Out & About #951 | Canadian Chroma at Eaton Centre + Mugwort Chiffon Cake with Cardamom Cream

​Recovery from the previous week's chaos is still well underway. But, in-office attendance is, well, regrettably obligatory.

Pumpkin Snacking Cake with Faux Cream Cheese Frosting was transported downtown accordingly for distribution.

​Over lunch, I would explore the Canadian Chroma exhibit at the Eaton Centre - the very spectacle I had accidentally walked into during the setup stages and gotten scolded by security.

The colourful modules were interesting, but featured repulsively filthy touchscreens.

On one hand, the varied displays and interactive attractions were amusing; on the other hand, they weren't particularly educational, nor did they incorporate innovative technological elements to elevate the user-guided experience.

There was greater joy to be found elsewhere along my mall trek, namely in the fluffy yarn zip-ups at Uniqlo and bearded Christmas plushies at Indigo.

It is also worth noting the prominence of fraudulent Wi-Fi networks in the wild. While perusing the grounds, I absent-mindedly connected to a network believed to be provided by Indigo, only to later realize the typo and absent browser verification prompt. After being the victim of a compromised credit card, alertness levels ought be improved for greater awareness.

Taking advantage of Cotti Coffee's $2.50 in-app promotion before year-end, I routed to the Bay and Gerrard location just before heading back.

​There was absolutely no wait for my Coco Cotti. The beverage was fragrant and creamy yet refreshing with the inclusion of coconut.

​The cup's contents were depleted well before the paper straw disintegrated - a stark indication of enjoyment.

My second office day offered limited time to roam about as I was to rush back for a meeting, which eventually got cancelled.

The brief saunter saw a visit to Mos Mos Coffee with a coworker for yet another refill of her beloved Cardamom Chai Latte.

After three consecutive weeks of investment, I had questioned whether she intended on recreating the beverage at home, as the drink mix was available for purchase. I soon assumed position of her companion, accompanying her on her recreation expedition.

A generous sample was provided for my reference: A lightly sweet and exceptionally milky hot drink, made with skim milk (as per the café staff's breakdown) and laced with lingering notes of spice reminiscent of ginger. Although I wasn't keen on the beverage itself, I became instantly invested in the cardamom pods that had resided in my kitchen for at least half a year.

That evening saw my attendance in Mat Pilates class for the first time in three weeks.
I had arrived early with the aim of boosting my step count to 10,000. Nearing the row of treadmills, I had the misfortune of witnessing revolting barefoot behaviour. Thankfully, it wasn't long until I had succeeded in my objective and hopped off the machine to secure my spot in the studio.

​Word had evidently gotten around, for the studio was the most packed I had ever seen it. Barely capable of seeing myself in the mirror for form checks, it should also be noted that nearly all the pilates rings had been summoned from the equipment bin for class use.

Creations of the week included:

1) Mugwort Chiffon Cake with Cardamom-Infused Cream

I recently realized that, since obtaining mugwort powder from Galleria, I've hardly been driven to explore its earthy, sage-like properties (beyond the Mugwort Injeolmi Crumble Cookies). Sunday Baking's Mugwort Chiffon Cake slipped onto my radar, and I set out to construct the cake accordingly on a long-awaited work-from-home day.

Although it was a simple cake, and a foundational one at that, the details are crucial to success. Unlike cookies, brownies, or loaf cakes, chiffon involved at least ten minutes of prepwork, most of which was locating the appropriate tools for the process. It was hardly a one bowl, hand-whisked project.

Pivotal steps included:

• Sifting of dry ingredients - to keep lumps at bay
• Prevention of contamination of egg whites - fat forbids aeration; a pinch of cream of tartar was added into mine as insurance
• Preparing the pan by greasing and flouring the interior; aluminum foil was also wrapped securely around the base, as mine was springform
• Cooling the cake upside down after baking

Sunday's formula involved whisking two yolks and three whites separately, which meant one yolk would remain for alternate uses. The yolks were combined with a small amount of sugar, then milk and oil (liquid and fat respectively), and lastly all the dry ingredients; meanwhile, the whites were used to form a meringue. In Sheldo's Kitchen's edition, the flour would blended with oil first, as to ensure hydration of all flour particles prior to incorporation of liquid and yolks. Regardless, both methods would yield stellar results if executed correctly.

​Like Sunday, I had also taken to a 6-in chiffon pan. Baking for 30 minutes at 350 F was sufficient for my purposes. The cake had rised beyond the height of the pan slightly, though maintained stability while cooling inverted as a result of its central pillar. The sides would slowly peel away from pan while cooling. Any stuck edges would then be loosened using a plastic knife, or chiffon knife, if available. Effortlessly moist and remarkably airy, I enjoyed the texutre of the cake tremendously. That said, mugwort is still very much a foreign, indefinable flavour to me.

Instead of using plain cream, I had opted for a cardamom- and cinnamon-infused edition. Prior to commencing the sake, I had submerged a handful of cardamom pods and dusting of cinnamon (ground, as I had mysteriously ran out of cinnamon sticks) in roughly 80 grams of heavy cream and heated the mixture until just before boiling. Next, the spices would steep, covered, before being transferred to the fridge to cool completely.
​While the intent of raising and lowering the temperature was consistent with the process of crafting brown butter, the structure of the high-fat fluid had altered entirely: The cream refused to whip at all! A variety of measures were taken, from adding in cold heavy cream, gelatin, and even melted white chocolate. However, nothing would render the mixture stable enough to form soft peaks.

