Sugar-Free Vanilla Chiffon Bees

 I made some chiffon cake bees and used one of them as a cake topper for a sugar-free gender reveal cake!

The bee means something special to the couple that's why it's included as part of the decoration. I made it sugar-free as requested by my friend but you can make it with white sugar.

BEE MAIN BODY
Egg yolk batter:
16g milk
12g oil
Pinch of salt
1/8 tsp vanilla
20g cake flour, sifted
1 egg yolk
1-2 drops yellow gel colouring (optional)

Meringue:
1 egg white (36-40g)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar 
15-20g sugar of choice*

WHITE WINGS & EYE HIGHLIGHTS
See my previous post for the pandan vanilla chiffon cake recipe that I used.

BLACK EYES
5g butter/oil
5g cake flour
5g icing sugar
5g egg whites
1/16 tsp charcoal powder/black cocoa powder

FEELERS
Angel hair pasta
Black batter for making the eyes

OTHERS
- Pink lustre dust for rosy cheeks
- Black edible marker for mouth & stripe outlines
- Bloomed & melted gelatin used as glue for the wings & eyes. I used a ratio of 1:6 for gelatin:water
- Charcoal powder + water as black paint. I didn't measure as I just added drinking safe water to charcoal powder until it was a good painting consistency. Allow the paint to dry on the chiffon sponge before direct handling to prevent accidental smudges

* I used a blend of sugar replacements & prebiotic soluble fibers instead of white sugar. Unable to disclose type & ratio at the moment.

See the reel for the process of making the bees and the method in the pinned comments of the reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaOrloUyu-Y/?igsh=MW9uYTR5dmQwM25oNg==

with love,
Phay Shing

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Sugar-Free Gender Reveal Mango Pandan Coconut Sponge & Pudding Cake

 My friend requested for a sugar-free gender reveal cake and this was what I came up with!

Most gender reveal cakes involve cutting the cake and revealing either coloured sponges, buttercream or confetti sprinkles in the colour of the baby's gender. The content creator part of me wanted to film the reveal without having to destroy the cake so that I don't have to repair the cake/make another one after filming the reveal 🤭.

 That's why I came up with a simple reveal mechanism made of food-safe materials that I already have at home. I am surprised that this isn't the standard way reveal is done because it's so fun, dramatic, so simple to make, AND it doesn't destroy the cake!

The recipe I share can be made with regular white sugar although my friend requested for the use of sugar replacements omitting sugar altogether where possible. I made use of natural food sources as colouring where possible too! Such as the use of fresh red dragonfruit puree for making the hidden pink cake bites.

Pink cake bites in the shape of mini croissants and mini macarons

Cake composition:

- Red dragonfruit sugar-free chiffon cake bites with a little strawberry jelly

- Vanilla sugar-free chiffon cake bee

- Vanilla.pandan sugar-free chiffon cake sponge layers and white bubbles

- No-sugar-added mango pandan coconut pudding

- Fresh blueberries and red cherries as decorations

Here's a peek of the cake and hidden surprise before the cake topper is in place 

You may refer to my earlier blog post for the no-sugar-added mango pandan coconut pudding recipe. Here's the rest of the recipe for the various chiffon sponges. 

PINK/WHITE CHIFFON:
18g cake flour 
Pinch of salt
10g oil
20g liquid*

1 egg white (36-40g)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
16g sugar of choice*

STRAWBERRY JELLY GLUE:
5g strawberry jam 
1 toothpick dip of strawberry emulsion
14g water
2g gelatin

VANILLA PANDAN CHIFFON LAYERS:
(makes two 9" cakes):
8 egg yolks
96g oil
60g pandan water**
60g milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract 
164g cake flour

8 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
140g sugar of choice*

* Liquid:
Pink: 20g sieved red dragonfruit puree. Replace 1/4-1/2 with water if prefer lighter pink. Add a tiny dip of strawberry emulsion for a hint of berry fragrance 

White: 10g pandan water** + 10g milk+ a few drops of vanilla extract+ a few drops white colouring

* Sugar of choice:
I used a blend of sugar replacements & prebiotic soluble fibres to replace white sugar. Not able to disclose type & ratios as it's class material

**Boil a few pandan leaves in 500g of water. Simmer for 10 min. Discard leaves 
I used bloomed & melted gelatin as glue for the fresh fruit & chiffon parts in a ratio of 1:6 for gelatin : water

Please see this reel for the process and method:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ_O2RbSric/?igsh=eGdiZXh4MG5lNWJt

I will share the recipe for the bee, including a video tutorial for it in another post.

with love,

Phay Shing

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"Penguin on Ice" Marshmallows with KitKat Surprise

 I had a request for some penguin marshmallows with KitKat balls hidden inside them. This was what I made!

Checkout the video of the process over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWxPMX8SVxE/?igsh=MXAzeHNxMG11eTRwdQ==

Recipe can be found here.

