Milky Goodness

Have you tried Tres Leches Cake before!? If not, I highly recommend trying out this recipe and checking out this girl's blog. She captures every step in a professional looking picture and really explains the cake process well.

Anyways, I used this recipe yesterday to make the cake. For anyone that doesn't know, "Tres Leches" means "Three Milk" and when you try it, you will know what I mean by the title of this post! For anyone that can't stand or can't have milk, I would probably suggest staying away from this type of cake. You actually use four milks in this recipe (should we change the name to Quatro Leches??), but the one doesn't really count I guess. You use a 1/3 cup whole milk (I actually substituted skim milk since it was such a little amount and since that's all I had) in the cake batter. That is the only tiny change I made to the recipe. This recipe seems like it would be hard to tweak since the three milks are pretty specific and the cake is a sponge cake that can't simply be changed.

You use a can of condensed milk, a can of evaporated milk, and a 1/4 cup of whipping cream for the milky goodness part of the cake. This actually is what makes the cake (obviously) and cannot be tweaked in my opinion. When you get to this part in the recipe, you will want to kill yourself for choosing a dessert like this one. Just kidding, not LITERALLY kill yourself, but the milky goodness part of the recipe can be pretty fattening in many people's eyes. It is definitely the best part though. After baking the sponge cake, you let it cool and then poke fork holes all around the surface of the cake. Make sure you make enough holes so that when you pour the milky goodness over the cake, it soaks in everywhere. You basically just combine the three milks into a pitcher (this looks pretty gross at first, but once it's all mixed up, it is a bit more appealing) and pour the pitcher (minus 1 cup of the mixture) alllllllll over the cake. Now, you gotta leave it sit for about 30 minutes to allow maximum soaking. It seems like you are pouring a lot of milk over the cake, but since it's a sponge cake, it really holds tight to the amount of liquid you pour in.

Once you feel that it is all soaked up, you make the homemade whipped cream for the icing! I didn't realize at first that I was literally making whipped cream but the only two ingredients that are used for the icing are a pint of whipping cream and 3-4 tablespoons of sugar (the recipe says 3 but if you want it sweeter, throw in some more to your liking). You whip it up good with a whisk attached to a handheld blender until it literally becomes whipped cream. Next, you simply spread it over the cake!

The recipe suggested topping with maraschino cherries either chopped or whole, but I left this out partly because I forgot to grab them at the store and....well that is really the only reason. I'd suggest using strawberries as well since the cake is pretty light.

For anyone that doesn't like cake all that much, I'd suggest this recipe. It's not too sweet since there is less sugar and lots of milk plus the whipped cream topping. My roommate suggested this recipe as a part of International Month because of the said reason (she doesn't really like cake) and also because she said it is the best cake she's ever had!

Suggestion: If you want to make it low fat, I'd suggest using the skim milk (like I did) as well as an artificial sweetener in place of sugar. If they sell low-fat whipping cream, that could work too for the topping! Although, I'm starting to think this cake is only as delicious as it is when using the fattier milks, unfortunately.

This cake is a Spanish, milky, party in your mouth if you enjoy milk and spongy consistencies. I recommend this recipe to anyone and everyone!

Stay tuned for Strawberry Tartlets on Wednesday! That will conclude my International Month. Here we come July and less than 200 calorie desserts!!

Cheers!

Folding the whipped egg whites into the flower/egg yolk mixture!

Finished Tres Leches Cake! It's hard to tell the moistness of it, but it's definitely there! 

Bangin' Biscotti

Just so you are all aware, those cinnamon sugar biscotti turned out FANTASTIC! Almost the whole plate is gone already! I decided to head over to my parents yesterday on Father's Day to bake because there is A LOT more counter space there. I really need to find me a place where counter space is unlimited. Spreading out definitely makes a difference and places less stress on ya. Apartment complexes really need to work on placing outlets in the correct places...just sayin'...

What I did not expect: I thought the biscotti were going to be much larger. Ya know, the kind you see at Starbucks that are like $2...I thought those were the normal size. Mine turned out to be mini, maybe about 2 inches long, but it actually ended up being the perfect size. They are perfect for dipping fully into a cup of coffee for breakfast or even for a late night snack. Cinnamon sugar probably has to be my favorite flavor for anything. My favorite cookie happens to be Snickerdoodles which captures this flavor well. Also can't forget the cinnamon sugar pretzels from Auntie Anne's in the mall. Anyways, the fact that I didn't expect these to be so small ended up being a good thing after all!

