July 28, 2008

Starting off with a "shocking" Challenge!

Here I am;
Su... back in Malaysia;
fairly confident in her set of hands.
A 100 Cupcakes for adorable little Sean turning 6? 4 days notice, no ingredients, no oven, no nonsense, no game plan...no time to lose.
OH wOW! A challenge on day 2 of my return!
I was seduced.
*tsk tsk* How I induce stress into my life really is amusing.
Bubbly little me was pretty excited to jump straight into it! ...get myself working in the right state of mind for business; if you know what I mean.
Unfortunately for me; my physical self was running around enthusiastically in Malaysia; but my mind was ticking in a Floridian timezone. *sigh* I really should learn to avoid over-estimating my ability to strive through lack of sleep.
There was so much to do; with no time to organize, it was one of those 'take it as it comes' deals. I generally am not a fan of spontaneous 'doings'; but beggars cant be choosers. I've realized from many attempts at business; its never always going to be what you like. I've just learnt to grit my teeth and suck it up!
On the topic of gritting my teeth, want to know why it was such a 'shocking' task this weekend?
Long story short; there are a couple of circuit issues going on with Mom's 5 quart kitchen aid mixer; and poor Su here had to find out the hard way. Every slightest graze I had with it's cold metallic edges would send a sharp zapping bolt of electricity into my arm creating a jolt at my joints. You can imagine the mess I made all over the counter top when I handled liquid batters and the sort. Unfortunately for me I had left my brand new 6 quart aid stowed away some place unreachable. I had to make do with what I had; and that meant taking zaps of electricity as I lifted the bowl or poured ingredients into the mixer. My insides were still tingly from shivers 2 hours past my baking! I would love to have thrown out the evil crummy mixer if my entire batch of cupcakes on Sunday didn't depend on it!
Ahh..lets stop with the tantrums.... whiners are slackers... and Su's no slacker. *grin*
2 days of frantic baking and icing cupcakes later; mom's counter top in the kitchen looked like a
tornado's playground. I had not written anything down in terms of design; and my extremely darling customer; Pui San was very kind to give me full creative freedom. There's really nothing more comforting than having control over your own imagination. She was so understanding and pleasant; can't think of a better 'first Malaysian customer' I'd rather bake for. I arrived with the cake and the cupcakes at the party in the afternoon.
....
Afternoon = hot Malaysian weather = warm = bad frosting
I can't begin to tell you the many things I've learnt about baking in Malaysia in these 3 short days. The many cupcake batters and failed frostings I've thrown out..... sigh..
It had to be done! mistakes are flowers along my long windy unpredictable path to success. Persevere Su!
The kids gathered around me with delight; Oo'ed and ahh'ed as I uncovered my cupcakes a tray at a time. I was told a fair number of kids at the party would be little girls; Instead of making creepy crawler creatures on all of them; I figured bunnies would be a good idea.Arranging them on the table was a satisfying feat! It all came together as I had intended them to. The birthday boy was amused with the adorable frogs; and gave me the cutest little hug ever! Ahh... it was the best feeling watching him smile and poke at the cupcakes.
I tried so hard to overlook the embarrassing state some of the frostings were in; but there really isn't much I can do with humidity or sunshine. Whats done is done...I've already made the mistake; sob...suck it in! it wasn't as visually appealing as I wanted them to be; but I'll just have to make mental notes to always avoid chilled frostings in future attempts. Oh Su.. always being overly ambitious. It's an incurable disease I tell you!
All in all; everything held up pretty well.. Pui San wrote back a text the day after with extremely nice things to say about the cupcakes at the party. I was thrilled! A big big sigh of relief for sure. I was so happy to hear that the cupcakes were a hit and that everyone thought they were too pretty to eat! but she said when they did; everyone Oo-ed and Ahh-ed.
Can't really beat a response like that!
*Su does a victory dance*

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bravo Su,
You're truly amazing, all the best to you always.
Lynn xo

thanh7580 said...

Fantasti work Su. You're getting to put into practise all that training you did in America.

