Parita's World

Eggless Black Forest Cake - Step by step Pictorial

2011-09-02T07:49:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

Today I am going share a tutorial with you for baking an eggless black forest cake with step by step instructions. Hope this is helpful to all who are scared of baking cakes and will find courage and encouragement from this post to bake one successfully! I bakes this cake for my dad's 60th birthday for which we gave him a surprise birthday party :) The cake came out beautiful and was loved by everyone! It was moist and delicious!

I have just adapted the recipe which I used here in my earlier Eggless Chocolate Cake.

Now lets get started with the procedure without any further delays!

Ingredients For Cake:-

225 gms all purpose flour ie maida

1/2 cup unsalted butter ie 110 gms

4 tbsp of cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tin sweetened condensed milk ie 400 gms

2 tsp of vanilla essence or seeds from 1 vanilla bean scrapped

200 ml coke or pepsi

Ingredients For Icing:-

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup or more chocolate curls or shavings

1/2 cup cherries, remove the seeds and slice it in half

For sugar syrup - Mix 4 to 5 tbsp of sugar in half cup of water.

Procedure:-

Grease and flour a 9 inch square baking pan, preheat the oven at 190 degrees C.

Measure all the dry ingredients ie flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.

Sieve the dry ingredients.

Melt the butter in microwave and cool it completely.

Beat together condensed milk and butter until its light and cream.

Add in your vanilla essence or scrapped vanilla beans which I have used.

Beat it together until its well mixed.

Now start adding the dry ingredients along with little coke at a time and beat slowly, follow this until all the dry ingredients is well blended and you get a uniform batter.

This is how your final batter will look like.

Pour the batter in the prepared baking tin and bake for 35 to 40 mins until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Your final baked cake will look something like this :)

Once its baked..remove from oven and cool it completely before inverting.

Now lets prepare the icing for the cake, take 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and beat it on high for 8 to 10 mins until its stiff enough and hold its shape. To make sure if the cream is ready it should give peaks.

Cut the cake from middle and divide into two and moisturize it using the sugar syrup we made earlier.This will help to keep the sponge moist and soft.

Spread an even layer of fresh cream icing, top it with dark chocolate curls and cherries.

Again top it with fresh cream, this will make sure your filling is in place.

After topping with cream it will look something like below.

Place the other half layer of cake carefully on the top and start covering the sides and top of the cake with the remaining icing. Before covering the sides of the cake do not forget to moisturize the top using the sugar syrup. Drizzle some syrup on top using spoon.

Try to cover the sides and top as evenly as possible, don't worry too much if its uneven as anyways we will be covering it up with chocolates and cherries.

For the sides you can simple sprinkle some chocolate curls or chocolate sprinkles but I have made a border out of melted chocolate and stuck the same on all four sides.

Finally decorate the top of the cake with lots of chocolate curls and cherries, this decoration can be as you like, let you imagination play wild. I have kept it simple here.

Hope you all enjoyed the tutorial and do let me know if you have any other requests for tutorial and I will try post the same.

Love,

Methi Malai Mutter Revisited

2011-08-27T14:24:00.001+02:00

Dear All,

I am back with another one of my favorite recipes ie Methi Malai Mutter! I have learnt this recipe from my mom who obviously is the best cook in the world (as per me all the moms are the best cook!!!) The recipe is absolutely simple and can be made within 20 mins..yes you heard it right...provided you have all the stuff handy :D

When I was in Switzerland I used to make this often as with frozen methi leaves and peas available making this is a breeze. Here in India it will take little time and effort to clean the methi leaves but its totally worth it! Also usually I make this recipe using cashew nuts but this time I tried with skinned almonds and was totally delighted with the outcome! Please check out my recipe of Panner Methi Malai Mutter here which I made using cashew nuts. Using almonds makes this dish very rich , creamy and nuttier! So without any further delays lets go ahead with the recipe.

Methi Malai Mutter
Serves - 4

Ingredients:

1 cup washed and finely cut Methi (Fenugreek leaves)
1 cup green peas (I used frozen)
3-4 tbsp fresh cream or Malai
1 tsp salt or according to your taste
1-2 tsp sugar (reqd to balance the bitterness of methi)

1 pinch baking soda (Optional)

Ingredients for gravy:

100 gms almonds skinned

2 large onions cut into 4 pieces each

2-3 green chillies

1 tsp ginger paste

Ingredients for tempering:

2 tbsp oil

1 pinch asafoetida
2 Bay Leaf

Procedure:

Blend onions, almonds, green chillies and ginger paste along with little water in mixer grinder into a fine paste.
Heat oil in seperate pan, add asafoetida and bay leaf and let it sizzle for few seconds then add the cashewnuts and onion gravy and cook it for few minutes until the raw onion taste disappears. It iwll take about 3 to 4 mins.
Add methi (fenugreek leaves), mutter (green peas), salt, sugar(sugar is basically added to remove the bitterness of Methi) and little baking soda and cook for about 15 to 20 mins on slow heat, until peas and methi are completely cooked. If the gravy becomes too thick add 1 to 2 spoons of water in the middle. You can add salt and sugar more according to your taste.
Add fresh cream and mix well, turn the gas off and let it stand for few mins.
Garnish with fresh cream and enjoy this rich dish with Nan or Parathas.

Hope you all enjoyed this recipe and please do let me know your views as well!
Till next time..cia!

Eggless Tiramisu Cake

2011-08-10T16:06:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

I am back with another mouth watering treat and one of my most favorite dessert of all time TIRAMISU!!!!

I was first introduced to this heavenly dish when I was in Switzerland, we used to have Tiramisu every thursday for after lunch dessert in our canteen. One bite and it just blew my mind away! There have been times when I have had only this as my lunch! Yes I love to bits! Though tiramisu is basically made up of eggs and mascarpone cheese but I have used my basic eggless cake recipe and homemade mascarpone cheese to make this divine dessert into a cake!

If you would like to make tiramisu at home please check out my post on the same here.

Eggless Tiramisu Cake
Ingredients for Cake:-
2 cups all purpose flour (280 gms)
1 tbsp dark coffee (I used Nescafe)
1 tin sweetened condensed milk (400 gms, i used Milkmaid)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup white butter unsalted
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup plain soda water

Ingredients for Coffee syrup:-
1 cup strong black coffee
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rum (Read note below)

Recipe for syrup:- Mix all the ingredients together and leave it at room temperature for at least 1 to 2 hours before using in the cake. If making the cake for children you can avoid adding rum but other wise I strongly recommend adding rum as it brings out fantastic flavor in the cake along with coffee!

Ingredients for Icing:-
2 cup fresh homemade mascarpone cheese - recipe here
1 cup heavy whipped cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1-2 tbsp coco powder for sprinkling
Chocolate leafs for decoration

Procedure for Icing:- Beat together homemade mascarpone cheese and heavy whipped cream gently. Add in the vanilla essence and 1 tbsp of the coffee syrup which we made earlier. Beat everything together for a min.

