Daring Bakers takes on the O

May is such a busy month for me that I almost forgot about Daring Bakers(DB).  When I visited the DB site, I just found out that they've moved to a forum based website which is totally better than the blogger site.  I became a bit frantic when I could find this month's challenge.  I quickly emailed Lis & Ivonne (Daring Bakers co-founders), I even posted on the forum asking about it.  After waiting for what seems like ages, I finally got an email saying that they've fix my account so I can access the DB challenge, I was ecstatic! I couldn't wait to find out what's in store for me this month...

This month's DB is hosted by Lis of La Mia Cucina & Ivonne of Cream Puff in Venice with the help of new DB members Fran of Apples Peaches & Pumpkin Pie & Shea of Whiskful.  We dedicate this even to Barbara of winosandfoodies.com who is the force behind the event A Taste of Yellow which supports Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong.  Stay strong Barbara! Here at the Daring Bakers, we're all routing for you!

Hmmmmm.......OPERA CAKE is this sure OMG we have to make an OPERA CAKE!!! My mind is in overdrive, its panicking!!!! OMG!!!! can I do this?!? OMG!!!

Few hours later, my mind has finally stop panicking, it started strategizing.  Have to get myself almond flour.  Sad to say I walked 6, count that SIX blocks to find an almond four in our local health food store and they don't have it!!! Oh Crap...backed to ZERO.  I searched on the net what could be substituted with almond flour/almond meal, found out I could make my own just use blanched almonds and grind it, how bad could it be right?  I went in search for my bag of almonds and did the blanching and peeling myself of such hard work! I kept thinking this cake better be worth it man oh man my back and fingers hurts from all that peeling.  


Peeled and pretty, I went in search for my blender to grind them up, its no where to be found! NOOOOO this is not happening to me... My dad borrowed the blender and bought it to his office and haven't returned it yet.  And lucky me got to grind her almonds the old-fashioned way, I used my mortar & pestle!!! my arms hurt from all that pounding.

Finally I get to start making my cake, I sould have listened to my gut when I read in the instruction that beat the egg whites until stiff peaks and set aside and make the egg batter. What do you know after my base is all fluffy and done my egg white turned spongy and watery.  Minus the water I gently folded it  in looks okay to me so I went ahead and bake it.

The cake turn out sticky! Have no idea if its suppose to be like that.  I incorporate a tablespoon or so of green tea powder in the batter but the cake doesn't look or taste like green tea.  I flavored the buttercream with green tea too however it still taste like butter to me.  The only thing that tasted like green tea is the the soaking syrup that gets to be brushed on the cake.

I got so excited in assembling the Opera cake that, for the first layer of cake I totally forgot to brush it with the syrup (what a dummy!).  What's happening to me?!? I even almost burned myself with the baking pan! I'm a walking kitchen disaster?!?

The assembly is finished and ready for the glaze.  The cake turned out short.  Are opera cakes supposed to look like that? I don't know this is my first time making it and its turning into a big disaster.  The glaze doesn't seem like a glaze at all because the recipe called for cream and chocolate instead of butter and chocolate which would make it more pourable.

My mom loves the cake, which I think she's a bias because she loves anything with nuts on them :)

Conclusion: This is indeed a HUGE challenge for me.  Whew! its finally over.  

I'll try to make this again soon I hope. I'm asking for a food processor for my coming birthday from my siblings.  I can't hardly wait.

nikcreate

I'm a nine to five pencil pusher who loves to play with flour and paper during my free time. Dreams of going to Europe and eat croissants and make pastries all day long!

11 comments:

  1. I think it looks good. This challenge was certainly exhausting!

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  2. You did a beautiful job on your Opera Cake.

    Natalie @ Gluten a Go Go

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  3. thank you sheltie 7 mary! however my glaze got a huge crack i just didn't picture it :)

    yup i agree with you mary its such an exhausting challenge!

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  4. I had lots of shelling, too, although I did NOT use a mortar and pestle. You're kind of a rock star for that. Lovely cake!

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  5. It's not a disaster at all... it's near perfect. Bravisimo!

    And kudos to you for blanching, shelling and grinding your almonds the way grandma did! :)

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  6. thanks nan & dolores!

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  7. Wow, you earned this - walking 6 blocks and then not being able to buy any almond flour and then peeling your own almonds! Yikes! Great job!
    Shari@Whisk: a food blog

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  8. Anonymous2:03 AM

    You did it! Congratulations.

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  9. Great job - I can't believe you made the almond meal by hand!!

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  10. fyi you can get almond flour @ chef/cook's nook along pilar st. san juan!

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  11. yeah I know chef's nook suppose to have those hard to find stuff, unfortunately when I called them up they said no stock, weird, right?

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