October 28: National Chocolate Day

Hello readers,

Happy National Chocolate Day! :)

Well, for those living in the US that is. But who doesn't want to celebrate National Chocolate Day?! :D

A compilation of all chocolate dishes of the Cake Shop :D

The word "chocolate" originates from Nahuatl, which is the language of the Aztects. They used the word "xocolatl", which means bitter drink. Chocolate drinks date back to 1900 BC (!). People used to believe that if you drank this special "cocoa water", it would make you smarter :) Amazing right?

And yet, Europe didn't know about cocoa beans or the chocolate drinks until the 16th century. Spain brought the popular cocoa beans to Europe and even back then, chocolate proved to be very popular :) Many variations came, vanilla was added, everybody loved it. And now, we can't imagine a world without chocolate. I know I can't!

Ooohhh... <3

The process of picking cocoa beans to eating the chocolate we know takes a very very very long time! It needs to undergo fermentation, drying, cleaning, roasting, sifting, grinding, tempering *breathe in*.... It's a lot of work.

Who would've thought that you could do so many things with cocoa beans, back in 1900 BC? My favourite chocolate brands are Ferrero and Kinder. It's a shame that Kinder isn't allowed in the US, it's so good. I hope it will be allowed in shops some day :)

Personalised Nutella jar :D

Some fun facts about chocolate:
- The most expensive chocolate in the world costs € 2.000 per 500 grams; it's been kept in pure vanilla and truffle oil for 24 hours..
- Chocolate is mostly bought at Brussel Airport: over 80.000 kilos of chocolate a year
- People living in Switzerland eat more chocolate than anybody else in the world: 11,4 kilos a year per person
- Chocolate is a natural lip balm
- The world "cocoa tree" literally means "food of the gods"

Another fun fact from my own country: Holland is the only country in the world where the people eat their sandwiches with chocolate sprinkles. It's a legit breakfast thing, kids love it and adults (including yours truly!) eat it too :)

Nutella Cheesecake!

So, back to the title, I celebrated National Chocolate Day by making a quick chocolate cheese cake with: Nutella!

Very full flavour, very easy to make, and chocolate. Is that not enough reason to bake something good? I'll ask Santa for a Nutella recipe book this year I think.. :) Have a look on Pinterest for more Nutella chocolate recipes!

So good..! <3

It's a busy times for the Cake Shop. It's Halloween on Saturday, spooky cupcakes coming up. I have a photoshoot next Wednesday, as a part of the interview for the newsletter from work :) Making preperations for a new themed week..

Also, I am experimenting with gluten-free cupcakes, for the birthday of a special little girl <3 Full reports will follow. Any of you tried gluten-free cupcakes before?

Time to get back to work! See you soon readers :)

Enjoy National Chocolate Day :D

Love, Rebecca

Sunday in a nutshell

Hello readers!

Happy Sunday to you; I hope you had a nice Saturday :) The weather has been quite ok so far. Next week, the temperature will go up again in Holland. Up to 17-18 degrees Celsius they say! Feels a bit like spring in the middle of autumn.

Speaking of seasons: seasonal products are the best! There's pumpkin, pear, green beans, endive (Penny, the guinea, is very happy :)).. But also: nuts.

Nomnomnom!

My mom came home with a bunch of fresh walnuts last week. Walnuts are lovely; though it takes some strength before you can eat them ;) I visited a nice cooking store in The Hague and found a recipe for cake. This weekend's bake is based on a recipe by this store and contains a lot of nuts and banana.

Walnut-Banana cake, freshly made!

Looks good, doesn't it? It tastes very good with some Earl Grey tea :) The best thing about this cake is that it works on your five senses. You can actually see, smell, taste, feel and hear (when you take a bite) the nuts and bananas. It's so amazing, I just have to share this with you.

This is my version for a (big!) Walnut-Banana cake, based on this recipe:

125 gr. softened butter
150 gr. brown sugar
20 gr. vanilla sugar
2 large of 3 small eggs
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3-4 very ripe bananas
100 gr. walnuts
20 gr. almonds
250 gr. self-rising flour (recipe on bottom of this post!)

long cake tin
handmixer
cake rack

Start by pre-heating the oven to 180 degrees (celsius) fan. Butter the cake tin and place a sheet of baking parchment in the tin.

