Tag: dessert

Meal for Meal-makers- Recipes to Relish !

Holidays are over and we have entered a new calender year. Lets keep the spirits high even after the party is over and keep learning and preparing good recipes just to sink in the feeling that though holidays are over good times are not over yet . I always love the month of January as we always make new year resolution and are charged up to fulfill the long lost targets that we set cautiously but do not meet the deadlines. We have loads of festivals, weddings , birthday parties to attend and we love the food and foggy weather. Not only that, we plan holidays with family generally during that time or may be its a time off from work to simply relax and have awesome home cooked food.We often put up our orders to Mums , wives, or the cook but why don’t we change the format a little a cook for those who always spare their time in kitchen busy to feed monsters like us and still not complaining.This article is dedicated to those few people who cook for us and feed us 365 days . We often neglect their space, their holidays and even their Sundays keeping ourselves too comfortable to come out of that comfort zone. Its totally not fair and we must show a little gesture by cooking for them and making them smile. So are you ready to be a good Samaritan ??? If yes, then note down the heavenly recipes and bring in a smile to someone’s face.

Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice !!!

Ingredients : 500 g boneless chicken cut into small pieces, 2 tablespoon corn starch , 2 eggs beaten well, 1 cup refined flour seasoned with black pepper , salt , red chilly powder, and garlic powder, 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped, 1/2 tablespoon ginger chopped, 1 cup diced bell peppers, 1 teaspoon chilly flakes, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 cup orange juice,1 tablespoon orange zest,1 teaspoon olive oil, salt to taste, Vegetable oil for shallow frying chicken pieces. 200 g soaked rice for steaming.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to season the chicken and coat it well . For that Take a large zip lock bag and add 1 tablespoon corn starch in it. Dry the chicken pieces by dabbing it against a cloth and put it in the zip lock bag. Shake it well it the chicken pieces get evenly coated with corn starch. Now dip each piece in beaten egg and again coat it well with refined flour seasoned mixture . Keep the chicken separately for 10- minutes and then shallow fry in a pan . Now heat a pan and add orange juice with a cup of water. Then add salt , brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, olive oil, dark soy sauce ,chilly flakes and orange zest. Bring to a boil and then add chicken pieces to it and cook for 5 more minutes. Make a solution of corn starch and pour it over the chicken gravy and stir it for another 2 minutes. Steam cook the rice and serve it with hot orange chicken . You will be a good Samaritan for the one you are cooking for.

Bean and pasta in red sauce :

Ingredients : 1 1/2 cups of uncooked macaroni, 1 can baked beans, 1/2 cup fresh corns or frozen sweet corn kernels, 1/2 large red bell pepper sliced, 1/2 large capsicum sliced, 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced, 3 large tomatoes, 1 large onion sliced, 1 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 cubes of processed cheese grated, 1/2 cup tomato ketchup, few garlic cloves finely chopped, 2 table spoon mixed dry herbs, salt to taste, 3 tablespoon olive oil for cooking.

Servings : 4

Method : Heat one teaspoon oil in a pan and sauté the onions and bell peppers for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide this mix into 2 equal portions and keep it aside. Just boil the corn kernels for 4 to 5 minutes and set aside. Boil the pasta and tomatoes together in a separate pot and after few minutes just remove the tomatoes and cool it for sometime (its called blanching) . Let the macaroni cook . Once done drain the pasta add few drops of oil and set aside. Once the tomatoes are cool enough peel of the skin from the tomatoes and finely chop it for the pasta preparation. Preheat the oven at 180 degree centigrade for 8 to 10 minutes. Now heat 2 teaspoon of oil and sauté garlic for 1 minute and add one portion of onion and bell pepper mixture. Stir in red chilly powder and sauté for few seconds only. Add blanched and chopped tomatoes , salt to taste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the boiled corn and baked beans , cook for one minute .Mix the pasta , tomatoes and grated cheese, simmer it for couple of minutes. To get desired consistency add little bit of water and adjust the salt amount for perfect taste. Now place this cooked dish on a greased baking dish sprinkle remaining sautéed onion and bell pepper mixture and a bit of grated cheese bake it for 10 minutes till golden brown and serve it hot. A perfect winter recipe is ready .

