The Search is on for URC Flour's Bida Bakerpreneur!

Are you a passionate baker with dreams of turning your delicious creations into a thriving business? If so, get ready because Universal Robina Corporation (URC) might just have the perfect opportunity for you with their exciting "BIDA SA MASA, SEARCH FOR BIDA BAKERPRENEUR" contest! URC Flour is calling all bakers with a passion for baking to level up and join the URC Flour Bida sa Misa. Be the next “Bida Bakerpreneur”!

URC Flour is committed to empowering the next generation of baker-entrepreneurs, and BIDA sa MASA is the company’s flagship program designed to help you rise!

This year’s event will be held in coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Pasig City, Sariaya, Quezon and Davao City. This contest will showcase a variety of delicacies, including breads, cakes and pastries as contestants will be representing their respective regions via a unique and delicious baked goods.

There will be two categories for the contest, open to Home Baker or hobbyist who wants to level up their baking skills with the opportunity of owning their own bakery, and for Pro Bakers who have been creating delicious baked goods in a bakery, restaurant or café and wants to expand their skills and business.

Since 2017, Universal Robina Corporation, through its Flour Division, has empowered aspiring bakers through Flourish Pilipinas, a learning program that aims to foster a nation of baker-entrepreneurs. From educational initiatives and workshops to baking competitions, the program has continuously evolved to recognize, hone, and support the skills, talent, and passion of baker hopefuls.

“URC Flour’s initiative together with the support of our partner LGUs, aims to support community members to turn their baking skills into successful start-up businesses. Our goal is to empower them and promote economic growth by organizing a baking competition that offers not only cash prizes, but most importantly, we want to impart the needed knowledge and resources to support their start-up ventures. BIDA SA MASA 2025 will put their newfound baking skills to the test in a lively and delicious baking competition” said Naida Dalisay, Commercial Director, URC Flour Division.

This year’s "BIDA SA MASA 2025" will be URC Flour’s second installment and because of the program’s success, the search for the “BIDA BAKEPRENEUER” contest mechanics has been updated with the objective to equip community bakers with both the technical know-how and the entrepreneurial mindset needed to succeed in the competitive baking industry.

WHO WILL BE THIS YEAR’S “BIDA SA MASA” GRAND CHAMPION?

Exciting prizes is up for grabs for this year’s most awaited baking competition from URC Flour. The contest will feature various stages designed to test and develop the participants' abilities, including; Baking Training Workshop: Opportunities to learn new techniques and refine existing skill from URC Flour tech team. Business Coaching ad Planning will be part of the training that will help them come up with their own business plan. Exciting prizes awaits the top winners of this year’s BIDA SA MASA,SEARCH FOR BIDA BAKERPRENEUR baking competition. Champions from each category will win a total of P 100,000.00 with P 70,000.00 as cash prize and P 30,000.00 worth of baking equipment and URC flour products. Finalists from Pasig, Quezon and Davao who will be joining the championship will get a consolation prize of P 30,000.00 prize, with P 20,000.00 cash and P 10,000.00 worth of baking equipment and URC Flour products.

So, whether you're a seasoned home baker with a secret recipe or an enthusiastic newcomer eager to learn, if you have the drive and the dream, we want to hear from you! For complete details about the contest, including eligibility criteria, mechanics, prizes, and how to register, we urge you to visit the official URC Flour website at www.urcflour.com You can also find additional information and updates on URC Flour's official social media channels and other partner platforms. Don't let this incredible opportunity pass you by. Unleash your inner baking star and become the next "BIDA sa MASA"!

Chef Ai's Baking Secrets with URC Flour.

The FCBAI Bakery Fair is back, and this year, the theme “Rise and Shine” couldn’t be more fitting with thousands of bakers from different parts of the world flocked to the World Trade Center for a 3-day baking exhibit.

Welcome to the FCBAI Bakery Fair!

This year’s fair is a celebration of resilience and innovation in the baking industry, testament to the bakers who have weathered challenges and emerged stronger. URC Flour Brand Ambassador Chef Aileen Asilom more popularly known as Chef Ai, graced this year’s Bakery Fair and led the bakery demonstration at the URC Flour booth.

