Carrot Fruits 'n' Nuts Cake

Posting on behalf of a non-blogger to link up with my ongoing event 'Sweet Celebration' :)

PARTICIPANT NAME: Roshny Daniel

RECIPE NAME: Carrot Fruits 'n' Nuts Cake

Ingredients:

1. cup*   All purpose flour

1 cup Whole wheat flour (atta)  

2 cup sugar 

2 tsp  baking powder 

2 tsp Vanilla essence

2 tsp ground spice(cinnamon,clove,nutmeg,cardamom) 

1/2 tsp salt 

4 eggs 

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 

2 cups grated carrots 

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts(cashew nut,almonds)

1 cup dried fruits

* 1 cup=16 Tbsp

Preparation:

- Preheat the oven to 180 C . Lightly grease and flour a  cake pan.

- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients flours, salt, spices and Baking powder.

- In a large mixing bowl beat together eggs and sugar till fluffy .

- Add in vanilla essence and mix .

- Next add in  oil .

- Slowly add dry ingredients and blend together well with out lumps.

- Add carrots, fruits and nuts.

- Pour into cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. Check after the first 35 minutes, to see if a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If not, continue to cook, checking every 5 minutes.

- Remove cake from oven when done and cool.

Linking this recipe to Shruti’s ‘Sweet Celebration’ Event :)

Upside Down Apple-Cinnamon Cake

Posting on behalf of a non-blogger to link up with my ongoing event 'Sweet Celebration' :)

PARTICIPANT NAME: Roshny Daniel

RECIPE NAME: Upside Down Apple Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients:

Topping

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup  sugar ( for caramelization)
2.5 medium apples-Peeled ,cored and cut to wedge shape
1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

Cake:

6 Tbsp unsalted butter(room temperature)
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp cornflour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 apple peeled ,cored and diced

Preparation:

- Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a cake pan with butter.

For Topping

- In a sauce pan melt 4 Tbsp butter .
- Add 1/2 cup sugar and cook till sugar melt to light golden brown.
- Add cinnamon and nutmeg powder.
- In to sugar syrup add apple wedges and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.Stir occasionally to avoid burning of sugar.
- Cook the apples in butter sugar solution till apples release juice.
- Pour this mixture into the greased cake pan and arrange.

For Cake batter

- Mix together the flour,corn flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a bowl beat 6 Tbsp butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla essence.Beat until well blended.
- Mix the dry ingredients alternating with milk in to the creamed mixture until combined.Dont over beat.
- Gently stir in the chopped apple in batter.

- Pour batter in to the cake pan lined with apple and sugar syrup.
- Bake the cake for around 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Leave the baked cake to cool for 5  minutes and then invert the cake to serving plate.
- Do not allow cake to leave in cake pan to cool as it will let the caramel to stick to base of cake pan.
- Serve warm with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

Linking this recipe to Shruti’s ‘Sweet Celebration’ Event :)

Black Forest Cake

Posting on behalf of MY GUEST-WRITER to link up with my ongoing event 'Sweet Celebration' :)

PARTICIPANT NAME: Rashmi Madhan

RECIPE NAME: Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Leaves

INGREDIENTS:

1 Chocolate Cake (as above) or 1 Devils Food Cake (your choice) Slit into 3 layers.

2 x 425 grams PITTED black cherries.  

2 tablespoons arrowroot/corn flour

Drain and reserve the cherries and juice/liquid separately.  Of these keep at least 8 cherries aside and let them drain on a kitchen towel so as to remove as much juice as possible.

Take the liquid/juice in a saucepan and heat it gently. Mix the corn flour/arrowroot with two tablespoons of the juice and return it to the pan.  Do not let it boil but let it heat gently and add the cherries back to the pan.  

Once you have a thickened saucy cherry sauce take it off the heat and let it cool.

You can do this a day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.

