Seriously Chocolate

February seems to be the last chance for baking something so dark and deep. That only means chocolate, folks! I don't think it's a coincidence that someone decides chocolate is the official currency of Valentine's Day. Well even without it, I wanted to try something new, a little more complex, and definitely more decadent, chocolate dessert.

Gâteau au chocolat came to my mind.

Usually I resort to more simple recipe in which one ingredient is added to another until the batter goes into the oven: too lazy to separate the egg yolks and whites, not to mention whipping it! So until now, there was no angel cake or soufflé or anything requires a meringue. Well, it's time to conquer the fear of vigorous whisking.

I was afraid of facing a lengthy recipe, but it turns out rather simple: dark chocolate (using 70% cacao), heavy cream, butter, sugar, eggs, cake flour and cocoa powder. We don't need any exotic ingredient. The resulting cake is surprisingly airy in texture. But that is rather deceiving; the piece I took (and it wasn't that big!) was so rich, it is almost qualifies for a small meal.

Ku Cake

Pumpkin Goodness

I love butter. And eggs. And sugar. And cream. In other words, I love any dessert comprised of these sweet ingredients. But lately I am slowly branching out, exploring alternative recipes because some of my colleagues are vegan, lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts, etc, etc... I want to bake something they can have a taste, too. Although I will not convert all my recipes, I am finding some good ones that are not compromising my taste buds.

This pumpkin bread is one of those happy recipes. It is dairy-free, so light, moist and delicious as is. But with cream cheese-y frosting (made with Tofutti, vegan friendly!) it really sings! I'm so glad to add it to my roster.

Ku Cake

Autumn Baking

I think I mentioned this before, but this apple coffee cake is the hands-down my favorite. I must have found this one while looking for a basic pound cake batter recipe, and somewhere along the line stumbled onto it. It well could be a newspaper clipping. Or maybe from Penzy's catalogue? (This catalogue is a treasure trove of quintessential 'home made' recipes....) Original recipe calls for a cinnamon streausel topping. I omitted that, and with a whim, mixed in a bunch of chopped apples. And the result was... oh it was so good, I instantly fell in love. Since then I am using this batter recipe for various flavors and mix-ins. Really, it's that versatile. So far I've made: blueberry, strawberry, apricot, pear, Earl Grey, Green Tea, rum & raisin... the possibilities are endless!

This time I baked it in a sheet for the masses. Apples and cranberries are baked in the batter, and thinly sliced apples and pears adorn the top, adding the caramelized crunch. I had to secure my own piece before the whole thing is devoured.

Ku Cake

Red Velvet

There is definitely something very seductive about this cake... The color (=red), the aroma & flavor (=hint of cocoa), the texture (=moist and fluffy) all come together to usher a moment of such pleasure.


The basic cream cheese frosting compliments the cake perfectly... The color (=white), flavor (hint of sweet-tangy), and the texture (creamy) truly enhance your sensation.

Ku Cake

Bunnies! Carrots!

An untested carrot cake recipe turned out quite lovely...

Happy Easter!

Ku Cake