I love the smell of chopped walnuts and almonds.. Even more when they're roasted!

Mash the bananas and chop up the walnuts and almonds. Leave them a bit chunky, it's nice to have a crunch when you take a bite!

Cream the butter, brown and vanilla sugar. This takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the almond extract and the eggs, one by one, and mix well. Add the mashed bananas and chopped nuts and self-rising flour and mix well.

Mix, mix, mix :)

Pour the cake mixture in the cake tin and leave it in the oven for approx. an hour. The cake is ready when it's golden brown and a bamboo skewer comes out clean. Leave it to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then place it on the cake rack to cool completely.

And there you go! The cake tastes best when it's served luke warm. Whipped cream is a nice extra when serving :)

Lovely filled cake.. Can you see the chunks of nuts?

Few tips from Rebecca:
- Unless you're terribly afraid of getting salmonella, I can really recommend to always try the batter. It's the best way to taste if the flavour is strong enough.
- This recipe is great to bake if you want to get rid of left-over bananas in your fridge. Old or brown bananas are perfect for baking or mashing!
- If you don't have some ready-to-use self-rising flour, it's very easy to create this yourself! Take 250 gr. all-purpose flour, add 2,5 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix and voila! :)

It's almost Halloween, people! How are you going to celebrate it? Stay tuned, a special Halloween post is coming up next week :) until then, enjoy your weekend and see you soon! <3

I couldn't agree more :D

Love, Rebecca

TBT #5: Triple Chocolate Mousse

Hello readers!

This is Throwback Thursday number 5 already. Time flies when you're having fun! This week's TBT is a very special one. I'll start with a picture and share its story. 

Triple Chocolate Mousse.... hmmmm!

This mousse is from October 2013. I got the idea to create this mousse by a recipe for (here it comes): strawberry pudding. 

I know, very logical (not). I get that sometimes, I once made a cake, completely and solely based of a picture. Plus, I can't help my chocolate cravings.. :) And three kinds of chocolate triples the fun! I remember it tasted good but was very filling. Logical, with all that chocolate... 

Speaking of which, I have a request for you. I'm thinking of themes for the future themed weeks, but all ideas and suggestions are welcome :) Have you got a nice idea for future themed weeks? Please reply or email me at cakeshopbyrebecca@gmail.com . 

Have a lovely week readers! 

Libby says hi :)

Love, Rebecca

News news news!

Hello readers!

Thank you for your kind replies on Italy Week, I'm glad themed weeks are a success :) More will follow, for sure!

So. Today's post is about news. And all is good news: a little bird told some people about my Cake Shop!

Today, I was interviewed for the company news letter about my baking skills. It was my first interview ever, so very exciting. A lot of questions were asked; I will tell you more once the interview is in the newsletter. I still can't believe I was actually asked to be interviewed :)

During the next meeting, a photographer will take some live action pictures. Which means I will be baking and professional photos will be taken... SO EXCITING!!!!!! <3 

More news in another category: I have created social media accounts for the Cake Shop! Please find them here & share :) 

Facebook: Cake Shop by Rebecca

Pinterest: cakeshopbyR

Dutch pastry: oliebol!

Yesterday, when I was in the shopping center, I happened to see this: oliebollen! Foreigners will most likely not know this very traditional dutch snack. Oliebollen literally means "oil bolls", but is more known as "Dutch Doughnuts" :) They are a bit donut-like, I prefer mine with raisins. It is a very traditional Dutch snack, which is eaten on New Years Eve. Special snack cars open around October (or all year long when there's a fair!). I always bake them myself, so more info on New Years Eve :)

Inside of the oliebol: lots of raisins! Just how I like it :)

Also, I've started brainstorming for Halloween. You can expect a lot of creepy/cute sweets; will definitely do cupcakes! 

That's all for this time folks! Thank you for being my loyal readers, Bexx over and out :) 

Love, Rebecca

Italy Week: Pasta di mama

Buonasera!

