Cakes and Puddings Archives - Page 19 of 46

Mango And Coconut Cake

15|10|2017

It is mango season in Australia so it’s safe to say that it’s the best time of the year to shop for fresh produce. Bright yellow juicy mangoes that make the aisles at the markets bright and fragrant with their heady sweet aroma. It’s an indication that Summer and the gorgeous sunny days are not far away. It makes me want to celebrate! If you follow me on Instagram, you would already know how crazy I am about this fruit. I grew up eating mangoes from my Dad’s orchard and I have really fond memories of the seasons in India when every dish would be turned into a mango something, sweet or savoury. Chutneys, lassi, pickle, curries and desserts. There were times when the abundance would become a problem for my Mum, who wouldn’t know what to do with them. After gifting them to every acquaintance she could remember, they would be stored in every corner of the house. Even under the bed. Oh the aroma! They certainly made my dreams a bit more sweeter.

So when the first mangoes appear at Harris Farm Markets, my favourite place to shop for fresh fruits and veggies, it makes me want to jump with joy. I didn’t have a mango cake on my blog so this year I thought I must create one. This cake tastes purely of mango with a bit of texture from the coconut. I’ve used heaps of fresh mango puree to flavour it because that’s what we are looking for in the cake. Natural mango flavour that gets blended in to the batter. The cake does not need a frosting. A dusting of icing sugar is enough or just serve with fresh mango slices and fresh basil. It’s soft, moist and delightful on it’s own. Just ready to go with a cup of coffee or tea.

Please note that the mangoes I used were quite sweet and flavourful. If the ones you have are not as sweet or you are using canned or frozen ones, you may need to add a bit more sugar. The texture of the mangoes would determine how much milk you would need in the recipe. If your mangoes are really juicy, 1/2 cup milk should be fine (as mentioned in the recipe). If you find the batter too thick, lighten it up with a bit more milk (approx 3/4 cup).
While pureeing the mangoes, I find it best to not have a smooth puree but one that has a bit of juice and bits of mangoes in it. That adds a lovely bite to the cake.

Mango And Coconut Cake
Makes a round 6 inch cake that would serve 6-8 people

125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh mango puree (squeezed out of 2 large, ripe mangoes)
1 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup milk (more if your batter is too thick)
Thinly sliced mangoes, to serve
Fresh basil, to serve

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 6 inch round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.
Place the butter and sugar together in a large bowl and beat till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time beating after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mango puree and mix slowly. At this stage the batter look curdled. This is fine.

Fold in the flour and coconut alternating with the milk until just combined (do not over mix). Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave in the pan for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides by running a blunt knife around the edges. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar when ready to serve or top with fresh mango slices and fresh basil.

Skinny Berry Frozen Yoghurt Cheesecake

3|10|2017

We are huge fans of cheesecake at home. The only thing that stops me from making them frequently are the calories that come with it. Most cheesecakes are heavy. First cream cheese, then either eggs or gelatine and a rich crust to go with it. So I figured out a relatively healthier way of eating cheesecake whilst keeping it simple and sweet. I used store bought frozen yoghurt that already had a delicious berry flavour to it and mixed it with Light Cream cheese. For the crust, I chose a gluten free option with the goodness of almonds and dates.

It’s Spring here in Australia and the weather is warming up, so freezing the cheesecake not only firms it up but also makes it the perfect make ahead dessert for all your Spring and Summer parties. Fresh berries and edible flowers complete this absolutely delicious cheesecake. Delightful, vibrant and very summery.

Skinny Berry Frozen Cheesecake
Makes an 8 inch round cheesecake

1 cup raw almonds
2 dates
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
600 ml (approx 2/3 tub Frozen Yoghurt) (I used Proud and Punch, the more the berries)
250 g light cream cheese
1 tbsp honey
Fresh berries, to serve
Edible flowers, to serve (optional)

Thaw the Frozen Yoghurt for 30 minutes. Process the first 3 ingredients for the crust in the bowl of your food processor and process into a fine sticky paste. Transfer the mixture on to an 8 inch springform pan and press down to form an even crust. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes while you make the filling.

Beat the Light cream cheese till light and fluffy. Add the Frozen Yoghurt and honey and beat together until smooth and well blended. Pour on to the prepared crust, Tap the pan very gently on your kitchen counter to get rid of air bubbles. Freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve top with fresh berries. Cut into slices and enjoy.

