed out when I serve mine. Well, I think I forgot the shredded cheddar, and shredded lettuce. But mine usually has sauteed onions. Ah well, now I know.





Imagine, those days, when we "frequented" Hard Rock, I barely stepped into the kitchen. Now, I am virtually a slave. Heck, the maid quickly retreated to bed and turned off all the lights before I could ask them to do any further washing up, on Monday night, as I was slaving away at 10.30pm. Let's see, I had to make a Lemon Meringue Pie, A Sticky toffee date pudding, 12 cups of tiramisu, 2 sponge cakes, and 15 scones. Was slaving from 6.15 to 7.30pm, and again from 10-11pm. Actually, quite efficient la hor. Oh, did a stupid thing. Was lazy to chop the chocolate, so tried using the food processor....which little did I know, is fragile as ....
I heard something go PIAK, and that was the end of the food processor. When I opened it the next day, I saw that the "fan belt" had snapped. So, children, do not put hard chocolate in your food processor, unless it's industrial strength.

I have to make 40 cupcakes this weekend for a birthday. Help, any icing recipes that can keep overnight without refrigeration? (Dont want refrigeration coz the cupcakes will be hard, and pickup time is 10am on saturday morning, so I can't do it on Sat morning itself)