Classic Carrot cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie. ~Jim Davis

There was a time when you would always find cake in my refrigerator!! Seriously, it was a joke amongst friends that anytime they would visit, they would without a doubt get to eat cake.

Everyone in my house loves cake so much that before a batch of cake finished the next one was popped into the oven to bake.  Don't judge us- it was meant more for the kids as they loved taking a piece of cake in their lunchbox everyday (not only for themselves but their friends too!!). This gave me plenty of opportunity to experiment new recipes. There was no reason to complain because I absolutely looooove baking cakes....for friends, family, neighbors, birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, or just without a reason when the mood for baking strikes me.

Sometime back my daughter told me that she is cutting down on sugar (Yes!! You guessed it, she is a teenager!! Just joking!! She will kill me if she reads this!!). Actually she had a severe bout of acne and felt that cutting down on sugar might help make things better. So, we decided not to have cake lying around the house to avoid any temptations. Well!! That lasted for some time and then she had a craving for eating a carrot cake with Cream Cheese icing. 

So here we are!! That is how I came around making this carrot cake which is a bit unusual in our house as usually everyone is cheering for a dark chocolate cake, but who am I to complain? As I told you before I love to bake and need the slightest of reasons to start whipping up a cake batter. 

What I loved about this cake was that it was a breeze to make and turned out so light and moist. Usually the recipes I have tried before were not so successful with the cake turning out heavy and really dense but this recipe turned out perfect. I actually just dumped the batter in a food processor and whipped up the batter within minutes- no extensive whipping or beating for a long time-it was so simple and the end result was outstanding. 

I must say this is one great way to eat up your veggies!! 

Ingredients (recipe minimally adapted from Chowhound)

Serves 8-10

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp all-spice powder

1/8 tsp nutmeg powder

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup  butter, melted

5 cups carrots, grated

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

Chopped pecans or sliced almonds for decorating (optional)

• Heat the oven to 350F.
• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, all-spice powder and salt.
• In the bowl of a food processor, whisk together the eggs, sugars, oil, melted butter, sour cream and whisk for 2-3 minutes till thoroughly combined. Add in the flour mixture and whisk again till thoroughly mixed.
• Stir in the carrots and yes...whisk again for a minute till everything is well incorporated.
• Pour the batter in a greased bundt cake pan or any 9" pan of your choice.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes rotating the pan midway after 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla essence till smooth and fluffy. Spread on the cooled cake. Decorate with chopped pecans or sliced almonds.

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Surprise Hidden Heart Cake

Slice this delicious heart cake and find the surprise heart shaped design running through the middle.....how gorgeous can it be!! Just perfect to win anyone's heart over.

This is like something out of Ripleys believe it or not, isnt it? 

At least that is what I thought when I first saw the cake. I was amazed at how a heart shape came to be so perfectly designed inside another cake. This cake left such an indelible mark on my mind that ever since I saw it I have been itching to try it out. It has been on my wish list of things to try out at least once in my lifetime since long and finally I am able to strike it out. Yay!!

But believe me this has no magic trick. In fact when you go through the recipe you will see just how simple it is and yet so effective.

I kind of took a shortcut by using a store bought cake mix as there was just too much going on that day. Aren't we all allowed to cheat sometimes and what really matters is the thought behind the dish. In case you don't want to be lazy like me and want to have the real deal follow this great recipe of Martha Stewart's Classic pound cake and make two times the recipe as we need two cakes.

So here goes; the secret is unveiled to the great magic cake.....Go ahead and surprise your loved ones with this cute little heart baked inside the cake.

Recipe inspired by Martha Stewart's Hidden Heart Cake

Serves 10-12

prep time: 30 mins

cooking time 30 min plus 30 minutes

1 box Betty Crocker super moist devil food cake

1 box Betty Crocker super moist yellow cake mix

1/2 tsp red food coloring gel

A small cookie cutter

A 5 X 9 inch loaf pan

First take the yellow cake mix and following the directions given behind the box mix up the ingredients inside the box. Once that is done add the red coloring gel to the yellow cake mix.