Biscotti are extremely easy to make too! It's pretty much like making a hard cookie just cut into a different shape. Basically, you make the dough up and add whatever toppings you want into it. I chose to add slivered almonds (which actually didn't give it much more flavor since the cinnamon seems to over power everything). I also saw a picture on Instagram after I had hashtagged #biscotti of a biscotti that had mango, dates, and other fruit cake type additions. You really could add anything you want into this cookie. I also had planned on dipping them halfway into milk chocolate and topping with more slivered almonds. However, since they turned out smaller, I didn't do this.

Next time: When you prepare the dough for baking, you form it into two 9-inch long logs about 1.5 inches wide. You bake for about 25 minutes until firm and golden, let cool for 15 minutes, cut each log into 1/2 inch slices diagonally, and place back into the oven for 15-20 minutes. Next time, I plan to make the logs wider so that the slices are longer (just like the biscotti we see in Starbucks and other places). These will allow for dipping and adding more toppings!

All in all, I am so pleased with the outcome of my very first biscotti. As a newbie, I couldn't be more happier with the results! They are so easy to make, I am ready to prepare many more concoctions in the future for all new biscotti flavors.Stay tuned for more to come!

In the meantime, don't forget, I am ready for orders on your favorite cupcake flavors, cake pop creations, and possibly a few cakes. If you know of an upcoming party you're attending, throwing, or perhaps something you're not attending but know of, don't hesitate to recommend Liv's Bakery!

Cheers!

P.S: Business cards coming soon!!

Cupcake Galore

Can't believe June is already half way over! I've had my blog for a month and a half now give or take some and there is still MUCH more to come. I am trying my best to stick to my calendar but sometimes it's just so hard considering my very busy life. Not...sometimes I just like to take it easy on my Sundays! Not to say baking doesn't help me relax, but on hot summer days it's hard to be in a scorching kitchen that is very limited to baking space. I can't wait to someday have my own bakery where there is all the space in the universe! But for now, my tiny counter top will have to do. I can't wait to get my orders underway. First cake pop order in August! Thanks to Racquel's mother who has faith in my baking skills :)

Even though I skipped out on baking the biscotti last Sunday (I am making it tomorrow instead), I think that my cupcakes made up for the absence. I threw a surprise 60th birthday party for my boss at the Crowne Plaza Baltimore last night and it turned out to be a blast! Good crowd, good friends, good bartender, and good times were had! I knew I'd be baking something for the party, so I figured that dipping out on the biscotti last weekend was not going to be a huge deal. I decided to make:

*Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate chips inside and a vanilla butter cream icing
*Simple vanilla cupcakes with Nutella butter cream frosting

Both were fantastic! The only thing I don't recommend counting on: the yield amount on the recipe. Every time I've baked cupcakes, the recipe always seems to make more! This isn't a bad thing at all though. The chocolate cupcake recipe I used this time said it would make 12-16 "medium sized" cupcakes. Now, what do you think a "medium sized" cupcake is? I was thinking a normal sized cupcake pan would yield these results. Nope! I ended up making about 34 of these suckers! And I still had the vanilla cupcakes to make!! In this case, I'm thinking the author's "medium sized" cupcake was actually a giant sized.

What not to do: I've used cupcake liners whenever baking cupcakes. I thought I was going to run out this time since my once thought normal sized cupcake pans ended up spitting out many more, so I decided to do one load without liners and sprayed the "non-stick" cupcake pan with Pam. All I have to say is thank goodness this recipe yielded many more than I expected! ;)

Another thing that worried me: My good old friend Jason tried one of the chocolate cupcakes after I frosted them and the chocolate chips seemed to sink to the bottom (which is somewhat expected) and a few got pulled off onto the cupcake liner. I was a tad disappointed but I thought to myself, whatever, as long as they taste delish! (Which turned out to be so). It turned out that once cooled completely and eaten last night (the day after making them) this didn't happen too much! *relief*

I was extremely proud of both of the icing consistencies! The trick to making butter cream is adding the perfect amount of powdered sugar. Both frostings were creamy and had that whipped sensation. They piped out of the pastry bag awesomely! (Yes, that is actually a word)

I highly recommend Nutella butter cream to anyone and everyone! It captures that chocolatey hazelnut flavor yet in the form of a creamy, homemade frosting. *Pats myself on the back*

I had lots of left over Nutella frosting so I added a little decoration on the vanilla butter cream frosted cupcakes. I love the satisfaction of others enjoying my creations! I'm ready when you are :)

Cheers!!

