Category: Baked goodies

Chiffon cake


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This is a cake I had made a few days back when I was asked to make a proper cake with a lot of icing. Yes, my husband is a sucker for filled or iced cakes.  Considering the layers of creamy icing I’d have to slather onto the cake, I decided to bake a cake which in itself isn’t heavy at all.

This chiffon cake I think is perfect for a thick icing, since it’s not heavy on its own whatsoever. Also spongy, airy and light, and in fact tastes like one of those store bought cakes which we usually get to eat at kids birthday parties. However this was all fresh, nothing store brought except the ingredients.

The other good thing about this cake is that it only needs a very few ingredients. One can make a fairly large cake out of it too and it’s perfect for gatherings.

I have no step by step pictures this time, but it’s so easy really.

Ingredients

5 large eggs- separated

170 gms sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

90 gms flour.

For icing

Whipped cream

This is it. These are all the ingredients. No need for any baking powder, butter, nothing. It;s a very light cake.

Okay, first we have to divide the sugar into three parts.

Sift 50 gms sugar with the flour,and keep aside. 50 gms sugar for the egg yolks, and the rest 70 gms if for the egg whites, so keep aside.

Starting with the egg yolks first.

Beat the sugar and the egg yolks till they take on a pale yellow hue. I had to beat mine for about 15 minutes- I was using a hand mixer. You can by all means use whatever you feel necessary. Once you have reached that stage wherein the sugar and eggs are completely mixed and pale eggy yellow, mix in the vanilla and beat until its all incorporated. Into this mixture sieve in the flour and sugar and keep aside. Don’ mix anything right now.

Now we start beating the egg whites. Beat until they form soft white peaks. This is the time we start adding in the sugar, a teaspoon at a time. This is to ensure that the sugar is completely incorporated and that there aren’t any undissolved sugar crystal. The beating has to be vigorous. Beat until all the sugar has been mixed, the eggs are shining white in fact a bit matte by now, and forming stiff peaks when you lift your beater.

For the final folding of the batter. Take 1/3rd of the egg white mixture and gently fold in with the flour and egg yolk mixture. You have to ensure that you fold it well, instead of mixing like a maniac, because it’s the folding that ensures a very risen cake. When the batter gets well mixed, fold in the remaining egg whites.

The Chiffon cake batter will look very very pale yellow, in fact sort of creamy, like the wall pain on my kitchen.

I used a springform pan. It was easy to just take off the sides, but really, use whatever shaped mold you like.

Bake at 160℃ for 45-50 minutes. The cake will rise to extraordinary proportions. It was a joy to just watch it rise every minute.

Let the cake cool before you slather the icing. You can either bake the cake into 2 molds, or be lazy like me and bake into one and divide it into two by using a clumsy hand and a serrated knife.

Enjoy !!!

Coffee chocolate cupcake


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Dark, crumbly and sinful. These cupcakes, which can be easily turned into a cake if you increase the recipe are one of my favourites. Not too sweet, gorgeously dark with a strong hint of coffee. The best way to curl up and read a book while scarfing down an entire batch.

The thing is that I usually make cupcakes, since I’m only baking for 2 people, and I hate the sight of cakes or food just transferring from table to fridge. This is a recipe for a cake, which  I adapted to make into cupcakes. I made 8 of these, and you can easily decrease or increase the ingredients to suit your needs.

This is what the innards of this astounding cupcake look like. No comments on the size of the bite though.. see- moist and crumbly and oh my god WOW !!

Ingredients

110 gms flour

4 tbsp sugar

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp buttermilk

150 mls hot coffee ( I used instant coffee)

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp cocoa powder

4 tbsp veg oil.

For this recipe, you need a bowl an a whisk. if you so wish you can use a mixer, but really this is all you need.

Sift in all the dry ingredients together. Gradually add in the egg, vanilla, oil and yogurt and mix well. Now gently tip in the hot coffee, all the while mixing you batter. The resulting batter will be liquidy and this is actually what gives it the springiness.

Bake at 170℃ for about 20-25 mins.

These cupcakes are a wonder. So easy, so tasty and so very dark and moist.

Enjoy !!

Double chocolate chip cookies


It’s been really long since I put any new posts, and this is how I really wanted to make up. I had been traveling, working and being lazy and yes was away due to work related issues and was working my ass off, in fact the few months of crazy work and long hours of commute had almost turned me into a comatose vegetative state.. Not anymore though: For I bring forth to you.. a double dose of chocolate in these little cookies.. om nom nom nom

Very easy, nothing much in the way of too much work. Grab your mixer, either hand or stand.. assemble ingredients and its just a matter of putting in everything one after another.