Date Fudge :

A healthy and yet tasty dessert . It takes little time to prepare this dish but the innovation will win hearts as perfect meals do not complete without perfect desserts.

Ingredients : 100 g of dates de-seeded and sliced in long strips, 6 Marie biscuits crushed very finely with hands only, 3 tablespoon of dry coconut powder, 1 tablespoon butter.

Servings : 5 (serving size being 2)

Method : Heat the butter in a pan . Add the sliced dates into the pan and sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes in slow flame. Stir in 1 tablespoon coconut powder in it and sauté for another 10 to 12 seconds. Divide the mixture in 10 equal parts after mixing it with crushed Marie biscuits while its still hot.shape each part into a ball and then slightly press it to flatten it. Roll each piece on remaining coconut powder separately and refrigerate it for few minutes. Serve it on a bowl .

January 8, 2015
My Birthday Party Recipes !!!

I will soon turn a year older an something clicked in my mind. Am I going to throw a party ??? The answer is still uncertain but one thing is for sure I will cook for me and will treat my tummy with dishes Like. It’s a nice nice idea, isn’t it ? If I play rewind record of my earlier childhood or teen-hood birthdays food was never my priority , it was always what birthday gift I got (I am confessing I was materialistic back then). Me and my friends use to party a lot and my mum use to cook best possible recipes for us and we use to just finish it in about 30 minutes. Long gone are those days and those friends are so far from my reach . Though they wish me through social media or a message or a call , few even gift me stuff through couriers but still my birthdays are not so happier the way they use to be earlier. They are now much milder in , much calm , much busy in work types these days . My

Mum still cooks for me on my birthday( Her famous kheer/Sweet rice pudding…a very popular dish among my friends ) but I am too far from her to taste that .If I look now the gifts are more sophisticated , much more expensive , much more “I like Stuff” but somewhere the birthdays with a pencil box gift wrapped or a plastic doll , or a chocolate bar with hideous decorations were more meaningful , lifelike , much more valuable for me. To have that feeling back I have decided to cook the way my Mum use to cook for me , dance on Bollywood cheap songs the way my friends use to entertain my make my parties fun , shout the way they use to scream “happy birthday” for me and Burst a balloon for myself filled with goodies inside. I again asked my self Am I eccentric ….Big deal even If I am. I will have fun the way I use to have a decade ago and cherish these memories a decade later rather than repenting on my arm chair with a ART OF LIVING BOOK on my side desk .I know my friends my parents , my best pal my sister wont be there in my little celebration this time but I am going to celebrate for me. I am going to make this birthday Rock . Will Click selfies of my own , will dress up , Will do make up. I will not repent this birthday to be on a weekday and so I am not celebrating it , No I will make it happier& funny for me. You feel terrible when you don’t try , But I wont give up I will just have a blast ….To celebrate with me try these recipes which I will cook for my birthday .

Mojito:

Yes I am talking alcohol now. BUt its a crime say that I am being drunk here its a celebration drink for my birthday and I have full right to break the rules. Drinks are party showstoppers for me and if its for my celebration I will commit this sin gladly.

Ingredients : Mint sprigs roughly cut , 1 tablespoon sugar syrup , 30 ml Vodka ,15ml Soda water, Ice cubes, Peppermint tablets finely crushed, Lemon wedges , lemon ring for decoration. For serving your choice matters .

Servings : Its crime to count the servings when you are celebrating so please repeat till you find yourself sane.

Method : Its easy and very quick to make. Firstly crush the peppermint tablets powder, mint leaves and lemon wedges together. Now Take a glass (Your choice matters not mine ) add ice cubes, sugar syrup , and freshly crushed mint peppermint and lemon wedges . Now add Vodka and soda water into the glass stir it gently with a stirrer. And Yes do decorate it with lemon ring and serve yourself .Cheers!!!

