Vanilla Cupcakes

 

Last weekend started on a boring note. We had no plans to leave the house as  hubby-dear needed to just laze around and relax for a change. Relaxation for him is reading about photography and watching MMA and sports. For me, I had to think of a way to do something nice. So, as usual, I turned to the kitchen to bake. Now, that's what I call relaxation.

My sister sent me 10 individual  cupcake baking cups. These are so much nicer than the muffin trays because there is more space utilization in the oven. Also, helps me bake just a few, instead of a whole big batch. Loved the idea and had to put these cuties to use. That's when I made my Apple-raisin-walnut muffins (click here for recipe). After that venture, these babies were put away and only now did I think of them again.

So, my weekend relaxation resulted in vanilla cupcakes. They were moist and delicious and this brought hubby's resting phase to a halt as he got busy.............. really busy, munching on these moist cupcakes..............non stop.

 

Ingredients: (makes about 12 cupcakes)

• 1-1/2 cup sifted cake flour
• 1-1/2 tspn baking powder
• 1/4 tspn salt
• 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup(s) whole milk

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
• Line a cupcake tray or cups with liners.
• In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. 
• Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat well for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl when needed (batter should be nearly white and fluffy). 
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla and mix. 
• Now, alternately, add the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with flour until just mixed.
• Divide the batter into the cupcake liners until 2/3 full (I used an ice cream scoop which was the perfect amount to fill 1 cupcake). Bake for 20-25 mins, until a toothpick inserted comes out just clean.
• Cool for 5-10 minutes on a rack.

Pistachio cardamom orange cake

The best thing of being or living in India is that, I can go home whenever I feel like it and our family can visit us often too. That is a real blessing.

My sister and nephew visited us and I made this cake for them.

     

It was a nice pistachio cake which was infused with cardamom. A handsome quantity of pistachios were ground and added to the cake. Orange zest rendered that zing . The orange flavor came through so well. Cardamom powder does the job of  giving a good aroma to the cake. So there is no need for vanilla in this recipe.

 

What I loved most about the cake was that when I cut a slice, the orange and green specs  from the zest and the pistachio were vividly visible, which made it look so beautiful. This cake was a smash hit at home. It lasted 2 days and not a crumb was left.

Ingredients:

• Pistachios -1-1/2 cups(unsalted, shelled and toasted )
• All-purpose flour - 1-1/2 cups
• Baking powder - 2-1/2 tspns
• Cardamom powder - 1 tspn
• Salt - 1/4 tspn
• Whole milk - 1 cup
• Unsalted butter - 1-1/2 sticks (at room-temperature)
• Sugar - 1-1/2 cups
• Eggs - 4 large or 5 small
• Grated orange zest - 2 tspns

Method:

• Arrange oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line a  9-inch-diameter round cake pan withparchment paper. 

• In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt and sieve 3 times or mix well.

• Add cardamom powder and mix well.

• Using food processor, pulse pistachios until  ground, about 40 seconds. (Do not over process it to a fine powder ).

• Add the ground pistachio to the flour mixture and mix well.

• In large bowl using electric mixer at moderate speed, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  

•  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

•  Reduce speed to low and flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches,  beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating after each addition just until combined. 

• Add orange zest and mix until just combined.

• Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 35 mins, until wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean. 

• Remove from oven and cool the cake in the  pan  for about 10 minutes, unmold cake and let cool on a rack.

Zebra cake

The Masterchef Australia Season has started all over again and I love, love, love the show. I never miss an episode. Such a pleasure watching people cooking good food and all the more 'beautiful food'. There a so many talented people out there. Good to see wonderfully good food with quality ingredients. Have watched Masterchef USA and India and to be frank, I liked only Australia. The focus is only on food and no cribbing and fussing. I learn so much about food from this show. The judges are fantastic too.
I can just go on and on and on about this but let me just sum it all up with a Big Hurrah! for the Masterchef Australia series.

Now, let me get to my baked goodies. This time round, I want to share the recipe and pics of a  Zebra cake.  I think it looks adorable. I'm impressed with myself. Pat, pat, pat on my back. This cake went straight to a cousin's home. So I could not taste it, but, those who did, said it was fabulous.

What I would do differently next time,
1) make more layers. This time I tried just few.
2) Since I now know how to do it, I would spoon the batter a little neater next time. This time the job was shabby as you can see  :)

The layers were not so clear on the outside . But , when cut, there was this beautiful display of brown and white.The design looked so fashionable.

