CACS Day 5: Cakes and Cookies

Group 2's Cakes and Cookies

Day 5 was all about sweets… cookies and cakes!!! Our instructor was again Chef Rhea Castro who has her own pastry business.

Our group was assigned to make the following:

• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting and Mango Topping
• Orange Chiffon Cake with Italian Buttercream Icing
• Butter Cake
• Zucchini Loaf

Before mise en place, Chef Rhea shared some tips and tricks in making good cookies and cakes. She also shared with us the trick in making chewy cookies which I want to try out very soon. Remember: cookies and cakes are very delicate so one must handle the mixing, the batter and the baking with care.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

John was assigned to make the Chocolate Chip Cookies. Chef Rhea had reminded us to make sure the butter didn’t melt and to cream it just enough but not too much so that it won’t get soggy or have too much air. The batter was chilled before it was shaped. And chilled again after it was shaped, before baking it. Our cookies turned out fine. Not perfectly shaped but it was delicious. Everything was baked just right. My friends absolutely loved it and are requesting for me to bake more.

Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream Icing and Mangoes

Kuya Bong was tasked with making the Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting and Mangoes. The cake turned out beautifully, and very yummy. The icing and the sweet mangoes complemented the light and airy sponge cake. The icing was also extra delicious after the cake had been refrigerated.

Orange Chiffon Cake with Italian Buttercream Icing

Rose was tasked with making the delicate Orange Chiffon Cake with Italian Buttercream Icing. It is similar to the sponge cake but with less oil and sugar.

Butter Cake

Meanwhile, I busied myself with the Butter Cake. I was excited to bake a cake on my own. And I was shocked. Our butter cake was very rich… a dozen eggyolks, sugar, lots of butter and more. ALL THE GOOD STUFF! It was not so complicated but it was cumbersome to make. I had to sift the flour three times and had to be careful in beating and folding. I also had to make a meringue and fold it with the the butter batter. RAWRRR! It was sweat-inducing process that had a very sweet and buttery product. My butter-obsessed relatives sure loved it.

Zucchini Loaf

Our coffee cake was a Zucchini Loaf which was made by Earl. Earl, being a non-lover of veggies, wasn’t too excited about it but forged on with all passion in preparing and baking the loaf. And the loaf was picture perfect and palate satisfying. It was moist and the zucchini had surprisingly good flavor. Coffee cake, by definition, is not a cake made of coffee, but a cake served best with coffee. Our manual says coffee cakes are best served cold.

Our cakes and cookies were yum, yum, yum as I bet the other groups’ also were. My friends and relatives really loved all the cookies and the cakes and have been requesting for more.