Procedure:-

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C and sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda and coffee together and keep it aside.
Beat together butter and condensed until light and fluffy. It will take about 2 to 3 mins.
Now spoon by spoon add the flour mixture to the butter mixture along with little soda water and beat well.
The mixture should be of thick pouring consistency. Donot use the entire soda water if not required. Make sure the consistency of the batter is proper and not liquid or else your cake will not bake from the middle.
Grease and flour the baking pan. Pour the batter in the pan and bake it for 35 to 40 mins.
Do the tooth pick test and once tooth pick comes out clean remove the cake from oven and cool it completely.
Run a knife along the pan and gently remove the cake from the tin.
Slice the cake in the middle.

Preparing the Cake:-

Place the top layer of the cake on a cake stand or a cake plate which ever you are using.
Drizzle generous amount of coffee syrup on the cake , basically you need to soak the entire layer in syrup.
Top it with generous amount of mascarpone cream mixture and spread evenly.
Sprinkle some dark chocolate chips on it and again add little more of cream mixture to lock the chocolate chips.
Keep the second layer of the cake on it and again soak the layer using coffee syrup.
Cover the sides of the cake using the mascarpone cream and spread evenly on the top of the cake as well.
Sprinkle generous amount of coco powder on the top of the cake, I did this using a small sieve..its easier this way.
Decorate the sides and the top of the cake with chocolate leafs.
If in case you don't have chocolate leafs you can also use chocolate chips.
Chill in the fridge for minimum 5 to 6 hours before serving, this way all the flavors will mature.
Slice and serve chilled!

Verdict:- This cake is definitely in my favorites list and will be making lots in future for parties and family gathering! A perfect dessert for every occasion! Try yourself and let me know!

Lots of Love,

Chocolate Chip Stuffed Gulab Jamuns - Stey By Step

2011-07-31T07:58:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

Today I will be sharing with you a very simple and innovative way of making your home made gulab jamuns even more tastier and sweeter bu stuffing them with chocolate chips!

For entire pictorial please check out my first guest post on Indian Makeup and Beauty Blog here

Chocolate Kisses (Eggless Vanilla Chocolate Cookies)

2011-07-27T15:14:00.000+02:00

Dear all,

On my last trip to US I had bought a big bag of Hershey's Kisses on request from my baby sister. Though I am not very fond of these but she adores them and hence I ended up buying a big bag of these! On the other hand I truly love their packing, its so very attractive and cute :) As I had lots of these I planned to use them in my baking experiments and I must say I am glad because these were delicious...light, crispy, buttery with a tinge of vanilla! Oh boy these were perfect for a lazy evening snack :)

Chocolate Kisses
Makes about 20 to 22 cookies
Ingredients:-
1 cup all purpose flour ie 140 gms
60 gms powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2-3 tbsp of milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
20-22 heryshey's chocolate kisses

Procedure:-

In a bowl, sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat together butter and powdered sugar lightly until well blended.
Add the flour mixture and knead in soft dough, add milk spoon by spoon as required.
Shape small rounds out of dough, press them slightly using your thumb.
Remove the wrapper of kisses and place them inbetween the cookies..gently pushing them.
Bake these at 170 degrees C for about 10 to 12 mins.
Once they get slightly browned immediately remove them and cool them on wired rack.
Once cool, store them in air tight container and these will stay fresh till a week.

Enjoy these little treats as a snack or you can even serve them with cold milk. These would be surely a big hit with kids!
Till next time, take care and keep baking!

Love,

Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake

2011-06-08T19:56:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

I have always been a big fan of marble cakes! The chocolate swirls wrapped around delicious vanilla makes the cake even more exotic! Though by looking at the photo it may seem tough to get perfect that marbling effect but its very much simple! Marble cake is nothing but plain vanilla pound cake divided into half and mixed the other half with either rich coco powder or melted bitter sweet chocolate. Once you have spooned the batter into a bundt pan run a knife along the batter to get those perfect swirls. So easy!

Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake
Recipe Adapted from :- BBCGoodFood
Recipe Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients:-
1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of drinking chocolate
1 tbsp of coco powder
1 tsp coffee
1 1/2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup unsalted white butter
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla
2 to 3 tbsp milk

Procedure:-

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, grease and flour a bundt pan.
Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda together and keep aside
Beat sugar and butter for about 2 to 3 mins until creamy and well blended
Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
Now add in vanilla essence and mix well.
Gently fold in the flour in the batter, if required add a tbsp of milk.
Now divide the batter in two bowls.
Stir in coco powder, drinking chocolate and coffee in one of the bowls and mix well. If the batter is too thick add a tbsp of milk
Now spoon the batter alternatively in the bundt pan.
When all the batter is used up, take a knife and run along the mixture in the tin few times to get the marbling effect.
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 mins, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Once the cake is cooled completely slice the cake and serve with a cold glass of milk!

Verdict:- I was extremely happy with the texture of the cake! Addition of drinking chocolate and coffee did enhance the chocolate flavor to a great extent! You can even add in your choice of nuts..roasted almonds and walnuts would go perfectly with this cake. It is a perfect tea time cake and I am sure your family will love it!

Do give it a try and let me know.

Lots of Love,

Mango Pound Cake - Step by step pictures

2011-05-29T19:24:00.000+02:00

Hi All,

A life without love is like a year without summer
~ Swedish Proverb

Summers always brings back memorable memories of school days when we used to wait desperately for our summer vacations!! I always used to accompany mom to buy green mangoes for making various sweet and spicy mango pickles. We used to make around 10kg's of mango pickle every year. Most of which we would share with our aunt's and uncle's families nevertheless it was fun to watch my ma and grandma making those yummy pickles. It was like a ritual which we used to follow every single year!

Summers are also special as we kids used to have so much of fun visiting each other's houses and playing games right from morning 8am till night 9pm. I remember most of the time my mom had to come down to fetch us home to eat dinner. I am sure my mom used to dread summer vacations as if she has to give an exam. I think for mom's its an exam everyday...atleast thats what my mom says even now Believe it or not we kids were quite naughty and fighting all the time. The thought of having 3 kids at home for 2 whole months is enough for mom's to go bonkers :) Wish we still had summer vacations..hope someone's listening :)

When we are talking about summers, how can mangoes be left behind? Mangoes are probably the most loved fruit of all time and hence no wonder given the title of "King of Fruits". Honestly till date I feel its over exaggerated! Friends who know me better will know that mango is not one of my favorite fruit.Honestly I would skip it all the time but sometimes my mom corners me and I have to eat it purely out of guilt as my mom uses her tactics of letting me know how expensive these mangoes are :( On recent visit from my family ,dad got around a dozen mangoes for me! You know how parents feel about their kids living in a different city and not getting proper nutritious food. I couldn't really send them back...and a good girl I am I promised to eat them all...almost!. I always wanted to try my hands on making a mango cake so what better way to use those plump and juicy mangoes than baking a pound cake out of it?

Mango Pound Cake

Serves 10 - 12

Recipe Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe here

Ingredients:-

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh mango puree

4 small eggs or 3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

Procedure:-

Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda and keep it aside
Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy , for about 3 to 5 mins

Now add in the mango puree and beat until well combined.