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cupsall purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 medium eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup warm, whole milk 
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.  

  

Directions:

• Preheat  oven to 400 degrees F or 205 degrees C . Line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper or butter and dust with all-purpose flour. 
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
• In a large mising bowl, beat butter and sugar using an electric mixer set on low speed, until the mixture resembles damp sand (about 3 mins).
•  Beat in the eggs one at a time on medium-high, until wellblended and  a smooth fluffy consistency is reached. (About 7-8 mins)
• Add vanilla and mix.
• Add 1/3 of the sifted flour mixture and milk alternately and mix until you have added it all.
  
• Do not overbeat this mixture. Once the flour is incorporated well, stop mixing. 
• Separate this batter into 2 equal parts. To one part add cocoa powder and mix well.   

  

Now to create the zebra design.  

For this the batter has to be poured in a particular fashion into the mold.

• Take a large spoon or ladle and first spoon the vanilla batter right into the center of  the prepared pan. Tap the pan thrice to spread the batter a little.  
• Next, spoon the chocolate batter right in the middle of the vanilla batter and tap the pan.  
• Repeat these 2 steps alternately till you have added all the batter. (see pic above)
  
• Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean — 25 to 30 minutes. 
• Cool cake completely on a wire rack.

Blueberry Walnut Cake

It's been very difficult to find blueberries here, in India, and so I asked an aunt to look out for some dried blueberries abroad. And lucky me, she brought me a pack of dried blueberries. I was so excited to bake this blueberry walnut cake. I did miss the plumpness of fresh, juicy blueberries as the dried berries had the texture and feel of raisins.They tasted very much like fresh blueberries though. So now, for all I care, I have blueberries in my pantry all year round and don't have to go hunting places for them.


It was a neat bake and and I was pretty happy with the result. A fairly easy recipe.
A moist cake with crisp walnut and chewy blueberries. This can be served plain or with fresh fruit.

Ingredients:

• Butter( at room temperature) - 1 stick( 115 gms)
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Eggs(large) - 3
• Pure vanilla extract - 1 tspn
• All purpose flour - 1-1/4 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tspn
• Baking soda - 1/2 tspn
• Salt - 1/8 tspn(optional)
• Milk - 1/3 cup
  
• Walnuts - 1 cup (chopped)
• Dried blueberries - 1/4 cup
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F( 177 C)
• When the oven is preheating, put walnuts on a baking sheet into the oven. This will toast the walnuts. Remove after 3-4 mins. Set aside to cool. Once cool, give walnuts a rough chop.
  
• Butter an 8" round cake pan or line it with parchment paper. Set aside
• Seperate the eggs. Put egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside. Put the egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl and beat the to stiff peaks and set aside.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Add egg yolks one at a time and beat well after each addition.
• Add vanilla extract and mix well.
• Now add the flour mixture and mix. Stir in the milk until batter is smooth. (Do not over beat the cake batter as it will result in a hard cake).
• Add the walnuts and the blueberries. Mix.
• Fold in the egg whites gently into the cake.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Do the toothpick test to see if the cake is done.(See note below).
• If the cake is not done, reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F(135 C) and bake for 8-10 more mins.Repeat tooth pick test.
• When the cake is done, let it rest in the cake pan for 10 mins.Then remove the cake from the cake pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
  

Note: Take a tooth pick or a knife or a bamboo skewer and poke it till the bottom of the cake.If it comes out clean the cake is ready.If it comes out with wet cake batter, it needs additional time to bake.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Apple Raisin Walnut Muffins (Eggless)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY BELOVED READERS.
The Holiday Season......This is the time of the year when baking is at an all-time high. It is not surprising because baked goodies taste delectable. Homemade baked treats are a good gift idea. Baking gets you being creative. It's fun and it is such a good hobby for a number of reasons. So, last week the baking bug bit me too. But, I did some low profile baking. Made some Apple Raisin Walnut Muffins. The highlight of this trial was that it was an eggless muffin recipe. I have never tried baking cakes or muffins without eggs, so, I was a little sceptical about the outcome. But, it was a big success story and the muffins were so moist too. And so, if you ask me if I would bake this eggless muffin again.......................Yes, definitely. It is a very easy recipe and I would recommend it to a beginner as well. Prep time - 10 mins.