Meet Chef Ai. :)

Chef Aileen’s story is one of inspiration. From her modest beginnings, fueled by a deep love for baking, she has risen to become a respected figure, known for her dedication to sharing her knowledge and empowering fellow bakers. Her journey resonates with many, making her the perfect face for URC Flour, a brand committed to providing quality ingredients for every baker’s dream.
URC Flour’s booth concept “SIKAT” reinforced the "Rise and Shine" theme of this year’s Bakery Fair. Chef Ai’s path to being a successful baker is a story itself of passion and perseverance

Chef Ai with fans and fellow bakers.

Choosing the Right Flour

Chef Ai conducted live baking demonstrations together with other expert bakers showcasing their signature recipes and innovative techniques, all using URC Flour. Attendees were able to witness firsthand the URC Flour quality products featuring Daisy, Globe, Continental, Sampaguita, Blend 100, and Cattleya among others. The baking demonstration also features baking equipment from Vesmach Hyundai Home Appliances while ingredients for the delicious baked goods are courtesy of Anchor Food Professionals, Sugar King Industries, Oleo-Fats Inc. and Neco Philippines, Inc. In collaboration with URC Flour, Chef Ai curated a selection of recipes, featuring both classic favorites and modern creations, that were given to booth attendees to take home and recreate.

The secret? URC Flour.

URC Flour: A Partner in Success

Chef Ai’s passion extends beyond her own creations. She believess sharing her knowledge and inspiring others to embark on their baking journeys. “Baking is a gift that should be shared", she says. “Through my partnership with URC Flour, hope to empower bakers of all levels to create delicious memories. Chef Ai’s partnership with URC Flour is e testament to the brand’s commitment to quality and its dedication to supporting the baking community. “URC Flour is more than just an ingredient; it's my partner in my baking journey,” she concludes.

URC Flour "Rises and Shines" with Innovation and Expertise at FCBAI Bakery Fair 2025.

THE Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association Inc. (FCBAI) Bakery Fair 2025 witnessed a dazzling display of innovation and expertise as URC Flour took center stage, reinforcing its position as one of the country's leaders in the baking industry. With a focus on cutting-edge techniques and high-quality products, URC Flour's participation underscored its commitment to empowering bakers and driving the industry forward.

"Innovation is at the heart of everything we do," URC Flour Division Sales, Marketing and Distribution Manager Naida Ebora stated. "With the recent opening of our Sariaya Plant, we continuously strive to develop products that meet the evolving needs of bakers, whether they are home enthusiasts or seasoned professionals. Our goal is to provide them with the tools and resources they need to create exceptional baked goods," she added.

This year's theme of "Rise and Shine" perfectly aligned with URC Flour's dedication to helping bakers achieve their full potential. At its vibrant booth, attendees were treated to a showcase of the company's latest advancements in flour technology and baking solutions. To support this year's theme, URC's concept of "Sikat" embodies the company's position in helping bakers achieve their objectives.

"Sikat" in Filipino, means to shine, to be radiant, to be successful. It embodies the very essence of what we aim to achieve together. With URC Flour, we want to empower you to be 'sikat' in your baking endeavors. We understand that every baker, from home enthusiasts to established professionals, dreams of creating baked goods that stand out, that are truly exceptional. That's why we've dedicated ourselves to providing you with the highest quality flour, the perfect foundation for your culinary masterpieces," Ebora said.

One of the hightlights of URC flour’s exhibit was the live baking demonstrations led by renowned Chef Aileen Asilom, which captivated audiences, showcasing the versatility and superior quality of URC’s Flour product range. The baking sessions not only highlighted the adaptability of URC Flour’s product range but also provide valuable insights into the latest baking techniques. In addition to the live demonstrations, URC Flour also featured interactive displays that highlighted the science behind baking, which provided attendees with a deeper understanding of the properties of different flours and how they affect the final product. The company's representatives were on hand to answer questions and provide expert advice, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to education and knowledge sharing.

URC Flour's participation in the FCBAI Bakery Fair 2025 was a testament to its unwavering commitment to innovation and expertise. By showcasing its latest products and providing valuable educational resources, the company has solidified its position as a leader in the baking industry. As the industry continues to evolve, URC Flour remains at the forefront, empowering bakers to "rise and shine” with their exceptional creations.