Pour the prepared batter in a 5 by 9 inch loaf pan and bake according to the instructions. Once the cake is baked cooled and removed from the pan, transfer it to the freezer for about 20 minutes as it is much easier to cut a frozen cake.

Take a serrated knife and cut the entire loaf into thick 3/4 inch to 1 inch slices. Then use the cookie cutter to cut hearts from the center of each slice. (I actually managed to get two hearts from  1 slice. You can do that if you position cutter carefully and start from one extreme corner of a slice) 

Once your hearts are done, go ahead and prepare your second batch of chocolate batter following the instructions given behind the box, For best results use the same loaf pan you used for the first cake. Be sure the pan is very clean and re-greased. Place a very thin layer of batter on the bottom of the loaf pan.

Then carefully stack the hearts in an upright position inside the pan in a straight line. Gently press the bottom point of the hearts into the layer of batter on the bottom of the pan. 

Pour the remaining batter on the sides of the hearts and then top of the hearts. make sure that they are completely covered with the batter. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the top surface, then bake as per the instructions given behind the box. To make sure the cake is fully baked insert a toothpick near the centre till it comes out clean.

Once the hidden heart cake is baked, tranfer to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then remove from the pan and cool it completely, 

Slice and surprise. 

Strawberry Shortcake with Creme Chantilly: Celebrating Love

"Wine comes in at the mouth,  

And love comes in at the eye;

 That’s all we shall know for truth,  

Before we grow old and die.

I lift the glass to my mouth, 

I look at you, and I sigh."

                                       - (WB Yeats, A Drinking Song)

Its that time of year again when the whole world celebrates Love with Flowers, wine and chocolates. Valentine's Day is just around the corner and "love" is literally on display everywhere you go. 

Card? Chocolates? Flowers? A romantic dinner for two? An expensive gift? It actually can get quite crazy trying to think of the perfect git for your Valentine to show them how much you care for them. Or save yourself the trouble and bake this gorgeous cake for your sweetheart to add sweetness to your Valentine's Day. After all as they say," A way to a man's (or should I say your Valentine's) heart is through their stomach!!" Try out this simple shortcake, filled with layers of whipped cream and strawberries to make a great impression.

By the way, do you know the story about why Valentin's Day is celebrated? Well, long. long time ago there was a selfless priest called valentine who stood up to the Roman emperor Claudius II when he outlawed marriage in 278 AD as he decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and children. Valentine realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Valentine was beheaded for his insolence and before his execution he wrote a letter to his jailer's daughter, possible after falling in love with the young girl who visited him during his confinement, which was signed 'From your Valentine'. In 496 AD, February 14 was declared Valentine's day, dedicated to celebrating lovers. 

So here's Cheers to all of you celebrating your love and your loved ones. 

I will leave you here with these beautiful lines from Shakespeare's sonnets:

“Love is not love which alters it when alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken; it is the star to every wandering bark whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come: Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out, even to the edge of doom." (Sonnet 116)” 

― William Shakespeare

Prep time: 20 minutes

cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter cut into chunks

2 large eggs

2 pints ripe strawberries

1/4 -1/2 cup sugar, more depending on desired sweetness

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

For the shortcake: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or by hand. 

Whisk the egg and add to the dry ingredients. 

Mix with a fork until the ingredients just stick together.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead lightly several times to form a ball. (dough will be grainy). 

Press into a heart shaped cake pan. 

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until barely golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

For the strawberries: Wash and slice the strawberries. Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar and toss to coat. Remove half the strawberries and mash them with a potato masher till they are soft and syrupy. Keep aside. Slice the rest of the strawberries horizontally.

For the whipped cream: Combine the whipped cream, powdered sugar, and the vanilla in a chilled bowl. Whip on medium high speed until soft peaks form.

To assemble : Cut the cake horizontally into half. Place one half of the sliced cake onto a serving platter. Spoon some of the mashed strawberry syrup on the cake to soak it completely. Top with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

Carefully put the top layer of cake, cut side down over the strawberries. Spread the Chantilly cream to cover the top completely. Decorate it with sliced strawberries and extra swirls of cream.