The recipe is adapted from Paula Deen's Apple Raisin Muffin recipe.

I spiked the recipe by adding walnuts and a dash of rum. My recipe is provided below.
Ingredients (makes 10 muffins)

• 1/3 cup water


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 cup grated apple


• 1/4 cup raisin


• 1/2 cup (1 stick/ 115 gms) butter


• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


• 3/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg


• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves


• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/8 tspn salt


• 1 tspn vanilla extract


• 1 tspn rum

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) .


• Combine the water, sugar, apples, raisins, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.


• Add vanilla extract and rum.


• In a large bowl, stir the nuts, salt and baking soda into the flour.


• Add the cooled mixture to the bowl, and stir until blended.


• Fill greased or parchment lined miniature muffin tins with batter to the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I stumbled upon this recipe for homemade vanilla extract and have been wanting to try my hand at it for a while. Atlast, sometime last week, it's time had come. So, here's how I made my homemade vanilla extract.
I bought a small bottle of vodka( 180 ml) and used that bottle itself to make the extract.

Ingredients:

• Vanilla beans - 4 nos.


• Bean skins(optional) - few


• Vodka - 180 ml

Method:

• Cut the vanilla beans into halves. I did this because my vodka bottle was not tall enough to hold a full bean.


• Then cut them lengthwise, splitting them in half, leaving the end connected.


• Put vanilla beans into vodka bottle. Add vanilla skins also if you have any.Cover tightly. Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while.


• Store in a dark, cool place for 3 weeks or longer. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it, just remember to give it a good shake.


• Vanilla extract is like wine, the longer it is stored, the better the flavor.

My Vanilla extract is just over 5 days old and look at it's intense color. It has also become so fragrant. Can't wait to use it. Will have to wait another 2-3 weeks though.

Hints:

• Avoid discarding vanilla bean skins after using the vanilla seeds. Save them for making extract.


• The skins and a split bean can also be put into a jar of white sugar and left for a few weeks to make vanilla sugar.Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

THE BEST CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

I made chocolate brownies last week. They came out sooooooooo good. This really gave me that push to start blogging again because I just had to share the recipe.

I've used dark cooking chocolate and very little cocoa powder. The outcome was a chocoholic's dream. A fudge like brownie, with the richness of dark cocoa, warm, moist, not too gooey and that thin crisp crust on top was a delight. Not to forget that occasional crunch of toasted walnuts and chocolate chips.Yummo!

These are best served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or for an overdose in chocolate, chocolate ice cream. Custard too will be a great combination.
I wanted to jazz up the recipe a little by adding a dash of rum and orange peels. But, since I was making the brownies for take away, i didn't dare try something like that and played safe. But the next time I make brownies, I'm gonna add some crushed peppermints to the above recipe and see what it tastes like. I love chocolate mint . So, I'm guessing I'll love these too.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 24)

• Flour – 1- 1/3 cup


• Cocoa powder – 5 tbspns


• Baking Powder – 1/3 tspn


• Salt – ½ tspn


• Dark cooking chocolate – 250 grms


• Butter – 225 gms


• Sugar - 1-2/3 cups


• Eggs- 5


• Vanilla extract – 1 tspn


• Instant coffee powder – 1 tbspn (optional)


• Chocolate chips and walnuts – ½ cup each (optional)

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Toast walnuts for 5-8 mins while oven is in initial stages of preheating. Remove walnuts from oven. Let cool. Chop it and set aside.
• Line a brownie tin with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, Cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Chop cooking chocolate
• Over a water-bath, melt butter and cocoa till smooth and shiny. Add coffee powder to this and stir. Let cool for 6-7 mins.
• In the mean time, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla for abt 7-8 mins till thick.
• Add this mixture to the butter-chocolate mixture and add the flour mixture and mix well with a whisk.
• Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and mix well and pour into the tin and bake for 15 mins.
• Reduce temp to 170 degrees C and bake for another 10-15 mins.
• Remove from oven and let it cool for a while. Serve warm with ice cream or custard.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Rich Fruit 'n' Nut Cake or Plum Cake

Happy Halloween! Boo!

A very dear friend, Sheeja had her birthday last Saturday, the 24th of October. I made this cake for her. I got this recipe from a fellow blogger's pages - Annita, author of My treasure, my pleasure .