The FCBAI BAKERY FAIR 2025 has provided a platform for URC Flour to showcase their commitment to the baking community. Their SIKAT theme, combine with the fair’s RISE AND SHINE focus, has created a powerful message of empowerment and inspiration. By providing high quality flour and unwavering support, URC flour is helping bakers across the nation to truly shine.

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Mocha Muffins.

Afternoons have become relatively cooler now that we're entering the rainy season. Compared to the past few weeks when afternoons would be extremely hot and humid, today's drizzly weather was just right for baking. 

My son had been requesting for Mocha Muffins since last week, and today, I finally had the chance to whip up a batch for our midday snack. Goes perfectly well with a cup of coffee (or tea) while watching K-dramas or Trese on Netflix. 

Sharing with you the recipe, because I know some of you have been missing my air fryer recipe posts and have been wondering I've been doing with my air fryer lately. Well, my air fryer is now officially a year old - very much used, well-loved, and still one of my best buys during this pandemic. :)

Mocha Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp instant coffee powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 whole eggs (cool, straight from the fridge)

3/4 cup all-purpose cream

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat air fryer to 170° Celsius.

2. In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, and salt. (You may choose not to add salt if you are using salted butter.)

3. Add the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Mix the butter and sugar in another bowl and with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat in low speed until fluffy. (You can mix by hand, but make sure that the butter is at room temperature.) 

Muffin time once again! :)

5. Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, and beat until the eggs are no longer visible.

6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixture and the all-purpose cream, mix at low speed.

7. Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients and continue to mix until everything is well-combined. 

8. Put your mixer at high speed for 5-10 seconds to make sure the mixture is creamy and has a refined texture.

9. Using an ice cream scoop, fill your paper-lined muffin tin cups with the batter and top with more chocolate chips.

Super moist Mocha Muffins! 

10. Bake at 170° Celsius for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

11. Let cool for five minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Baked Salmon.

Born and raised as a Catholic, I've always followed the "Fish Friday" tradition for as long as I can remember. It's when (most) Catholics abstain from consuming meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday in Lent, and eat only fish and/or vegetables. I reckon I learned this practice from my great grandmother, who would also diligently sing the "pasyon" during the Holy Week, year in and year out. 

Before I got my air fryer, our Fish Friday meals would either be bangus (daing, bistek, sinigang, or tinapa), tuna (stir-fried or eaten straight from the can), or good ol' pan-fried tilapia.  Now that I have an air fryer, I have even more options such as Tuna Rice Casserole, Cheesy Baked Bangus, and even the quarantine-famous Sushi Bake. 

Recently, I've learned how to make Baked Salmon (yes, Conti's style), and it's the recipe I'm sharing with you today - just in time for another Fish Friday. :)

Baked Salmon (ala Conti's)

Ingredients:

500 grams salmon fillet

5 cloves garlic, minced

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

1/2 block cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsps mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup parmesan cheese

For the side dish:

1 pack mixed vegetables 

2 Tbsps butter

Procedure: 

1. Preheat the air fryer at 190° Celsius.

2. In a bowl, marinate salmon with garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese.

4. Remove the salmon from the bowl and pat dry with a paper towel.

5. Place the salmon in a baking pan and spread the cream cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top if desired.

6. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and bake at 170° C for 30-25 minutes or until the top is golden.

7. While the salmon is baking, prepare the side dish by melting the butter in a non-stick pan.

8. Once melted, add the vegetable mix to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender crisp. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. 

9. Serve with the baked salmon.

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Cheesy Baked Bangus.

Just like chicken and tofu, bangus (or milkfish) is also a staple in this household. Whether it's sinigang, bistek, daing, or tinapa, there just has to be a bangus dish in our meal plan at least once or twice a week. And why not? Aside from its versatility, bangus is healthy, flavorful, and definitely more affordable than pork or beef.

Today, I tried to be more adventurous with bangus, instead of the usual air fried tinapa or daing. I baked it, and topped it with cream and lots and lots of cheese. It was a hit with my son, who almost finished the entire bangus in one sitting!