The texture and color of the mixture would be light pale yellow.

Now beat in one egg at a time alternating with flour mixture. I used 4 eggs so started with an egg and ended with an egg.

Finally add in your vanilla essence and beat lightly just until its incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease and flour a pound cake tin.

Pour the batter into greased cake tin and tap lightly on the kitchen platform so that the mixture is evenly spread.

Bake the cake for 45 to 50 mins until a knife inserted comes out clear. My cake was baked in exactly 50 mins.

Remove the cake pan from oven and leave it to cool down completely. Once the cake as reached on room temperate, slice the cake and serve it with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or cherish the flavors of mango as it is!

Verdict:- One of the most softest cake I have ever made! Next time I will add in some roasted nuts to get some nutty flavor in the cake. Definately a keeper recipe! All mango lovers must try this for sure!

Love,

Strawberry Margarita (Non-Alcoholic)

2011-05-24T17:12:00.000+02:00

Hi All,

Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward -Terri Guillemets

Its been quite hot lately with temperatures roaring high it has become impossible to step out of house in the afternoons. The evenings on the other hand are lovely, the temperature drops down and is much more pleasant. From past couple of days the evenings have been extremely windy and standing in the balcony facing almost an empty ground does lift your spirits after a hectic day at work. Strawberries do have a natural way to make one feel refreshed, one look at those plump, juicy and vibrant berries and I am sold. What could be more refreshing on a summer's day than cool and sparkling strawberry margarita?

Travelling between Mumbai-Pune has its own merits and demerits. Merits being I get to buy strawberries /fruit jams/jellies/syrups etc from Lonavla/Khandala. Everytime I see strawberries and I simply cannot resist and end up buying way too much! On one such an occasion I usually end up making tons of strawberry milkshake or end up using some as a face pack! But now I have a new favorite and its such a breeze to make Strawberry Margarita, plus its also non-alcoholic so even kids can enjoy these!

Strawberry Margarita
Serves 6
Ingredients:-
2 cups fresh strawberries (500gms)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup sugar syrup (recipe below)
1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
Sprite chilled
Fresh mint leaves for garnishing

For sugar syrup boil 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar for about 5 to 6 mins.

Procedure:-

Throw in the strawberries in a juicer. Remove and pass it through a sieve
Take the strawberry juice, add in lime juice, sugar syrup, crushed black pepper and salt to taste
Mix well and chill the mixture for atleast couple of hours.
Take tall glasses, add 3 to 4 tbsp of strawberry mixture and pour chilled Sprite.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve chilled.
Enjoy!

Verdict:- One of the best refreshing drinks ever! You can even make the strawberry puree a day ahead of time or even freeze it and use it whenever required. So easy and vibrant, perfect for summer!

Oreo Cookies Chocolate Cream Cake

2011-05-07T12:05:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

Cookies are made of butter and love. ~Norwegian Proverb

Who can say no to an Oreo Cookie? I am still yet to meet someone who dislikes Oreo's. These are very popular amongst kids as well as older generations. During my visit to US last year I understood the true craze of these cookies! Probably every trolly in the supermarket had big packs of Oreo's. Its packing also states "America's Favorite Cookie"! Oreo cookies are probably one of the oldest cookies available since 1920's. I have seen them being used in ice creams, milkshakes, cakes, puddings, fudges etc. I too enjoy these cookies especially with a cold glass of milk. Oreo's are so famous that it even has Oreo Cookie Day which is celebrated on March 6th.

I too was tempted to use Oreo cookies in my bakes and I truly believed they would go wonderfully well with fresh cream cakes! Plus there is something very intriguing about the black and white combination! The cake is very easy to make and looks gorgeous! You don't have to be a skilled cake decorator to get the perfect finish, anyone can make it!

Oreo Cookies Chocolate Cake
Serves 10-12
Ingredients for Chocolate Sponge Cake:-
4 eggs seperated
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp coco powder
1/2 cup + 2tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder

Procedure for Chocolate Sponge Cake:-

Sieve all purpose flour, coco powder, cornflour and baking powder and set it aside.
Grease and flour a 9inch round cake pan, preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.
Beat together egg yellow and 2 tbsp sugar until it turns pale yellow in color, about 5 to 8 mins.
In a separate clean vessel using clean blender beat egg white for about 2 mins until frothy. Now add the remaining sugar and beat on high for 5 to 6 mins until it turns stiff and glossy.
Carefully add the egg yellow mixture into egg white mixture, beating very slowly. Donot overbeat and make you do not allow the air to escape from egg white mixture.
Now gently fold in the flour mixture. Again do not tend to over mix and be careful not to allow the air to escape. This has to be done as gently as possible using the cut and fold technique. Please see the link1 and link2 to better understand this technique.
Once all the flour is folded, pour the batter in the greased and floured baking pan and bake the cake for about 2o to 30 mins, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Ingredients for filling and frosting the cake
2 cups fresh cream whipped until it triples in volume and is stiff
15 to 20 Oreo cookies crushed
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Ingredients for sugar syrup
1 cup water
1 tbsp dark rum
1 tbsp strong coffee
3-4 tbsp sugar

Procedure:- Boil the water and add sugar and coffee. Cool this mixture completely and add in the rum.

Assembling the Cake:-

Once the cake is cooled completely, slice the cake into 3 even layers.
Place the top most layer on the cake board and drizzle the sugar syrup using a spoon. Make sure to drizzle is across evenly on the cake especially along the edges which tends to get a little hard.
Now add a generous dollop of fresh cream and spread it evenly using a spatula.
Now sprinkle about 1/4th of the crushed oreo cookies and chocolate chips.
Carefully place the second layer of the cake on top of the first and repeat the above steps of drizzling sugar syrup and fresh cream.
Place the last layer on top and again drizzle the remaining of the sugar syrup.
Now cover the sides of the cake and top with the remaining fresh cream, if the sides of the cake are not turning out evenly don't worry they will be coated with generous amount of crushed oreo's :)
As shown in my pic sprinkle the sides of the cake with crushed oreo's.
Decorate the top of the cake as shown in my pic using the remaining crushed cookies and chocolate chips. You can even use whole oreo cookies and line item on the side of the cake as I have done.
Decoration part is completely upon your imagination.
Make sure to chill the cake atleast overnight or for minimum 5 to 6 hours for all the flavors to blend in well.
Serve chilled! Enjoy!

Verdict:- I made this cake for a colleagues farewell party we had in our office. I personally was very happy with the outcome of the cake and its a must try for everyone who loves Oreo cookies!

Homemade Malai Barfi / Malai Peda under 15 mins

2011-04-24T20:41:00.000+02:00

Hi All,

I am back with another mouth watering recipe which can be made under 15 mins!! I am sure everyone of us have tasted Malai Pedas or Malai Barfi's some or the other time in our lifetime :) Any special occasion and we have a box of delicious pedas ready. May it be Diwali or Rakshabandhan or a Birthday or if your child has scored good percentage in 10th....pedas and barfi's are served on almost all occasions. With just 3 ingredients used these are so much easier to make than the original version and absolutely no compromise in taste!

This weekend I had a small reunion of my college friends, the menu was very simple as in such hot weather none of us were really interested in having a heavy meal. The menu was kept simple, Methi Malai Mutter(my updated version coming up very soon) with parathas and for dessert homemade version of Malai Barfi. Everyone enjoyed the barfi's a lot and went back with the recipe :) This recipe can be made in microwave as well as on gas stove. I made these on gas stove.

Recipe adapted from ShowMeTheCurry site
Malai Barfi/Malai Peda
1 stick unsalted butter (113 gms)
2 cups milk powder, 240 gms (I used Everyday)
1 tin sweetened condensed milk, 400 ml (I used Milkmaid)
Masala milk powder for garnishing / silvered almonds / pistachios etc

Procedure Gas Stove Version:-

In a heavy bottom pan or a non stick pan melt the butter on low heat.
Once melted remove the pan from heat and add in the milk powder and condensed milk.
Mix the mixture properly with a spatula.
Heat this mixture on slow heat for about 2 mins with stirring constantly. Be gentle while stirring.
Again remove the mixture from heat and mix well.
Repeat the 5 and 6 steps twice more, do make sure the mixture does not get burnt.
Once the mixture is thickened and starts to loose the sides of the pan.
If you are planning to make barfi than grease a plate with some butter or ghee and immediately spread the mixture on the plate smoothing the top. Sprinkle masala milk powder evenly on top and keep it in fridge to firm up. Once cooled you can cut slices and serve them.
If you want to make pedas, cool the mixture for 15 to 20 mins until it comes down to room temperature. Take one spoonful mixture in your greased hands and gently roll it to form a ball. Press it lightly in middle to flatten the ball. Similarly make pedas of the entire mixture and decorate with silvered almonds or pistachios.

For Microwave version check out this

Verdict - These were a BIG hit in my house and so easy to make! Its a must try for everyone who has a sweet tooth and I am sure you wont be disappointed!

Lots of Love,

Eggless Vanilla Cake and Happy Holi to everyone!!

2011-03-20T13:00:00.000+01:00

Dear All,

Wishing you all a very Happy Holi! May god gift you all colors of life, colors of joy, colors of happiness, colors of love, colors of friendship and all other colors you want to paint in your life!

I know I have been away from the blogging world from quite sometime, I do appreciate all your emails and FB messages concerning my disappearance and I sincerely want to thank you all for remembering me.

Today's cake was a special request from one of my closest friend and my roommate S for her sister. It was around 6.30 pm on Thursday and I was in office eagerly waiting to go home and I got a call from S, the conversation went something like this.....

Me: Hello S...
S: Hey are you busy right now?
Me: Nah...tell me what happened?
(Just then there is lots of disturbance in the line..it happens all the time)
S: Hello...Hello...can you hear me?
Me: Ha ha... bolo na....
S: Hello...heelllooooo?
Me: S throw your mobile away...grrr...
S: Hello..yes now I can hear you...actually I wanted a favor from you?
Me: Sure..?
(Again disturbance in the line)
S: Actually I wanted to know if you can make a caaalle...
(and the line went dead, I literally jumped from my seat as I am sure she meant CAKE)
Again S called up and this time from her office phone
S: Hello Parita...
Me: Kaunsa cake banana hai??
S: Eggless vanilla banaate hai na..my sister has specially requested
Me: Neki aur puch puch... DONE!!!

Unfortunately I reached home pretty late that day, it was almost 11 pm when we finished our dinner so we decided to get up early the next morning and make the cake. We got up 5am in the morning to bake this cake....yeah i am one crazy baker..and it was well worth the effort! I have used this recipe as my base and tweaked a bit to suit my needs. As you can see in the picture the cake turned out beautiful....perfect crumbs. It was soft, moist and spongy..didn't miss the eggs at all! This is going to be my keeper recipe for eggless cakes! Of course you can tweak this recipe as per needs ..replace vanilla with almond or lemon or orange..anything would work! Do give it a try!

Eggless Vanilla Cake
Original Recipe here
Ingredients:-
2 cups all purpose flour (Maida)
1 can sweetened condensed milk, about 400 gms
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup aerated soda water
1 vanilla bean, split and scrapped or 1 tbsp vanilla essence

Procedure:-

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.
Grease and flour a pound cake tin or any other cake tin that suites your needs.
Sieve together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Mix melted butter and condensed milk together, just until both are well incorporated.
Now add in vanilla beans or vanilla essence and mix well.
Now add in flour mixture along with soda water and mix well after each addition.
Pour the mixture in the greased tin and bake for 40 to 45 mins until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake pan from the oven and let it cool completely before removing and slicing the cake.

Pan Sauteed Asparagus

2010-12-21T03:03:00.000+01:00

Hi All,

First of all I would like to thank all my wonderful readers and friends who reached out to me when I really needed the most. Honestly some of the emails I got really touched my heart and brought tears in my eyes. So a BIG THANK YOU to everyone, I really am lucky to have you all with me!

Cooking home cooked meals is not easy, especially when you are traveling to different countries and living out of a suitcase. At such times we need something which is easy and can be ready in minutes and of course it has to be extremely satisfying. Today's dish is simple and satisfying Pan Sauteed Asparagus, I learnt this dish from a colleague and I was pleasantly surprised on how easy it was to prepare and how delicious it tasted with all that butter, salt and pepper.

Pan Sauteed Asparagus
Ingredients:-
1 bunch of fresh asparagus (about 15-20)
1 tbsp of unsalted butter
Salt to taste
Freshly grounded black pepper to taste

Procedure:-

Chop off the ends of the asparagus and give it a good rinse in cold water.
Heat a non stick pan, add in your butter, once melted throw in your asparagus.
Season with some salt and pepper according to your taste.
Cover and cook for about 5-7 mins, until crispy and cooked.
Serve hot as an appetizer of side dish.

Verdict:- I love these! Its so simple and is ready in mins, perfect when I am tired from long day work and really need something satisfying to dig in! If you love butter and asparagus you will definately love these. Try it for yourself today!

Feeling Blue!!

2010-11-21T04:20:00.000+01:00

Dear All,

I know I owe you all an explanation to my unexpected disappearance. I havent updated my blog in last one month and there is a reason behind it. Lots of things have changed in last one month at work front and in personal life. Let me ask you all a question..have you ever felt so alone in life as if you were living on a different planet with no one to talk to and share your feelings with? with no friends and family? Do you question yourself upon the decisions you make and when those decisions go wrong and makes you feel miserable and guilty? When someone you love breaks your trust and you cannot forget and let go? It hurts so bad that you want to scream your heart out? Honestly I feel like I am going through that phase in life. I feel sad, disappointed, betrayed and probably lots more!!

I think I am going through some kind of identify crisis. Its like you think you know what you are doing and you know what you want in life but suddenly life takes you down to a path which you never thought you would walk on. It makes you question yourself and the worst part is you dont have an answer for that! Its when you feel even after doing all things right still everything goes wrong. It makes you question your beliefs and your moral values. I always knew life's tough and the world is cruel but a part of me always believed that there are good people out there who would feel the same way as I do. I always thought that if you didnt do anything wrong to anyone else nothing can go wrong with you but now I am not so sure about it. I always thought that whatever happens..happens for good, I wish I knew what good its gonna bring out to me. I wish we knew answers to all our questions...life would be so much better..isnt it?

So what do you do in such situation? Of course apart of getting all emotional and giving a big lecture just like I did above :) For me CHOCOLATE is probably the best way of making myself feel better..ah forget the extra pounds for a while! Some chocolate brownies with creamy vanilla ice cream on top! Yup thats what I am having right now while writing this post :) And what better way than sharing a delicious chocolate cake recipe with you all especially if it has lots of sour cherries in it...hummm and some chocolate chips as well! Chocolate+Cherry is one of my favorite combo and I always wanted to bake with sour cherries. So when my dear roomy got some sour dried cherries from US I baked this gorgeous cake for my colleagues who never disappoint me in finishing any of my baked treat in record time :)

Chocolate Cherry Cake to make you feel better!
Ingredients:-
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3 tbsp of rich cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk
90 ml vegetable oil
1 cup chopped dried sour cherries
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla essence or seeds of one vanilla bean scrapped

Procedure:-

Grease amd flour a pound cake pan, preheat the oven to 180 degress C.
Sieve all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
Dump together the above dyr ingredients with sugar, cherries and 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
Now in a measuring cup mix together 1 cup of milk, 90 ml oil, vanilla seeds/essence and 2 eggs.
Thoroughly mix the wet ingredients well until fully incoporated.
Now pour the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients while mixing well with a spatula in between the additions. Donot use a beater, a spatula or a wooden spoon is more than sufficient.
Be careful to not to over mix the batter.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cups chocolate chips.
Bake the cake for 45 mins or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Remove the cake from oven and let it cool completely.
Slice and serve with some warm milk or even with a dollop of vanilla ice cream!

The cake was deliciously moist and everyone in office enjoyed it! Will definately be making this cake more often as I am sure my little sister R would love it! So now you know what to make in case you are feeling blue or even just want to pamper yourself :)

Love,

Cardamon and Rose Flavored Ricotta Pound Cake (Paneer Cake)

2010-10-09T13:49:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

Today's post is a very special and close to my heart. This post is dedicated to two very special individuals in my life...my mom and my dear roomy V. Today is my mom's birthday and I just wanna wish her.."Happy Birthday Ma", I know I may not express it enough but I love you very much and today whatever I am is because of the culture and integrity that you built in me! Cant thank you enough mumma!!

V and A, made for each other :-)

Now its V's turn, she is one of my closest and sweetest friend, though we both are roommates but I feel more like sisters and of course I being the eldest :P She is a sweetheart and I adore her! Very emotional and sensitive but at the same time rock solid and steady, now thats an awesome combo wouldnt you say? No wonder A has fallen hard for her and now they both are ready to tie a knot very soon! Congratulations guys! A calls me mother-in-law in context that V is my daughter :-) Now being a mother-in-law I have certain responsibilities towards my daughter's future which I do take very seriously :P Usually I need to bear with the dowry requests coming in from A where he demands for cakes and in return I make him cook food..lol. A is a hardcore punjabi and a fantastic cook himself! On this special occasion I wanted to make something festive like halwa or some bengali sweet but the baker in me immediately took charge and I ended up baking this gorgeous melt in mouth Cardamon and Rose flavored Ricotta Pound Cake!

I had bookmarked Ricotta Pound Cake from Aparna's blog the moment I saw it and this was the perfect occasion to make one, as usual made some changes, added powdered cardamons and some rose water and it came out fantastic! Got 2 thumbs up from A and V both! Ricotta is not available in India and Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) can be easily substituted for this. For cakes always use freshly homemade paneer and not the ready made ones, trust me this makes a lot of difference to the texture of cake. I know its a little extra effort but its well worth it! How to make paneer at home is here.

Myself and V, don't we look cute?

Cardamon and Rose flavored Ricotta Pound Cake
Adapted from Aparna's blog, original recipe here
Ingredients:-
3/4 cup fresh paneer or ricotta, its about 180gms (I used entire paneer from 1litre full fat milk)
3/4 cup all purpose flour, 110 gms
1 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg at room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter (75 gms)
3/4 cup sugar, 150 gms
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp freshly crushed cardamon seeds
2 tbsp rose water or 1 tsp rose essence
handful of raisins, soaked in water/rum for minimum 2hours, drained
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed or 1 tsp vanilla essence (optional but preferred)

Procedure:-

Grease and flour a 6'inch round cake pan . Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Sieve flour, cornflour and baking powder. Keep it aside.
In a blender/mixer add freshly made paneer with 2 tbsp of rose water and make a smooth paste.
Put this paneer in a bowl, add in butter and beat it well. Use a beater for this but I did it using hand and didnt face any problems, its just that it takes a little more effort and plus its a very good exercise for hands :)
Add in sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
Now add in vanilla seeds, eggs and powdered cardamon and beat well.
Add in flour mixture in 3 turns and beat gently.
Finally add in drained raisins and give it a quick stir, donot beat.
Fold the batter in the greased and floured pan and bake at 180 degress for 35 to 40 mins or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean!
Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 mins.
Once cooled completely, remove from tin and serve it plain and simple or with some whipped cream and fruits!

Verdict? I am planning to prepare a chocolate version of this cake very soon..yeah you guessed it right! The cake is a winner with melt in mouth texture and so soft and moist! Infact truly said its the softest cake I have ever made! It cuts extremely well and the recipe is very versatile.

Until next time take care and have fun!

Love,

Eggless Mawa Cake - Saffron and cardamon flavored eggless milk cakes

2010-09-14T18:46:00.001+02:00

Dear All,

This post has been pending in my drafts from quite some time now and finally today I decided to go ahead and share it with all you wonderful people out there. Mawa cakes are plain simple cakes made out of khoya, these are perfect for tea time treats, very rich in flavor and fulfilling at the same time. I have grown up eating these yummy cakes from Parsi bakeries, I still remember my mom buying a packet of 6 small muffins and we kids would finish them in no time. I had bookmarked this recipe long time back and finally decided to give it a try few days back. I have added few saffron strands and some powdered cardamons to give it a rich and festive flavor. You can even try adding some cashews and currants, which I am planning to add next time :)

On a lighter note here's a sms which one of my friends messaged me...Once a beautiful woman was asked to describe Marriage..She said: "Sacrificing the admiration of many men for criticism of one man" ...I am not sure if you all will agree with this but I do find some truth in it :) Let me know your views

Original Recipe Source - Ravum's Recipe
The recipe yields close to 18/19 small muffins
Wet Ingredients:-
1 tin condensed milk (400 gms)
1/3 cup butter, Amul is fine
200 gms mawa or khoya
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup milk (this is to be used while mixing dry and wet ingredients if the batter is too thick)

Dry Ingredients:-
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (210 gms)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp freshly crushed cardamon powder
few strands of saffron
1/4 cup of finely chopped cashews (optional)

Procedure:-

Grease and line 18 muffin cup cake moulds.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Mix all the wet ingredients together except 1/4 cup milk, heat this mixture until all the butter is melted and it becomes homogenous mixture. Cool it to room temperature.
Sift all purpose flour and baking powder, add in saffron and cardamon powder.
Mix the dry ingredients with the wet mixture, if the batter is too thick use 1/4 cup of milk, the batter should be similar to idli batter consistency.
Fill in the muffin liners till 3/4 full and bake them at 175 degrees C for exactly 20 mins.
These cakes get browned very fast so keep an eye on them if you are baking over 20 mins.
Enjoy these with a warm glass of milk or during tea time.

Verdict:- I got approximately 19 muffins out the recipe, this recipe is very easy to make and extremely rich in taste. Adding dry fruits like cashews and currants would make a lovely combo of flavors! A must try for all mawa cake lovers! I made a batch for my office colleagues and it was a BIG hit with everyone :)

Eggless Fruit and Nut Cake

2010-08-29T19:19:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

Finally I am back to blogging after a short break which felt like long and which was unplanned. This month has been too hectic for me, with heavy workload and health not supporting I couldnt do a lot of blog hopping but I am hoping that things will go back to normal soon. This whole month I have been neglecting my oven though I really wanted to bake few things but never came around but when my dad's birthday was around the corner I just had to bake a cake for him. Though my dad loves sweets but due to his health he is now refrained from having sweets so I am always on lookout for recipes which are low in sugar and fats especially for my parents. Fruit and Nut cake seemed perfect to celebrate his birthday, this cake studded with rich dry fruits, spices and caramel was enjoyed by everyone in the family. My dad even commented that he would love to have this cake with some wine but one look from my mom and poor dad swallowed his feeling :-) Looking at this scene I remembered something "Even though the man is said to be the head of the house but wife is the neck who can turn the head any direction she wants", so true isnt it? :D

Recipe adapted from Aayi's Recipe
Ingredients for Caramel:-
1/2 cup sugar (100 gms)
1/4 cup boiling water (60 ml)

Ingredients for Cake:-
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (175 gms)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter melted (100 gms), I used Amul
1/2 cup cranberry juice (125 ml)
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 whole cardamon pods seeds
1 cup tuttu frutti (100 gms)
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (50 gms)
1/2 cup finely chopped cashews (50 gms)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (50 gms)
1/2 cup raisins

Procedure:-

One day before making the cake, soap the dry fruits in cranberry juice along with whole spices.
On the day of making the cake, first prepare the caramel. In heavy bottom pan heat the sugar on low heat.The sugar will start to melt, stir the melted sugar until all the sugar is melted and caramel is started to form. Slowly the melted sugar will become dark brown in color, make sugar that you donot burn the caramel or else it will spoil the taste of the cake, once whole sugar is metled and the mixture turns dark amber in color, remove from gas and put the vessel in sink. Now add in hot boiling water, about 1/4 cup, be extra careful here as the this will splutter a lot. Make sure you donot have children anywhere near you when you are doing this.
Cool this mixture completely before using in the cake.
Grease and flour a 6 or 7 inch cake pan. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C.
Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Remove the whole spices from the soaked dry fruits (You can also soak the whole spices alone in the juice initially for a day and then use this spiced juice to soak your dry fruits). Add in melted butter and 1/3 cup sugar and earlier prepared caramel syrup. Mix well.
Now fold in the flour mixture in the dry fruits batter.
Pour the batter in the cake pan and bake for 45 to 50 mins, until the cake is well browned and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Once done, remove the cake from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, wrap the cake in foil and store it in fridge overnight, this helps to intensify the flavors in the cake.
Remove the cake from fridge before 1 hour of serving.

Verdict: This cake is perfect for celebrating any occasion, its moist and flavorful with rich dry fruits. Every bite has crunch of walnuts and almonds with flavors of cinnamon, cloves and cardamons. Have this cake with some wine after dinner or as a tea time cake, however you have it I am sure you will love it and want more.

Kanda Sev Tameta Nu Shaak - A Gujarati Speciality

2010-08-06T20:11:00.001+02:00

Dear All,

I enjoy simple pleasure in life, from walking on sand without footwear to sipping filter coffee during rainy season, from reading a romantic novel to watching a kid playing with balloons and from having roadside pani puri to cook for someone special and watching them eat, I bet there is no site more satisfying. My mom is blessed in having a daughter who is not at all fussy in eating, oh yeah I am talking about myself :-) Of course we all have choices but I dont remember being fussy about any food or not liking a vegetable...of course there are exceptions and karela is not a vegetable in my dictionary!

I too am blessed to have D who is not at all fussy in food habbits, poor guy majority of my experiments in switzerland were done on him and what choice he had? Today's dish is one of his favorites and I still remember the expression on his face when I served this curry. Sev in curry? I am sure he must have thought I am nuts but after tasting..lets just say he chew on his own thoughts :) After Bharela Kanda (Cilantro stuffed onions) this is one of my favorite dishes as well, its quick and extremely tasty!

Serves 2
Kanda Sev Tameta Nu Shaak
Ingredients:-
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup Sev (increase or decrease acc to taste)
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Procedure:-

Heat oil in a pan, add in asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin seeds, as it starts to splutter add in chopped onions and tomatoes.
Cook on slow gas for about 2 to 3 mins, add in 1 cup water and rest all masalas - turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, salt and sugar.
Cover and cook for 10 mins, until onions and tomatoes are cooked properly.
Finally just before serving add in sev and mix lightly, serve immediately with rotis or phulkas.
Enjoy this delicious and tasty dish whenever you want, lunch or dinner, its perfect on both the occasions!

I love to make this during night time as I enjoy having this curry hot with some rotis, its perfect for a winter evening! If you enjoy Gujarati cuisine then you will love this as well, try and let me know.

This dish is off to Flavors of Gujarat event by Nayna.

Until next time, take care and have a relaxing weekend!

Low Fat Rum Raisin and Vanilla Coffee Cake

2010-07-24T09:19:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

Most of my cakes these days are made using oil rather than ounces of butter. Using oil not only makes your cake a lot healthier but also keeps it super moist. I usually use any vegetable oil but to make it even more healthy you use olive oil. I have tried baking with olive oil and never had any problems.

Few days back when I was sorting through my pantry I came across a box full of raisins which I had last used in my Eggless Chocolate Raisin Coffee Cake, thinking of the same reminded me that V has asked me (yeah not even requested but specifically asked!!) to prepare this cake and I have been ignoring her since long time. Not that I don't want to prepare this cake but I am trying to pursue her to make it on her own! Yeah have been trying to push her towards baking from long time, though she is a great cook but she seems to be allergic to the word baking..duh!!

Now those raisins were crying out loud to me and I really had to use them as..oh well I cannot see anyone crying :-) Luckily I even had rum in hand to soak my raisins in. I was about to give in to V's request but unlucky for her that I was out of coco powder so the cry for the hour was to go in with Plain Raisin Cake but can Vanilla beans be left behind? So finally I decided to make Raisin and Vanilla combo and I must say what a fantastic combo it came out to be! It looked and smelled amazing! I literally had to hide few pieces from V to be able to take them to office for my new colleagues!

Look at those plump and juicy raisins along with spects of vanilla beans, aren't they gorgeous!

Rum Raisin and Vanilla Coffee Cake
Ingredients:-
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar or vanilla sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs as room temperature
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 Vanilla bean scrapped or 2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dark rum for soaking

Procedure:-

Soak raisins in rum overnight or for atleast 3 to 4 hours, the raisins should become plump and juicy.
Preheat the oven to 180 degress C, grease and flour a bundt pan.
Sieve together flour, baking powder and baking soda, keep aside.
In a seperate vessel beat together sugar, eggs and oil until well combined and creamy.
Add in scraped vanilla beans or vanilla essence, mix well.
Now add in flour mixture alternatively with milk and beat on low speed until all the flour and milk is well combined.
Finally gently fold in rummy raisins along with any rum that is left. DONOT beat.
Pour this batter in bundt pan and bake for 40 to 45 mins, until a knife or a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Cool the cake completely before removing from the pan.
Slice and serve with tea or coffee, enjoy!

Verdict? Dont pictures talk a thousand words more than writing? Honestly I am in love with this cake! Its one of the best raisin cake ever! If are lover of rum and raisin combo than it is a must for to try this. I got fantastic reviews from everyone in office and to top it off V had already finished off the entire cake by the time I reached home from office, I dont know about you guys but that speaks a lot about its taste to me! Thanks V for always being a fantastic reviewer of my cakes by finishing them off :-)

Got any recipes that you have tried from my blog? Email me in those entries for "Show Me Your Creations" and I'll upload them right here on my blog. Lets share experiences and learn together!

First entry for Show Me Your Creations!!

2010-07-17T15:41:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

I am very excited to present you all with the very first entry for "Show Me Your Creations" which I received from Sharmilee. Sharmilee has used my recipe for Tutti Frutti cake and prepared this gorgeous cake. I was extremely happy when I received a feedback from her letting me know how much she and her family loved this cake. Thank you so much sharmilee for sharing your creation with all of us.

This is what she posted to me on Facebook "Hey this cake came out so well....means the texture and slices everything came out perfect even with one egg.. I have tried 2-3 variations with this recipe.....Thanks for such a nice recipe Parita.....will post it soon in my blog!"

Dont forget to visit Sharmilee's blog for different variations of this cake she has tried and tested successfully.

And keep sending me your experiences and I'll be most happy to share them on my blog.

Until next time, take care and happy baking!

Show Me Your Creations......A new feature at Parita's World

2010-07-11T14:47:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

First let me start by thanking each and everyone of my blogger buddies and my readers for their constant motivation and support without which Parita's World would not have survived. I am truly blessed with blogger buddies and readers who take effort to send me me their feedback after they have tried a recipe from Parita's World. I am sure every blogger will agree that receiving a feedback from your fellow readers about one of the dish they have tried is one of the most happiest and inspiring moments.

To continue this trend and to inspire everyone out there I am starting a new section called "Show Me Your Creations" on my blog where I will post pictures of the dishes sent by you tried from my blog. I would request each and every reader of my blog to share your experiences whenever you try a recipe from my blog. You can email me at paritashah26@gmail.com with your experiences and I will post the picture of your creations on my blog. You dont need to be a blogger for this, even if you have adapted any of my recipe I would love to share your version with everyone. Your feedback is very important. You can also shoot me an email with your suggestions and I would love to hear from you!

I hope you all will share your experiences with everyone and continue to give your love and support!

Love

Eggless Date and Walnut Cake/Loaf ...Low Fat and Healthy!!!

2010-07-06T21:03:00.001+02:00

Dear All,

The moment I think about dates (khajoor) the first thing that comes to my mind is Pani Puri and the second is this Date and Walnut Cake. This cake is not light but quite dense , not too sweet and perfect combination with some tea or coffee. This recipe is inspired from Eggless Date Cake which I had bookmarked ages ago from Shilpa's site, this cake has almost 100% success rates and by the popularity of this cake I had to try it soon. The adventure began when I saw a packet of seedless dates in my fridge. Being Anaemic I was advised to have black dates regularly due the high iron content in them. I have dates as a meal filler in between my meals, they are extremely rich and fulfilling, so next time you have craving to have something sweet go and buy yourself a packet of dates! Lets stay healthy!

Original Recipe Source: Shilpa from Aayi's Recipes
Ingredients:
25-26 seedless dates
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar (You can increase/reduce depending upon the sweetness of your dates)
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
3 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/4 cups of finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup of finely chopped dates

Procedure:-

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, grease and flour a loaf tin.
Soak dates in warm milk for about half an hour until they become little soft and mushy to touch
Add sugar and grind them into smooth paste along with the milk in which the dates were soaked.
Add oil and mix.
Sieve the flour and baking soda together.
Add flour one tablespoon at a time and mix well after each addition.
Add the finely chopped walnuts and dates and mix well.
Grate few walnuts on top of the cake and bake it for 40 to 45 mins until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Verdict? The cake is quite dense in nature due the dates puree used, the texture i got was quite fudgy in nature! The color of the cake highly depends upon the type of the dates you have used and varies accordingly. So if you cake is darker in color than donot worry , it does not mean the cake was burnt :)

For best result always use fresh dates and seedless ones which will speed up the process of baking as well. You can also use all whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour to make it even more healthy! Hope you enjoyed this cake. Until next time, take care!

Chocolate Chip Almond Pound Cake for a new begining !!!

2010-06-22T19:35:00.000+02:00

Dear All,

Change is always very painful especially if you are changing from your very first company to another. First company is like your first love which one really cannot forget! You all must be wondering what the hell I am talking about....well I recently switched from my previous and first company to another details of which I have already updated on my FB :-) Honestly there is lot of excitement as well as little sadness as I really miss my old company. The beautiful campus, my colleagues, my friends and each and every moment I have spent in my last 4 years here brings tears in my eyes. But I am happy that I am moving ahead in my career to take on new opportunities and challenges!

During my last week in my previous company, lots and i mean lots of people expressed that they will miss me a lot but more than me they will miss my bakes! Now that really is a compliment!! Yes and for all my colleagues and well wishers I prepared this cake which was till date on of my best cakes I have ever made! I was so impressed by the taste and texture of this cake that I have already made it twice in a week!

Chocolate Chip Almond Pound Cake
Ingredients:-
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar or white sugar
2 tbsp coco powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 medium eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk
90 ml vegetable oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped finely

Procedure:-

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C.
Grease and flour a pound cake tin.
Sieve together flour, coco powder, baking powder and baking soda in a vessel.
In a measuring cup mix milk, oil and eggs. Mix with a spoon until well blended.
Mix together flour mixture, sugar, almonds and 1/4 of chocolate chips.
Add the liquid mixture and fold the batter together until well blended. DONOT use a beater, a wooden spoon or a spatula is perfect.
Pour the batter in the baking tin and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chip on top.
Bake the cake for 40 to 45 mins until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Remove the cake from oven and let is cool completely atleast for 20 mins.
Once completely cooled, cut into pieces and serve.
Enjoy with a coffee or even with some vanilla ice cream!

Verdict? Trust me and go and make this cake right away!!! Its so easy to prepare and hardly require any extra preparations, just mix the dry and liquid ingredients and you are ready to go! Everybody in the office loved it and I too managed to gobble down 3 pieces all by my self..hehehe :)

So what are you waiting for, rush into your kitchen and make this special treat for your loved ones! In case of any queries pls feel free to email me anytime and I will try to answer them to the best of my knowledge!

Thank you and take care!

Anzac Bicsuits for my 100th post !!!

2010-06-13T16:40:00.000+02:00

Dear Foodies,

Finally I have reached my 100th post. The journey till here has been quite a roll-a-coaster ride sometimes slow and sometimes with lots of bumps but I cant complain as this has been one of the most beautiful and enriching journey for me and my blog. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you who have supported and encouraged me, a very big heart felt thanks to all of my readers!

If you have been following my blog closely you would know I am not a big cookie person in fact the only cookies I love to munch are Chocolate Chip Cookies and very recently I have fallen in love with Anzac Biscuits. Anzac biscuits are very popular in Australia, made with oats, flour, sugar and golden syrup, it has been said that wives of soldiers used to make these biscuits during the WWI. These biscuits are extremely easy to prepare and taste extremely delicious, if you like your cookies eggless, mild in sweetness and chewy then these little drops are for you!

Recipe adapted from here
Recipe yields 24 cookies
Ingredients:-
1 cup (240 gms) all purpose flour
1 cup (90 gms) rolled oats, I used quacker
1 cup (85 gms) dessicated coconut, I used 100 gms
3/4 (155 gms) cup brown sugar
1/2 cup + 1tbsp (125 gms) unsalted butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp water

Procedure:-

Preheat the oven to 160°C, line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Sieve the flour in a bowl, add in oats, coconut and sugar, mix well.
Put butter, honey and 2 tbsp water in a pan, stir over medium heat until butter is completely melted. Add in baking soda.
Pour the butter mixture on the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Roll a tbsp of mixture into small balls and place on the baking tray 5cm apart from each other.
Using a fork, flatten the top of the cookies lightly.
Bake for 12 to 15 mins until lightly browned. If you like your cookies crunchier than bake them for 2 to 3 mins more than the specified time.
Remove the cookies from oven once done, let them cool down for 5 mins and then transfer them to a cooking rack. After 20 mins store these in air tight containers.

Verdict? These cookies were fantastic in taste, not over sweet and just perfect for some tea time munching. I did not have golden syrup so i substituted honey and it worked like a charm! I love my cookies a little crunchier so I baked these for close to 17 to 20 mins or until the top was golden brown. I shared these cookies with my friends and colleagues and got great reviews, everybody loved these!

These were so easy to prepare, no heavy beating or mixing required, just fold in all the ingredients and you are ready! I urge everyone to try these wonderful cookies once, do share your experiences with me and you can always email me if you have any questions or doubts and I will try to answer them to best of my knowledge! Until next time thank you an wish you all a wonderful week ahead!

Eggless Strawberry Cupcakes/Eggless Strawberry Muffins

2010-06-03T10:46:00.000+02:00

Dear Foodies,

Hello everyone! I know I have been away for quite sometime but last two weeks have created quite a stir! First of all there is this never ending assignments and work in office, on top of this monsoon has finally hit India. Last couple of days have been a complete mess. It rained quite heavily here in Pune, with strong winds blowing there was quite lot of destruction. Several trees have fallen, cables wires have been uprooted, infact we almost had an accident in our office with the glass doors bursting due to strong winds! Thank god no one was hurt! With electricity gone for 2 days and maid not turning up for work I was really frustated!

So when V asked me if i could bake a batch of muffins for her office party I got the much needed break! She wanted something other than the usual chocolate and vanilla flavors. I had strawberry extract in my pantry, so thought of making some Strawberry cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing. She loved the idea and she wanted to use the same color combination which I had used for the cake which I made for my parents anniversary.

This is off to Bangalore Baker's Bake-Off event!

Eggless Strawberry Cupcakes/Muffins
Recipe yields - 9 muffins
Ingredients:-
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tin (200 gms) sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp strawberry essence
1/4 cup limca or plain aerated soda water

Procedure:-

Preheat the oven to 180 degress C, grease and flour 9 muffin moulds.
Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
Beat butter, condensed milk and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the strawberry essence.
Alternatively add flour and limca and beat well after each addition.
Fill in the muffin cups to 3/4 full and bake the muffins for 15 to 18 mins until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool them completely before going ahead with icing.

Buttercream icing, recipe here

Verdict? I got great reviews on these cupcakes and everyone in the office loved them! As compared to other eggless recipe, i like this one the most as I have always got fantastic results! Muffins were light and fluffy, perfectly baked! With vanilla buttercream icing it was a winner! Do try these and let me know, you can replace strawberry essence with any other flavor and it will still work like a charm!

Classic Vanilla Beans Muffins

2010-05-16T19:06:00.003+02:00

Dear All,

Vanilla has always been apple of my eye when compared with other universal flavors. Did you know vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron, due to extensive labor required to grow the vanilla seed pods. And still I am sure we all love vanilla flavor for its oure and delicate flavor which is described by author Frederic Rosengarten Jr as "peculiar bouquet". The most common types of vanilla pods are Bourbon or Madagascar vanilla, Mexican vanilla and Tahitian vanilla.

Vanilla beans are not easily available in India though few super markets do sell them but one really needs to search a lot. My sources say that the only place in india where you can find Vanilla pods is Kerala so if any of your friends and family coming down from kerala or visiting kerala dont forget to request them to get a bunch of fresh vanilla beans for you! I probably dont mind visiting Kerala only to buy vanilla pods, I am sure its worth it! Or if anyone coming down from US or EU you can request them to get vanilla pods from there as well as I too got mine from Switzerland, a little expensive but I have no complains! Planning to request few more, hope D is listening :-)

Recipe is adapted from Deeba's blog, which can be found here
Recipe yields 12 medium muffins
Ingredients:-
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of vanilla sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
*1 vanilla bean or use 1 tsp vanilla extract

* Tip - Slice the vanilla bean from middle and scrape the sides using back of a knife to remove the seeds

Procedure:-

Gease and line 12 muffins cups or muffin pan.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Beat butter and sugar together in a seperate bowl for 2 to 3 mins until light and fluffy.
Add in one egg at a time and beat well between each addition.
Add in flour and milk alternatively in 3 additions. Beat well after each addition.
Add in the scraped vanilla seeds and mix well.
Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full and bake them at 180 degrees for 15 to 20 mins, until tooth pick inserted comes out clean/
Remove from oven and cool them completely, you can see the muffins leaving the side of the pan.
Serve warm or at room temperature, its a perfect tea time cake!
Enjoy!