Do you remember that warm, happy feeling when you were little, when you came home in the afternoon and the house smelled so nice because of the dinner that your mom was making? I truly hope you do! This last post of Italy Week is dedicated to my favourite italian dish: pasta made by my mom <3 

Pastaaaaaa

This pasta dish is penne with creme fraiche (soured cream), spinach, chicken, salami, tomato and cheese. Amongst other secret ingredients.. :)

My mom calls it "Popeye Pollo Penne"!

Pastapastapastaa

Doesn't this look good? It tastes so lovely! My mom is the best cook I know. I consider myself a good baker but there's nobody I know that can cook as well as my mom :) The plates are spot-clean when you're finished eating! 

Tomatomatomato :)

The ultimate tip my mom gave me is to always use fresh ingredients and keeping them fresh when cooking (like when you're stir frying them). Everything tastes better with fresh ingredients. Which is absolutely true in the baking world! 

My mom is also a star in making Indonesian food :) I will definitely feature that some time soon. 

And with this last post, the first themed week about Italy ends! I do hope you enjoyed it. I will do more themed weeks in the future :) 

I will celebrate Italy Week's last post by watching a documentary of my favourite singer (who happens to be part of an Italian family). See you soon readers, ciao!

Good Ol' Blue Eyes <3

Love, Rebecca

Italy Week: Number 40 please

Ciao amici!

How can ones blog do a themed week about Italy without its signature dish. As I mentioned before, I went to an Italian restaurant with my colleagues last Tuesday :) And what does someone like yours truly eat at an Italian restaurant? PIZZA.  

Pizzaaaaa <3

I had pizza number 40. I can't speak Italian... OTL The official name of the pizza was Pizza Cinignano. Anybody around here who can pronounce that? No? Didn't think so ;)

The ingredients are tomato, cheese, mushrooms, leek and asparagus! I like asparagus a lot :) And according to my colleague "every food that you love, will taste even better on a pizza!". Tried it and she was right. The pizza was delicious <3 

Did you know that word "pizza" originates in the 10th century? It was used for a dish that we still eat now: focaccia bread! The modern pizza was invented in the 18th century, when Italians who lived in Napels started adding tomato to flat pieces of bread. 

Fun fact: tomatoes aren't from Italy. Nor from Spain. They're not even from Europe! They're actually American :) Mexican to be precise! It was the Spanish who brought them to Europe back in the late 16th/early 17th century. 

More pizza...... :D

My favourite kind of pizza is called a pizza Pollo. It has tomato, chicken, spinach, corn and lots of cheese. I'm not sure if it's a well-known pizza. I know I never heard of it before I tasted it! I like the combination with spinach. And it has a thin and crispy crust :) nomnomnomming! What are your favourite pizza's? Have you tried making them youselfs?

I will upload the last Italy Week post tomorrow, which is about a special dish made by my mom <3 See you later amici!

Love, Rebecca

Italy Week: TBT #4

Ciao readers!

Welcome back to Italy Week @ Cake Shop by Rebecca! :) 

This weeks Throwback Thursday is about Italian desserts. Italy is widely known for its delicious food, like pasta, risotto, pizza, and so on. But a lot less for its desserts. Which is quite a shame, because they are so good and so full of strong flavours! 

Good summer dessert :)

This very Italian dessert is called Panna cotta. I made it in July 2012 and it's mandarin flavoured. Traditional taste would be vanilla flavoured but hey, it's all about breaking boundaries :D I do like seeing those black spots by the vanilla beans though.. Panna Cotta tastes very full and creamy!  

This is Zuccotto <3

This looks a bit like tiramisu doesn't it? It does differ in the ingredients. Zuccotto (made in October 2012) is a cake with origins in Florence, Italy. It contains a lot of almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate and ice cream <3 nomnomnom!

ICE CREAM :D

Last Tuesday, I had dinner with colleagues at a typical Italian restaurant. I ordered this dessert and stupid me, I forgot the name (something with crocanti?). It's vanilla ice cream with caramelised almonds on the top. In one word: deeeeelicious <3 

If someone recognises the dessert, please let me know! 

Italian desserts are sooo good.. I might just ask Santa for a special recipe book about italian desserts this year.

Please stay tuned for more posts, Italy Week isn't over yet! :) 

Arrivederci!

Love, Rebecca

Italy Week: Make me happy

Buonasera amici!

