Pound Cake

Baking insect has bit for a while now. These days my house only smell of vanilla essence, sugar, and everything related to baking.
A classic pound cake has always been my all time favourite. Its simple and tastes great when eaten with evening tea or coffee and a great breakfast option too when served with whipped cream and fresh fruits.

Pound Cake

Ingredients:
3 Large eggs
3tbsp Milk at Room temperature
1tsp Vanilla Essence
1tsp baking powder
150gms  Castor Sugar (White)
150gms All Purpose Flour
185gms Butter

Procedure:

• Pre-heat the oven for 15 minutes at 180degrees.
• Line the cake mould with parchment paper.
• Whisk together Milk + eggs + Vanilla essence
• In another bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, All Purpose Flour  + Baking Powder.
• Now mix in half of the wet ingredients into the dry mixture on low speed. 
• Add in the remaining mixture. Whisk it for 30 seconds so that everything comes together properly.
• Pour the batter into the mould and smooth en the top with a spatula or a palette knife.
• Bake in for 40 -45 minutes or till the tooth pick comes out clean.
• If the top starts browning cover it with aluminium foil.
• When its done remove it From the oven
• De mould and place it on a wire rack.
• Allow it to cool.

I served the Pound Cake with homemade orange sauce.

How to make orange sauce:

Take 100ml of orange juice fresh or canned

2tbsp sugar

Pound Cake

Take a pan reduce the juice and sugar mixture till it becomes thick.

It should be of flowing consistency just like any sauce.

D`2Wrizzle on top of the cake

Serve

Chocolate Eclairs

Baking has become my passion lately, just want to experiment with new things. But still there is a long way to go.
But cooking or baking in this case is really challenging when u have a little one at home who just wants to play with u all the time and not sleep.
Nevertheless I keep pushing myself more and more.
I was seeing this food food channel where chef Shipra Khana made these awesome eclairs, which tempted

me then and there to try them out.
I checked my pantry, and hurrah!! I had all the stuff available.
so next step was to START.
I mad my little one sit in his bouncer, played some music and i was all set o bake this awesome delight.

Ingredients:
65gms Flour (maida)
1tbsp granulated sugar
55gms butter
120ml water
2 eggs

For topping
Whipped cream with vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

Procedure:

• Pre-heat the oven at 200degree Celsius.
• Place a parchment paper on the baking tray.
• You can also use aluminium foil, brush it with butter. This is equally good as using a parchment paper.
• In a bowl whisk the flour with sugar.
• In a pan heat water and butter together.
• Close the flame add in the flour into it.
• Whisking regularly.
• Cook it till it starts  sticking to the pan.
• Remove from flame.
• Beat the mixture till it becomes lukewarm.
• Then add in the lightly beaten eggs.
• Continue to mix till the batter is a thick paste.
• Put the mixture in a pastry bag with a large pin.

• pipe the mixture in oblong shapes on the baking tray.

• Bake for 15 minutes at 200dregress and reduce it to 180 degrees.
• Continue to bake for another 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place it on a the wire rack

Assembling the eclairs:

• Slit open the elcairs lentghwise.
• Dip top part of the eclair into the chocolate Ganache.
• Fill the bottom half with whipped cream
• Place the other half on top of it.
• Chocolate Eclares are ready to be eaten. :)

Strawberry Swiss Roll

I remember learning these super delicious Swiss rolls in my first bakery lessons around 6 years back. I was super excited to bake this then, as the way a sponge cake sheet is rolled with fillings of your choice.
I have tried this many times before, but finally created the best possible Swiss roll.
I hope my readers will enjoy this.

Strawberry Swiss Roll

Ingredients:
For sponge Cake:
2 Eggs
50gm Sugar (Grained)
50gm Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
Salt (a pinch)
30ml Water
1tsbp Vanilla Essence

For the Strawberry Filling:
As it is not season of strawberries, I used strawberry syrup. You can use strawberry jam too.

