CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE PUDDING

This is a super duper recipe, always a hit with all types of guests. This is a long waiting recipe to be posted. The process is so simple to be executed if executed as given in the recipe.

I have specially shared an eggless sponge recipe with an intention to solve the problem we face when catering for veg and nonveg guests together.

I will be posting the step by step pictures very soon for a more clear idea of the process.

Recipe for Chocolate truffle pudding

Ingredients for Chocolate sponge cake

• 1 cups maida or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 6 tbsp oil
• 200 gms condensed milk
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ baking soda
• 1 cup milk (at room temperature)
• 1 ½ tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt

How to make

Add vinegar to milk and keep aside.

Sieve together maida, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Keep aside.

Beat together oil and condensed milk in a mixing bowl.

Add vanilla essence, a pinch of salt and powdered sugar. Mix well.

Add half of the milk and beat till a smooth mixture is formed. Then add half of the sieved maida mixture.

Now add in rest of milk, beat and then add remaining maida mixture.

Beat till all the ingredients are mixed well.

Grease a 6x6 inches baking dish. Transfer the batter to the baking dish.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 35 to 40 minutes.

Ingredients for Chocolate ganache

• 200gms dark chocolate compound (roughly chopped)
• 200gms whipping cream

 How to make

Take the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.

Add cream to it.

Microwave for 30 seconds + 30 seconds.

Keep aside for 2 minutes. Mix well till smooth and shiny.

If required microwave for more 30 seconds.

Ingredients for Chocolate truffle pudding

• Chocolate sponge cake
• Chocolate ganache
• 200gms whipping cream
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup water

How to make

Beat the whipping cream till it doubles up in volume and stiff peaks form.

Dissolve the sugar in water. Keep aside.

Slice the cake with a thickness of half an inch.

Line the serving dish with the chocolate sponge cake.

Soak it with the sugar water.

Now layer with the beaten cream. Even the surface of the cream with a spatula.

Top it with chocolate ganache to cover the cream completely.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Finally, garnish with some more whipped cream.

Chill in the refrigerator for minimum of 6 hours before serving.

MOIST CARROT CAKE

Try this recipe to get a moist, cinnamony carrot cake. This is a classic cake, enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee. It can also be served as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Amongst the many carrot recipes, carrot cake is one such recipe I never miss to make during winters. This is my favourite recipe for carrot cake as it has whole wheat flour in it and also it is an easy to make recipe.

The cinnamon and walnuts go very well with carrots. A piece of warm carrot cake with a hot mug of coffee is what makes my winters more enjoyable!

Recipe for Moist carrot cake

Ingredients for Moist carrot cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
• 3 cups carrot (grated)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup walnuts (roughly chopped)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt

How to make

In a mixing bowl combine oil, eggs, brown and white sugar. Beat till well combined.

Sieve in all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Fold in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

Now fold in grated carrots and walnuts with a light hand.

Take a round cake tin with 10 inches diameter. Grease and line the cake tin with butter paper.

Transfer the cake batter to cake tin.

Bake at 180 deg Celsius for an hour.

Let the cake rest in cake tin for 10 minutes before demoulding.

Dust some powdered cinnamon and sugar. Serve warm or cold.

ORANGE BUTTER CUPCAKES

This is a super easy recipe for orange butter cupcakes. Soft and buttery from the inside, these tasty treats are loved by all.

Mention of oranges brings back memories of winter afternoons,  post lunch, where making orange and carrot juice use to become a family affair. Peeling, cutting and then putting oranges and carrots through the juicer, all the jobs were equally shared. This was an outdoor activity after which the session continued with the shelling of peanuts and having it with jaggery and lots of chit chatting.
Winters are all about enjoying hearty food and some quality time with dear ones.

Orange cupcakes made from real orange juice are always on the list of things to do in winters. Orange juice and orange zest impart a fresh orangy flavour to these delicious cupcakes. The vanilla essence compliments the orange flavour very well.

Recipe for Orange butter cupcakes

Ingredients for Orange butter cupcakes

• 1 cup maida or all purpose flour
• 100gms butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp orange rind
• A pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

How to make

In a mixing bowl beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla essence till light and fluffy.