Cheesy Baked Bangus

Ingredients:

500 grams boneless bangus

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup all-purpose cream

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup melting cheese

For the toppings:

1/2 cup melting cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1 to 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

If you're out of mozzarella, you can use cheddar cheese instead.

Procedure:

1. Preheat the air fryer at 190° Celsius.

2. Season bangus with salt, pepper, and paprika.

3. Prepare the cream mixture by mixing the mayonnaise, all-purpose cream, garlic powder, pepper, sugar, and melting cheese in a small bowl. 

4. Place the bangus skin side down in a greased baking tray.

5. Spread the cream mixture on top of the bangus. (Mixture is good for two pieces of bangus.)

6. Top with different cheeses.

7. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and bake at 180° C for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden.

Many thanks to Ms. Lhen de Castro, founder of Bake and Cook PH, for this recipe! Watch how she made this Cheesy Baked Bangus on her Youtube channel. :)

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Social media has been abuzz lately with air fryers and their increasing popularity here in the Philippines. I know air fryers have been around for years, but it was only last year when they started to get a lot of hype in my country.

But along with the new-found fame and popularity came the hatred for air fryers and for people who own it, have bought it, and even those who are planning to buy it. Some people would argue that it works the same way as the turbo broiler and/or the convection oven and it would be a waste of money to buy an air fryer if you already have these appliances (I have neither of the two so the air fryer was a very good investment for me), while some say that air fryers are for lazy people or people who don't know how to cook. I strongly disagree with this one, because hey, I know how to cook. My friends who have air fryers know how to cook. And no, we're not lazy people. People who own air fryers (at least the ones I know) are actually busy people who are after the convenience of being able to work on other things while they cook. 

Like what I've said on my Facebook post, people have their own reasons for buying air fryers. If they have the money for it, let them buy it! Let people enjoy things! 

As for me, my seven-month-old relationship with my Hanabishi Air Fryer is still going strong, and I'm proud to say that I whipped up a storm in the kitchen on New Year's Eve (for the traditional Media Noche) with it! My latest creation are these Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins using the oranges from my New Year fruit basket. I had so many fruits and chocolates for the New Year and they all ended up being made into muffins, haha!

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or plain yogurt

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

zest and juice of 1 large orange (about 1/2 cup juice and 1 tablespoon zest)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet)

For Orange Drizzle Topping (optional):

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons orange juice

No drizzle, but I added more chocolate chips on top.

Procedure:

1. Preheat air fryer to 170° Celsius.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and orange zest.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

4. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with oil, yogurt, milk, orange juice, and vanilla extract until completely combined.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

6. Fold in the chocolate chips.

7. Bake at 170° Celsius for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

8. Switch to Convection Broil for 2-3 minutes if you want the muffin tops to look more brown. (Kindly make adjustments to the temperature settings if you're cooking with a conventional oven.)

9. To make the drizzle, sift the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the orange juice and stir until the sugar has melted enough and the drizzle can be poured. 

10. When the muffins have cooled down, pour the drizzle on the muffin tops.

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Lemon Yogurt Muffins.

After my successful experiment with apples, I decided to try another fruit with my muffins. This time, I used lemons in this recipe because you know what they say... when life gives you lemons, make muffins with it. Haha!

If you've been reading or have tried any of my muffin recipes, you might have noticed that I always use milk for baking. For this recipe, I switched to yogurt instead. Yogurt, as it turns out, makes baked goods taste better. Its tanginess adds an interesting, non-cloying taste to your muffins (or cakes, for that matter), while its creaminess helps make your baked goods soft and moist. In addition, it gives muffins a good rise as its acidity activates baking soda, which I also used in this recipe. Looks like I'll be using yogurt for baking more often from now on. 

Now enough of this chit-chat and let's move on to the recipe. :)

Lemon Yogurt Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose-flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)

1/4 cup butter, melted

zest and juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup juice and 1 tablespoon zest)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Lemon Drizzle Topping:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Just some muffins cooling down and waiting to be eaten... :)

Procedure:

1.Preheat air fryer to 170° Celsius.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix in the lemon zest.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs together with the butter, yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla extract.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  

5. Pour the batter into paper-lined muffin cups. (This mixture yields about 12 regular-sized muffins.) 

6. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and at 170°C for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Optional: Switch to Convection Broil for 2-3 minutes if you want the muffin tops to look more brown. (Kindly make adjustments to the temperature settings if you're cooking with a conventional oven.)