The cake is rich and one of the best cakes I have ever made. Filled with the richness of dried fruits and nuts.
Needless to say, she loved it and that's what made all the pains making it, worthwhile.


For the recipe click here

Have fun!

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

It's all about Oikos- Organic Greek Yoghurt

Here is an opportunity for all of you to try this product Click here to get OIKOS COUPONS.

STONYFIELD FARM. I'm sure all of you have heard about this dairy brand. They make great yogurt. Organic, ofcourse. Stonyfield Farm now also makes Oikos Organic Greek yogurt which can be used in a variety of ways while cooking – in baking, as a substitute for sour cream, and mayonnaise, and to create tasty low-fat dishes. Greek yogurt is strained, making it thicker and more versatile in recipes than regular yogurt. Oikos is organic, which means it's made without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, and it's made from organic milk produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones (rBST). Now, that, in itself, is a winner winner all the way.

So, 3 weeks ago, I received a very friendly mail from Kristina of STONYFIELD FARM. She came across my blog and sent me coupons for Oikos along with a complimentary reusable eco-friendly tote. She requested that I try out the Oikos product and and let all my readers know what I thought about it. So that's what I'm going to do. I was really thrilled when I received her mail, as this is my first ever offer of the kind. Thanks for the opportunity Kristina.

Over the weekend, I made a tea cake and came up with my own recipe for it. I used the fat-free Oikos Greek yogurt in the recipe. I cut down on the quantity of butter as well. Used only half of what is normally required for a cake.The result........I got a very very moist cake and I absolutely was pleased with myself and with Oikos Greek yogurt. I made a moist cake with half the amount of fat. I felt no guilt when I gobbled-up a piece.

Oikos has flavored yogurts too, like blueberry, vanilla and honey. I tried the Vanilla yogurt. The pure vanilla used in it really came through. These will be great for lassi.

Other than the cake recipe,I have other recipes, in my blog, in which you can substitute some ingredients with Oikos yogurt.

Like Palak Paneer (Click here for recipe). You can substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt. And in the Hyderabadi Biryani (Click here for recipe) substitute the hung yogurt with Oikos.

To check out more recipes from the Oikos website click here .

THE VERDICT: I absolutely loved OIKOS and I'm sure I'll come up with many other ways to use this product. So, for me, Oikos will be a staple in my household. I love that it's zero fat and organic and can help me come up with more low fat recipes.

So, if any of you want are thinking twice about trying this product, just go right ahead. It's worth it. It's available in the diary section of most grocery stores.

Click here to get OIKOS COUPONS.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup Oikos Greek yogurt( substitute with sour cream)
• 3/4 cup of apple sauce
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 2-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla

Directions :

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C)
• Grease and flour 2 loaf pans
• Sift the baking powder and flour together and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
• Add the flour mixture and beat until everything is well incorporated.
• Add the vanilla and mix well.
• Now add the Oikos and apple sauce and mix.
• Pour the mixture into the 2 greased and floured loaf pans.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes.
  

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Party time - Pineapple cream cake

ONCE UPON A TIME................I think that's the best way to start today's story because this is a picture of a cake I made 4-5 months ago and the following story too dates back to that time( or should I say that age ;). I pulled this out from my archives.

So, it's once upon a time:)

5 months ago.......................

I looked right. I looked left. Turned right.Turned left. Backed up. Curb parked, parallel parked and finally.......... got my driver's license. By the way, did I mention that it was my second attempt. (And no, I am not proud of that).


My first attempt was a disaster. I shivered with nervousness and everything that could possibly go wrong,went wrong. I switched-on the wiper instead of the beams, I didn't stop at the "stop" signs and I never checked my mirrors because I was petrified of taking my eyes off of the road. I even put the right indicator and turned left :) I was so nervous, but there's atleast one thing I can proudly say -I DID NOT pee in my pants that day : P

I was determined not to let that happen again (talking about the nervousness). So, after a few more weeks of practice, I attempted again with confidence. My second shot at it was far, far better and fruitful. I was so thrilled with my success that I drove my way home with music blasting from my car stereo. You should have been there to see that proud look of triumph on my face when I tucked my license into my purse. ( I looked like I had hit a jackpot)

Atlast, a free bird, not having to depend on my partner everytime I want to visit the mall or a friend.....I decided to rejoice and planned a party for two . The highlight of that day was........no, not my license card, but a fine pineapple cream cake. Tasted scrumptious and it's become a household favorite.
Me excited today :)
I got this award from Lena. Thank you so much Lena. I feel elated.