2 x 300 ml cartons whipping cream

4 tablespoons icing sugar

Whip the cream and sugar together till soft peaks form

¼ Cup of Kirsch or White Rum

Chocolate Leaves: 

12 or more Leaves from Roses or any Leaves that have a well defined shape and veins.  Clean with a damp cotton cloth and pat dry making sure they do not have any moisture clinging to them.

1 bar of 70% Dark Chocolate grated.  

1 Packet Chocolate Hail.  If you can not source Chocolate Hail then use grated Chocolate instead.  1 Chocolate should be enough.

Method for the Leaves:

- Place a sheet of baking paper or any waxed paper on a flat surface.  Separate the leaves and place them in a bowl.  

- Keep a very small spatula or a butter knife handy.

- Melt half the grated chocolate on a double boiler and once it is nice and glossy smooth remove from the boiler and wipe the bottom to ensure no water gets in.  Add the other half of the Chocolate and continue stirring.  This is known as tempering the chocolate and it helps the chocolate set well. The result should be a smooth and glossy chocolate sauce.

- Carefully “paint” the back of each leaf with this Chocolate.  You can even use your fingers if you find it difficult to use a knife or brush.

Place each leaf carefully on the baking sheet, Chocolate side up.  Once you have finished all the leaves you need to do put the baking sheet with the leaves in the fridge and leave for 20 minutes.  Remove from the fridge and carefully peel of the leaf and you will be left with perfect Chocolate Leaves.  Believe me, it sounds more fiddly than it is!!  These can then be stored in an air tight container and kept in a cool place for later use. The rest of the chocolate can be grated and used to decorate the sides.

Assembly:

Place the Bottom layer of the cake on the serving platter and bruh with a third of the Kirsch, top with a layer of cream and half the cherry sauce.  Repeat with the middle layer.  Now place the final layer of the cake and brush with the remaining third of the Kirsch.  Cover the top and sides with cream and decorate with the cherries and chocolate leaves on top and the chocolate hail or grated chocolate on the sides.

Serve and Enjoy!!!

Linking this recipe to Shruti’s ‘Sweet Celebration’ Event :)

Dolly on a Hat

Posting on behalf of MY GUEST-WRITER to link up with my ongoing event 'Sweet Celebration' :)

PARTICIPANT NAME: Rashmi Madhan

RECIPE NAME: Dolly on a Hat

For this pretty lady I used two Chocolate Cakes.  One made exactly as above and another made in a deep pudding basin.  If you do not have a pudding basin, you can easily use any bowl shaped vessel that is a) deep enough to hold the batter at two-thirds full, so as not to over-spill its edges and b) Ovenproof, it would be disastrous to try and bake in a pan that was unsuited to being in an oven!

To put it together I used Chocolate Ganache.  When I initially heard the term Ganache, I was quite intimidated but now I know that it is just a fancy term for melted chocolate mixed with cream to a nice spreadable consistency.  Here I used three large bars of dark chocolate and about 200mls. of fresh cooking cream.  To make the Ganache, break the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a heatproof bowl. You can then microwave it in short bursts of 1 minute each or hold it over a pan of hot simmering water and stir till it is soft and gooey.  Remove it from the heat and wipe the outside with a towel.  Take care DO NOT let any water into the Chocolate, because the Chocolate will seize up and you will not be able to use it!  Once you have removed the chocolate you can whisk in the cream till you have a desired nice chocolate cream that is easy to spread.  If at this stage you feel it thickening too much just return it to the simmering pot and stir it again or give it a 30 second burst in the Microwave.

Just spread the Ganache over the cakes and sandwich them.  Decorate with multicolored sugar strands, silver balls and sugar flowers and of course top with a pretty little Dolly.

This particular version of the cake has had many Avatars, it has transformed into A Dinosaur, A Farm with A Sheep and Pig, A Cat and lately it was a Graveyard.  It happily changes its persona to suit the occasion or the Birthday Boy or Girl’s preference.  Very versatile indeed.

Linking this recipe to Shruti’s ‘Sweet Celebration’ Event :)