Nutella Swirl Cake

It's been pretty quiet here for a while now. This cake could never go not being mentioned about. At the Cake Slice, since we are finished doing cakes from Lauren Chatteman's Cake Keeper Cakes book, this month we are baking any recipe that we choose to. Since I am a big fan of Nutella for its rich chocolatey gooness, this had to be the choice. The recipe require you to layer the bottom of the pan with cake batter. Follow by a layer of nutella. Follow by another layer of batter-nutella and batter to finish with. Give it a swirl. Post baking, I expected a rippled cake. It remained an expectation because the swirl I gave wasn't deep enough. Certain parts of nutella had hardened It tuened out to be a layered cake but a very moist cake with full of nutella goodness. The author suggests serving this with coffee icecream but I think that would be a little over the top.

Recipe For the Cake

1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs (room temperature)
2 t pure vanilla extract
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 stick(s) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup(s) sugar
1- 13-ounce jar Nutella

Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

Vanilla cupcakes with a chocolate ganache frosting

Given the choice between a a regular cake and cupcakes, I would prefer the latter. Probably because I'm very bad when it comes to sharing and also I love when pretty liners are used. I enjoy the plain vanilla ones to the array of flavours possible. Cupcakes are a regular at home but this was the first time I had made a huge batch for my daughter's birthday party. At first it seemed a daunting task but then as the d-day got closer, it went pretty fast. My daughter was ok with any flavour as long as they were served in bright liners.

Martha Stewart's recipes have never failed me to date and so it was her recipe for the cupcakes. There are about hundreds of recipes for vanilla cupcakes. The irony is that all the recipes have the same no. of ingredients. Only the quantity differs. The only change was instead of the fluffy vanilla frosting, I chose to dip the cakes in a chocolate ganache. And so 5 dozen cupcakes were made and a dozen remained of which I could get hold of only two to click pictures. The chocolate ganache gives you a glossy effect and hardens on refrigeration which is what you see in the pics. Moist and flavourful, it was a pleasant sight to see the young girls enjoying it. After all little girls cannot lie when it comes to food. They either like it or they don't!

For the cupcakes -makes 3 dozen, adjust as per the need (recipe from here)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter and sugar until pale.. Add eggs one by one. Add in the flour and milk. Spoon into the lined muffin tray and bake in a 180 degree C preheated oven for 20 mins or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

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Lemon Curd *SRC *

It is Secret Club reveal day today. This time I was assigned to another lovely blog, Cook Lisa Cook.

Another space with interesting recipes, some of which I was familiar and some I have bookmarked for the future. Another month of a hard time choosing one to do. I love lemon curd and so long I have never tasted any similar tasting curds despite all the recipes having similar ingredients. And so Lisa's recipe for Lemon Curd it had to be.

I have other lemon curd recipes here and here but very different in their flavour. But both the recipes don't compromise on the flavour. So here's another awesome recipe that is equally flavoursome but a little different from the other two recipes featured on the blog.

I chose to serve the lemon curd in mini tart shells for that small sweet indulgence when the urge arises. The recipe is as per her exact recipe as follows

Lemon Curd

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Whisk the lemon juice, eggs and egg yolk. Strain this mixture. Add in the sugar and using the double boiler method, whisk the mixture to a thick consistency. Remove, add in butter and stir until it melts. Transfer to a bowl and use as per your need.

Another tried and tested prawn recipe

Another simple yet a whole hearty recipe. Coming from my mother, this is a tried, tested and a very tasty dish. This has no recipe as such. It is all by instinct or by what appeals to ones palate. The best way is to do a taste test when you are done preparing the marinade. The marinade makes use of the simplest ingredients that I am sure will always be available in the pantry.


The marinade consists of ground ginger, ground garlic, lots of pepper and salt to season. Stir them to form a paste. Do a taste test at this stage and adjust as per your taste. Marinate the prawns and set aside for an hour or so. Ideally, when you have time on your hands, marinate the prawns and freeze or refrigerate for a later use. In doing so, the flavours seep in really well. All you have to do is shallow fry these prawns and you have a wholesome dish to enjoy. For a more classier touch, shallow fry them in coconut oil with a lot of curry leaves. I enjoy the aroma and the flavour of any food that is enriched with coconut oil and curry leaf. Which Keralite wouldn't?