Cakes and Puddings Archives - Page 31 of 46

Purple Carrot Cake

9|06|2015

A visit to the Farmer’s markets inevitably results in two, sometimes more salads at home. I don’t know about you but I get completely blown away by beautiful, fresh produce. I may go looking for something and come back with a lot more. Most often the ‘more’ will have add-on-s (leaves, stems, branches attached to them) and I will struggle to push them into my refrigerator. I always have the option of discarding the unwanted stuff but I am food blogger…there is nothing called as ‘unwanted’. Of course I need the purple carrots with their tops on for my photos.

My favorite farmer’s market is located about 20 kilometers from home. Yet I’d go there every weekend if I can. Before we left this time, hubby told me ‘I am not having salad tonight!’
‘Well, then let’s move next to the farmer’s market’ I replied convinced that a long trip needs to be justified with a substantial buy.
In the process every time, we end up buying a lot, eating a lot and by evening all that one has room for is a salad and dessert (that’s because I bring them back too…like the gorgeous quince frangipane tart I bought this time:-))

Even though I planned a golden beetroot salad for dinner and I had my stash of tarts and slices, I quickly baked this purple carrot cake as soon as we got back home. This is a healthier carrot cake with wholemeal flour, buttermilk and honey. I have used this recipe earlier from Taste to make healthy carrot muffins. It is not too sweet and as I suspected ,the kids didn’t seem to enjoy it plain. A little butterscotch sauce on top and it went down quickly with them. We adults enjoyed the cake as it was with cups of coffee. Just so perfect for a winter afternoon. The purple carrots don’t taste any different than their popular counterpart but they do add a lovely hue to the interior. This is different than a beetroot cake where the entire cake takes up the deep reddish-brown colour.
Given a choice, I would prefer this unique speckled look.
The recipe can be totally adapted to use regular carrots and makes a great, healthy lunchbox treat.

Purple Carrot Cake
Serves 6-8

1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1 cup plain self-raising flour
1/3 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
11/2 cups grated purple carrot
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (170 degrees C for fan-force) Grease and line the base of a 19 cm round cake pan with baking paper.

Sift flours and spice into a bowl. Stir in sugar and carrot. Whisk honey, eggs, buttermilk and oil together in a jug. Add honey mixture to flour. Mix gently until just combined (do not over-mix).

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.

Chocolate, Raspberry And Pomegranate Clafoutis

20|05|2015

In the last couple of years we have changed houses several times. Renting gives you the absolute freedom to explore different neighborhoods, scenery, lifestyles, landscape, people etc. When we packed our bags, a few years ago and left for a new country, I doubt if we ever imagined that a rather large part of our belongings would still remain in those bags, lest we move again within the finite boundaries of a dynamic country. I still have boxes that were taped years ago and remain unopened till this day. Old books, albums, glassware. showpieces and so on. Why unwrap them when you might have to pack again? On the other hand, the things we acquired in recent times continued to grow along with storage to accommodate them. Choosing a place to live, initially is more about the external aspects than internal ones. Easy access to stores, parks, hospitals and proximity to the buzz of the city centre. Over time these get replaced by a different set of priorities. For us it was the school for the boys. Fortunately we were able to move closer to the school which was a blessing considering the significant amount of time they will be spending there.

Lately, we have been craving the sense of security and settling down that comes with owning a house. Where you unpack for a good 20 years at least! You don’t fret ovet a teeny chocolate stain on the carpets because the house you are living in belongs to someone else. Where you can colour the walls in ombre shades and hang pictures of children and cakes side by side. Over the last few weeks, we have been looking at properties in various locations and it dawned upon me that my dream house would be a combination of bits and ideas from 3 display homes that I have been to and an old house. Probably that is why it is a dream! The only challenge is the school. Do we limit ourselves by the distance to the school or do we focus on the suburb even though commute time may go up. Heaps to consider, assess and evaluate and I have been quite preoccupied with these thoughts.