​Eventually admitting defeat, I roughly tore up a few pieces of chiffon and alternately layered the cake with the runny, now-mousse mixture in a plastic container, forming a last-minute cake box.

The cake box was delicious - mind you - though not necessarily appealing given its mould-like visuals. Oops.

Consultation with Sunday Baking herself allowed me to realize that cream could not be whipped after being heated. She suggested an overnight cold infusion instead, or transforming the filling to a whipped ganache. The latter would have been possible had I scaled the quantity of white chocolate added, though, in my haste, I had not. Moreover, I was inclined to demystify the concept of infused heavy cream, since one of my recent creations already utilized whipped ganache.

​Her advice was heeded, and positive outcomes resulted. (Alas, I wished I had used less gelatin as stabilizer.)

It should be noted that, since the chiffon tends to dry out easily at room temperature, one shouldn't be stingy towards the amount of cream used for filling.

2) Oolong Brownies

With one egg yolk left over, I had planned to assemble another batch of Ginger Molasses Cookies. But, of course, I forgot I didn't have molasses on hand. The idea was scrapped promptly, for experimenting with maltose could prove either tragic or revolutionary without precedent research.

Instead, I settled on doubling my test recipe for brownies, but using one whole egg and one egg yolk. Just about to scale my Surfin, I deduced a sense of weariness towards chocolate and cocoa powder. The monotony led me to adapt the recipe for white chocolate couverture and oolong powder instead.

​As per usual, Blancor and unsalted butter were melted together in the microwave, then whisked until combined. Sugars were introduced next, bringing about shocking visuals: the mixture had seized, causing lumps of brown and white sugar to form. Fat oozed out in a clear liquid state. No amount of mixing could revert the bowl's contents to a smooth mixture.

I had the option to restart the process at this point, but chose to continue. Surprisingly, the introduction of eggs and comprehensive mixing solved the issue: the batter regained a smooth consistency gradually. Once again, my dilemma was brought to the attention of Sunday, who graciously assisted in troubleshooting. She predicted two potential causes: overheating of the white chocolate during the melting process, or that the recipe wasn't intended for white chocolate to start. Frankly, I had a hunch for the first possibility, since I had continually heated the components while simultaneously completing other tasks.

​This rendition used a higher proportion of white to brown sugar, resulting in a brownie chewier than it was cakey. It was also sweeter than if using brown sugar, and denser due to the use of yolk. There was adequate aeration and crackliness on the surface, though the brownie still proved too stiff for my liking, affirming once more that egg yolks prohibit rise.

3) Coffee Condensed Milk Pound Cake

Sometimes, when I can't quite pinpoint the exact item - or texture, rather - of desire, the only solution is to invest in all of the contenders. Resulting from my indecisiveness was a third (fourth?) creation of the morning.

Sunday Baking's Condensed Milk Pound Cake has quickly earned itself "keeper" status in my books. Firstly, the formula is foolproof, whether constructed in a stand mixer or manually using a hand mixer. A tender crumb can be achieved even if the face of accidental over-mixing, for the batter is simply that forgiving. Secondly, customization options are essentially endless, with the glaze being optional but very, very recommended to unlock the cake's entire gustatory potential.

Instilling the essence of coffee into this beloved specimen, 50 grams of sweetened condensed milk was mixed with 3 tsp of Nespresso Gold Decaf (for evening snacking), then added into the creamed butter with the remaining specified 130 grams.

The outcome was scrumptious, as always, though noticeably moist at its centre. Instead of cracking lengthwise during the baking process, the cake rose to great heights then plummeted immediately after being removed from the oven. Some separation of the crust was witnessed this time around, perhaps as a consequence of excess moisture forming from air bubbles being unable to escape.

While I had mistakenly used a traditional wet-dry mixing method for the latest Orange Condensed Milk Pound Cake, I reverted to the flour-batter method this time, which ultimately reigns superior. Adherence to this procedure ought be mandatory, for beyond a tender crumb was beautiful butteriness and an astoundingly airy texture - unthinkable for a butter cake!

The glaze was omitted this time, which might prompt one to think "Who is this hypocrite?!". Ploughing through kitchen activities nonstop had fatigued me quickly, and I could no longer muster the energy for additional mixing and additional dishwashing. Without the glaze, however, the loaf could be stored at room temperature and warmed before consumption. I can affirm that both routes are delectable.

Other snacks of the week included a homemade Black Sesame Latte and Pumpkin Tart from COBS Bread. The former was compiled using 1-2 tbsp unsweetened black sesame paste, frothed milk, and three teaspoons of granulated sugar. Its cloying nature has encouraged me to reduce the sugar next time around.

As for the Pumpkin Tart, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a gratifying bite-sized treat embodying a not-too-sweet profile of pumpkin. It was a wonderful application of the root vegetable, being neither excessively sugary nor heightening its innate fishy odours.

Beverages sampled this week included Cowbell Brewing Co.'s Grapefruit Radler (tasty), Big Rig's Pumpkin Porter (not pictured), and Meijian Green Plum Wine. The "new arrival" of Chinese origins was not an item spurring affection whatsoever. It did not taste of maesil, otherwise known as Korean Green Plum, as I had envisioned, and instead retained an aftertaste that could only be described as "icky". Still, subsequent sips could be handled better than Umeshu Brandy.

Watermain construction continues in my neighbourhood.

With lane reductions in mind, congestion has been unusually passable. Impacts resulting from the detours have been minimal as of late, though it's uncertain whether these conditions will persist.

Wrapping up the work week was a full-body massage to ease tension (and tension-induced headaches) - a well-deserved reward for finishing probation!