My first Bake Along!

Edited to add my pic of the final cake for bake along 1:

I've just joined a FB group called the FondBites, Bake Along group.  Our aim is to bake and learn with each bake and share our experiences together to learn even more.

This week's bake is a Vanilla Fantasy - below are the recipes that I will be using - 
1. Filling inspired from Anushruti's custard cream: 
http://www.divinetaste.com/archives/cherry-stuffed-caramelized-peaches-with-custard-cream/
2. Frosting as suggested by Subhashini Ramsingh 
http://www.fondbites.com/
3. Cake from Sailu's food blog:
http://www.sailusfood.com/2010/06/15/basic-eggless-cake-using-curd/
4. Cake decoration from:
http://iambaker.net/candle-birthday-cake-surprise-inside-cake/

For the filling:

•       1 tbsp custard powder 
•          60 ml (1/4 cup water)
•          200 ml (3/4 cup) low fat cream (I used 25% fat)
•          60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
•          3 tbsp sugar
•          125 ml extra cream for lightening the custard cream once cooled

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix in the custard powder and the water into a smooth paste.
2. In a saucepan mix the cream, milk and sugar and bring to a boil on low heat.
3. Stir in the custard paste and mix well until thick and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Take off the heat.
4. For lighter pastry cream fold in 1/4 cup (60 ml) softly whipped cream to cooled pastry cream.

For the Frosting: (May need to double to crumb coat and frost)

Whipped White Ganache –

Ingredients:

• White chocolate – 200 gms
• Fresh cream – 400 gms

Method:

1.       Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Add 200 gms of cream into the bowl of chocolate and heat in a double boiler or microwave until completely melted. Let it rest in room temperature for 8 hours covered with cling film, or if you are in a hurry refrigerate for 30 mins to 1 hour.

2.       Transfer the white ganache to your bowl of your electric beater and start beating. Once it has broken down and whips up well, add chilled remaining 200 gms of cream and whip until stiff peaks form.

For the cake:

Ingredients:

•            1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted from a height at least 3 times
• ·         1 cup thick curd/yogurt
• ·         3/4 cup sugar (you can use upto 1 cup)
• ·         1/2 tsp baking soda
• ·         1 1/4 tsps baking pwd
• ·         1/2 cup refined oil
• ·         1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 200 C for 10 mts. Grease and flour 2 8″ inch baking pan
2. Cream the sugar and yogurt until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Add baking pwd and baking soda and combine. Leave aside for 3 mts. You will find that bubbles appear.
4. Add vegetable oil and vanilla essence and mix well.
5. Now, slowly add little sifted flour/maida (about a tbsp) at a time and fold into the wet ingredients.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 200 degree C for 10 mts, reduce temperature to 175 and bake for 15-20 mts or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean
7. Cool the cake for 20-30 mts and then overturn onto a plate.
8. 1½ cups APF can be replaced by 1½ APF + 3 tablespoons corn flour.
9. Sift several times and then use.

Cake Decoration:

For this cake I used a #32 tip from Wilton.  Simply hold the tip at the base of the cake, apply light pressure, and move up to the top.  Make sure to take the frosting all the way over the top edge of the cake.

For the top I used a #1M tip and just made little swirled dollops of frosting.