So! Zoe..: homemade

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So Zoe goes Savory

The latest for So Zoe is our line of savory desserts and finger foods....

The Pizza Roll:

Found a recipe for this while watching television. This local show featured small and medium entrepreneurs and one of the the business highlighted was Pizza Roll. They showed how it was done. I've always wanted to broaden So Zoe to not just offer sweet desserts but also savory desserts as well. And not just all about baking and pastries. I want to offer something more. If I am going to offer this, I wanted it to be bite size pieces so it would be easier to enjoy not only by kids during kiddie parties but adults as well especially for cocktail parties.

A typical Filipino Kiddie party consist of spaghetti, slice bread, hotdog and sweet pastries like cupcakes, now mommies can add one to the menu that children will surely love. During cocktail parties, most of the time, it is kebab cocktail hotdogs and cheese or maki if they want to go a bit Japanese.

Because this product really taste like pizza, anyone who loves pizza will really enjoy this. And not just that, with the summer coming, this is a good beach snacks as well, something you can enjoy as you lounge, sunbathe and enjoy the sun without breaking your budget. You can even enjoy this during a lazy day at home.

The result bite size pieces is perfect for dessert buffets and is well appreciated by both the kids and adults.

Pizza Roll comes in packs of 30 and pack of 50.

The Chicken Lollipops:

Another finger food product we offer is of course, the chicken lollipops. It has been sort of a family tradition to include this menu in any family event so might as well share to everyone what finger lickin' good really is bite size.

Other Savory Products:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

More products available soon check out the savory page

Themed Cakes

When I first started making cakes and doing some frosting designs, I thought piping cupcakes was the hardest thing but as soon as I do them on a regular basis, I found it rather very rewarding if I get to accomplish a cake design that I first thought would be impossible for me to do.

Considering that I am using frosting as opposed to fondant with which has a lot of molders available in any baking supplies company, designing a cake using butter cream is a lot like sculpting, you really have to start from scratch. It will require your time and your patience so you better make sure that prior to making your themed cake, you have thought about the design first and how you are going to maneuver your way into creating your cake design.

Tinkerbell Cake

My youngest daughter had asked for a tinker bell cake for her third birthday so I started searching for a design which I believe I can achieve or at least find a way to achieve. My engineering and drafting skills were tested here, after all this would be my first layered cake and my first ever garden cake. Once I found a perfect design (you've got to love Google here) I set off to find my fairies luckily, Disney character toys are all over the metro so I was able to find them. I was also able to find chocolate stones in a local supermarket so I set off with doing my design. The mushrooms are hard to find but, luckily, I found some colorful mushroom erasers in a local school supplies shop so rather than waste more days hoping to find edible mushroom gum paste, I opted on using these instead. Having not made a layered cake before did became a minor setback as covering the entire cake with green frosting is not easy as it looks, the smoothing part of it is a bit of a challenge but I did it and was so proud of myself not to mention that my daughter loves her cake very much.

Adventure Time Cake

My cousin, after seeing what I did with the Tinkerbell cake, then asked me to make a cake for her son. The theme she wanted was cartoon network's adventure time. I used my thinking cap to make this cake and I must say, boy! was I glad that I listened during when our drafting teacher thought us about dimension analysis.

For this cake though, rather than using my ever reliable red velvet or carrot cake recipe, I decided on making a chocolate cake. Now, I have been experimenting on different chocolate cake recipes and I was not sure how this new chocolate cake recipe, I recently found, would turn out. At first, I was a bit afraid that the cake would fail as the batter is very runny but by luck, it turned out to be perfect. The taste was divine that I am already using the same recipe for my chocolate cakes. I found some adventure time cupcake toppers in the shop where I get my baking supplies from and I used a licorice candy for my letters. I had the idea of making a checkered design from our checkered cake and there you go, Finn and the adventure time candy people.

I have made other designs as well without the aid of a cake topper (or at least the cake topper is not really the main reason for the cake to become a themed cake, ha ha ha!!!). Here are a few cakes that became a rewarding challenge for me.

So Zoe Themed Cakes

Guitar Chocolate Cake

Super Girl Red Velvet Cake

Superman Choco Velvet cake

Doll Cakes

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream frosting

My eldest daughter wanted a spectacular cake for her birthday and it is a great challenge on my part. Before I prepare for it, I asked her what theme she wanted and automatically she said "Frozen".

I scoured the internet for inspirations. I checked if there are any cake designs that is feasible for a non professional cake baker like me. The layered cakes available in google often display fondant cakes, which I do not have the necessary equipment to make it a realization. The frosting layered cakes was rather to much for my meager skills, like I said in my previous articles, I never had any professional proper education when it comes to baking, Google was my teacher apart from my little exposure to baking when I was still in Ireland, so hmm.. not a good idea....

Then, I stumbled upon an Elsa doll cake during one of my Google searches and I wondered if it is actually possible for me to make it. I studied the structure of some doll cakes and also checked some of my cake molds if I have the necessary equipment or if I needed to buy some new ones.

Chocolate with cream cheese

I thought, I should practice before I would actually make it and luckily one of the employees of the company I am working is having her birthday and the team wanted to surprise her. My colleagues paid me to bake a cake for her so since she is also special to our team I decided that this is my chance to actually make a doll cake and gain confidence in forming my doll. The cake was well received so I am very happy and my confidence level in making doll cakes are increased. Now I have another cake decorating technique to add on my list! Weeee....

Carrot Cupcakes, cream cheese and
cinnamon sugar snowflakes cookies

My daughter wanted a chocolate cake for the Elsa doll and carrot cupcakes to bring to her school so she can also celebrate with her classmates so I thought why not top the cupcakes with cinnamon sugar snowflakes cookies for a real "Frozen" theme. Her classmates loved it and are asking for some more. Until next birthday then....