Where Are the Biscotti!?

Hey all! If anyone is wondering, I didn't make the Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti (BTW, Biscotto is the singular version if ya'll didn't know) yesterday simply because I wanted a lazy Sunday after laying out by the pool for 3 hours. I know, it's a lame excuse, but looking and feeling like a lobster after 100 degree weather can definitely wear a girl out! I had this plan, to twist around a basic cinnamon & sugar Italian biscotti recipe by adding slivered almonds (a lot of em!) and then dipping them halfway into melted milk chocolate chips and covering with slivered almonds again. Sounds tasty eh!? It was such a simple recipe too and I STILL didn't have the strength to bake yesterday. Instead I went to Noodles & Co. with good friends to enjoy a nice vegetarian meal (If anyone ever goes there and likes trying new things, try the new veggie flat bread, it is absolutely delish!).

Anyways, I still plan on trying out this concoction in the near future; however, for now, I need to focus on my cupcakes that I am making for my boss' surprise, 60th birthday party on Friday! I am even switching up my gym days in order to focus on these cupcakes Thursday night. I decided on a vanilla cupcake with Nutella butter cream frosting as well as a double chocolate cupcake with vanilla butter cream icing! Adding chocolate chips into the chocolate cupcake is going to satisfy all those who are chocolate fanatics that are attending. I spent a good amount of time today searching for the perfect cake recipes for this event because I feel like chocolate and vanilla cupcakes can be SO boring unless you spice 'em up a little. One day, I am going to make the The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake by Stef on The Cupcake Project. This recipe looks spectacular using whole milk and a whole vanilla bean. Apparently these are expensive, so I will save this project for the future :D Check it out though! I plan on following this woman's recipes to become better at what I want to do with my life--become an ultimate baker! Okay...maybe I'm taking it a bit too far, but I know it will help me become a better baker and push me closer and closer to my goal--opening the ultimate bakery! Okay, just kidding again.

I just want to be a successful baker...NOW TAKING ORDERS!! Contact me on here or on Facebook and tell me whatcha want.

Can't wait to hear from ya'll!

Dessert from my Background

First time making Baklava EVER and it turned out really well! I'm so excited to see what else this international month brings with the desserts that I've chosen. I used to be nervous about baking new things but so far...I haven't been let down and it feels great!

This recipe was super easy and made the smallest mess out of any other dessert that I've baked. I've never worked with phyllo dough before, but from watching my mom make so much spanikopita in my days, I knew it was going to be some sort of challenge. The most important thing to remember is DON'T LET THE PHYLLO DRY OUT!! whatever you do...just don't or you will be wasting lots of good dough. It was already challenging when I pulled the dough out of the package because it was kind of broken up into thinner, shorter pieces. But keeping the dough under a damp towel really makes life easier when working with this thinner-than-paper ingredient.

The original recipe made 18 servings, but I cut it in half, made 9, and it fit perfectly in my square cake pan. The dough that I once thought was messed up, ended up fitting very nicely into the pan without cutting it. Layer by layer I went...butter by butter...I'm not sure that made sense but literally...layer, butter, layer, butter, layer, butter...oh there's some pecans/cinnamon/clove mixture...layer, butter, layer, butter...on and on and on until voillaaaa it was ready to go in the oven!

At this point, while it was in the oven for 50 minutes, I decided to dye my hair! Not reading the recipe thoroughly, I wasn't aware that I was supposed to make the sauce WHILE the pastries were baking. Next thing I knew, there was only 5 minutes left on the timer and I still hadn't begun making the glaze! I threw together the sugar, water, honey, and vanilla...threw it on the stove...(well, I was following the directions still!) and let it simmer for 20 minutes. It said that I needed to pour the sauce over the pastries right away, but I simply placed a towel over the pan, waited for the sauce to simmer and it turned out JUST fine!

Keep in mind, this recipe didn't call for cloves, but I threw some in the cinnamon and pecan mix and it made it so tasty. I also used pecans instead of walnuts in this recipe. I realize now that I should have let the sauce seep into the pastries a little longer before trying a piece, but I couldn't resist! At this moment, they are covered with saran wrap so that they can get a little gooey-er (yes, that's a word in my book). I can't wait to try another piece tomorrow!!!

Another smile on my face from a job well done. Come back for some cinnamon sugar biscotti with Alivia's special twist next Sunday!