8. To make the drizzle, sift the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir until the sugar has melted enough and the drizzle can be poured. 

9. When the muffins have cooled down, pour the drizzle on the muffin tops.

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

Apples are pretty much a staple in our home. Apples are Yue's most favorite fruit, and he makes sure to eat them everyday because as the saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." 

Today, I decided to experiment with apples in the kitchen, after seeing that we have way too much of them in the crisper. It seems that the fruit delivery guy handed us a few extra pieces when he delivered apples the other day. Either that, or the price of his apples have decreased, because I usually hand him a hundred peso bill and get six apples in return. I have like, a dozen apples inside the fridge and I don't even know why, haha.

Anyway, this is my first time to add fruit into my muffins, and I'm so happy with the results! The muffins that I made were super moist, and they smelled divine. The kitchen smelled like Christmas as soon as I opened my air fryer to take out the muffins! Even Yue was impressed! :)

And with that, I give you my Apple Cinnamon Muffin recipe.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon white vinegar

2 cups apple pieces, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Apples and cinnamon make a great combination!

Procedure:

1. Preheat air fryer to 170° Celsius.

2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar until well-combined. 

3. Stir in the egg, milk, and vinegar until incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon powder, and salt until well-blended.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix!

6. Lightly fold in the apples and walnuts to the mixture.

7. Pour the batter into paper-lined muffin cups.

8. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and at 170°C for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Optional: Switch to Convection Broil for 3 to 5 minutes if you want the muffin tops to look more brown. (Kindly make adjustments to the temperature settings if you're cooking with a conventional oven.) 

Cooking with my Air Fryer | White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe.

I'm on a baking roll lately. I've been baking almost twice a week, ever since I've achieved my goal of baking a cake from scratch. Maybe because I have become more confident with my baking skills (after all, it's been almost half a year since I started experimenting with my air fryer), or maybe because my son is very appreciative of my cooking - he pretty much eats (and compliments) everything I cook or bake, and he devours it with so much gusto. 

Yue requested for cookies again today, because he wanted to snack on something sweet while studying for his exams. (Yes, it's hell week again, lol!) I made Chocolate Chip Cookies for him last week, so for a change, I made White Chocolate Chip Cookies instead. This recipe is inspired by Chef RV Manabat, whose YouTube channel is a treasure trove for homecooks/homebakers like me. Thank you, Chef RV for your easy-to-follow cooking videos! :)

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Because I have a cookie monster at home. :)

Procedure:

1. Preheat air fryer to 170° Celsius.

2. In a large bowl, mix the butter with the white sugar and brown sugar until well-combined. 

3. Stir in the egg and vanilla until incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt until well-blended. 

5. Add the white chocolate chips and walnuts and mix until the chocolates and the nuts are well-coated with the flour.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until just combined. 

7. Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.

8. Set your air fryer to bake mode and bake at 170° Celsius for 12-15 minutes. (Kindly make adjustments to the temperature settings if you're using a conventional oven.)

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

My son turned 12 yesterday, and for this year's birthday, I took it upon myself to cook everything on my own for his (simple) birthday dinner. No take-outs, no food deliveries, no 'paluto' from other restaurants, including the birthday cake. Yes, even the birthday cake! I think this has got to be one of the highlights of my airfryer experiments - baking a cake from scratch. I feel so accomplished, haha!

I baked the cake on the eve of his birthday (November 11th), while Typhoon Ulysses (international name Vanco) was starting to cause havoc in the country. It was raining heavily that night, with roaring winds and all, and I was awfully worried that the power might go out any minute. Thankfully, I was able to finish the cake without a hitch, despite the power fluctuations here and there.