Rosewater Semolina Cake

1|10|2017

Rosewater and Pistachio are a match made in Heaven. A combination that is fragrant, rich and unique. I’ve loved this combination ever since I was a little girl discovering taste sensations that would blow my mind away. The finest example of this was the ‘kulfi’ that was like a popsicle made by simmering milk flavoured with nuts, ricotta cheese and spices. Exotic variations would include saffron or rosewater. I’ve tried to recreate the flavours in this cake whilst playing around the texture a little bit by adding Semolina, another loved ingredient from my childhood.

The cake is a dream to taste and ridiculously easy to make. Semolina makes it moist and gives it a soft crumb. Initially I wanted to make a syrup to go with the cake but later on decided against it as it was delicious by itself. I highly recommend this cake if you are looking for something unique and exquisite for afternoon tea. Serve the cake warm with some fresh cream or vanilla ice cream and guests will remember you forever. I had once served it with cardamom infused whipped cream for my Mums group and people raved about it for days.

Rosewater is available in Middle Eastern and Indian grocery stores as well as online. A small bottle lasts for more than a year and it’s definitely a flavour you are likely to get addicted to. So it’s definitely worth including in your pantry.

Rosewater Semolina Cake
Makes a 6 inch round cake

125 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup castor
2 eggs
1 tsp rosewater
2/3 cup semolina
11/2 cups self raising flour
1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 cup milk
edible rose petals, to serve
whole pistachios, to serve

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan forced ovens). Lightly grease the base and sides of a six inch round pan and line the base with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the rosewater and mix. Stir in semolina, flour and pistachios alternating with the milk. Mix well.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave aside for 5 minutes.
Turn onto a wire rack and let cool to just warm. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with edible rose petals and more pistachios.

Chocolate Chip Cake with Pomegranate

1|09|2017

Who doesn’t love a decadent chocolate cake? We all do but not everyone likes to mess around with melted chocolate or rather the process of melting the chocolate. Multiple dishes, careful supervision and then chocolate is extremely sensitive to heat. It can seize, it can solidify quickly if added to cooler ingredients like cream so yes it’s a bit tricky for the novice cook. Believe it or not, I get asked often as to how a chocolate cake can be made rich without adding melted chocolate. The answer is simple! A good quality cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed) and lots of chocolate chips. Have you ever tried a warm cake with chocolate chips in it? Try it and let me know. The itsy bitsy pieces of chocolate when warm become like puddles of gooey decadence inside a cake and it’s oh so delicious!

Like most of my recipes this is one bowl, easy, small (because when you experiment for the first time, you keep it short and sweet and just for family or close friends). Double up if you want a bigger cake. All the decadence in the cake is balanced out by fresh pomegranate seeds that also gives the cake a fresh, tart flavour and a crunchy bite. It’s all about the texture! If you do not like pomegranates, like some of you said to me on Instagram yesterday, by all means add berries, oranges or just top with chocolate chips (there’s no such thing as too much chocolate, right?)

I made a simple buttercream for this recipe and not my usual Swiss meringue buttercream because I have budding bakers and novice chefs in my mind for this one. But the buttercream is still AMAZING! Really, you can’t go wrong with cocoa either!

To my Aussie friends, Happy first day of spring! If you aren’t already tired of hearing it, hear it once again..Spring is my favourite time of the year. It has always been associated with beautiful memories and happy times. Among the things I’m most looking forward to is my Mum’s visit a week from now and the Tulip festival at the Southern Highlands which is short drive from Sydney. To the others, enjoy the mellow beauty that is Autumn. We are so lucky to be connected with people from around the globe in this amazing virtual world, allowing us to take a peek into each other’s seasons and stories.

Chocolate Chip Cake with Pomegranate
Makes a 6 inch round cake

65 g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup self raising flour
2 tbsp Dutch processed Cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Cocoa Buttercream

125 g unsalted butter, softened
11/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp milk (more if needed)
3 tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degree C for fan forced ovens). Grease the bottom and sides of a 6 inch round pan and line the base with baking paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together till smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat till combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder and milk and mix to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan. level the top with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
When cool, frost (pipe o r just spread)with cocoa buttercream. Top with fresh pomegranates. Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve at room temperature or warm.

To make the Cocoa Buttercream, using an electric mixer or a hand mixer beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar, a little at a time beating well until fully incorporated. Add the cocoa powder and milk and beat again until no white streaks appear and buttercream is fluffy. If it is too thick, add another tbsp of milk to lighten up.