There are some rules to the award:
1) Add the logo of the award to your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs (Only if you like).
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blog

As usual, now comes the difficult part. Deciding which blogs to pass the award to.
I would like to pass on the award to:
Rush
Ria
Suparna
Sushma
Yasmeen
Viki
Poornima

Ingredients:

• Butter( at room temperature) - 2 stick( 225 gms)
• Sugar - 1-1/2 cup
• Eggs(large) - 4
• Pineapple extract - 1 tspn
• All purpose flour - 2 cup
• Baking powder - 2 tspns
• Salt - 1/4 tspn(optional)
• Butter milk - 3/4 cup
  

For Frosting:

• Heavy whipping cream ( chilled) - 1-1/2 cups
• Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
• Corn starch - 1/4 tspn(optional)
• Pineapple pieces - 1/2 cup
• Pineapple extract - 1 drop
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F( 177 C)
• Butter two 8" round cake pan or line it with parchment paper.Set aside.
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
  Add vanilla extract and mix well.
• Now add the flour mixture and mix Stir in the milk until batter is smooth. (Do not over beat the cake batter as it will result in a hard cake)
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven.
• Do the toothpick test to see if the cake is done.(See note below)
  If the cake is not done, reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F(135 C) and bake for 8-10 mins more.Repeat tooth pick test.
• When the cake is done, let it rest in the cake pan for 10 mins.Then remove the cake from the cake pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
  And tada! You are a great baker.

Directions for frosting:

• Whip the chilled heavy cream with an electric whipper and as it thickens add the powdered sugar and corn starch.
• When the cream starts forming stiff peaks, drop spoonfulls on the cake and spread it out neatly.
• To add additional details on top of the cake, like the curls, you need cake decorating cones and cone-tips.( available is all super markets). Fill a cone with the left over cream and pipe out the design of your choice on the cake and garnish with pineapple pieces.
  

Note:

The tooth pick test :Take a tooth pick or a bamboo skewer or a knife and poke it deep into the cake.If it comes out clean when removed, then the cake is ready.If it comes out with wet cake batter, it needs additional time to bake.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

LIKE THE BLISS OF RELAXING IN A LAGOON - PARADISE COCONUT CAKE LOG

Confession time: I confess that I'm a COCONUT ADDICT.

Kerala, truly, lives up to it's title -" God's own country" . Dominated by its greenery, paddy fields, palm trees and back waters, its beauty mesmerizes visitors and natives, alike. Being a romantic at heart, I yearn to visit Kumarkom - a captivating locale, sandwiched by the palm-lined backwaters and the western ghats. Though I have my roots in God's own country, time has never permitted me to enjoy the pleasure of journeying those waters in the tranquility of a house boat. That remains an unfulfilled dream.

Most people relate coconut to Kerala and why would they not. In Kerala, almost every household has backyards with tall,swaying palm trees and mounds of coconuts piled up in every nook and corner . As coconut is so vastly present and available in abundance throughout the year and relatively inexpensive, it plays a very bossy role in Keralan cuisine. Just about anything cooking in a Malayali's kitchen will have this authoritative chief in it.

With that kind of a background, I was steered into becoming a coconut addict and maybe, someday, I'll be put in rehab ;) I love its creamy flavor and anything 'coconut' reminds me of home. Sinking my teeth into this cake, always puts me in a trance. And, I think I have named this cake aptly.....................truly takes you to paradise.

And this snap is a really old one from my archive and is, by far, one of the worst I've ever taken. Sorry about that guys. ( But, what can I do? I was in too much of a hurry to dive into the cake:)

INGREDIENTS (Makes 7-8 servings)

For cake

• 170 gms (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 tspn pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tspn baking powder
• 1/4 tspn baking soda
• 1/4 tspn salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup(abt 60 gms) sweetened shredded coconut

For Frosting

• 1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 tspn pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 pound powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tbspns cream of coconut(optional) - [available in the liquor section of most supermarkets]
• 1-1/2 cups(abt 90 gms) sweetened shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE:

• Layer a loaf pan with parchment paper(for those of you who have run out if it, you can just butter the pan and dust it with a little flour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F(177 degree C).
• In a bowl cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed of an electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add these dry ingredients and the milk and buttermilk to the butter-egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Fold in the coconut with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes, until the tops are browned .
• Now insert a tooth pick into the cake.If it comes out clean the cake is done.If not, reduce the temperature of your oven to 275 degrees and bake it for 10 additional mins.
• Repeat the tooth pick check and baking process till cake is done.
  When done,Let the cake rest for 10 mins in the cake tin and then remove the cake from the loaf pan by inverting it gently.
• Cool the cake on a baking rack for 30 minutes or longer to cool completely.

