Home Bites - Dark Chocolate Cake

Jay gave me my dream Kitchen Aid mixer as his New Year's gift, so I was the happiest girl when 2014 came in! Of course he made sure I was really going to use it and it wasn't just going to gather dust and be a huge paper weight in my kitchen. So I've resolved to bake as much as I can.

I resolve to make 2014 #ayearofbaking

Around the second week of January I baked my first creation: a dark chocolate cake, the recipe of which came from a baking class I took at Maya Kitchen last year. I have yet to blog about that, but it was a fun experience to learn baking in a class, and get hands-on experience with your classmates. You also get tips from the veteran bakers.

Those classes were months ago so I had to refresh myself before I baked again. I found very detailed and helpful instructional videos at Martha Stewart's website.

Now I can't share with you the cake recipe I used because, to be honest, I don't know if the people from Maya Kitchen would appreciate me handing out recipes for free. After all, they offer it for a fee in their classes.

But no worries because I found a similar one over at allrecipes.com. It has pretty much the same ingredients, minus the condensed milk. Plus instead of icing, I used caramel sauce. Oh and instead of a food processor, of course I used my mixer. :)

Ingredients:

1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) evaporated milk
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter

You'll find it easier to bake when you've arranged your mise en place beforehand. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch tube pan. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of evaporated milk and the 3/4 cup of cocoa. Heat until the cocoa is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, melted butter, water, vanilla, and cocoa mixture, mix well until blended. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (Note: I couldn't find a cooling rack at my grocery store so I bought a tray used for grilling, hehe! It does the job so that's fine with me.)

4. To make the chocolate icing, combine the remaining condensed milk, evaporated milk, cocoa and butter into a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and paste-like. Spread over cooled cake.


Now I would've made my own caramel sauce, I bought my candy thermometer and everything, but I still have a jar of Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce, so I used that first.

My first baking project for 2014: Success! 

So far, everyone who tried my cake liked it. I had three tastings, you see: Jay, my officemates, and a couple of other friends I had dinner with one weeknight. I'm happy with the outcome! But I'd definitely bake this recipe more, I'd like to master it. I might even try this recipe I posted. :)

Now I'd like to share with you one secret tip I got from my baking class. If you're going to store your chocolate cake in the fridge for a few days (it usually lasts for a week), make sure to brush it with corn syrup to keep it moist. I found that the cake is best eaten after a night in the fridge, it's more moist and rich.

Life Bits - Hello 2014!

Happy new year dear readers! I hope you had a wonderful celebration with your loved ones. New Year is one of my favorite holidays, and whenever I think about it I always imagine us jumping from the ending year into the new one. And although I know I won't grow an inch taller, I've made a tradition of jumping whenever the clock struck midnight. It's just more fun welcoming the year that way. :)

So a lot of people make resolutions at the start of the year. That isn't really my thing. What I do is take my planner and write down some goals. Usually it includes reading more books (in 2013 I read 20, yay!) and finish personal projects. I'm still working on my photo wall but I'm targeting to finish that this month. Making this new blog was one of my goals last year.

I haven't written any goals for 2014 yet, but I do have a mantra to go by. I've always been a creature of habit, and my brother calls me anal because I like order in certain things. I have my go-to items. Like in eating for example. I always go for the pasta dish and because I don't drink soda, my default drink is iced tea. If you look in my closet, you'd see a lot of blacks, whites, and grays. Jay noticed I often get flower-printed tops or dresses. Yada, yada yada, you get the picture.

So this year, I decided to...Try something new.

I started it back in December when I ended up eating at Mamou after a long day at work. Lorenzo's Truffle Cream is one of my comfort foods but having had pasta the day before, I ended up ordering the Kurobuta Sinigang. I ended up liking it! And then I realized, there is still so much to try, a lot of things to discover.

So for this year, whenever I get the chance, I will stray from the usual and try something off the beaten path.

What's your 2014 mantra? :)

Life Bits - 2013 in a Survey

I used to do this year-end survey in my old blog, and I thought it proper to continue with this little tradition. I didn't think I'd be able to dig this up because my old blog shut down last year. Or so I thought. When a friend mentioned on Twitter that she planned on answering the survey as well, I tried Googling for my blog archives. What do you know, my old blog is alive after all! I won't link it though, some things are best left in the past. :) Maybe someday.

Anyway, with this survey, you get an idea of how my 2013 went:

What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
- Successfully bake a banana cake.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- Don't make 'em. But I crossed off some of the items in my list of 2013 goals.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
- No, but both my nieces turned one this year!

Did anyone close to you die?
- Yes. My aunt, Nanay Juliet passed away in June.