Brownie butter cake

Craving a cake right now? Or do you feel like having a brownie? Or are like me and cannot  make up your mind and feel like having both cake and a brownie. What if I tell you that you can have the taste of both brownie and cake in the same bite? Can't believe it? It's true. You can actually get both of them in one bite. Its like hitting two birds with one stone!!

Close your eyes and now picture yourself sinking your teeth into the gooey-ishness of a brownie and tasting the rich vanilla dense butter cake all at once, you will start feeling as if you are in a dream cake heaven its so wonderfully delicious. Life can't get better than this- atleast for me.

Here is a wonderful recipe for a brownie butter cake which has a layer of both a brownie and cake in the same pan. The trick is that you bake the brownie first and while the brownie is baking, make your butter cake batter and pour it over the baking brownie and smoothen it quickly before popping it back into the oven. And voila your double treat is ready!! Sounds simple doesn't it?

Serves 8-10
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 55 minutes
(Recipe adapted from Kevin Chai- I Love Butter Cake too)

Ingredients
To make the brownie:
5oz dark chocolate (broken into pieces)
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Egg
¼ cup all-purpose flour
To make the butter cake:
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
3 ½ Tbsp fresh milk

METHOD:
Grease and line a 8" baking pan.
Preheat oven to 350F.
To make brownie, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Remove and leave to cool slightly. Stir in the brown sugar and whisk well until completely blended.
Add in egg, mix well to incorporate fully. 
Fold in the flour, mix gently until well combined. 
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove.
While your brownie is baking prepare the batter for the butter cake.
Beat butter with sugar until creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in sifted flour and baking powder, alternately add in fresh milk, mix to form batter.
Spread the butter cake batter over brownie.
Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the comes out clean.
Sit back and enjoy your double treat.

Decadent Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting.....and celebrating Rakhi!!

No celebration in our house is complete without a cake whatever might be the occasion. 

Yesterday we celebrated the festival of Raksha Bandhan (or Rakhi as it is popularly known) in our house and it goes without saying that there had to be cake and that too without question a chocolate one!!

The festival of Rakhi is a traditional Hindu festival celebrated with great enthusiasm across India. It symbolizes the unconditional love and bond between brothers and sisters. In this festival, the sister ties a colorful thread on the wrist of her brother, praying for his long life and he in turn vows to protect her from all troubles. 'Raksha' means protection and 'Bandhan' means ties, thus the name Raksha bandhan. Its a very sentimental occasion, full of love and emotion and an opportunity for the families to get together and celebrate, wear traditional clothes and prepare special dishes. Of course, for some who are not able to meet, sisters make sure that the Rakhis are mailed to their brothers so that they can reach on time and their brothers can wear the thread of love send by their sisters on the auspicious day. 

photo source: internet

For me too, Rakhi was a much awaited occasion and was always celebrated with great enthusiasm. We got new clothes and mom always prepared a special fare for us to feast on. 

I got to tie Rakhi to my twin elder brothers. I know some of you might be thinking, how lucky I must be to have twin elder brothers to protect and look after me but when younger I thought otherwise. Though I love them both intensely, at that time, I thought having twins for brothers wasn't exactly all that great. 
I was so envious of them as being twins they always had each other for company and I was perpetually ignored and pushed away most of the time especially being younger by 31/2 years. Also being a girl it was automatically decided by my brothers that I was useless and didn't know anything.  Twins have a certain affinity and closeness and when together they need no other companion around. Because of these very reasons, I used to pester my mom all the time that why I too couldn't have a sister to play with. 
Even when we got into a fight (which was often), it always used to be them against me. Though I wasn't one to give in easily and gave it my all in the battlefield - pulling hair, biting and kicking anything to give me a upper hand.

I used to follow them relentlessly everywhere they went and wanted to be included in whatever they did or played. Poor guys!! Now that I actually come to think of it, it must be pretty embarrassing for them to have a little sister tagging along with them all the times and inspite of their best efforts to throw me off their trail, I used to be like their shadow. (Maybe things would have been different, if in those times time we too had video games and internet to distract me!!) To make matters worse, I was my dad's pet and whatever mischief or untoward incident happened that was supposed to be kept hushed, was promptly rattled off to him on his coming home from office. Gosh!! I must have been a total pest and what a tough time I must have given my poor brothers!! No hard feelings Bros!! I totally understand it now and genuinely feel really sorry for you guys.

I must say, inspite of all my complaints and feeling sorry for myself, I have had some really wonderful times too to look back on. I remember as a child, travelling on the train in the first class compartment was always so much fun, never a dull or boring moment, playing cards and jumping from one berth to another. At home, we used to keep busy playing board games together for hours (of course it usually didn't end nicely whenever I lost or got out), with them I learnt to climb the toughest of trees, I still remember as a 9 year old, how we would walk up the mountains in 'Khunmoh' in Srinagar from one army post to another, a little later when dad was posted in Bareilly, going for cycling together to the swimming pool and also for horse riding early in the mornings, playing 'pittuh' on the road and hide and seek and dark room whenever there was a power cut!! My love for playing games and outdoor sports began early on in life and you know by now whom do I have to thank it for. What lovely treasure troves of childhood memories to cherish!! 

We also had great fun planning for festivals, during Dussheras collecting things to build our own effigy of 'Ravana' and filling it with crackers, then waiting with excitement to light it up at night, planning for 'Holi' days in advance and then getting up really early in the morning to fill water balloons and buckets with colored water so that we could all hide near the gate and target unsuspecting passer-bys, cracking  loads of crackers at Diwali and competing who had the courage to burst the most dangerous one. God!! such sweet memories and they will always remain precious to me.

Having elder brothers has taught me for one thing to be strong and confident and never to take any nonsense from anyone and most important to feel that nothing really is impossible even if you were a girl!! Luckily for me my parents treated me no less than my brothers and I was not stopped to do anything or go anywhere. 

Now each one of us has got busy with our lives and responsibilities with everyone staying in different parts of the country. Over the past few years, there have only been a handful of occasions, when I have tied Rakhi to my brothers personally. But inspite of the time and distance, I want both of you to know that you are missed terribly and I will always have all my love and prayers for your long and healthy life!!

What better occasion than Raksha bandhan to reconfirm our love and special bond. I feel blessed to have you as my brothers and the blessing has increased manifold as now I have two lovely sister-in-laws whom I get along with like a house on fire. I think its God's way of imparting justice to me and finally giving me sisters which I always longed for!!

My son and daughter celebrating Rakhi 

To commemorate the auspicious occasion of Rakhi I made a chocolate cake for my kids.  Its a rich, beautifully moist and utterly decadent, infact the best chocolate cake I have tasted!! Truly a special treat for a special occassion.

Ingredients

For the cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon espresso coffee powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 tbsp vinegar

2 large eggs

1 cup boiling water

1 tbsp vanilla essence

For the Chocolate buttercream frosting (enough to cover and fill a 9" cake)

11/2 sticks (170 gms) unsalted Butter softened

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

21/2 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coffee powder 

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

In a large mixing bowl sieve together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder or put the ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer and whisk using your paddle attachment, on low speed until well combined.

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla essence to the flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. 

Add in the boiling water and whisk till thoroughly mixed.

Don't worry if at this point your cake batter is looking too runny. Avoid the temptation to add in more flour. Trust me!!

Pour the batter in a greased 9" spring form pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

To make the icing

Add cocoa and the softened butter to a large bowl.

With a hand mixer mix thoroughly for 1-2 minutes till it reaches a smooth consistency.

Add in the sugar, vanilla and milk to cocoa mixture and mix thoroughly with the hand mixer on low speed. Turn the speed on high and mix for about a minute till the consistency is smooth and creamy. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter.

If the batter appears thin add in some more confectioners, spoon by spoon until it reaches the right consistency.

Apricot and Blueberry Bundt cake: Baking with Summer Fruits

I wonder what's good about Summer? 

Its so hot in Texas right now that you feel as if your life is ebbing out of you due to the heat. Even the setting sun does not bring one any relief from the sultriness of the summer heat. The heat makes one feel tired and and sluggish all the time, making one want to stay cooped up within the realms of your air-conditioned comforts inside your house. Boy!! How much I envy all those guys who have a pool in their backyards to cool off anytime they want. How good it would be to come back from a run and jump right into the cool inviting waters? Wow!! Just the very thought of it is so comforting. Definitely on our agenda whenever we are on a lookout to rent our next house.

Though coming from India I shouldn't be complaining about the heat as supposedly I should have been used to this kind of climate having lived there and experienced a similar kind of climate all my life. Really summers in Delhi have a bad reputation and you do not even have fully air-conditioned houses as here in Houston and not to forget the long long power cuts!! But what we did have back there was the convenience of ordering groceries on your phone and having them delivered right onto your doorstep instead of venturing out in the heat and lugging it all back yourself. What a luxury that was!!

Then what does one have to look forward to in Summers? What I love about Summers are the summer fruits.The grocery stores are stocked up with every kind of wonderful fruits that I love. Peaches and plums, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, watermelons, strawberries are the top favorite amongst the other fruits available and are usually almost always stocked up in my house. These Summer fruits not only taste great eaten raw but I also love to use them for making icecreams, smoothies, sauces and cakes. See my recipe for blueberry muffins. 

In this recipe too, I have used fresh blueberries and apricots. It is a very easy recipe to put together and the end result is a superbly moist cake with a light crumb. The cake not only looks beautiful with the vibrant burst of violet colors from the fresh blueberries but tastes great too. The best part is that it is not overtly sweet and the tart lemon glaze beautifully complements the flavors adding a lovely zing to the taste. 

Definitely on my make again list.

Ingredients
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 cups whole wheat flour
11/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
11/3 cup buttermilk (I added 2 tsp vinegar to 1 cup milk instead)
6 Tbsp Canola oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups apricot, pitted and halved (Use tinned apricots is you like)
6 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup confectioners icing

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 12 cup bundt pan with a baking spray or lightly coat it with oil and sprinkle lightly with flour.

In a bowl combine the eggs and sugar. With an electric mixer whisk the eggs for a couple of minutes till light and frothy.

Add in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract and mix well.

Sieve together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and add in to the above mixture. Beat on medium speed for about a minute till combined well.

Gently fold in the apricots and blueberries,

Pour into the bundt pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pan before inverting onto a serving platter.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice.

Drizzle the cake with the glaze over the top of the cake.

Slice and serve.

                           

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Cooking with fresh berries is so much fun!! I am having a whale of a time here discovering new flavors and experimenting with new ingredients, some of which were quite difficult to access back home in India.
 Nowadays its a visual treat for me to go to the supermarket. Inside the store, what lures me is the attractive display of neatly stacked boxes of fresh Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries and Blackberries in the fresh produce section, just dying to be picked up. Except for the strawberries, which now are easily available in India, the rest of the berries are quite commonly uncommon. Seriously, the only place you are likely to find them are in Gourmet supermarkets stacking imported food products and even then they cost a bomb. So even if you did feel like cooking with them, your heart always skipped a beat looking at the astronomical price.
By now, I think you would have guessed that my current passion is cooking with fresh berries - and eating them too :). I just cannot have enough of them. I love adding them to anything and everything or even just enjoying them as it is. Recently for Valentine's day I made a Red velvet cake with strawberries and this time I thought of trying my way with fresh blueberries as I had never tasted them before.
Fresh and plump, I love the way the fresh blueberries add a bit of drama to my muffins, sensually oozing out their sweet blue nectar, leaving vivid indigo blue streaks all over the muffins. They look so delectable that it just makes you want to grab one and stuff one in your mouth. Rich and buttery with a moist tender center bursting with blueberries, not only are they delicious but are simple and quick to make.
Don't believe me? Try out for yourselves and then let me know how much you loved them!!

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks),  softened to room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
23/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups fresh blueberries

                           
Method
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Grease a muffin tin or line the cups with paper liners.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add the eggs in one by one and beat thoroughly till fully incorporated.
Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Alternately add in the sieved flour and buttermilk, till all is used up.
Gently stir in half the blueberries.
Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
the batter into a greased muffin pan.
Then sprinkle rest o the blueberries on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes till the top has a beautiful golden brown crust and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.