Add one egg at a time and beat till well combined.

Sieve in the maida and baking powder. Mix well.

Finally, add orange juice and rind. Mix with a spatula.

Put the batter in 12 cupcake liners or cupcake moulds.

Bake at 180 deg Celsius for 20 minutes.

EASY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Easy chocolate cupcakes have few easy steps to be followed. The results are always the same.

Whenever I have to prepare cupcakes in bulk I rely on this recipe. The cupcakes come out very spongy and moist.

The recipe calls for use of oil which gives it a nice texture. Oil without any characteristic flavour can be used. The given measurements yield 12 cupcakes.

Recipe for Easy Chocolate cupcakes

Ingredients for Easy Chocolate cupcakes

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• Cupcake liners

How to make

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep aside.

Put the egg, milk, oil, sugar and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl and beat until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients. Mix with the help of a spatula.

Now beat the mixture until smooth and shiny without any lumps in them.

Now add the boiling water. Mix until well combined. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Grease and dust the cupcake moulds with butter or line them with cupcake liners.

Fill the cupcake liners with the batter. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees C.

EGGLESS PLUM CAKE

I have tried this particular recipe for my friends who do not prefer the egg cakes. On my last Christmas I was glad to gift plum cakes to my vegetarian friends.  It took me few trials to come to this perfect recipe. This cake comes out moist and tasty. And in no way it can be considered less than the original plum cake.

The dry fruits should be soaked in rum for minimum two days. I soak them for a week. The myth that eggless cakes are not very tasty can be easily denied. Try it to believe it!

Recipe for Eggless Plum Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 cup dry fruits (raisins, sultanas, cashews, almonds, walnuts, plum), orange peel, candied ginger
• 3 tbsp caramel syrup
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence
• ½ cup dermerara sugar or cane sugar
• 2/3 cup oil or melted butter
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ tbsp cider vinegar or synthetic vinegar
• 1 tbsp rum (optional)

How to make Caramel Syrup

In a saucepan heat 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of water on low heat. Initially avoid stirring.

When the sugar changes its colour from golden to amber add 1 ½ tbsp of boiling water and stir to get a shiny syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.

How to make the plum cake

Chop the dry fruits roughly.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C. Grease and line a baking tin (7”x 7”) with butter paper.

Beat the melted butter or oil, sugar, vanilla essence and caramel syrup to get a smooth, shiny, dark coloured  mixture.

In a separate bowl sift all the dry ingredients accept baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients dry fruits, peels and candied fruits to the butter mixture and fold gently till combined well.

Add vinegar to the milk. Also add baking soda to this mixture. Stir gently and add this frothy mixture to the cake batter.

Fold the batter till you get a light, homogeneous mixture. This step should be done quickly to avoid any loss of air from the batter.

Transfer the batter to a greased baking tin. Bake at 180 degree C for 35 minutes.

Let the cake cool for 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the warm cake with 2 tablespoon of rum (optional).

Enjoy your eggless plum cake with a hot mug of coffee.

Tips

• If you want to avoid rum add rum essence.
• Soya milk can be used in place of dairy milk.
• The amount of sugar is enough to make it just sweet. If you like it more sweet add ¼ cup sugar.

RICH PLUM CAKE/ CHRISTMAS CAKE

Plum cake also known as Christmas Cake are prepared much prior to Christmas. Lots of candied peels, dry fruits are used to prepare this cake. Traditionally dry fruits are soaked in rum for a month before using them in the cake. I have soaked for just 2 days and that works fine. The more you soak them, the more better is the taste. The burnt sienna colour of the cake comes from the caramel syrup.

For some reason I did not bake a plum cake till recent times. Now I have mastered the art of baking a plum cake.I had baked a number of plum cakes for my friends and to be gifted to others. It is a rich cake, less sweet and has a christmasy flavour to it. Ideally a plum is not very spongy. No plum cake from market can match to the home baked one. People who do not like fussy recipes would definitely like to try this one.

Recipe for Plum Cake/ Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• ½ cup brown sugar/ dermerara sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup candied peel, dried plum, soaked dry fruits (almonds, cashews, raisins, sultanas, walnuts)
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 tbsp caramel syrup
• 1 tbsp rum

How to make Caramel Syrup

In a saucepan heat 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of water on low heat. Sugar will start melting. Initially avoid stirring.

When the sugar changes its colour from golden to amber add 1 ½ tbsp of boiling water and stir to get a shiny syrup.

How to make the plum cake

Preheat the oven at 180 degree. Grease a baking tin (8”x8”). Line with a butter paper.

Sift the flour and baking powder.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. It is fine if the sugar doesn’t dissolve completely.

Add an egg, beat to form a smooth mixture. Add another egg and beat again.

Add the essence and caramel syrup and mix well.

Fold in the dry ingredients, dry fruits, candied peel with light hand.

Transfer the batter in the baking tin. Bake at 180 degree for 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and keep aside for 15 minutes. When the cake has slightly cooled down 

drizzle the rum over it.

Serve with tea or coffee.

Tips

• The rum can be substituted with rum essence which should be added in place of vanilla essence.
• Caramel should be removed from heat at correct time so that it doesn’t become bitter in taste.

CHOCOCHIP PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

Pumpkin is a vegetable which is available throughout the year. It is low in calories and store of antioxidants and vitamins. Knowing  this my pumpkin recipes were very much limited to savoury preparations and some traditional sweets prepared from it.

For a long time I had a desire to try these pumpkin cupcakes wondering how will they taste. When I prepared these cupcakes I did not reveal that they were made from pumpkin knowing very well that my family members will not be willing to taste. But let me tell you they were liked by all. Later when they came to know they were all surprised.

I was happy as the some amount of sugar was substituted with pumpkin puree. Also the puree kept the cupcakes moist. So mothers and others who want to add health factor to your cupcakes should try these.

Recipe for Choco Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup plain flour
• 1 cup pumpkin (diced)
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ tsp ground clove
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup choco chips

How to make

Cook the pumpkins with half cup of water for 5 minutes on low heat. Cool and puree in a blender. The puree should be quite thick.

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees C. Grease and dust the muffin moulds or use paper liners.

Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Beat well.  Add pumpkin puree and water to it. Keep aside.

In a big bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking soda, ground spices and salt.

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold. Stir in the choco chips.

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 with the batter. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

GORGEOUS RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes (yields 8 cupcakes)

Red Velvet cupcakes are the most gorgeous cupcakes I have ever come across. I can bribe my daughter with these. Only the look of these cupcakes is enough to fall for it and I assure you that they taste amazing. They are perfectly moist and not very sweet. I am always successful in impressing my guests with these deep wine coloured goodies. You will be more than satisfied after baking these cupcakes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (sifted)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 50 gm unsalted butter (softened)
• 100 gm sugar
• ½ tbsp red food colour
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (curd and water in 1:1 ratio)
• 1 tsp vinegar

For Icing

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 8 paper liners
• chocolate chips or chocolate vermicelli (for decoration)

How to make 

Preheat the oven at 180^oC. Line the muffin tin with paper liners.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.

Cream the butter in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat well (with a balloon whisk or an electric beater) till you get a soft mixture.

Now add the food colour and essence and beat again.

Add 1 tbsp of the sifted dry ingredients to the above mixture. Beat well. Now add the egg and beat again followed by rest of the dry ingredients.

Finally, add the buttermilk and vinegar and mix well. Divide equally and pour the batter in the paper liners such that it fills three quarters of the paper liner.

Bake at 180^oC for 20 minutes. Let them cool on the wire rack.

For icing

Beat the cream at high speed with an electric beater till it forms soft peaks.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled top them with dollops of the snowy cream and sparkle some chocolate chips on top.

When you will these cupcakes, you will feel like a celebrity baker. I am sure you may not feel any need to go to a high end bakery to satisfy your kid’s urge.

Tips

• For butter milk curd and water to be mixed in 1:1 ratio.
• I have used the liquid food colour in this recipe. It mixes evenly with the batter.
• I have used whipping cream for icing. You may even do a cream cheese icing.
• It goes very well with these cupcakes.

Cream cheese icing

• 100 gm butter
• 100 gm cream cheese
• 200 gm sugar

Mix well. Leave in the refrigerator for a while before using.