What countries did you visit?
-Vietnam.

What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
-More stamps in my passport. A more stable income, and a steady fitness routine.

What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
-June 3, 2013. My life took a detour I didn't expect.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
-My baking wasn't actually half-bad!

What was your biggest failure?
-Small stuff. like keeping my place neat. hahaha - This has been it for the last half-decade.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
-Nothing major. My good ol' reliable acid reflux.

What was the best thing you bought?
-My Rebelle flats, Joan & Klaire camou tote, MAC lipsticks. :) Oh, and my BB Dakota leather jacket I got on sale for only 2k. Score! And the shopping haul I got from Pam Quinones's closet sale. (Is it obvious I'm a shopaholic?)

Whose behavior merited celebration?
-Everyone who helped after Yolanda.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
-JANET NAPOLES.

Where did most of your money go?
-Food. Bills.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
-Vietnam with Jay and his family. Coron!

What song(s) will always remind you of 2013?
- Gravity, Daylight, Sad.

Compared to this time last year, are you:

i.happier or sadder? --Sadder.
ii. thinner or fatter? -- People say thinner. I have no idea.
iii. richer or poorer? --Break-even.

What do you wish you'd done more?
-Exercise is the permanent answer to this question.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
-Eat.

How many one-night stands?
-Zero.

What was your favorite TV program?
-Orphan Black, Scandal, House of Cards, Suits, The Blacklist, Revenge, 2 Broke Girls, Hart of Dixie, Top Chef, Master Chef, Person of Interest, and Mistresses.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
-Nope

What was the best book you read?
- Every Day by David Levithan and Falling Together by Marisa Delos Santos

What was your greatest musical discovery?
-None. I'm quite sad about this, actually. I didn't listen to new music that much this year. But I like Katy Perry's new album.

What did you want and get?
- Hmmm. Let me get back to you on that. But I was really lucky in promos and giveaways. Won three blog/online promos this year!

What was your favorite film/s of this year?
- Flight, The Great Gatsby, Ekstra, Transit, On the Job.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
-26, dinner with my mom.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
-A dive. One more trip abroad. Brady.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
-Went semi-corporate because of my new company's dress code. My feet hating me for it (no more sandals).

What kept you sane?
-My journals, books, TV series, and Jay.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
-Bianca King (her home) and Agoo Bengzon.

What political issue stirred you the most?
-PDAF Scam.

Who did you miss?
-Always, my dad.

Who was the best new person you met?
-The whole editorial team. :)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
- Leave no room for regret, just acknowledge that sometimes, you make poor decisions. Be glad you have the power to change them (October 2013).

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
-"Lagi kang mukhang pleasant. Parang hindi ka nagagalit."
-"Continue being the poster girl for the editorial team! Achieve! *sparkles*"

The most touching experience you've had this year?
-My last visit to Nanay in the hospital.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
- I stuck to my responsibilities.That I didn't (well, haven't) crack under pressure.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
-Procrastinating, and not thinking about my decisions that much.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
- "Oh this road is long, this road is wide. It takes more than luck to last the ride. It takes strength and it takes courage to survive."

Was 2013 a good year for you?
- No.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
- Dinner at Castaway Island, Coron with Jay and Nins. Talking to my 96-year-old grand-aunt.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
-Leaving the office at 3am.

Where were you when 2013 began?
- At home, inhaling smoke and jumping like a jellybean.

Who were you with?
-Family.

Where will you be when 2013 ends?
-At Jay's home.

Who will you be with when 2013 ends?
-Jay and his family.

Do you have a new years resolution for 2014?
- Not really resolutions. More like goals.

What was your favorite month of 2013?
-May.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2013?
-Yes.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
-My Dad and Nanay.

What was your favorite record from 2013?
-Maroon 5's Overexposed and Katy Perry's Prism.

How many concerts did you see in 2013?
- Four: The Script, Bamboo, Carly Rae (don't judge, it was free), and Fall Out Boy. 

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2013?
- No.

Do a lot of drugs in 2013
- Do prescription drugs count?

You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
-No.

How much money did you spend in 2013?
- A LOT.

What was your proudest moment of 2013?
- Baking class. :) Oh, I was surprised when glamour.com picked up one of my blog entries. Haha! And getting back to magazine writing after two years. :)

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2013?
- Hmmm. Wala naman.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2013 and change something, what would it be?
- Signing my name on the dotted line. Hehe.

What are your plans for 2014?
- Be more educated financially, find a more stable job, bake more and cook more.

How are you different now that the year has ended?
- More focused on the future. More wary of user-friendly people.

What are your wishes for the new year?
- For my prayers to come true!