Hope your endeavours with baking continue to get better and better. If I'm ever in Malaysia in the future, hopefully I can buy a Su Cupcake from Su's Bakery.

Pink Marie said...

hei su!
been an avid reader or ur blog.
welcome home. can i order cakes?

Dayana said...

wow.. those are really nice cupcakes!

Anonymous said...

well if its any consolation, im sure a chemist, particularly a food chemist could find a way to synthesize a heat and moisture resistant fondant. do you know any chemist? any korean chemist? i hear they are both handsome and smart! ;)

Iced Nyior said...

I've been following your blog for some time but never really commented.

Congrats on your first project back home :D Here's to many more baking and yummy treats!

Beks said...

Oh you poor thing! I hope the after effects of the shocks have worn off.
Wow! Those cupcakes look awesome, well done! You did a fantastic job battling against the weather. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to cope with that type of humidity. Anyway take care. I am eagerly awaiting the next stage in your culinary adventures!
xx
Beks

Anonymous said...

Hi Su, im so inspired by you...pursuing your interest and finally made it back home and even delighted the kids with the nice cupcakes...always hope i have the courage like you to drop everything and go take a culinary course...

Anonymous said...

You are so inspiring..all the best to you back home in msia...so wats your upcoming plans.

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how you could do all those lovely cupcakes in such short notice and rush. i'm amazed that you were able to have them done pretty even you didn't have adequate professional utensils and equipment in hands. i'm always got so excited reading your updates, though i have not commented on any. you are really good. *claps!

sin ee

flutterby said...

Su dear. WHERE ARE YOU? I'm in Subang of course. Will be here till end of August. WANT YOUR CAKE. PLEASEEEEEEEE.

sweet delight said...

What an incredible talent you have! Anyone would be so lucky to be gifted with the gorgeous creations you've made!

Anonymous said...

Hi Su,
I was introduced to your blog by my 18 year old daughter just 2 days ago. OMG, you are truly amazing!!
I will take time to go through each & every one of your postings. I have a lot of catching up to do.
Congratulations... you're a superstar!
Vivien

theadams said...

hahaha... it was just the malaysian weather and the jetlag...but Su the most important thing..Su is back in Malaysia!yeay!

Anonymous said...

Great Job Su!I was at the party, & can vouch EVERYONE was sooo impressed!Beautifully done, fantastic works of art.Felt terrible to eat the frogs & bunnies!Pui San gave us takeaways, bless her!Can we order now?? :) Please?Please?Pwetty pls?I'm going to send your blog to my daughters, they'll love it!Keep it up,you're wonderfully talented & will go far

My Sweet & Saucy said...

What an amazing cake and cupcakes! You're fabulous!

pigpigscorner said...

WOW, lovely cupcakes you have there!!

Su-Yin -Décorateur said...

YAY!!! Hi guys! thanks so SOO much for leaving comments. Im so incredibly relieved that it worked out alright..haha
It really brightens up my dark days when I hear from every single one of you. I wish I could give everyone a great big hug! hehe.
It's a dark day for me today... been having these too often recently. Haha. I have you guys to make them all better.
XOXO;
Su

**Do send me an email if you would like to place an order; we're starting slow and steady at the moment :)

marta said...

wow. simply amazing cake creations. lovely.

Unknown said...

Wow! Great job in such short notice!! Hope you are enjoying being back home. Orlando misses you!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Su,

Keep up the good work. Very creative ~
Just wanted to find out from you, do you know where I can buy those cupcake cases from in Sydney?
Thanks!~ All the best with your new adventure!

JuneFaith said...

wow.

i think you're amazing. haha i love the cupcakes.

when you open a bakery next time please let me know. :)

Anonymous said...

amazing cupcakes and baking skills! can i order your work of art from kuching, sarawak here??

sharon said...

I have to say you're work is fantastic, I am a Patisserie Chef and have been cake decorating for 30 years. You're the best i have seen in a long time.
Thank you for taking time to share you're passion with us.
sharon in Australia

Angeline Ong said...

congratulations on your project! I look forward to hearing more about your achievements! a fellow baker in London. Angeline