I was dead tired after baking this cake, and my arms were stiff from all that grating (tip: use a box grater to make your life easier), but I wasn't able to sleep soundly that night because of the strong typhoon. I was afraid that the roof might start leaking, or worse, be blown off by the strong winds. Good thing none of those happened, and we were able to celebrate Yue's birthday at home with a simple dinner of tuna pasta, roast chicken, and this carrot cake. Sharing with you the cake recipe inspired by InspiredTaste, and my own version of the buttercream frosting. :) 

Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

4 large eggs 

3 cups grated peeled carrots 

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup softened butter

3/4 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup Nestle All-Purpose Cream (chilled)

2 cups powdered sugar

Procedure:

1. Preheat the airfryer to 190° Celsius. Grease two round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease the top of the parchment paper. (I used an 8" springform pan and cooked two batches since I only have one pan.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well-blended.

3. In another bowl, whisk the oils, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until combined.

4. Using a spatula, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth.

5. Fold in the carrots and walnuts.

Carrots and walnuts!

6. Pour the batter into the cake pans.

7. Set the airfryer to Bake mode and bake at 170° Celsius for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the cake is springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted to the center of the cake comes out clean.

8. Cool the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper and cool off completely before frosting.

Buttercream frosting, before chilling. 

9. To make the frosting, whisk the butter, cream cheese, and Nestle All-Purpose Cream. Add the powdered sugar in four batches, whisking the mixture until thick and smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

10. To assemble, spread frosting on one part of the cake and place the other part to sandwich the frosting. Spread frosting on all sides of the cake. Top with extra chopped walnuts. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. (I refrigerated mine overnight.)

My first-ever carrot cake! Neighbors loved it! :)

P.S. Many thanks to everyone who greeted Yue on his birthday! He truly appreciated all the greetings and well-wishes! :)

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Creamy Tuna Rice Casserole Recipe.

And just like that - it's November. This year will soon be over, and well, it's not as fruitful or as eventful as I had hoped it to be. I guess most of you feel the same way because of the situation we're all in (damn you, coronavirus!). On the bright side, the community quarantine made me rekindle my love for plants and gardening, gave me a chance to binge-watch all sorts of series on Netflix, allowed me to indulge in aromatherapy and essential oils, and made me very productive in terms of housework (kitchen work, to be exact). 

Speaking of kitchen work, I'm back with a new recipe. Yay! I just realized that I have been out of circulation for almost two weeks. Sorry for the lack of updates, but we've been busy with school stuff - projects, unit tests, you know the drill. Thankfully, Yue won't be having classes this week (both synchronous and asynchronous) because the school will be giving the kids some sort of 'health and wellness break'. That means plenty of time for me to bake and try out new recipes, and finish the first season of Black Clover on Netflix.

Today's recipe is Creamy Tuna Casserole, which I discovered in Nestle Cream Philippines' Create with Cream website. I tweaked it just a bit to my liking. Here goes:

Creamy Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 can shredded tuna, drained

1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green peas)

1/2 cup water

1 pack 125 mL Nestle All-Purpose Cream

2 cups cooked rice (Japanese rice or Dinorado)

1/2 bar quick melt cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Creamy Tuna Rice Casserole.

Procedure:

1. Saute garlic, onion, and tomato in butter.

2. Once the onion has slightly caramelized and the tomato has softened, add the mixed vegetables to the pan. Saute for a minute, then add the shredded tuna. 

3. Add the water and Nestle All-Purpose Cream. Gently simmer and season with salt and pepper. Remove from fire once the mixture thickens.

4. Spread the rice in an oven-safe pan. Pour the cream mixture and grate cheese on top. 

5. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and bake at 170°C for 15 minutes or until the cheese turns light golden brown. Serve warm.

6. Optional: Scoop them on seasoned nori sheets, Sushi Bake style.

Enjoy! :)

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Cheese Muffins Recipe.

I've been wanting to try to make my own cheese muffins for the longest time. In fact, I've bought most of the ingredients for it on my last grocery run (which was like, three weeks ago). However, I had qualms about baking it without a mixer, thinking that it would be too much of a pain to mix the ingredients with just a spatula and a wire whisk.

Thankfully, I chanced upon a Hanabishi Hand Mixer yesterday, while I was window shopping at the department store. I really had no plans of buying anything inside the department store because the main purpose of my trip to the mall was to pay bills and buy food stuff. I ended up buying clothes for the kids (my son, my niece and nephew), underwear for myself (because they were on sale), some gardening tools, plus the hand mixer. Lol.

