How to Make Cake Without Oven - Update

How to Make Cake Without Oven

Chocolate Cake Recipe

Another insightful result when baking cake. Different result when the batter is cooked directly above the stove compared to another using water around a large pot.

Used the same recipe here: http://snageness.blogspot.com/2013/03/baking-cake-without-oven-homemade-baking.html

Made another cake without oven for our youngest sis bday. She even planned the cake design.

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How to Make Cake Without Oven – Homemade Baking

Are you a fan of mouth-watering delicacies and want to try it by your own?

The only problem – well aside from searching and buying ingredients is having the vital piece of equipment necessary for baking. Yes, you got it right – an OVEN!

Me and my sisters are much eager to make cakes, brownies and cupcakes. We love watching cooking shows that features sweet treat, not to mention DC Cupcakes.

You gotta love the measuring, mixing and the vibrant colors of the frostings! But how can you make this happen when all baking instructions start with “Preheat the OVEN…”

A few days back, we agreed to do an experiment and tried baking a chocolate cake using our electric stove.

Here are the ingredients for an easy chocolate cake from  JustEasyRecipes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
¾ cups cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups sugar
½ cup oil
1 cup boiling water or hot coffee
2 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two 23cm round cake pans, or one 23x33cm rectangular baking pan, with wax paper. Grease the paper and the sides of the pan well.
2. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.
3. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla essence and beat with an electric mixer for about two minutes. Add the boiling water or coffee and mix until combined.
4. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes.
5. To test if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick into the middle of the pan. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. A single rectangular cake will take slightly longer to bake than two round layers.
6. Slide a knife around the edge of each cake to loosen it from the pan, turn the pan over onto a metal rack and peel off the paper.
7. Let the cake cool completely before covering with icing. For the icing recipes.  I recommend a chocolate buttercream icing or ganache.

How to Make Cake Without Oven : Using Gas Stove

How to Make Cake Without Oven : Using Electric Stove

Try 1: Electric Stove – Mixing Bowl 

Our plan was to put a baking pan inside a larger cooking pot. Unfortunately, we can’t find one. What we did instead is to put the mixing bowl inside the pot since it’s just the right size to fit. This proves to be a bad move. We didn’t realize that the mixing bowl is rather thick compared to the real baking pan. We end up baking the cake for almost 3 hours. Every time we open the pot to see if the cake’s volume has doubled, we’re disappointed and another toothpick down the trash.

We decided to take the mixing bowl and tried getting the cake out – but it won’t. The center was burned and the top was not completely cooked. So instead of having a wasted cake – (still tastes delicious) we scooped it out and put it in a plastic container to be molded. We set it aside since it’s late. The following morning I made a frosting called chocolate ganache.

Here’s the ingredient still from  JustEasyRecipes

Frosting: Chocolate Ganache

Ganache refers to a variety of icing, fillings for pastries and glazes. It is typically made from chocolate and cream. The rich chocolate glaze is normally poured over cakes to create a glossy, beautiful finish.

Ingredients:

284ml cream
1 level tbsp syrup
200g coarsely chopped chocolate (use dark chocolate for the best results)

Method:

1. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Remove the saucepan once boiled.
3. Stir in the syrup.
4. Place the chopped chocolate into a mixing bowl.
5. Pour the heated mixture over the chocolate.
6. Mix until all the chocolate has melted.

Waiting customers, my youngest sis with Pop

Molded the cake in a plastic container since we can't get it out of the bowl

What happened? burnt cake (What an idiot, using a mixing bowl to cook - there's a reason why it's called mixing bowl!) ;>

That night, my bf got a taste of the cake. He asked me to bake him another one. This starts our second attempt using a different method.

Try 2: Gas Stove – Baking Pan

Since they got a very large pot – (the one which witches use  or the one used by chefs when stir frying - wok.) -  we’re lucky! The rectangular baking pan fits. We cooked it for an hour. The only problem is the uneven distribution of heat due to the shape of the pot. It has round-bottom, thus the baking pan was not entirely over the pot. The center portion was not cooked the same as the sides. However it was perfect. I love watching my boyfriends enjoying as he made the frosting (he also made the batter!) His parents and a cousin waited until it was finish (right about midnight) and we got thumbs up!

We didn't took photos for the methods of mixing since it's just the same as with what we did in the first try.

Putting the second layer. Thanks for goldilocks for sponsoring our cake holder .

JR putting some ganache frosting on top of the first layer of out cake

Me frosting the cake. 

I read online that you can use stones to even out the woks round bottom. We’ll try it next time

When we are back in the city, I decided to bake a cake using our electric stove. The good thing about city shopping malls is that they got a wide selection of ingredients. I enjoyed browsing for ingredients to use. The Dutch cocoa was great for my cake. I forgot what brand (update next time). Also bought some cake decorations and nuts.