Mangoes in a Velvet Cake

Mango Velvet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Filipinos pride ourselves with having one of the sweetest mangoes in the the world. Before only the mangoes of Guimaras Island were allowed to get in the US market but now, US have allowed importation mangoes from other Philippine Islands as well which is very good considering the fact that in general Philippines mangoes all over the island do have export potential, take one for example, Cebu's very own Guadalupe Mangoes. When you go inside any supermarket in Cebu, you'll see a lot of people from other countries buy dried mangoes, mangoes in chocolate, mango juice or any other mango product and for us to finally be able to share how sweet Cebu Mangoes are gives you this sense of pride.

Mango Cakes are not really as popular as red velvet cakes or chocolate cakes but a Mango Velvet Cake? Hmmm, that is something else, ain't it?

During my father's birthday, I was able to make this mango velvet cake and somehow it turn out nice and I definitely am keen on making it again if opportunity permits..

White Chocolate on Frosting

I have always known myself to be curious with a lot of things especially when it comes to art. I think everyone wants to make a signature to their craft so, in my own way, I keep to trying different ingredients to see if I can feature it as one of my salable products.

I have always wanted to make something with white chocolates simply because I prefer white chocolates over the regular milk chocolates.

The opportunity came when the sister of my cousin's girlfriend contacted me for an order of red velvet heart cake.

Because it was short notice, I was not really able to prepare for the ingredients that I only have a bottle of red McCormick left, I have been having some challenges finding the red food coloring for months since Christmas, if ever I get to find one it would not be enough to stock on, sometimes there's be only one bottle left or two. Anyways, I was hoping to make a red velvet heart with red cream cheese frosting covered with white chocolate shavings, I ended up making a purple heart and I was not able to take a picture of it because the person who ordered it, already came to my house and I was not finished making the greetings she requested to be included in the cake. Although the cake looks nice, because if the purple color, it somehow lacks the kind of class and strong presence of the red velvet. The cake however did gave me an idea to try adding the white chocolate shavings even if there is no red food coloring available. So when my mother asked for me to bake a cake as gift for her friend's daughter who will graduate, I was determined to try the white chocolate shavings again.

I also tried white chocolates on my cupcakes as well. I mixed some white chocolate shavings on the frosting, whip it up and frost it on the red velvet cupcakes, I then add some more white chocolate shavings, some jelly beans and topped it with gummy candies.

I am so loving the white chocolate shavings idea so I will always consider this as one of priority frosting ideas but of course if we limit ourselves with what is just there, there will be no room fro growth that is why I keep on trying our different frosting ideas to satisfy customers.

Them Carrot Cakes

Back in Ireland, everytime there is a gathering or a celebration may it be a co-worker's or the resident's birthday or anything that is worth celebrating, every house would prepare some food to bring to one house where the occasion is to be held. And if it calls for a cake and if it is carrot season then sure enough there would be a carrot cake. Also, when there is an open day where the community can sell arts and baked products carrot cake is a popular cake to sell. This is not only happening with our community but also the neighboring communities as well. One Japanese co-worker is an expert with this along with her famous japanese delicacies like sushi.

At first, I was not really into carrot cakes. I just did not fathom the idea of putting an ingredient that is not usually added on desserts but I do am curious as to how it is made. I never made a carrot cake back in Ireland nor have I tasted one since everytime someone bakes it there is always another one baking the traditional chocolate cake so I often opted for chocolate cakes as opposed to the carrot cake but when a cousin of mine who works in a hotel mentioned about carrot cakes and how much their hotel is charging for it, I decided to make my own version.

I was so happy that my number one fans, my two lovely daughters found carrot cake delicious and my eldest wants this cake for her 7th birthday also even my number one critic, my mother requested that I make a carrot cake for her birthday and it was well accepted by her Zumba friends, in fact one of them even said that she would like to order one for our fiesta celebration this May after her stint in Australia, I just hope she remebers about her order.

Red Velvet Round Cake and Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cherries on top on the sides

After my mother sort-of bragged to one of our house tenants about my little business venture, the tenant's nephew came to me one night and asked how much my cakes cost and that he would like to order. I gave him some choices but he just said which one looks big? I said they are all in the same size, my most salable are heart cakes but I do have round cakes and square cakes as well. So he ordered a round Red Velvet Cake. The cherries did not turn out as I expected it to be because apparently, they are not seedless but so far it is still good though.

Mini Cupcakes - A little goes a long long Way

Red Velvet

Making mini cupcakes is not as easy as it looks. From changing the quantity of ingredients to finding what topper would fit these bitesize pleasure.

In this picture:

Mini Cupcake - Red Velvet

Frosting - Pink Swirl Vanilla Buttercream

Topper - Sugar coated gummy bears

These mini cupcakes were enjoyed by my cousins and relatives during our grandmother's death anniversary.

Chocolate

I don't usually make chocolate cupcakes, that's my aunt's specialty but she does not make mini cupcakes so here we go.
In this picture:

Mini Cupcake - Vegan Chocolate
Frosting - Vanilla Buttercream
Sprinkles - Chocolate chips and Gold beads
Topper - Mini Chocolate Biscuits

Chocolate

I also made another variation as per request of the buyer.

In this picture:

Mini Cupcake - Vegan Chocolate
Frosting - Chocolate Hazelnut (Nutella) Buttercream
Sprinkles - White speckle beads (snow effect) and Silver beads
Topper - Mini Chocolate Biscuits

These cupcakes were perfect gifts for a dear husband's birthday...

For more pictures of our products please click on the pages of this site, I hope you'll find something you might like...