Cheese Corn Balls :

With a perfect drink we have to have the perfect starter. And to get that we have a very simple and quick recipe too. (Remember Its me who is cooking and I don’t want to get tired on my birthday so planned a quick dish celebration…being smart is justified ).

Ingredients : 2 cups corn kernels , 1/2 cup refined flour, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander, 1 cup grated processed cheese, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon dry mango powder, 1 teaspoon lemon juice , 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilled, oil for deep frying.

Servings : 2 to 3

Method : Crush corn kernels roughly in a blender. Mix blender corn , refined flour, corriander, dry spices, cheese , salt, and lemon juice and bind the mixture well into a fine dough. Adding water is not required as corn kernels hold a lot of moisture into them which will be enough for binding the mixture.

Make small equal round balls out of the dough and give them smooth round shape. Deep fry the cheese corn balls and serve them as appetisers or have loads of them to fill your tummy. Remember this party is to relax and have fun , extra work not required.

Monte Carlo:

Its easy to make dessert . Indulge yourself with this at the end and have a good nite sleep later.

Ingredients : 2 scoops of vanilla ice-cream (You may use butterscotch flavour also ), few butterscotch drops, Dark chocolate syrup ,1 teaspoon
honey,1 tablespoon whipped cream, choco-chips if you are a chocolate person.

Servings : 1

Method : Take a ice-cream bowl or a fancy glassware , add two scoops of vanilla ice-cream to it , top it up with ,whipped cream , butterscotch, honey, choco-chips and at last chocolate syrup. Serve it .

So, isn’t it a great idea to celebrate your birthday and throw yourself a small party. The only way to keep yourself tempted for life is to appreciate each day and keep yourself engrossed in you to get out of all cribbing’s which we generally do all day. Make a difference and spread happiness.

December 13, 2014
Monsoon Special!!

A fine sunless Sunday mid-morning. You wake up groggily staring at the clock ticking its way close to 12. Then you see the dark clouds drawing near. A few deep grave rumble here and there. Soft water pellets land on your windowsill which gradually change into fat drops. You rush to close all the windows in your house lest it floods in.

You watch the world bath in its glory…the trees swaying their boisterous branches, dancing away…the leaves singing “srabon er dharar moto… “

Inevitably it’s a romantic weather.

A romantic weather demands some easy to cook food…so that you can spend your time slouching under your blanket with a book in hand, while the food can be cooked in a jiffy.

So, what’s the best way to satisfy your tummy this monsoon?

Well, since it is monsoon, it’s Khichdi Time!

Khichdi

Time- 10 minutes

Serves- 3

Ingredients- ½ cup basmati rice, ½ cup moong dal/spilt and dehusked green gram, 1.5 tbsp ghee, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp cumin seeds, peas, rock salt or regular salt as required

Directions- Rinse both the rice and dal together for a couple of times in water. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Crackle the cumin, then add the turmeric powder and stir. Add the rice and moong dal. Saute for a minute. Add 4 to 4.5 cups water. Add peas. Season with salt. Stir and then pressure cook the khichdi for 5-6 whistles.

The 5 fries (bhaja)

Fried Potato, Fried cauliflower, Beguni (Fried Eggplant), Peyazi (Onion Fritters) and Ilish mach bhaja (Fried)

Since you know how to fry your fish, and the potato and cauliflower are fried the same way as the eggplant and onion, I’ll just jot down two recipes here.

Beguni (Fried Eggplant)

Time- 10 minutes

Serves- 10

Ingredients- 2 eggplant, Salt to taste, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 cups besan flour, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, A pinch of turmeric powder, A pinch of hing (aesofetida), 2 cups oil

Directions- Cut eggplant into longitudinal thin slices. Add salt to taste. Set aside.Make a batter of 2 cups besan. Start to add water little at a time to make a smooth and thick batter. Add salt, red chili powder, pinch of turmeric powder, pinch of hing.Heat oil in a deep fryer. Coat the eggplant in batter. The oil should be hot. Slowly release the coated eggplant in oil. Fry till each side is golden brown. Place it on a towel to let the excess oil be soaked.

Peyazi (Onion Fritters)

Time- 10 minutes

Serves- 4

Ingredients- 2 to 3 medium sized onions, 2 cups gram flour or besan, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi (optional), ¾ tsp ajwain or carom seeds, a pinch of asafoetida/hing, Oil, water as required, salt as required

Directions- Peel the onions. Rinse and slice them thinly. Add the chilli powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida, salt and chick pea flour to the sliced onions. Add water and mix it to a thick and smooth consistency. Now heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Take a teaspoonful of the onion batter and add it in the oil. On a medium heat fry the onion fritters till golden brown.

Labra (Mixed Vegetables)

Time- 15 minutes

Serves- 2-3

Ingredients- 100 gm eggplant, 100 gm Pumpkin, 100 gm Sweet potatoes, 1 Raw bananas, 2 Potatoes, 3 Tbsp Mustard oil, 1 Tbsp Corainder Seeds, 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds, 5 Red Chilies, 1 inch Ginger, 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Sugar, 1 Tbsp Ghee, mixed seeds(1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds,1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds, 1/4 tsp Bleck Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds)

Directions- Cut the vegetables into medium size pieces. Powder the corainder, cumin and fennel seeds, and red chillis finely. Heat oil, add the crushed ginger and fry lightly. Add the mixed spices called ‘ panch phoran’ and stir fry for a minute. Add vegetables, fry well, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add turmeric powder, salt, and one cup of water. Simmer the flame and cook until vegetables are done. Add the powdered spices, sugar and stir well. Cook for another few minutes adding ghee.

Tomato Chutney

(to be served with some Fried Papad, optional)

Time- 10 minutes

Seves- 5

Ingredients- 500 g tomato, chopped, 4 cm piece ginger (peeled and chopped), 250g brown sugar, 150ml red wine vinegar, 5 cardamom seeds, ½ tsp paprika

Directions- Tip all the ingredients into a large heavy-based pan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Bring to a gentle boil so that the mixture turns dark, jammy and shiny.

Payesh ( a rice dessert)

Time- 30 minutes

Seves- 2

Ingredients- 1cup basmati rice, 10 almonds sliced, 1 tbsp raisins, 2 tsp melted ghee, 3 green cardamoms, 2 litres milk, 1 cup jaggery grated jiggery, 1 tbsp sugar

Directions- Clean and wash the rice. Blanch the almonds and slice. Wash the raisins.Heat a tablespoon of ghee. Add the rice. Stir it for a little bit till it becomes opaque. Take it off the heat.Boil milk. Lower the heat up and continue to boil stirring constantly for fifteen minutes.Mix in the rice and continue to stir fry till the rice is soft. Continue to stir fry till the milk has reduced to half.Mix in jaggery. Mix in sugar. Mix in the cardamoms, almond slices and raisins (if using) and stir well. Serve hot or cold.

Recipe Courtesy – vegrecipesofindia.com, allrecipes.com

Image Courtesy – hamareerasai.com, seriouseats.com, bongcook.com, thesecondlunch.com

July 1, 2014
Zulbia

Jalebi or Zulbia is a popular sweet in our country and surprisingly not only in India but is also found to entertain the taste buds of people of Middle East and North African countries like Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Algeria. The creation of these sweets is simple and mainly requires a deep frying of wheat flour also called maida in India, in whirl shapes which is then soaked in the sugar solution. A sweet that finds its way in every household especially during festive seasons like Ramadan and Diwali.

Back in India, Jalebi is also served as a ‘Celebration sweet’ during national holidays like Independence Day and Republic Day, on which its offered in government institutions, defence facilities and other organizations. The sweet is served either warm or cold and has a somewhat chewy texture with a sugary exterior coating. Rose water or other flavors are sometimes added to the dish.
The origins of Jalebi can be traced to ancient India. History says that it was earlier produced from fermented wheat and yoghurt batter. It is believed that the diffusion of this dish to other countries occurred during the Muslim Rule when the economy was opened up for trade and exchanges with various other countries of the world. The sweet is also known as Zalabia in Comoros Islands, where its believed that it had been introduced by Middle Eastern settlers and merchants. The references about this particular sweet can also be seen in the 13th century writing of various rulers who enjoyed this delicacy only during very special occasions. In Iran, the tradition was to offer this sweet, called Zulbia, to the poor during the festival of Ramadan. It’s been followed till date without fail. During the 1900s, it was a treat for the common American family where Jalebi was used to hold ice cream till the invention of cones.

Currently the sweet has found fame and a strong base especially in north part of India. Over the years it’s surprising to see that the dish has had various versions and twists bought in by the modern chefs of the time and still sees advancements. My first experience was when I was small, my father had purchased this sweet from the local Halwaii, freshly made nice and hot, which melted in no time as it entered my mouth and left me wanting for more of this delight. Seen as a sweet dish in every marriage, it’s difficult for it to not be in the menu card, thanks to the huge public demand it has created over the years.

Ahmedabad, a place where Jalebi is not treated as just a sweet, is mostly consumed together with fafda, finds a place in the demand list not only during occasions but is also pushed in with breakfast lunch and dinner as a yummy combination of sweet and salty. Market watchers in Ahmedabad say that localities’ consume fafda jalebis worth at least minimum of Rs.25 crores. This previous year heavy sales was witnessed not only on Dussehra morning but also in the last night of Navratri where people made a point to stop and add more sweetness to the festival by eating jalebis with fafda and then going home after days of uninterrupted dance and worship. This year however the sellers are curious to see the market reaction with the rise in the prices of the commodity, as they believe that prices would rise by 20%, reason being the rise in the prices of inputs that goes in the preparation of this particular dish such as refined flour, gram flour, ghee, spices and also labour. Estimates suggest that if its assumed that 50lakh Amdavadis will treat over 100 grams of fafda Jalebi, then this will generate a rough figure of Rs. 30 crores in a single day. The sellers feel that an increase in the prices will surely have its effect on the consumers however they believe that the craze for this dish will not die. The quantity consumed may surely come down like a person consuming 2kg may now consume just 1 or half a kilo, but business due to this might not be affected much due to the rise in prices. According to Murlidhar Agarwal, a member of the Ahmedabad Mithai Farshan and Milk-Mawa sellers association in the city says that 65kg gram of flour earlier cost them around Rs.1300 but now has seen an increase to about Rs.2000. Similar rise has also been seen in the price of oil and labour which has risen from Rs.1400 to Rs.2200 and labour charges being Rs.5000 per person respectively. With quantities expected to fall and cost of production expected to rise, sellers are thinking of taking various measures to keep with and sustain their profit margin. Many sellers are thinking of opening up shop early than their usual timings in order to increase their sales per day while others are simply deciding to bring down their profit margin. Many, in order to meet the excess demand during festive days have decided to take pre-bookings and orders in advance and also keep packets of 250-500grams ready so that people can pick easily. With all important decision and measures taken its now time which will design the way.

According to me, when it comes to joy and satisfaction given by this dish, price cannot affect much however the sad part is although North Indian are well aware of this dish the same does not go for the South. Many states down south have not had the privilege to enjoy mainly due to lack of knowledge regarding its preparation. Therefore we can hope that it’s not long enough that the dish will soon find its way to South Indian households as well.

June 6, 2014
Baking A Cake – Do it YOUR Way!

While baking a cake, I love to experiment and try out new stuff. Maybe add some blueberries or crushed almonds or simply drizzle some fruity syrup over the plain old basic cake – Anything. Anything and everything will do. Gradually you inherit the good sense of what goes with what. And if not, what’s life without a few mistakes, or in this case, a few badly turned / burnt cakes?

First, you need to know how to bake the basic cake. Once that foundation is made, it is easier to branch out, give a solid structure to your new ideas and bake.

Here are a few extremely basic age-old favourite cakes. Feel free to dab in your innovative ideas anywhere.

Let’s start with the basic Vanilla Sponge Cake. It is pretty easy to make and you can tempt your inner creative genius to work. (I usually add some raisins and cashew nuts to it.)

Vanilla Sponge Cake

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients: 200g plain flour, 2 tablespoons cornflour, 200g caster sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 70g margarine,150ml milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract,1 egg

Method: Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour a 20cm square tin.Sieve flour, cornflour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add margarine and milk. Mix until smooth, then add vanilla and egg. Mix well.Pour into prepared tin. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Princess Cake (this cake was invented in the 1930s )

Time: 1 hour

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients: 1 ready-made 18cm round vanilla sponge cake, 500ml double cream, 200ml thick vanilla custard, 3 tbsp raspberry jam, 200g fresh raspberries, 350g marzipan (coloured pale green), icing sugar (for dusting)

Method: Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the sponge cake through the middle into3 layers. Whip the cream until stiff. Spread a thin layer of cream on top of the bottom cake layer, then carefully spread over the vanilla custard within 2cm of the edge. Spread the raspberry jam on top of the middle cake layer and arrange about half the raspberries in the centre. Place on top of the bottom cake. Position the final top layer of the cake on top of the raspberries. Using a palette knife, spread a little of the whipped cream around the side of the cake. Keep the best-looking raspberry for decoration, pile up the remainder in the centre, then cover these with the remaining cream. Try to create a dome effect across the top of the cake. On a surface dusted with icing sugar, roll the marzipan to a circle large enough to cover the cake completely. Carellfully drape it over and gently smooth it in place, letting it fall into neat folds. Using scissors, trim away any excess marzipan around the base. Sit your star raspberry on top, then dust with icing.

Basic Chocolate Cake

Time: 1 hour

Serves: 9 – 10 people

Ingredients: Cooking Spray, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 3 large eggs, ¾ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup sour cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method: Preheat the oven to 170C. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 ½ cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low, beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

Marble Bundt Cake

Time: 1 hour

Serves: cuts into 8 – 10 slices

Ingredients: 300g butter (softened, plus extra for greasing), 300g golden caster sugar, 6 medium eggs, 150ml whole milk, 280g self-raising flour (plus extra for the tin), 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 100g dark chocolate (coarsely chopped into chips or chocolate chunks, plus extra for decorating (optional) ), 25g cocoa powder (sifted), 1 tbsp dark rum, icing sugar (optional)

Method: Heat oven to 170C. grease a 25cm bundt ring mould with butter, then dust with flour. Cream together the butter and sugar in a food processor. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the milk. Divide the mixture between 2 large bowls. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add 150g of the flour to one bowl and fold in carefully with the vanilla, then fold in the chocolate chips. Fold the remaining flour and the cocoa into the other bowl, along with the rum. Spoon the cocoa mixture into the base of the mould, creating a slight trough, then smooth the vanilla mixture on top. This arrangement of the 2 mixtures with the cocoa mixture on the base should minimize the possibility of the cakes sticking. Bake for 50 minutes until risen and set. Run a knife around the inner and outer edges and leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes. Put a cake stand or plate on top of the mould and invert it. Leave to cool completely.

So grab your aprons, take the baking tin out, pour in some batter and start baking!

“Let them eat cake.”

–Marie Antoinette

Recipe Courtesy: foodnetwork.com, bbcgoodfood.com

Image Courtesy:foodlibrarin.com, flick.com, yourrecipesonline.com, foodnetwork.com

May 29, 2014