Try 3: Electric Stove –Baking Pan

This time, I got no one to help! But still enjoyed it as much. Using the same ingredients I put my batter in a baking pan and put it directly over the stove. I almost forgot, cover your pan with an aluminum foil. The baking process was not perfect since the center got slightly burned. I plan to buy a flat aluminum pan to use next time. I’ll put it over the stove before the baking pan.

Here are some photos from my chocolate cake without using an oven. Be creative on your decoration and no will know it's homemade!

Tips:

When frosting, let the cake cool first. You could also set the frosting mixture in the fridge for a couple minutes. You won't get the messy gooey frosting when applying it on the cake.

When baking, check the cake every now and then to see if all portions are cooked well. If not, adjust the pot or whatever you are using accordingly. 

Maybe you can share how you baked your cake even without an OVEN. Did you try using coal or woods? Share it!

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Crab-a-licious Night - Let's Crab Eat in Davao City

Just had a wonderful satisfying eat-all-you-can crab buffet at Let's Crab Eat! at Torres St., in Davao City. A simple celebration for heart's day and oh well to satisfy my intense crab-ing!

The restaurant offers different main course dish including the mouth-watering curry-like crab.At first I though it was cooked with curry powder because of its taste and aroma. Just before posting this, I research and found that there's a name for it and it's Szechuan Crab. Thanks Sir Blogie for the info. I'll also be featuring your images here since what we took last night was not giving the place enough credit they deserve.

A rather disorganize plate ;>

Appetizers and Dessert

After a delightful dinner

For the food, I think they serve 4-6 main dishes including crabs, beef, fish fillet, calamari, vegetable dish which I really love. They also have separate table for dessert and appetizers. The kids seem to love the fondue bar. The caesar salad was good but I didn't seem to recognize where the dressing was.

Mouthful of green salad

Dining area

Bloggers mentioned the baby back ribs but it wasn't on the menu when we went there, which was too bad. I also think they need to add up their dessert servings. Me and my bestfriend's family ate at one of Davao's crab buffet, Glamour's Crab Buffet located at J. Camus Street ext. and Padre Gomez Street and they serve more dessert.

Let's Crab Eat! As of the night of Feb. 14, 2013 : Php 449.00 per person excluding drinks, some says Php 398.00, maybe they raise it a bit because of the celebration.

Let's Crab Eat! D'CA Crab & Seafood Station (BUFFET) 

Address: F. Torres St., Davao City 

Tel. #: (082)282-CRAB(2722) 

Fax#: (082)2264988 E-Mail: lonelylim@yahoo.com / angelosioson@yahoo.com Contact: Lonely Lim

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HBO's "The Newsroom" - Getting the News right

I'm a fanatic when it comes to TV series. I am fascinated with stories in fiction, sci-fi and crime genres. Drama is a little bit off my radar. However, I constantly browse for new series that can grab my attention with the help of IMDB's discussion board. In the previous weeks, I was hooked with #SUITS.

 "On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City's best lawyers." See complete Suits Plot Summary

After the first season of Suits, I was in the pursuit of finding a good series again. I was intrigued with "The Newsroom" so I gave it a try. Initially my first thought is that it would be boring. I mean who wants to see a room full of people discussing what news to deliver? right?People taking calls, writing notes, shouting to each other - a completely normal day in the stock market.  And yet I was completely mistaken. And I mean GREATLY mistaken. Watching a few episodes gives you a different perspective of what news is. Gives respect to people who risks their personal interest for the profession. How television and media conforms to what the greater audience wants and left out the vital information that we should be sharing. Information that should be worth sharing - and must be discussed.

The Newsroom Plot
The Newsroom: The Complete First Season 

A news anchor, Will McAvoy, returns from a forced vacation to find his staff have jumped ship for another show. He is forced to work with several new team members brought on board during his absence.
More on: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1870479/

The Newsroom is an American drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin, airing on HBO, that chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel.

I felt a little disappointed since I am among the people cultivating entertainment to be on top of everything on the news. It's like celebrity gossip is a trend no one can put down. What I learned from it is that as much as we love talking about the pretty faces in Hollywood, we should be civilized through real informative NEWS. HBO's "The Newsroom" would make you cry and feel proud. I highly recommend it.

Here's an excerpt on the first episode which is nothing but utterly breathtaking.

We Just Decided To [1.01] 
Will: Sharon, the NEA is a loser. Yeah, it accounts for a penny out of our paycheck, but he gets to hit you with it any time he wants. It doesn't cost money, it costs votes; it costs airtime, column inches. You know why people don't like liberals? Because they lose. If liberals are so fucking smart, how come they lose so goddamn always?

Sharon: Hey!

Will: [to Lewis] And with a straight face, you're gonna tell students that America's so star-spangled awesome, that we're the only ones in the world who have freedom? Canada has freedom, Japan has freedom, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia, Belgium has freedom. [laughs] So 207 sovereign states in the world, like a hundred and eighty of them have freedom.

Moderator: Alright–

Will: And yeah, you, sorority girl. Just in case you accidentally wander into a voting booth one day, there's some things you should know, and one of them is, there's absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we're the greatest country in the world. We're 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number 4 in labor force, and number 4 in exports. We lead the world in only 3 categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined. 25 of whom are allies. Now, none of this is the fault of a 20 year old college student. But you, nonetheless, are without a doubt a member of the worst period generation period ever period. So when you ask, "what makes us the greatest country in the world?" I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Yosemite? [Pause] We sure used to be. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons. We passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors. We put our money where our mouths were. And we never beat our chest. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and we cultivated the world's greatest artists and the world's greatest economy. We reached for the stars, acted like men. We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it, it didn't make us feel inferior. We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in our last election. And we didn't... we didn't scare so easy. We were able to be all these things, and to do all these things, because we were informed. By great men, men who were revered. First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore. [Pause] Enough?
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Newsroom_(U.S._TV_series)

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Festive Kasalang Bayan 2012 – A true BAYANIHAN spirit

Weddings would always be like a distant fantasy that every woman dreamt of having. Being on a white elegant dress, walking on the aisle and waiting on the end of it for the man you would spend your whole life with. However, with us on the 21^st century, ceremony of this kind is often forgotten. Most couples are now living together, creating a family without the formality of a wedding.

Last October, a small community in Bawing, Paligue, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur held a mass wedding. It was called “Kasalang Mansibado”, but I’m not so sure about this. I’m guessing this is a chance given by the Catholic Church for their coupled members who are already living together for some time and with a child.

Mrs. Josephine Almocera, mother of a friend which also happens to be a kagawad asked me if I could help in designing their small chapel for the event. Excited as I am, I began researching for DIY wedding decorations. A lot of good stuff can be found in arts & crafts blogs. What I focused on was having a center piece on the ceiling just outside the chapel. I looked online for easy to do designs. I decided on a fake capiz shell chandelier which was originally made from wax paper.

More wax paper capiz shell chandelier online:

http://pinterest.com/dollyhawks/shell-chandeliers/

Since I can’t get my hands on the material, I looked for less expensive alternatives. For the circular patters, I used 6-7 crepe papers, a roll of white yarn, glue and a front piece of an unused electric fan frame.

I made the chandelier patterns days before the event. As we head home on the weekend, we assembled it with the help of friends and relatives. The night before the wedding, I was able to convince my 2 sisters and mom to help. Happily, they agreed to – well they kinda have a knack for decorations too. My mom works as a dressmaker, so it was an advantage. I asked her to bring some red and white clothing that we can use to accent the place.

Everyone was quite busy with their corresponding task. Most of the mothers are already in the chapel discussing what to do. To my surprise, my mom was leading the pack! They used curtains to decorate the edge of the seat. My sister Vanezza was busy putting up the big white clothing on the ceiling. They also started making flower arrangements. I, on the other hand was busy cutting out materials, printing and walking back and forth. JR was assigned to set-up the chandelier. We added long red and white cuttings of crepe paper extending outside. It was quite a sight.

The day of the wedding began with chaos. There was still a lot to prepare. My mom and sister helped with preparing the flower girls for their hair and make-up. We were assigned to take video and pictures during the ceremony.

As the morning draws to an end, we were able to make a festive wedding like no other. We were proud of what we had done. The 7 couples, who were wed that day, their families as well as the GKK members expressed their heart-felt thank you. Yet, it wouldn't be possible if not for every helping hands on the community. From kids running around getting things to elders sweeping the floors – truly a bayanihan spirit we should practice more often.

Tres Marias

As for the event, everyone was beyond happy – same goes for me.

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Free Work Online from Home - No Fee to Register

The web is full of promising work but only few require nothing for start-up. oDesk.com and elance.com provides unlimited online jobs for free, suitable for starting freelancers. These are just two sites from which you can work online and earn.

Learn how you can start your work online at home for free jobs and earn money.

• No Selling products
• No phone calling to tell customer to buy your products
• No need to own a website or a blog
• AND NO REGISTRATION FEE!