This week is dedicated to a very special country, famous for its culture and food: ITALY :)

And what other dessert to start with, but the most delicious, beautiful, easy, artistic.... I'm talking, of course, about Tiramisu!

Tadaaaa <3

This is one of my favourite desserts ever. And there is something very special about my version of Tiramisu: there is no liquor in it.

“That’s no real Tiramisu”
“Liquor makes it taste better”
“Italians would rise from their grave”

Did you know that the first and original recipe for Tiramisu actually contained no liquor? Yes, really! :)
The original first Tiramisu was made of finger biscuits, coffee, sugar, egg yolks, mascarpone and cocoa powder. No liquor, no cream, no egg whites. It was served in a round, glass bowl, so that all the guests could see the layers (Mary Berry-style: lairs) of the Tiramisu. That must be hard, considering that the finger biscuits or ladyfingers (Dutch: lange vingers) are actually shaped as a rectangle. I always use a rectangle-shaped form!

Very basic square/rectangle form :)

Tiramisu is actually a very modern dessert. The exact date isn’t know, but it didn’t appear in cooking books until the 1980’s. The dessert itself is rumoured to have been invented in the 1960’s, in the region Veneto, Italy. 

The name “Tiramisu” literally means “lift me up”. Which you can understand in many ways:
- Pull me up, if someone fell
- Pick me up, lift someone up
- Lift me up, mentally, when someone's sad
- My personal favourite, which is the title of this post: make me happy <3 

Tiramisu always makes me happy <3

So we have a list of the traditional Tiramisu ingredients. My version is actually quite like it, only that I add cream, vanilla sugar and a bit of almond extract (to replace the liquor). It’s one of the easiest recipes I can imagine! This is my version, and serves about 9 people: 

80 gr. castor sugar
4 egg yolks
300 ml cream
1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar
450 gr. mascarpone
250 ml strong strong STRONG coffee

½ teaspoon almond extract (add less/more if you like!)
250-300 grams finger biscuits/ladyfingers
cocoa powder

And a rectangle-shaped form

The perfect cream!

Fix yourself a cup of coffee so strong your stomach will twist itself if you take a sip. Sorry, it’s the only way to explain :) Leave it to cool for a while.

Mix the egg yolks and castor sugar until creamy. The best way to find out if the egg mixture is creamy, is to make an 8 with the mixer. If the 8 is set when you finished it, it’s stiff enough :)

Add the mascarpone in 4 parts to the egg mixture. Beat well so there will be no lumps!

With a whisk, beat the cream and vanilla sugar until stiff and add to the egg-mascarpone mixture.

Isn't this just a beautiful, perfect, silky mixture?

Pour the now cooled, very strong coffee in a flat bowl with the almond extract and mix it a bit. Dip in the finger biscuits/ladyfingers and place them with the moist part upwards, side by side in the rectangle form. Then, put a thick layer of the mascarpone cream on the biscuits. And keep repeating until the form is filled!

Refrigerate the Tiramisu for at least three hours. I can recommend leaving it in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Then the coffee-almond has really left its flavour. Tiramisu is a bit like wine, it tastes better the longer you leave it :)

1, 2, 3... and done! :)

Sprinkle on the cocoa powder before you serve the tiramisu, add decorations (like mint) if you like. And you’re done!

This recipe is a very basic one. You can easily give it your own twist! For example, by adding liquor. You can add the ones most used, which are Marsala or Amaretto. But if you like experimenting, you can try to add rum, whiskey, fruit juices, Tia Maria or beer. The sky is the limit :)

Warning: Tiramisu can be dangerous to eat if you’re pregnant, so please don’t try it if you are! 

And thus the first post of Italy Week @ Cake Shop by Rebecca ends! More stories will follow :)

nomnomnom <3

Ciao! See you soon!

Love, Rebecca

Apple roses (or zombies)

Hello readers!

The GBBO finale was exciting, wasn't it? :) Nadiya did so well, I'm glad she won! Must add mille feuilles to my list with things to bake.. 

So, a few days ago, I came across a video on Facebook.

