Simple Chocolate Cake

With my home bakery slowly getting its pace and my fitness regime in full mode, I hardly have any energy left to do any blogging these days. While I am still cooking for my family and friends, I do not always have the time to post the recipe. This week I did not have any orders to complete nor much cooking to do as husband was busy with a conference. With a special house guest coming to stay with us for a night during the week, I thought it was a great idea to do some simple baking for myself for a change. So here it is, my super simple chocolate cake. Frost it or eat it as is, it is a great tea time companion!

                                       

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour/maida

3/4 cup brown sugar (can be substituted with regular sugar)

1/3 cup oil (I used extra light olive oil or you can use any unflavored neutral oil)

3 eggs (can be substituted with 3/4 cup whipped yogurt)

1 tsp vanila essence 

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

150 ml fresh cream ( I used some leftover whipping cream; can also be substituted with full cream milk)

55 gms chopped plain chocolate (you can either use semi sweet baking chocolate or any leftover plain chocolate like I did)

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup semi sweet choco chips (optional)

Direction

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius. Grease a 9" round pan and line it with parchment paper. Lightly grease the paper on top for easy removal later on. 

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and chocolate for 30 seconds. Take it out, mix and put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Take it out again and mix well till the chocolate dissolves. Now sift the cocoa powder and mix into the chocolate cream mixture. Mix it well till incorporated. Keep aside and mix at regular intervals so that a film does not form on top and the mixture comes to room temperature. 

Meanwhile, beat the sugar and oil till smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanila essence and mix. 

Now, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the chocolate cream mixture and mix well into the batter. Now add the flour in three additions, folding it in after each addition. Now add the choco chips if using and fold it in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then unmould and let it cool on a wire rack. Slice and store in air tight containers. 

Note for eggless cake:

Beat the yogurt till smooth and add the baking powder (with an additional 1/4 tsp) and baking soda and let it stand for 10 minutes. It will start frothing. You need not add any baking powder and baking soda  to the flour in this case. Beat the sugar and oil together and then add the chocolate cream followed by the vanila essence. Now add the flour alternating with the yogurt mixture. Take care not to overmix in this case as we do not want to let the air bubbles escape. 

                                       

  

Gluten Free Flourless Delicious Quinoa Chocolate Cupcakes

Quinoa is ruling my mind and my kitchen these days. I am loving every bit of it and thoroughly enjoying my experiments with this wonder grain. After a very Indian Breakfast staple dish, Upma, and a western Veggie Bake, it's time for something sweet. What better than a cup cake to enjoy your tea/coffee with and in fact, as a dessert too with some ice cream! As I write this post, my cupcakes are already over and I am looking forward to making them soon again. 

                                 

Ingredients (Makes 8 Cupcakes)

1 cup cooked quinoa

3 tbsp butter softened (you can reduce it to 2 1/2)

2 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

2 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup brown sugar (add more if you like it more sweet; I like it a bit bitter sweet)

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanila essence

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (skip if using salted butter)

Direction

Cook 3/4 cup quinoa in 1 1/2 cup boiling water on a medium flame till all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is transparent with a whitish tail. Cool the quinoa. Measure out 1 cup and keep aside. You can keep leftover quinoa in the refrigerator, covered, for later use. 

In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, softened butter, and oil till smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat further. Now add the cooked and cooled quinoa and mix. Add the essence, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt (if using) and beat further. 

Pre heat the oven at 180 degree celsius. Now line a muffin tray with 8 paper liners and spoon out the batter upto 3/4 level of each cup. Bake in the pre heated oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cupcakes look set. Cool on wire rack and store in air tight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

                                     

                                     

Sunk Fruit Sponge Cake

I know the name sounds a bit wierd but that's how it is. In baking you skip a single step, however unimportant it may seem like, and you can see the difference that step brings to the dish. After my cooking extravaganza on Saturday, I was idling on the couch when suddenly I had some craving for a fruit cake. Too tired as I was, my craving also seemed to be simple enough to be dealt with. I quickly got the ingredients together, whipped, and baked all within 1 hour from start to finish. Everything was done in a jiffy and I was quite happy with my "little effort, great results" simple sponge cake until I turned it over on the cooling rack. Darn! I did not flour the fruit pieces before adding to the batter! As a result, I had a beautiful soft and moist sponge cake sitting on a bed of cherries and raisins. On second thoughts, I did not mind it actually as it is easier to feed this cake to my baby who otherwise does not like tid- bits in her cake. So it's a fruit cake for me and a plain cake for her! Do give this simple cake a shot, with or without flouring the fruit pieces, and enjoy a soft and moist spongy bliss with your cuppa.