Whipped Cream
Strawberry Syrup or Jam
Sugar Syrup to moisten the sponge sheet.

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven at 225 degree Celsius.
• Line a cake tray with butter in which you need to make the sponge sheet.
• Sieve Flour and baking powder together.
• Whip eggs and sugar for 5 minutes with help of an electric blender till it turns fluffy and moo use like.
• Add all the other ingredients (sugar + flour+ baking powder+ Vanilla Essence).
• Beat the mixture till it becomes smooth and fluffy. ( Do not over mix the batter)
• Fold in water with the batter very lightly
• Pour the batter into the greased tray and bake it for 15 minutes or till it becomes brown from the top.
• Keep checking it from time to time.

For the Filling:

250 ml whipping cream

Food color (Pink) (a pinch)

1tbsp Icing Sugar
Strawberry Syrup (I used Mapro)

Procedure:

• Take 250 ml of any whipping cream.
• Whip the cream with the help of a beater. Make sure the cream is cold
• Add the pink color and the strawberry syrup.
• Fold it in.
• The filling is ready to be used in the roll. 

For assembling the rolls:

Strawberry Swiss Roll

•     Remove the sponge from the tray once it is cooled down.
•     Place the sponge over a butter paper.
•     Moist the sponge with sugar syrup. (You can add strawberry essence in the syrup if u want to)
•     Apply the whipped cream with a palate knife.
•     Spread it all over smoothly.
•     Now roll the sponge alongwith the butter paper with light hands.
•     Seal it from both ends. 
•     Keep it in the freezer for 30 minutes so that it sets and cutting the Swiss rolls becomes easier.
•     After 30 minutes remove the butter paper.
•     With the help of a pallate knife do the icing of the Swiss roll with the remaining cream.
•     Cut into slices and serve.
• 
  

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Honey & Butterscotch Muffin

Its raining crazily here in Chennai... A cup of hot coffee accompanied with the purrrfect combination of honey & butterscotch makes it a magical evening.

Honey & Butterscotch Muffin

Ingredients:
250gms Self-raising flour

1tsp Baking Powder

1/2tsp Salt

125gms Butter (salted or unsalted)

175ml Milk

1tsp Vanilla Essence

2 Eggs

1cup Honey

1cup Butterscotch Chips

Tips:

ü  If using Salted Butter then don’t add in the salt in the batter.

ü  If self raising flour is not available, increase the quantity of baking powder to 3tsp.

 

Procedure:

·         Pre-heat the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius

·         Grease the muffin moulds with butter.

·         Place the muffin liners into the moulds.

·         Take two bowls, one for dry ingredients and the other for wet.

·         In one bowl, sift flour + baking powder.

·         In another bowl add in melted butter + milk + vanilla essence + eggs +honey.

·         Whip it all together for 5-8 minutes.

·         Now slowly add in the dry mixture into the wet folding it gently together.

·         With the help of an ice-cream scoop or a spatula fill in the moulds with the batter just 3/4^th of the mould.

·         Place the moulds into the oven for 15minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

·         Check them with the help of a tooth pick it it’s done.

·         If it’s done take it out from the oven.

·         Demould it after 5 minutes

        

Indulge!!!

Chocolate & Banana Muffin

A sumptuous Buffet laid out out for breakfast in a five star hotel and all that I lay my hands are on the varities of muffins kept.

The first thing that I always pick and relish and enjoy till the end.

So today I am posting one of the varieties a combination of Chocolate and Banana which are both healthy and tastes great too. 

Chocolate & Banana Muffin

Ingredients:

250gms Self-raising flour

50gms Brown Sugar

125gms Castor Sugar

1tsp Baking Powder

1/2tsp Salt

125gms Butter (salted or unsalted)

175ml Milk

1tsp Vanilla Essence

2 Eggs

2 Ripe Bananas

100gms Chocolate Chips

 

Tips:

ü  If using Salted Butter then don’t add in the salt in the batter.

ü  You can add only castor sugar in the batter which means 175 gms of castor sugar.

ü  If self raising flour is not available, increase the quantity of baking powder to 3tsp.

Procedure:

·         Pre-heat the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius

·         Grease the muffin moulds with butter.

·         Place the muffin liners into the moulds.

·         Mash the bananas with the help of a fork.

·         Take two bowls, one for dry ingredients and the other for wet.

·         In one bowl, sift flour + baking powder.

·         Add in Sugar. Mix well.

·         In another bowl add in melted butter + milk + vanilla essence + eggs.

·         Whip it all together for 5-8 minutes.

·         Now slowly add in the dry mixture into the wet folding it gently together. 

·         Add in the mashed bananas and chocolate chip into the batter.

·         With the help of an ice-cream scoop or a spatula fill in the moulds with the batter just 3/4^th of the mould.

·         Place the moulds into the oven for 15minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

·         Check them with the help of a tooth pick it it’s done.

·         If it’s done take it out from the oven.

·         Demould it after 5 minutes.

·         Serve.

Blueberry Muffin

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man;
Do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?

Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man,
Yes, I know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane

The nursery rhyme which we all must have sang in our childhood. While making a batch of these wonderful bread (Muffin) these lines came to mind? 

When I was a child I would have not even thought of actually making these. 

I tried these out with blueberries which has a great nutritional value. Its rich in manganese and helps in 

reducing cholestrol too.

Blueberry Muffin 

Recipe: Yields 12

Ingredients:

250gms Self-raising flour

50gms Brown Sugar

125gms Castor Sugar

1tsp Baking Powder

1/2tsp Salt

125gms Butter (salted or unsalted)

175ml Milk

1tsp Vanilla Essence

2 Eggs

200gms Blueberry (Fresh or frozen or canned)

 

Tips:

ü  If using Salted Butter then don’t add in the salt in the batter.

ü  You can add only castor sugar in the batter which means 175 gms of castor sugar.

ü  If self raising flour is not available, increase the quantity of baking powder to 3tsp.

 

Procedure:

·         Pre-heat the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius

·         Grease the muffin moulds with butter.

·         Place the muffin liners into the moulds.

·         Take two bowls, one for dry ingredients and the other for wet.

·         In one bowl, sift flour + baking powder.

·         Add in Sugar. Mix well.

·         In another bowl add in melted butter + milk + vanilla essence + eggs.

·         Whip it all together for 5-8 minutes.

·         Now slowly add in the dry mixture into the wet folding it gently together.

·         Add in the blueberries in it.

·         With the help of an ice-cream scoop or a spatula fill in the moulds with the batter just 3/4^th of the mould.

·         Place the moulds into the oven for 15minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

·         Check them with the help of a tooth pick it it’s done.

·         If it’s done take it out from the oven.

·         Demould it after 5 minutes.

·         Serve.

Chocolate Truffle Cake with Dark Rum and Strawberries!!!

Chocolate and Strawberries and whipped cream sounds and tastes sinful. Well I made a cake with all this combination on Valentines Eve. Perfect occasion and perfect Cake makes everything just right. I surprised my husband by making  a photo cake by adding one of our pictures to the cake. Nowadays photo cakes are in vogue so i tried to make it but in a totally different manner.
Though Valentine's Day was 2 months back i am posting this recipe a little too late as the photograph of the cake was lost due to some error. now gt them back so I am posting it finally.

Chocolate Truffle Cake with Dark Rum and Strawberries

Ingredients:
1 chocolate sponge cake
100gms Dark Chocolate
100gms Milk Chocolate
1cup Cream
100gms whipped cream
5-6 Fresh Strawberries
Sugar Syrup
20ml Dark Rum (optional)

Procedure:

• You can refer to the chocolate sponge recipe in my previous post. 
• You can make the sponge on the same day or 1 day before.

To make the sugar-syrup

• Mix together 10ml water + 10ml Dark Rum along with 2tbsp sugar.
• Stir well so that the sugar dissolves well.
• Keep it aside.

Marinate strawberries in sugar syrup and rum mixture for 1 hour before decorating the cake with it.

To make the Chocolate Truffle:

• Chop both the milk and dark chocolates. Keep it in a bowl.
• Now in a pan, heat the cream until it starts boiling.

• Do not overcook
• Switch off the gas, pour the boiled cream in the bowl of chopped chocolates.

• Fold it with spatula.
• Truffle is ready for the icing.

To whip the cream:

• Make sure the cream is really cold.
• Whip the cream with a beater till it forms stiff peak.

Assembling of the cake:

• Divide the cake horizontally into 2 parts keeping the lower part thicker than the top one.
• Keep the lower part of the cake on a cake board or on a tray place over a turn-table.

• Now sprinkle some liqueur (sugar+ rum) mixture over it. 
• Now spread the truffle sauce evenly.
• Now place the other part of the cake over it.
• Sprinkle some liqueur (sugar+ rum) mixture over it. 
• Pour in the truffle sauce spreading evenly.
• Decorate it with strawberries.
• Take a icicng syringe of ur choice. decorate it with whipped cream.

Rum Truffle Balls

An exotic flavour of rum and chocolate makes you crave for this truffle balls. if u r making for kids then you can exclude the rum from it.

Rum Truffle Balls

Ingredients:
30gms Butter
200gms Dark Chocolate
1/2 Cup Fresh Cream
2tbsp Rum
1 cup Cake Crumbs
50gms Chocolate Sprinklers

Procedure:

• Heat butter and cream together. (You can use double boiler or microwave it for a minute)
• Finely chop the dark chocolate.
• Pour the cream and butter mixture on top of the chopped chocolate.
• Mix well
• Now add in cake crumbs and rum.
• Mix it well.
• Refrigerate the mixture for 5-6 hours or if u r in a hurry you can keep it in the freezer for 1 hour till it becomes stiff.
• Now make it in the shape of a ball.
• Roll it over the chocolate sprinklers.
• Serve.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Its Christmas. This is tat time of the year when you can hog on cakes, pastries, muffins and everything that is rich in calories without regretting a single bite.
Whenever I order a Pizza from Dominos, I always order this sinful indulgence of melted chocolate, wondering as to how it is made. After searching a lot on google, and watching Masterchef I came up with this recipe slight changes of mine. I hope you all will enjoy making this on this Christmas.

.


Ingredients:
1/4 cup Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Melted Chocolate
1Cup Maida

1tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Soda-bicarbonate

3/4 cup Butter
3/4 cup Castor Sugar
3tbsp Cocoa Powder
Few drops of Vanilla Essence
3/4 cup Curd
1 cup Milk
Few Cherries for topping











Procedure:

•  Pre-heat the oven at 180degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
• Sift together Maida + Baking powder + Soda bi-carbonate + Cocoa Powder. Keep it aside.
• Melt chocolate on a double boiler. Keep it aside.
• In a bowl, take butter + sugar.
• Mix well until creamy.
• Then add in curd.
• Mix well.
• Then add in the melted chocolate.
• Keep stirring until the mixture is creamy and soft and mixed well.
• After this gradually fold in maida mixture.
• Keep adding milk at the same time.
• Dont mix too fast as the cake wont rise much.
• Now line the muffin moulds with butter.

• Dust some maida.
• Fill in 1/4 of muffin mould. Put 1tbsp of chocolate chips in them
• Cover this with another tbsp of cake mixture.
• Muffin mould should not be filled completely till top. around 1 inch space should be left.
• This is done to give enough space for the cake to rise.
• Bake till 15 minutes in the oven.
• Demould.
• Top it with cherries.
• Serve hot.