Made by Cooking with Manuela

I think that's about the cutest thing I've ever seen <3 and it looks easy enough to bake. My mom received apples from a very good friend, so... Ready, get set, BAAKKKEE! :D 

Apple Roses <3

I have to admit, they came out of the oven prettier than when they got in. I had a right laugh baking them. It's more work than you'd imagine! For example.. 

Apple slices.. sort of.. OTL

Cutting apple slices isn't very.. Easy to do. Especially when they need to be very thin! I can recommend using a special slicer (add to shopping list).

Being the last-minute baker that I am :D I noticed that I had no apricot ham in the fridge. No problem, I will use something very dear to me: MAPLE SYRUP! I love maple syrup. I can't imagine my life (or pancakes) without maple syrup <3 It's a shame that it's so expensive in Holland (logical though), but I always have a jar in the kitchen.  

*singing a lullaby for the apples* :D

So, onto the fluffy pastry, we place the maple syrup, apple slices and cinnamon. I added a pinch of vanilla sugar too. Cover it up, roll over (careful) and place it into a buttered cupcake tin. Which is a brilliant idea; it holds the form perfectly! 

...................

The first thing I thought was: I should probably bake these for Halloween, they look like zombie hands coming from the grave. But they smell so wonderfull and I had a right laugh baking these. Into the oven they go, time to make a wish :)

Close up; aren't they cute? <3

Like I said, they looked worse when they went into the oven. I think they look quite good and well-baked! Add icing sugar for decoration, and perhaps a bit of whipped cream :) I'll try it again in a few months, and see how it goes then!

Not unimportant to mention: THEY TASTE SO GOOOOOD <3

Later today, I'm baking one of my favourite desserts. Stay tuned for the next post, while I enjoy a snack :)

Life is better with donuts <3

Love, Rebecca  

Free Range Cook (from Holland)

Hello readers!

As a baker, I like to try out new things. If I can, I will bake something new every week! I have very few favourite dishes that I bake multiple times. Many English readers and some Dutch readers will probably recognise the name of the celebrity cook I used in the title :) Indeed, I have tried my first recipe by New Zealand cook: Annabel Langbein. 

Close up: Vanilla Citrus Terrine! :)

I like citrus fruits a lot. Also the smell of citrus soaps. When I was in London, I visited the Lush store in Oxford street (it's huge!). My friend and I got to try a few soap bars and perfumes. My friend is a big fan of spicy fragrances, but I love the citrus and fruity ones. I also like making cocktails, using mostly oranges, limes, lemons, blood oranges and pomegranates :) 

Ok, back to baking! The Vanilla Citrus Terrine is surprisingly easy to make. I have the tendency to ignore the instructions and only start reading them while I'm baking :) but with this dish it's easy to do. 

Using my favourite, multifunctional bowls for this dish!

Bring the cream mixture to a simmer, add the lime and orange zest/juice, add the gelatine, add the Greek yoghurt and refridgerate! It's as easy as that. After that, it's a waiting game. At least three hours or until the gelatine has set. 

I did exchange the vanilla extract for a real vanilla bean. No matter how well the extract is made, it always seems a bit.. Artificial to me. I always prefer using vanilla beans, even though it's more pricey than extract. And I like seeing the black spots in my desserts :) In restaurants too, it makes me happy to see black spots in vanilla ice cream or pudding, because I know the chefs have made an effort to make the dessert taste like genuine vanilla. 

Nomnomnom.. :)

I combined the recipe for the terrine with the Honeyed Oranges, a recipe by Annabel Langbein as well. Also a very easy recipe, and good tasting too! I don't like the flavour of honey (hate it in my tea), but in combination with the sour oranges, it's quite good. 

Becareful for your hands!

I think the best way to cut an orange is to cut off the top and bottom, and slide your knife along the sides. That way, you can easily see the line between the peel and fruit. And there's less risks to cut your fingers (happened one time, ouch)! Be sure to use all juices, shame to waste them :) 

Voila :)

And here you've got the combined recipes! Looks good, doesn't it? It's quite a summer-like dessert, I like it a lot :) 

If you'd like to try to make this dessert, please find both (full) recipes in here:
Vanilla Citrus Terrine
Honeyed Oranges

Also (this is not a drill!): it's the finale of the Great British Bake Off tonight! I wonder who will win.. And the dish he/she will win with! Let's find out :)

Also there is a preview of the BBC Sherlock special yayayayayayayay <3

See you soon readers!