I actually made 3 batches of marshmallow batter for creating 30 penguins because the batter only remains pipeable for limited time even if I store unused batter in a warm place (breadproofing box). I had leftover marshmallow batter to deal with because of that. As it was around the time for Easter, I decided to melt the leftover batter and set it in a tray to cut egg shapes out. 

I made S'mores out of it along with leftover brown sugar cookie dough I had in the freezer to use up.

And because the egg-shaped S'mores were made from marshmallow cutouts, I had to deal with the leftovers of the leftovers 😆. I remelted the marshmallow and set them in cupcake cases to make these S'mores, which I took the chance to use up extra KitKat balls too.

The "flower petals" are the extra penguin wings that I didn't use 🤭

I had enough leftovers to generate these!

with love,

Phay Shing

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"Puppies with Hearts" Marshmallows on Fresh Cream Cake

 The brief I had for this request was "Fresh cream cake with ombre pink/red hearts cascading down the cake and some cute puppies or bears". This was what I came up with!

Inside the cake is 5 layers of vanilla chiffon sponge with a hint of pandan in the batter as well as from the syrup brushed on the sponge surfaces.

It was honestly quite nerve-wracking putting this cake together because I seldom frost cakes completely and fresh cream only allows a limited number of passes with the scraper or spatula before it turns grainy. And Singapore is really warm so I had to work in the air-conditioned room.

I used my default vanilla chiffon sponge recipe and replaced a quarter of the milk with pandan water. I used pandan water instead of just water for the syrup for brushing the sponge. The ratio I used for the syrup is 1:2 for sugar : pandan water. I made the pandan water by simmering several pandan leaves in a saucepan of water (about 400ml) for 10 min before discarding the leaves.

I used the stabilized whipped cream recipe from this bake.

A closer look at the puppies with hearts!

Works-in-progress photo of the Hojicha marshmallow puppies before I stuck the marshmallow hearts and bows on

Please see this reel for the process of making the marshmallow cake toppers:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUnUti6CZN8/?igsh=d2M0YzF1NzVvMDRk

with love,

Phay Shing

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Lavender Honey Vanilla Red Panda Marshmallows

 Piping character marshmallows with many details can seem intimidating but there's a hack to simplify it! I made the apples that the red pandas are holding with royal icing transfers to cut down the number of piping steps and colours of marshmallow batter that I have to make from seven to five.

Watch how I made use of royal icing transfers in this reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPLweoSCcFn/?igsh=NTc2c2Y3OHFidGcz

Here's the piped marshmallows before dusting!

I use this royal icing transfer hack for character macarons and iced cookies too. Very handy!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Sleepy Snorlax and Pikachu Marshmallows

 My friend requested for Snorlax marshmallows along with the Pikachus so I made these!

Don't you feel like sleeping seeing them 🤭?

You may see the upright version of Pikachu marshmallows in my older post.

I made the Snorlax marshmallows vanilla flavoured with a hint of lavender, and tried to colour it naturally partially with dried blue pea flowers infusing the water used for making the sugar syrup.

I made some smaller Snorlaxes...

...as well as some large ones...

...so that the sleepy Pikachus can fit on top of the giant Snorlax!

You may watch the videos of making the smaller Snorlax over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI_HKH_StLx/?igsh=d3loMmxtdnhjYnVq

And the bigger Snorlax with sleepy Pikachu over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJTtfc7pfR-/?igsh=MWQ4NXBuaXB1MXVubQ==

I share the basic recipe, how to tweak it for different flavours and consistencies for adapting to 2D or 3D figurines in my Deco Marshmallows book.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Passionfruit Honey Vanilla Reduced-Sugar Snake Marshmallows

 Someone asked privately if the sugar content in my default marshmallow recipe in Deco Marshmallows can be reduced. My first thought was wouldn't it affect the stability and simply be essentially a volume reduction? I decided to give it a try anyway. Here's what I made to welcome the Year of the Snake!

Passionfruit honey vanilla marshmallows that are more tangy than sweet and full of passionfruit flavour!

A closer look at the kawaii version!

While reducing sugar did make the marshmallow batter softer to work with, it also did make it a little more unstable as expected so one has to work quickly and adjust the process a little to make it work. What's more significant is the reduction of invert sugar. I reduced the amount of invert sugar (can be light corn syrup, glucose syrup, dark corn syrup, golden syrup or honey) just enough to prevent sugar crystallization. The resulting marshmallow tends to be less sticky in humid Singapore's air, which is a plus point for me!

Here are the piped snakes before dusting.

This design is inspired by clarakitchen21 (Youtube channel)

They are super fun to play with especially the long snake which can slither!

Piping tutorials are on my Instagram.

Long snake piping tutorial:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEeuHtpSlOX/?igsh=YmJmbXIxYmg1aW9m

Kawaii snake piping tutorial:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEj3vf0S5Lp/?igsh=c20ydnp3ZXE4amY2

Do give these a try to welcome the Year of the Snake!