DIRECTIONS FOR FROSTING

• Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract with a hand mixer on low speed. Add the powdered sugar and cream of coconut mix until well blended (do not bring this to a stiff consistency like if it were whipped).

DIRECTIONS TO FROST THE CAKE

• Spread coconut flakes evenly onto a baking sheet. Place in a 350 degree F oven for 2 to 3 minutes allowing the flakes to toast and turn a golden brown color.( Make sure you do not burn.The toasting happens very fast).When done,remove from oven and let it cool for about 7-8 mins.
• Cut the loaf cake lengthwise into 2 halves. Place the bottom half on a serving platter and spread some frosting on the top( see pic).Then, sprinkle some toasted cooled coconut flakes on the frosting.
• Now, place the second half on top of the first and frost the whole cake.To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.( You don't have be to obsessed about frosting the cake perfectly because the toasted coconut on the frosting will hide all the flaws )

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Black forest cake

This cake has its origin in south Germany in a place called Schwarzwald( which means Black forest) and is popularly known as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte literally meaning Black forest cherry torte.The original recipe calls for a liqueur called kirschwasser( cherry brandy). Kirschwasser can be substituted with brandy or rum. I have not used any alcohol in this recipe.For those of you who want to make the original black forest cake, you can add 1 tspn of rum/brandy/kirschwasser to the whipping cream.

This post has the recipe for a basic chocolate cake and black forest cake too. So it's 2-in-1. You can make cup cakes with the same batter.

The snaps from this post are participating in the magnificient click contest

IMPORTANT:If you are using pans of a different size than that specified in the recipe the baking time will vary.So please follow the directions below.
VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Do tooth pick test( explained in recipe below) Cool completely. Frost.
CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Do the toothpick test?( explained in recipe below) Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Ingredients:(serves 12)

For cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 tbspn instant coffee powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup orange juice with 1/3 cup sugar dissolved in it.

For frosting:

• Cream - 2-1/2 cup( 450 ml)
• Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1/2 tspn
• Corn starch - 1 tspn
• Maraschino cherries- 15
• Chocolate shavings- 1/2 cup
• Kirschwassser/brandy/rum- 1 tspn(optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 177 C).
• Line two 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper or grease and flour them.
• Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, coffee powder,baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.Mix well.
• Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed of mixer for about 2 minutes.
• Add buttermilk.Beat well.This will give you a loose, thin batter.That's the way it is. So no worries.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes. Do the tooth pick test ( toothpick test is explained in my vanilla sponge cake recipe. Click here to see recipe) .If the cake is not done, reduce oven temperature to 275 F( 135 C) and bake for 8-10 more mins. Repeat tooth pick test.
• Cool the cake 10 minutes in the cake pan. Then remove from cake from pan and cool on wire rack. Cool completely. ( It is very important that the cake is cooled completely before you frost the cake otherwise the cream will melt and run down the cake.)
• When the cakes are cooled, take each cake and spoon orange juice over them slowly and evenly giving the cake time to soak in the liquid. Be sure to soak the top,sides and bottom of each cake. Let rest for 5-10 mins.

For frosting:

In a separate bowl, whip the cream. When it starts becoming thick add the powdered sugar and cornstarch to it. Whip till stiff peaks are formed(see pic). Add vanilla and kirschwasser(Kirschwasser is optional. I did not use it in my cake).Mix well.

Frost top of one cake. Place the second cake on top of the first and frost the whole cake including the sides of cake. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings made by using a potato peeler on semisweet baking chocolate bar.

• With the help of a cake decorating cone and tip, you can make swirls of whipped cream to design the top and sides of the cake.
• Garnish with cherries and more chocolate shavings on top.

Note: This cake must be refrigerated.

You might like to check out these recipes too.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha