My first time baking

[crazy_cat_luv_bb]

so here're some pictures :D the results aren't that nice, but still edible ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Xepha]

It looks very nice... but you forgot to say what they are :P

[iheartsaku]

They look pretty good to me :) What flavor are they? Lemon? Or plain? Or something else?

[crazy_cat_luv_bb]

http://dexterd198.blogspot.sk/2014/02/diy-madeira-muffins.html

 

@xepha: The stuff that I do is in my blog :D It supposed to be baked in a loaf pan, but I twisted it a bit to become muffins

 

@iheartsaku: yes, it's lemony ;) but it was because I doubled the amount of lemon zest. It probably tastes like pound cake if I didn't put the zest in.

[leverhelven]

They look very cute! :D You could try putting some frosting next time, like a cupcake you know? :)

[crazy_cat_luv_bb]

They look very cute! :D You could try putting some frosting next time, like a cupcake you know? :)

 

I've never made frosting before, but next time I will try ;) thanks for the advice. In fact, I put some strawberry jam on it and they were quite good together

[emily_speck_15]

They look lovely! Making icing isn't that hard, you just need butter, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar.

[siniri]

Instead of frosting, you could try icing (which I prefer with pound cake): it's just lemon juice and powdered (confectioner's) sugar whisked together and drizzled over the top. It should be clear and pour a little faster than syrup, and turn white and harden not long after you pour it.

 

I don't think I use nearly as much sugar as Martha Stewart does, but here's a more formal recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/313152/lemon-glaze

 

I like that it's quick and scalable, so you can do it for a whole cake or a single cupcake.

[Bright ^_^]

Lovely! Your beautiful photography makes those muffins look delicious. ^_^

[paperdoll66]

 

Instead of frosting, you could try icing (which I prefer with pound cake): it's just lemon juice and powdered (confectioner's) sugar whisked together and drizzled over the top. It should be clear and pour a little faster than syrup, and turn white and harden not long after you pour it.

I don't think I use nearly as much sugar as Martha Stewart does, but here's a more formal recipe: http://www.marthaste...152/lemon-glaze

I like that it's quick and scalable, so you can do it for a whole cake or a single cupcake.

 

That's what I do. I have to call it a glaze, though. I lived with a baker that insisted it wasn't icing. I also do it in a bundt pan, because I think they're fancy.

 

After reading your blog, I think it might be that it is missing milk. I usually put buttermilk in mine.

 

I love lemon pound cake. It's one of my favorite things to bake, because it is easy to swap in grapefruit, oranges, or yogurt and add berries, nuts, or chocolate. I have been trying to bake more. It always feels like too much work before I actually start, but I feel so accomplished afterward.

[circlette]

I shouldn't have looked at this while I was hungry lol. Very pretty pictures though!

[Zephyr]

Hmmm, I was wondering how come I don't smell any aroma yet.

Those cupcakes look yummy, all golden like :D

& much, much better than my first baking attempt- my cake just collapsed xDD

[crazy_cat_luv_bb]

@emily_speck_15, siniri, paperdoll66: thank you, I will research more about frosting and icing and glaze so the next time I can put them on my baked goods ;)

Milk is what I will put in next time definitely. The recipe I followed didn't call for milk unfortunately :( But I need to check my baking soda too. It seems outdated and may also was the reason that the muffins became not so good. And the accomplishment afterward is totally worth it imo.

 

@brightmanchild, circlette, Zephyr: I'm starting to do photography, and your comments really boost my mood up. I did choose the best angle I could possibly can to take these pictures :graduated:

[siniri]

I was wondering about your leavening since they looked a little small (but still very tasty). Some other factors that can contribute to them not rising:

 

• Leaving out salt (salt acts as a catalyst for the rising process, so you only need a little bit, but you do need some -- I've used recipes that removed it because the person was on a low-sodium diet, but usually there's so little in baked goods, and it's really necessary -- if you're following a recipe, it's not obvious that they left out this key ingredient)
• Letting the batter sit too long before baking (either because you didn't get them in the oven fast enough, and/or because you put them in a non-preheated oven -- you don't need to be Lightning McQueen, but once the leavening gets wet, they should get in the oven fairly quickly -- this can also happen if your oven temperature is off -- mine is, so I often bake in my toaster oven instead)
• Messing with it too much when it's in the oven (opening the door, shaking the pan, etc. -- anything that cools them or lets the bubbles escape while the batter's still wet)
• Humidity (this can mess up your ingredients when they're in storage -- it also keeps things like whipped cream and meringues from setting, though the effect on baked goods is less; still, I thought I'd throw it out there, though there's not much you can do about it besides making sure things are stored in airtight containers and trying to use them up fairly quickly.)

Of course, it's probably just that your baking soda is a little old, as you said, but I thought I'd point out some potential other issues that can cause the same effect, since you said this was your first time baking. I hope that doesn't offend you, but I enjoy learning about all the things that can help make my baked goods come out better. (Another important one is overmixing -- this can make the baked goods tough and chewy -- something you want to happen for things like pasta or bread, but not so much for cakes or pancakes or biscuits -- unless you do, then mix away! I'm not a fan of chewy, so when I learned this one, I enjoyed my banana bread so much more -- my mom likes things chewy, so she always had me mix for at least 50 strokes.)

 

P.S. Your pictures really are very nice. They make me want to try the cakes, for sure. If they were half as delicious as they look, I'm sure they were amazing -- a stellar first attempt at baking.

[blueberrykiwi141]

I LOVE baking!!! it is sooo much fun and the outcome is always delicious!!!

I make an amazing strawberry cake ... i will have to post a picture sometime :)

It is usually gone within a few hours when there are people are around :)

 

 

Those muffins look good, i just do not like lemon, but frosting would most likely make it taste better!!! :)