P.S. If you are interested to know about my reduced sugar recipe, I will be sharing it in my upcoming studio marshmallow class for mandarin orange and pineapple tarts that will delight (and fool 🤭) your family and friends this Lunar New Year!

with love,

Phay Shing

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'Knight Z Travels Around the World' Macaron Carousel

 This is the fourth consecutive year I am making a macaron carousel for a young knight! Knight Z has taken a liking to travelling around the world so this is this year's macaron carousel for him!

This was an epic bake that needed a lot of time and planning so it was broken up into several sessions. The great thing about macarons is they shells filled or unfilled can be frozen so it gives me the freedom to take it at a more relaxed pace.

You may want to check out my reel for creating the large macaron base over here and the carousel roof over here.

Here's a picture of the partial assembly which I leave to set overnight:

I filled the large macaron pieces with a ring of vanilla bean white chocolate, dairy-free dark chocolate ganache and crunchy chocolate crisp pearls.

The globe spheres are actually hemispherical macaron shells filled with the same dairy-free dark chocolate ganache and Ferrero Rocher.

Smaller macaron pieces are just filled with the white chocolate and dark chocolate ganache.

Here's the reel of the assembly:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAbBrwFyP87/?igsh=YjUzeW16ZnU0YXEw

with love,

Phay Shing

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Miffy Vanilla & Lavender Marshmallows (using meringue powder)

 After coming up with the recipe of using egg white powder to make marshmallows, of course I have to try using meringue powder to make marshmallows. Here's what I made!

The Miffy marshmallows come in two flavours. Vanilla and lavender vanilla. 

Here are some pictures of the piped marshmallows.

I made a total of 44 Miffys! So it really tested my patience 😆. If you are interested to see the marshmallows made from egg white powder, you may refer to this post.

I shared how you can use meringue powder instead of fresh egg whites, as well as a comprehensive comparison between fresh egg whites, egg white powder and meringue powder in marshmallow making in this reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9wt2xmS_ca/?igsh=cmpzZ3RnaGJoOXR6

You may see the squish and piping tutorial in this reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C93QHR0yCGA/?igsh=MW1udW1leWk4bWhhdg==

Please refer to my book Deco Marshmallows for the details of the basic recipe and various delicious marshmallow flavours!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Jellycat Avocado, Egg & Toast Marshmallows (Using egg white powder)

 It's been some time since I made marshmallows. Honestly, I didn't feel motivated to make them again until I had the motivation to try using powdered egg whites instead of fresh egg whites. Presenting my avocado, egg and toast Jellycat marshmallows!

You may see my reel over here on how to use powdered egg whites for marshmallow making:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C84I744ywEl/?igsh=MTIzOGI1OGQ2b2syOA==

This experiment came about because in some countries, the use of raw fresh egg whites is against cottage laws.

Here's a picture of the piped batter:

Marshmallows taste the best toasted because of that caramelized crisp layer and soft gooey insides.

Paired with chocolate is great!

Here's a reel showing how squishy the marshmallows are and the piping video tutorial:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8-rDFlyBCe/?igsh=MTN0OWNwNTFtZzJ5Yw==

with love,

Phay Shing

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Negiusagi Honey Lemon Vanilla Marshmallows

 A friend from Italy requested for me to create Negiusagi marshmallows for content creation in October last year but I only got around to making it in March this year. I am taking the chance to share a flavoured marshmallow recipe as well!

Photo dumping some shots I took of the marshmallows that are honey lemon vanilla flavoured!

Here's the reel for the piping process:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5DhgM7SK9J/?igsh=MTUyM3A3cWRtZGNnZw==

Honey Lemon Vanilla Marshmallow 
Italian meringue

60g egg whites
10g sugar
4g lemon juice

140g sugar
1/8 tsp salt
60g honey
10g lemon juice
30g water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Gelatin bloom
9g gelatin
15g lemon juice
20g ice water

Please read the captions of the reel for tips on working with character marshmallows in hot climates and if you are artistically challenged.

Flavour variations, keto-friendly sugar-free options, detailed steps and technical tips are in my Deco Marshmallows book.

 The book is already available in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and available for pre-orders in most countries.

with love,
Phay Shing 

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Kuromi Honey Lemon Marshmallows

 My friend requested for some Kuromi marshmallows for her daughter's birthday but she wanted something that tastes less sweet. I made the marshmallows in honey lemon vanilla flavour to fulfill the request!

Here are some works-in-progress photos before I dusted the piped marshmallows!

Watch the video tutorial of making these from the reel! Do read the captions for explanation for the technique:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4iAt88S3kG/?igsh=MXQ5bnh5MDEza3ZsMA==

Basic recipe and how to adapt it to various flavours and consistencies for piping can be found in my Deco Marshmallows book.

with love,

Phay Shing

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