                                    

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1 scant cup oil

4 eggs

2 tsp vanila essence

1 tsp lemon zest

1 scant cup sugar (I used half brown, half white)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp custard powder

1/3 cup dried fruit bits (add more or less as per your liking)

A pinch of salt

Direction

In a bowl, take the eggs and with an electric beater whip till smooth and creamy. Add the oil and beat further. Add vanila and sugar and beat till fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and custard powder. Add this mixture little at a time to the egg mixture and beat. Reserve little flour and mix the fruit pieces in that (this is the step I skipped). Fold this fruit flour mixture to the batter and mix with a spatula. 

Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree celsius. Grease a medium sized or 2 small sized  loaf tins and pour the batter into it. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks completely before storing in air tight containers.

                                    

                                    

                                    

No Knead Cranberry Cream Bread Muffins

It has been some time since I baked a proper flour bread. Blame it on my recent holiday or the bout of ill health right after that, I was just not intrigued enough to do something as tedious as kneading a bread dough. Somewhere down there in my sub-conscious mind, however, the baker in me was itching to bake something new and interesting, but the regular focaccias and loaves. I searched a lot on the Internet for exciting bread recipes/ideas but none really appealed to me. 

I had almost given up on the thought when suddenly I decided to get a little adventurous and without any second thoughts, jumped onto the idea. I was feeling lethargic to knead on a hot summer day and so thought of giving a shot to a 100% new experiment in the kitchen with ingredients rarely used in bread baking.

I had read about No Knead bakes but never got to try it and what better time than now. The ingredient that I am introducing to Bread Baking today is something which we have used quite often in cakes and curries but never in breads (not that I know), whipping cream. The texture and the taste of the bread is to eat it to believe it! What a wonder I baked at such an impromptu thought! As they say, the best words are spoken when spoken from the heart and this bread elegance is straight from the heart!

                                      

Ingredients

2 cups bread flour (all purpose flour can also be used, you can additionally use 1 egg for a softer texture or skip it)

100 ml warm water

1 tsp instant active yeast

100 ml whipping cream (regular cream can be used as well; if using egg, reduce quantity by 50 ml)

3 tbsp brown sugar, divided (can be substituted with regular sugar, quantity depends on your taste preferance)

3/4 - 1 cup dried cranberries (quantity depends on your preference)

1 egg for the egg wash mixed with 1 tsp water

Butter for brushing after bake

Direction

In a bowl, take the warm water and add 1 tbsp sugar and dissolve the yeast. Let it stand for 10 minutes until frothy.

In another bowl, take the flour and add the remaining sugar. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture. Using a spatula, start putting the dough together untill all liquid is absorbed. There will still be dry dough in the bowl. Now add the cream (no need to whip it first) and the beaten egg, if using. Continue stirring with the spatula, scraping the sides. At this point, you can either use a stand mixer with the dough hook or simply use your hands to bring the dough together. You need not knead a smooth dough, just a moist elastic dough. It should however not be sticking entirely on your hands. Transfer the dough to a clingwrap and wrap it nicely. Place the dough in an oiled bowl in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

                                        

                                        

                                        

Once prooved, prepare a muffin tray with paper liners. Punch down the dough gently to release the air and pinch out small plum sized balls. Add some cranberries to the ball and fold it in. Place it in the lined paper cup. Alternatively, you can add the cranberries directly to the risen dough and then pinch out plum sized balls. Once the entire dough is used up, cover with a cling wrap and let it rise again in a warm place for another hour until doubled.

Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven at 220 degree celsius. Take the muffin tray out and brush the top with the egg water mixture. Bake in the pre-heated oven at. 200 degree celsius for 20 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Remove from the oven and brush the top with little butter. Let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then serve. This bread is best had when hot from the oven. For subsequent servings, re-heat in the oven for 5 minutes for best results. Regular Microwave is also an option.

                                          

                                          

Wholewheat Cake Rusk

Just back from a wonderful holiday in Hong Kong and immediately after that fell terribly sick. All the recharging and rejuvinating done during the holidays went in waste. Nevertheless, the tummy continues to feel hungry and even more when I haven't had something comforting in the past few days. So I went through the pinned recipes in my diary and found this nostalgic cake rusk recipe which refreshed my childhood memories of one of the oldest bakery in my town then, Osman Bakery. As a child, I used to hate that glass of milk which is customary for every kid to drink. These rusks, which my Dad used to bring ovenfresh from the bakery while on his way back home, were a savior then. Even today, when I want to eat something nice and feel good but without any energy for anything elaborate, these crunchy crumbly rusks are a savior and are a wonderful mate for my cup of honey lemon tea in the evening or anytime of the day. They are just the way I used to have as a kid from the bakery and I am really glad I could recreate the same taste and crunch. The best thing is they are made with wholewheat although ideally it should have been all purpose flour. Frankly though, there is no difference in taste and I had completely forgotten about the wholewheat quotient until I sat down to write the ingredients!

                                        

Ingredients

1 cup wholewheat flour (ideally, all purpose flour though no difference in taste)

3 eggs

100 gms butter (approx 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup brown sugar, fine grain or powdered (white sugar is used ideally; I wanted to make it as healthy as possible)

1 tsp vanila essence

2-3 drops yellow food color

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup tutti fruity (optional)

Direction

Melt the butter in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until just softened. Now mix the sugar and whip till creamy and fluffy. Now add the eggs and beat further. Add the vanila essence and food color and mix. Now sift the flour and baking soda together and fold in to the egg mixture little at a time. Lastly, fold in the fruit bits and mix. Pour into a greased or lined medium square baking tin and spread out the batter, which won't be too runny. Smoothen the top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree celsius for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The original recipe called for 50 minutes but mine was done in 20 minutes flat. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

                                          

Now, place the cooled cake on a plate and cut into squares or any desired shape. Place the cut squares on a baking tray (need not be greased or lined) and bake at 150 degree celsius for 20 minutes. The baking time here depends on how you like your rusks, hard or softly crunchy. In any case, the rusks while in the oven will still be little soft and will get crunchy only once cooled. So choose your baking time accordingly. I baked them for 25 minutes while turning the sides once in between for uniform browning on both the edges. Once cooled, store in airtight containers.

                                         

Wholewheat Pineapple and Plum Dimple Cake

I love my afternoon tea like many others over here and I love it even more when I have something interesting to go with it. So every week I bake something delicious and healthy which will last me for the whole week as well as take care of my husband's hunger pangs when he returns from office. Today, it was going to be a simple pineapple cake with wholewheat flour and just as I was about to take something out of the refrigerator, I chanced upon these beautiful red plums which were fresh and tout and waiting to be grabbed. I immediately pounced upon them and after a quick pitting session, upgraded my recipe to a dimple cake. I have noticed, in few of my recent bakings, I have grown up as a baker and now I confidently experiment with my cakes and cookies and breads too and every time it turns out perfect. As the old saying goes, "Practise makes perfect!"

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup wholewheat flour (I use Ashirwad aata)

3/4 cup fine grain or powdered brown sugar (you can use regular sugar too)

3 eggs (I shall include the eggless version in the notes below as this recipe was originally eggless)

1/2 cup olive oil or any other oil

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 slices of canned pineapple chopped or you can use canned pineapple chunks chopped into small pieces (reserve 5 tsp of the sugar syrup)

4 red sweet plums pitted and quartered (my plums were quite oversized and hence I cut them into quarters. You can make them into halves if you have smaller ones. Make sure they are sweet enough, else dip them in the pineapple sugar syrup for 1-2 hours before use)

Icing sugar for dusting (I skipped it)

Direction

Sieve the flour with the baking soda and baking powder and keep aside. In a bowl, beat the sugar and the eggs until smooth and creamy. Now add the oil and beat further. Add the vanilla essence. Now fold in the flour little at a time until the mixture is smooth and without any lumps. The consistency will be a little thick. Now apply a little flour on the pineapple chunks and mix. Add this to the batter and give a gentle stir. Now add the reserved 5 tsp sugar syrup one tsp at a time to make the batter a bit liquidy. However, it will not be as liquid as a regular cake batter. It should be in between the consistency of a thick custard and regular cake batter. 

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius and grease a round or square baking dish. I used a spring form pan with the base lined with baking sheet and sides lightly greased as it will be easier to take the cake out later without inverting. You can use a regular dish but have to be quick with the inverting and re-inverting the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and carefully arrange the pitted plums on the batter. Gently press into the batter and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes at 200 degree celsius and then for another 20 minutes at 175 degree celsius or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for cooling completely. The cake tastes best when allowed to cool completely. So hold on till it cools down!

                                        

                                        

                                        

Notes for Eggless Version:

To substitute eggs in this recipe, take 1 cup yogurt. Beat the yogurt and sugar together until creamy and then add the baking powder and baking soda. Let it stand for 3-5 minutes. The mixture will become frothy and then continue with the rest of the procedure. You do not need to sieve the flour with the baking powder or soda in this version.