Fortunately, there is not much to think about when deciding a quick dessert for the colder months. It is clafoutis for me, over crumble this autumn. Simple, quick,warm and full of variety. If you look up clafoutis recipes, the most common ones are the cherry, peach and berry clafoutis. Every time I tasted this beautiful dessert before this, I wondered what would stop someone from adding more texture to the batter. Without a doubt, classics are a hit for a reason and I would lick my spoon every time I had one. But I am equally adventurous and I had to put in a few other elements to find out myself, if is does any justice to the dessert. I was happy with the result. A warm chocolate flavored sweet treat, melt in your mouth, tart raspberries, nutty hazelnuts and sweet crunchy pomegranate seeds.

Now you tell me, would you dislike eating something like that? Do you like to be experiment in the kitchen? What would you consider before owning a house…convenience, space, stylish interiors or comfort?

Chocolate, Raspberry And Pomegranate Clafoutis

1 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup hazelnuts, skinned, toasted
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup unprocessed cocoa powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp powdered cinnamon
Icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 9 inch oven proof dish (I used a tart pan) with melted butter. Place the raspberries, pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts on the base of the pan. Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, cocoa, and sugar in a large bowl. Do not over mix the batter. Pour the batter over the raspberries, pomegranates and hazelnuts. Bake for 40 mins or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.. Let clafoutis rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, then dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm with fresh cream or ice cream.

Caramel Ice Cream Cheesecake With Salted Butterscotch Sauce And Meringue

12|05|2015

There was a time when I would buy a can of condensed milk only to dip my flat breads into. On Sundays when breakfasts could be a bit elaborate and I could stand in front of the sizzling frying pan, patiently turning flat breads one at time whilst simultaneously rolling out the next one, I would always make a few extras. Flat breads as you know are best served immediately. But I couldn’t resist the idea of savoring them later with a few tablespoons of creamy condensed milk. Then I discovered Delce de Leche. After that, the only reason condensed milk came into my kitchen was to make Dulce de Leche. A simple process but time consuming and requiring a fair amount of supervision. The taste was however so worth the effort that sometimes I would make the flat breads only to finish up the Dulce de Leche. After that, I discovered Caramel Top n Fill and that was the end of my Dulce de Leche making. The thick, rich caramel sauce is so similar in taste to Dulce de Leche minus the effort to make it. My flat breads found a new partner. Nope! This is not a sponsored post. I am sharing this because I figured out another favorite way of eating it. In this cheesecake.

During summer this year, I discovered the convenience, ease and delightful taste of an ice cream cheesecake that I shared with you here and here. I was thinking of make-ahead recipes for Mother’s Day that would involve ice-cream and I hit upon this idea. The fact that there is no use of gelatine or no need to whip up heavy cream gives me all the more reasons to make it. It’s as simple as opening a few containers, placing them together, mix, fold and place it in the freezer. I made this a couple of days before Mother’s Day because I knew I would be busy. After lunch, I served it to the boys who wanted to eat the entire cake.

If you do not want to use Caramel Top n Fill or do not have access to it, any thick caramel sauce would work. A thinner consistency may thin down the cheesecake mix that will melt faster when you leave the ice cream cheesecake at room temperature. To top the cheesecake, I have used salted butterscotch sauce and torched meringue. You can skip this if you find it difficult to make, and just drizzle with chocolate sauce or decorate with shaved dark chocolate.

Caramel Ice Cream Cheesecake With Salted Butterscotch Sauce And Meringue
Serves 6-8

180 g chocolate cookies
75 g unsalted butter, melted
500 g cream cheese, room temperature
500 ml vanilla ice-cream, softened (I used store bought)
380 g can caramel top n fill

Line the base of a 19 cm round Spring-form pan with baking paper.
Place the cookies in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix to combine. Alternatively, you could crush the biscuits with a rolling pin inside a zip-lock bag. Using your fingertips, press biscuit mixture over base of prepared pan. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until required.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl (with a mixer or a whisk) until light and fluffy. Add the ice cream and mix well. Gently fold in the caramel top n fill. Pour over the prepared crust. Freeze for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight)or until firm. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.
Before serving, drizzle with salted butterscotch sauce and pipe the meringue. Brown the meringue with a blow torch.

Salted Butterscotch Sauce

25 g salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup thickened/heavy cream
1/8 spoon sea salt

For the butterscotch sauce combine butter, sugar, cream and salt in a saucepan over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Cool to room temperature. Pour over caramel ice cream cheesecake.

Meringue

2 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup castor sugar
cream of tartar, a pinch (optional)

To make the meringue, place the egg-whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk continuously till the sugar dissolves (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and whip up the mixture with a electric or hand mixer to stiff peaks.
Fill up a piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe meringue kisses on top of the cake. Using a blow torch, brown the meringue.

Double Chocolate Banana Cake- Easy Mother’s Day Dessert

5|05|2015

I was sitting at the conference table at my office 5 years ago looking at our performance reports when I received a text from my doctor’s office. ‘Your first ultrasound scan is scheduled for next Friday’. I called them back. ‘What do I have to do…what happens during the ultrasound?” You will get the first glimpse of your baby. Drink lots of water’ the assistant told me
‘What..really?’ I thought to myself picturing an angel face with chubby hands and feet.

I was so nervous the following week when I reached the clinic. ‘Do you see the movement of the baby?’ the doctor pointed at the large monitor in front of her. All I could see were black and white patches on the screen and a tiny little thing..probably the size of a pea moving slowly. ‘Would you like to hear your baby’s heart beat?’ ‘Yes’ I suppressed a scream. After that, what I heard might have made my heart stop beating f0r a moment. I was speechless! It was a big surprise that I was not prepared for. But what I was about to hear next was probably the surprise of my life yet. ‘Wait, there is something else!’ She ran out to call another senior doctor. They told me they could see another fetus which may or may not survive. It was early to confirm and they couldn’t make out the heart beat yet. I was to go back in a couple of weeks. I spent the two weeks in anxiety, unable to concentrate at work or anything else. At times, I would imagine what it would be like to hold two precious babies in my arms. At other times, I would wonder what it would do to my beloved career.
Two weeks later, I was told ‘You are having twins. Baby number 2 has survived’
My head reeled at the impact of those words. I knew my life was about to change. Change…it did! In every little and big way. And that was when I really understood what it meant to be a Mother. Motherhood is the birth of a Mom as much it is the birth of a child. It is the birth of a relationship. Predictable in many ways, and not in most ways. Always, giving and forgiving.

I am constantly asked by my friends for an easy cake recipe. Something anybody can whip up at any time and tastes good enough to be shared with people. This one ticks all the boxes. It has a strong banana flavour whilst also being chocolatey enough to satisfy all your cravings. A hint of cinnamon completes the balance. My favorite part are the chocolate chunks that feel like bits of melty gooey goodness encased in rich banana cake. I have opted for a chocolate ganache frosting that is simple to make and can be easily applied on the cake. Add a few toasted hazelnuts or berries and the cake is all set to impress.

I have two more simple desserts to share with you for Mother’s Day. We want to keep things easy while totally making Mommy’s day. Mommy deserves that little extra effort and time to make her something at home. Let’s go for it!

Double Chocolate Banana Cake
Serves 6-8

50 g butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 medium sized over-ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped into big and small chunks

Chocolate Ganache
150 g dark chocolate
75 g milk chocolate (or use the entire weight of dark chocolate, 225 g)
1/3 cup heavy or thickened cream

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. (160 degrees C fan forced). Grease and line the base of a 19 cm round cake pan.

Beat butter and brown sugar together until pale and creamy. Add banana, egg and milk. Beat together until well combined. Add flour, cocoa, cinnamon and choc chunks and stir until well combined. Spoon into prepared pan and level top.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted at centre comes out clean and top is golden brown. Stand for 5 minutes in pan, then transfer cake to a wire rack to cool.
Once cooled completely, frost with Chocolate Ganache.

To make the Chocolate Ganache : Place chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds with a metal spoon or until smooth. Alternately, place the ingredients together in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in intervals till smooth and blended.
Stand at room temperature until thickened.