Pretty in pink

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When we think of love we think sweet, delicious and of course … pink! Krugersdorp’s pastry chef Marcel Duvenage shares his favourite cheeky Valentine’s Day desserts.

Strawberry velvet cupcakes

Ingredients:
325ml cake flour; 2,5ml baking powder; 1,25ml salt; 125ml buttermilk; 60 ml strawberry purée; 2,5ml white vinegar; 60ml unsalted butter, room temperature; 190ml sugar; 2 large
eggs, separated (keep one yolk to use); 1 large egg white, room temperature; 60ml vegetable oil; 5ml vanilla extract; 2 drops of pink food colouring gel

Strawberry cream cheese frosting:
125g cream cheese, room temperature; 60ml unsalted butter, room temperature; 500ml icing sugar (up to 125ml more, if needed); 60ml strawberry purée, 2 drops of pink food colouring gel; fresh strawberries, to garnish.

Method:
Heat oven to 180°C and line a 12-cup standard cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
Mix the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Stir together the buttermilk, strawberry purée and vinegar in another small bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on high with a handheld electric beater for about two minutes until it looks crumbly.
Add yolk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and pink food colouring gel, and beat again on high for one to two minutes until creamy.
Add half the flour mixture and beat on slow until just combined. Beat in strawberry-buttermilk mixture, until just combined, and then finish with remaining flour mixture beating until just combined.
Into another smaller bowl, beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold beaten egg whites into the cake batter until you no longer see streaks of whites.
Divide batter evenly in the prepared cupcake pan. Place on in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 18–21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Mix frosting ingredients, pipe it onto the cupcakes and garnish them with fresh strawberries.

 

Strawberry pancakes

Ingredients:
250ml flour; 10ml sugar; 2,5ml salt; 2,5ml baking powder; 2,5ml baking soda; 250ml milk; 1 egg; 30ml melted butter; 5ml strawberry flavouring; 2 drops of pink food colouring gel

Filling: Nutella; strawberries; sweets; ice
cream to taste.

Method:
Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
In another bowl, whisk milk and egg together. Add butter and whisk until combined.
Add milk mixture to dry mixture.
Add strawberry flavour and the food colouring gel. Whisk together until combined and most of the lumps are gone.
Heat pan to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour batter into it when hot. Flip and cook through.
Fill with your choice of Nutella, strawberries, sweets or ice cream before serving.

 

Mixed berries cheesecake

Ingredients:
Crust: 84g Tennis biscuits; 56g unsalted butter, melted

Filling: 15ml unflavoured gelatin; 125ml cold water; 678g cream cheese, softened; 190ml sugar; 453g fresh strawberries; 170g fresh blueberries; 170g fresh raspberries; 500ml whipped cream; 2 drops of pink food colouring gel; extra berries for garnish

Method:
Crust: Crush the biscuits and mix with the butter. Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 20cm springform pan or any suitable glass dish. Set aside.

Filling: Add cold water to a small saucepan, stir in the gelatin, and let it sit for one minute. Over low heat stir until the gelatin dissolves completely. Allow to cool slightly.
Pulse the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a food processor just until coarsely chopped. Do not purée. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Beat in the sugar followed by the berries and food colouring gel. Add the gelatin water and mix until well combined. Fold in the whipped cream until thoroughly mixed. Spread the filling evenly over the crust and refrigerate for at least six hours.
Remove the sides of the pan, slice and serve garnished with fresh berries.

Details: 079 629 5183, [email protected] or follow him on Facebook, A Taste Of Heaven Cakery

Text & images: JACO-MARI HAASBROEK.

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