Today, I tried making the Cheese Muffins and it was a success! Good thing I decided to buy this hand mixer. My arms would probably be sore from mixing had I used just the spatula and the wire whisk because the mixture is thick! Anyways, here is the recipe. Please use an electric mixer should you wish to try this. :)

Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup refined sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 can (300 mL) condensed milk

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 cup Quickmelt cheese, grated

Procedure:

1. Preheat the airfryer to 190° Celsius.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and sugar using an electric mixer.

4. Beat the eggs in the mixture, one at a time.

5. Add the condensed milk and vanilla extract and mix again.

6. Pour half of the dry ingredients in the mixture. Mix at low speed.

7. Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients, again mixing at low speed.

8. Add the cheese and fold in to combine. 

9. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups. Top with more grated cheese if desired. 

10. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and bake at 170°C for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

11. Optional: Switch to Convection Broil for 3 to 5 minutes if you want the muffin tops to look more brown. (Kindly make adjustments to the temperature settings if you're cooking with a conventional oven.)

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Cappuccino Muffins Recipe.

A-and we're back to regular programming! I had been in (social media) hiatus for about a week or so and had not been baking much because of my eye problem. Halfway through September, I had been having issues with my left eye - it felt dry, the upper part of the sclera had reddish streaks, and it felt like I had something stuck in my eye most of the time. I finally decided to see my eye doctor as soon as Yue's exams were over, and I was diagnosed with corneal abrasion. I'm still under medication as of this writing, and there's still a miniscule white spot on my cornea, but my eyes feel much, much better and less sensitive to light than it did two weeks ago. 

Anyway, moving on to what this blog post is really about - the recipe. I had been baking my Cappuccino Muffins differently, using just one egg. Until I realized that two eggs are better than one, lol. But seriously, my muffins became lighter, fluffier, and definitely more moist after I started using two (room temperature) eggs. And with that, here's the recipe. Enjoy! :)

Cappuccino Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour 

3 tsps baking powder 

2 tsp coffee

1/2 tsp salt 

3/4 cup white sugar 

2 eggs 

1 cup milk 

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp nutmeg 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips 

Procedure: 

1. Preheat the air fryer to 190° Celsius. 

2. Stir together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, coffee, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg) in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. 

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture all at once into the well in the flour mixture.

4. Mix quickly and lightly until moistened. Do not overmix.

5. Lightly fold in the chocolate chips into the mixture.

6. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups. Top with more chocolate chips if desired.

7. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and bake at 170°C for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

8. Optional: Switch to Convection Broil for 3 to 5 minutes if you want the muffin tops to look more brown. (Kindly make adjustments to the temperature settings if you're cooking with a conventional oven.)

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Triple Chocolate Muffins Recipe.

Weekends are for baking, and that's exactly what I did last weekend. Yay! I baked a few batches of muffins, enough for the not-so-little kid to snack on for the next few days. Because you all know it gets pretty crazy around the house during weekdays, with my son's online distance learning classes and all. (Please teachers, stop sending schoolwork after 4 pm!)

Anyways, I was craving for something sweet, a bit more decadent over the weekend because it's that time of the month again when I'd have erratic food cravings. Usually, I would just rush over to the mall to buy cake or doughnuts or the like to satisfy my sweet tooth. But times sure have changed and now I go by the mantra, "Why buy when you can bake", lol. 

And with that, I came up with this Triple Chocolate Muffins recipe using the cocoa powder that I got from All About Baking at SM City San Pablo. They've recently opened store here in my area, and I'm absolutely thrilled to find a place that can cater to all of my baking needs. (Not sponsored, though!)

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour 

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used Dutch Premium Alkalized Cocoa Powder)

1 Tbsp baking powder

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips for topping

1/4 cup white chocolate chips for topping

Procedure:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 190° Celsius.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Make a well at the center of the mixture.

3. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Whisk the milk, egg, oil, and vanilla extract until well-combined.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Lightly fold in the semisweet chocolate chips into the mixture.

6. Pour the batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Sprinkle each cup with semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.

7. Set your air fryer to Bake mode and bake at 170°C for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean.