E71 takes such poor pictures under poor lighting or closeups. Or was it poor photographer ? Hmmpfft!

Anyhow.

This cake was meant for a little get-together for Amalina’s friends. A neighbour. She just wanted a cake. I wanted to experiment. So I made a 10″ of All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake on NeoClassic Buttercream and a 8″ Perfect All American Shocolate Butter Cake with Chocolate Cream Glaze.

Those little balls are made of fondant, rolled and cut out with a cutter to get uniform sized balls.

p/s if you’re wondering, I’m bored, and realise I have pictures abound. So bear with me.

This is the most melt-in-the-mouth-before-you-blink chocolate cake ever. This was so good, even I had seconds.

This was Aliya’s 11th birthday cake on the 9th January 2009.

And here’s the clan and their cousins.

I just realised I have not posted this yet.

Aliya doesn’t like thick icing on cakes, so I choose this cake, which is rich and does not need icing. Just a dust of icing sugar. Scrumptious!

This came from the book Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. I am just a huge, huge fan of her book. If you need the recipe, just shout!

Happy Birthday Azen! I won’t try to count what’s your age now, for fear of panic attacks and migrain attacks too. But I sure hope you had a great one.

I should’ve blogged about it on the 18th July, but a lot of things happened. Anyways.

I’ve experimented with a few chocolate cupcake recipes. The one by Anna Olson featured on Sugar were really nice too. But these ones have got to be the BEST!

Got this from ZoeBakes and it’s just the best! The cuppies were really moist and remained soft even the day after.

I chose to make the Cream Cheese topping to contrast the dark dark cupcakes and also I thought the tang of the cream cheese would blend with the smoothness and chocolatey-ness of the cupcakes. I was not dissapointed.

Anyhow.

Azen was in Tokyo when I called to arrange for a send-off. He apparently had a jolly time in a lounge in Tokyo airport, something to do with automated toilet. Go figure! So, the gals in the office had the pleasure of more cupcakes.

Ciao!

Pic was taken less than 20 minutes ago.

Scrumptious. Looking at the way the girls gobbled these down, I take it was damn good. *perasan*

Dear Aliya,

Happy 10th Birthday to you, sayang! We all love you very very much and we’re all very proud of you.

10 years old is a BIG, BIG deal! I’m still amazed how big you’ve grown from that little tiny cute baby girl whom I held in Mummy’s arms, afraid that I’d do you wrong. I was so unsure of how to go about raising a baby into this cold, cruel world. But you looked into my eyes and instinctively I knew, it didn’t matter if I knew nothing then, what matters is that we’re in this together. We’ll take one day at a time.

You’ve been a real big help in our family. I know things may get a little hectic these days, what with Adani forever bickering with Ariz. And Ayisha is constantly copying what you do and of course, Mummy and Daddy’s contant “Aliya, do this” and “Aliya do that”. If you geta little annoyed with us, you do know you can tell me. I can promise anything but what I can say is that, time flies and before you know it, your little brother and sisters will all look up in awe at you, instead of climbing on your backs.

You’re their inspiration. A big one too! They look up to you in everythin that you do, and that is why I want you to be the best that you can in whatever that you choose to do. I promise to support you wholeheartedly.

You’re responsible and you’re loving and so caring. Little wonder when Ariz prefers you than anyone else (err except maybe Mummy) in the whole house. You’re like Mummy’s little helper, in person too. And I’m so proud of you for playing that role.

I know I can be a very annoying Mummy. I yell, I scream and I nag a lot. But surely you know I only do that because I love each and everyone of you so very much. I care and I show that I care. I hope you can see that.

Anyway. I hope the little party we had with your consins and relatives were fun. I watched your pretty little face blossoming and your posture reminds me of myself. You’re such a lanky, pretty tall girl and you’ll grow into a beautiful young woman, I know. It’s all my gene!

I do have a little wish that you would be a little more open and brave to venture into worlds that’s not too comfortable for you. Just open yourself to the possibilities and learn to relax. Take each day one day at a time and savour every moment and enjoy, Aliya.

Lastly, I hope that you would work harder this year at school and play even harder in everything else. I love you, Aliya. With all my heart.

Love,
Mummy

Last night’s results.

Forgot to do the clouds at the foot of the rainbow but I guess this was alright. Ayisha beamed and the kids were swooned.

He he he.

Me. Smug.

I’ve not gone crazy over cupcakes, but I have children who are born in the months of October, December, January and February and also a husband born in February, so expect more pictures of amateurish cakes and such.

Anyways.

Ayisha’s birthday will be on the 1st December 2007. She’ll turn 7. Yes she will. Only 7. The sad part about born that time of the year is that school’s out. So, Mummy will always have to bring forward the celebration.

So, since this is the last week of the school year, I decided last week that today’ll be the day. Cupcakes are still the easiest for me, so taking the cue from Adani’s success. More cuppies today. A significant different though. I used buttercream icing, instead of the sugar icing. I prayed that it’d work and alhamdulillah it did. BTW, I got the recipe from CookingforEngineers website. Great great website!

All 52 of them cuppies for Asha to bring for her classmates.

Adani, Aliya, Ariz & Daddy’s Cupcakes.

For Spinah, MoshTino, Hazel, Haiza, Ley & yts who all gobbled these up even before I could blink.

What’s left of the icing.

Ayisha beamed this morning.

I’m just happy for her.

The cupcakes’ are also therapy for me when I saw that she’s number 31/39 in her class and 261 out of 313 children in the Standard 1. Aku sungguh sedih. Feel like a failure. I need help.