Love, Rebecca

Looking back: Wilton Competition

Hello readers!

Happy weekend, I hope you're having a good time. Today's blog is sort of a throwback, a very special one. 

It's amazing how fast time goes by. Today, exactly one year ago, I heard the results of my first and (so far) only competition.

Me and my cupcake, one year ago!

I will start at the beginning. In August 2014, I noticed a poster in the store where I usually get my baking supplies: the first European Wilton baking competition, in celebration of their 85th anniversary, with the following categories:

1) cakes baked by professionals 

2) cakes baked by hobbyists 

3) cupcakes baked by professionals 

4) cupcakes baked by hobbyists

There would be three rounds: regional, national and European. In each round you could win nice prices, given by Wilton. For those who don't know this company: Wilton is a very good brand for baking supplies, good quality gear and ingredients! So after giving it some thought, I entered the competition. 

The theme was "Wilton's 85th anniversary", and it being my first ever competition, I read and browsed for a lot of information for inspiration :) I decided to stick with the classical anniversary present: flowers. And so I baked my cupcake for the regional competition.

Round 1: a chocolate cupcake with raspberry icing (rose formed) with dew drops :)

The day of the regional competition arrived and I dropped off my cupcake at the local radio station (judging would be aired live on the radio). I wasn't allowed to be present during the judging, so I went to work and anxiously awaited any phone calls. 

At one point, I checked my phone and noticed three missed calls from my dad. He was at home that day and listened to the radio for me :) He told me I won first price! I was so happy! My entrance for the national competition was ensured. The judges during the national competition would mainly focus on the design, so I was advised to go all out on the looks! 

many many MANY leafs and flowers.. 

Working with fondant isn't something I do often. I love how you can create anything with fondant as long as you've got the time, but that's just the thing. I like working with fondant, but I often simply don't have the time for it. This, however, was an exception. I decided to keep my personal theme (flowers) alive and spend a whole Sunday working on this. 

Round 2: a vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing and LOTS of flowers :)

I was so pleased with the results. All the flowers are handmade, leafs added layer by layer. Friends and family were amazed and my managers at work were very impressed. A couple of days before the competition I dropped off the cupcake at my supplies store, as they would bring it to the fair where the national competition would be held. Now it was time to wait for the big day! 

I worked so hard on creating multicoloured roses :)

So, on Saturday October 4th, 2014, my friend came along with me to the fair. The moment I walked to the competition table, all the courage and hope I had, vanished into thin air. All the entered cupcakes in my category were so beautiful, so festive and so well thought-through. There were cupcakes hanging in the air as balloons, for example!! 

And then there was my tiny, flowery cupcake. I was so sure that my cupcake wouldn't win. Waiting for the results, we walked around on the fair, I bought some nice gear, met Rudolph van Veen again :) And wished th ebest for the competition. 

Finally the moment to announce the results was there. The judges were introduced and some pictures of the entries were shown. the competitions of The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were combined to one one winner per round. the Winners of each round would go to Barcelona, Spain, for the European competition. My round was up first. 

And third price goes to.. Rebecca from The Netherlands! 

I WON THIRD PRICE! My friend cheered and cheered and I just couldn't believe it. I walked up to the stage and received my price (48-piece Fondant and Gum Paste Decorating Set) and a certificate. I was so happy!! Getting third place for a first competition ever, a national competition (!), is really the best feeling ever. 

I framed my certificate and still look at it every day I wake up. It's my daily reminder that competing is stressful but very rewarding, even if you don't win first price. I learned a lot and improved my baking skills thanks to Wilton. I'm keeping my eyes open for other competitions. Once there is another one close to home, I will definitely enter! 

And so my story about my first baking competition ends :) I'm (gladly!) not feeling very sick anymore and crawled back into the kitchen to bake. I'll post pictures and stories the next time!

Today is a very special day in The Netherlands: it's Animal Day. That means.. Presents! :D

I think Penny (guinea pig) and Libby (dog) like their gifts :)

That's all for now folks! See you soon!

Love, Rebecca