An Exciting World of Fondant

To all of you who celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year: GONG XI FAT CHOI!". I am sending this post from Singapore over my long Chinese New Year holiday in this marvelous country. Yes, taking the annual leave from work and at the same time collecting information and finding resources for my new inspiration.

I don't know whether anyone of you have had experienced thinking about what would be next after all those blogs posted over the years. I have, and a new idea hit me recently after reading through some articles posted on Singapore Strais Times Online regarding the trend of customized decorated cakes, or to be more specific customized fondant decorated cakes in Singapore.



While fondant or also known as rolled sugar paste has been popular for a long time in US and European countries, it is rather new in Thailand or some other Asian countries. I have envied enjoying photos of fondant decorated cakes in hundreds of baking books and posts on the Internet, but always faced despair over the fact that fondant is a rare ingredient to find in Bangkok. Ever since my failure on developing fondant on my own last year, I never took the initiative of looking at it, ever again...... until now.

However recently I pledged to myself that I would work through this obstable and take a new step into an extremely exciting fondant world where colors are vivid, ruffles are almost so real, gum-paste flowers are so natural, and graphics find no limits. After a long indulgence in the variety of baking, it is now time to focus on improving the decorations on cakes and throw many real colors!!



Friends and blogger fellows, I wish for your mental support on this new endeavor :-) A new sweet friend, Kate of Sweet Artisan has been providing valuable information on fondant and all, and she is the fondant artists I have found and interacted with in Thailand. Go and check out her beautiful works.

AVOCADO CHEESE CAKE Adapted from recipe by Alex Goh, a master chef in Singapore and Malaysia.
Makes a 7 inch cake
Prepare: a 7 inch cake ring



Ingredients:
- Chocolate biscuits > 150 grams
- Melted butter > 75 grams
- Cheese cream > 250 grams
- Granulated sugar > 60 grams
- Avocado flesh > 100 grams
- Lime juice > 1 tbsp
- Hot water > 3 tbsp.
- Plain yoghurt > 100 grams
- Whipping cream > 200 grams
- Fresh fruits > as desired

Method:
- Line the base and sides of cake ring with aluminium foil. Set aside.
- Put biscuits in food processor and blitz until fine.
- Toss ground biscuits into melted butter and mix well.
- Press into the bottom of foiled cake ring. Push with the spoon to ensure it is compact.
- Rerigerate for one hour.
- Combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat until light.
- Place avocado and lime juice in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add into cream cheese mixture and mix well.
- Fold gelatine into hot water. Stir until gelatine dissolved. Set aside until it is just warm.
- Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture into dissolved gelatine. Quickly mix them well. Fold the whole batter into the cream cheese bowl to combine.
- Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Together with yoghurt add the whipped cream into cheese cream mixture.
- Take crust from the fridge and pour the cream cheese mixture onto it. Level up the surface, and refrigerate overnight.
- Unmould the cake and decorate with fresh fruits as desired.