Be able to earn in the internet doing article writing, data entry, research, admin tasks, programming, web development etc. For proof, you can click here to view Real Time Job Posting Online

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My Little Planted Tank

Here are some pictures of my young aquarium. I’ve been meaning to change it to all tetras but Petsmart (Davao) in Sta. Ana doesn’t always have the stock. Got to wait though. Taking care of these plants is far more difficult compared to taking care of the fishes ;> Whoever has nice freshwater plants, I’m accepting gifts even it’s after the holidays!

A well planted tank with tiny fishes is an amazing sight. It’s nice to watch them glide and chase each other. Takes away the boredom of being alone.

If you have your own aquarium. Share it here! Happy Fish Keeping Davao

Davao Fish Lover

Davao Fish Enthusiast

Davao Aquarists

Davao Fish Aquarium

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Crocodile Park Davao

Another enjoyable trip with the Almoceja Family and friends.

Crocodile Park Davao is among the popular places to have a nature adventure in Davao City. It is not a place only dedicated to crocs but also to a variety of animals (though they really made a spotlight for the crocs).


They have a lot of shows and you can check it in their website.

Here are some info for you to prepare for an amazing Crocodile Experience.

The Davao Crocodile Park will open Monday to Sunday
Monday to Thursday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

As of 2010 their Entrance fee is:

ADULT: P150.00
Inclusions
1. entry at Butterfly House
2. entry at Tribu K'Mindanawan
3. entry at Crocodile Park


KIDS (2-12 years old) P75.00
Inclusions
1. entry at Butterfly House
2. entry at Tribu K'Mindanawan
3. entry at Crocodile Park

Davao Crocodile Park showcase their animals by having great shows which includes the Crocodile Dancing, Crocodile Encounter, Crocodile Frenzy, Crocodile Feeding, Wildlife Encounter and the Tightrope Walking.


Davao Crocodile Park Complex
Riverfront, Corporate City, Diversion Highway
Ma-a, Davao City 8000 Philippines

Phone: (082) 286 8883 or 286 1054
Telefax: +63.082.221.4671


It’s expensive when you have a crowd. But truly it’s worth it.

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EPOL Spring Trip

Epol Spring is located in Epol, Baganihan , Marilog Davao City. It is one of the attractions in Davao. My friends went there to unwind and celebrate an occasion. It wouldn’t take too long to be there. If you are a resident in Davao, you just have to go to the bus terminal and board a bus to Marilog. It would take approximately 85-105 pesos depending on how you ask the driver’s assistant. The drive is 2 hours. Be sure to look for the wooden sign saying “Epol Falls” since it looked ancient and may be hard to see due the fog. It is not always foggy on the road but when we went there, it was.

From the high way, my friends and I walk for about 20-30 minutes. It’s not really hard compared to the trail in Virgin and Tudaya Falls, which almost made me cry. The only obstacle that you can encounter is the slippery and muddy track. It so happen that two of my friends suffered with this and it’s so bad that we can’t hide the laughter that burst out from our mouth. So better wear appropriate clothing when going to this type of place. It’s not like you are going to some malls and flaunt all of your curves and fancy dresses. Try putting on comfortable shirts and shorts and sandals or shoes for trekking would be good.

The good part in the location of Epol Falls is that there are built houses ready to be rented by people who doesn’t have tents. Though the rent is a little bit expensive for me (well, its 50 pesos per night) the comfort is well serve. I think that they have 2-3 houses available. The one that we rented is fine-looking and have parts just like a typical house. It consists of a dining area which is also located in the main area; the kitchen is at the back, the sleeping area is upstairs with a small porch where you can put a “duyan” for relaxation. Just a reminder, due to changing temperature in the area, it would be best if you bring sleeping materials to relieve the coldness of the night.

The falls is simply amazing! The walk is short from the house, maybe 10 minutes or less. Though the length of the falls is 30 ft., it is not short in magnificence. Walking down, you can get past the top and see it. The water is cold, but so fun. Anyone can also climb from the lower portion of the falls to the upper side. My friends were able to go beyond the top and continued exploring but I decided to stay since I’m really frightened with slippery rocks.

So if you want to get out of the busy and noisy city, Epol Falls would be a great get-away! If you have no money to go home, you can hitch a ride anytime.

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Snage's Top 10

I’m participating in the top 10 Emerging and Influential blogs for 2009. The following are my nominees for this prestigious writing project:

1. Patay Gutom
2. Muffie Shannen
3. Ax Realm
4. Lakwatsero
5. Flair Candy
6. Focal Glass
7. Millionaire Acts
8. Pickle Minded
9. Video Chops
10. Adaphobic

This writing project will not be possible without the support of sponsors such as Absolute Traders, My Brute Cheats, Business Summaries, Fitness Advantage Club, Events and Corporate Video, Events at Work, Dominguez Marketing Communications, Red Mobile, Budget hotel in Makati, and Blog4Reviews.com.

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