Btw, not step by step pictures this time…It’s been almost impossible blogging from China and putting in more than one picture is just not happening.. Soooo  SORRY>. will try something else next time 😦

Recipe Ingredients

110 gms butter

75 gms granulated white sugar

70 gms firmly packed brown sugar

150 gms flour

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

150 gms chocolate chips

1 tbsp cocoa powder

First things first: In a separate bowl mix the cocoa with the flour and set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer beat butter and sugars until light and creamy and gorgeous. Beat in the egg and mix until well incorporated. Add in the vanilla extract and combine everything beating well. Now slowly add the dry ingredients without making a mess if possible (flour+cocoa). and beat it all together, slowly adding in the chocolate chips too..

Refrigerate the dough for a while- 20 minutes should do it.

Either use an ice cream scoop or use 2 spoons and drop the dough onto the baking sheet.Bake for around 12-14 minutes (depending on your oven) in your pre heated oven @ 180℃

Allow to cool on a wire rack and dig in.

This recipe made me around 2 dozen cookies.. it can vary according to the size you decide to make. All in all, these are easy, delicious and devoured immediately..

Scones- the tiny edition


I wanted to make super tiny scones so that I don’t tempt myself with the nice big ones and go crazy eating them throughout the day. I decided to indulge myself with these bite sized pieces- lessening the guilt and upping the cutesy factor.

These teeny tiny scones were the work of a moment without too much work, and absolutely gratifying.. I mean how could you not love them. I finished the entire batch in a couple of hours- Jam, butter, honey.. it work with everything.

Few ingredients & quick to make.

one cup of flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda and a fat knob of vegetable fat/butter.. this here is 2 tbsp of fat in 1 cup flour

using a fork or a cookie cutter or simply the tips of your thumbs & finger mix the flour and the fat so that the mixture starts resembling wet clumped sand. A grainy mixture, making sure all the fat is incorporated well into the flour and distributed evenly.

the next step is pouring in the butter milk into the mixture and stirring the flour so that it just about starts to com together. Kneading is NOT REQUIRED. use your hand mixer or stand mixer or in my case just a spoon. I used in about 3 tbsp of buttermilk.

This is what my fat disc of mixture looked like. I wanted to flatten it because these are teeny scones, but if you’re looking for a regular size, just start cutting up this fat disc with your round cookie cutter..

I rolled the disc to about 1/4 of an inch thick and using a tiny round cookie cutter (1/2 inch) I cut these adorable little circles.. I didn’t know if I wanted to eat them or use them as decorations..

assembling them onto a slightly greased baking dish, they are ready for their make up Gently brush them using the leftover buttermilk. I didn’t bother with an egg wash, but you can if you want.

I baked them at 200℃ for not more than 12-15 minutes, and they didn’t puff up too much, since they’re tiny and made of thinner discs, but they rose up enough to slice them & slather with jam.

Look at these beautiful pieces.. they were so fluffy and tasty and indescribable..

Enjoy!!!!!

 

 

 

Banana Coconut cupcakes


This cupcake happened when I saw, the last remaining banana in my fruit basket had turned into a ghoulish yellow black with kinds sloppy looking ends..I was grinning wide because isn’t this is the perfect opportunity we are always looking for when we really want to make banana bread..?? Ok so the banana wasn’t enough for a bread, but it was more than enough for some experimenting with the just brought coconut creamer.. yes creamer because I couldn’t fine any coconut milk and my desperation for whipping up some Thai food had left me with few alternatives..

So anyways, this was by far the easiest cupcakes I have made without bothering much about the whole wet ingredients, dry ingredients shenanigans.. It was made in one bowl without any mixer.. just a spoon and a bowl..

Ingredients

1 banana

1 egg

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup coconut powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup flour

30 mls milk

15 mls vegetable oil

 

take the banana

add in 2 tbsp brown sugar

mash them all together like there’s no tomorrow.. doesn’t this look like melted chocolate? hah..

crack in an egg and pour in 15 mls of vegetable oil

add in the coconut powder and the baking powder.

next in is the flour.. just stir

this is the resultant brownish gloop.. and yes the kitchen was smelling awesome..

into my pretty silicone molds.. I love these colorful babies.

I filled them a little more than half way through.. you can see the banana remnants atop.. don’t worry these will all be gone..

I baked these at 200℃ for around 22 minutes.. depending on your oven.. these are hot and I ate 2 already..

Enjoy !!

 

 

 

Crustless cup Quiche


There’s always this time, usually on a Tuesday (at least for me).. when I want to eat something spectacular and beyond belief, but I don’t want to cook it.. or I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen and cut something, or cook something or spend time hovering in front of the stove..

This was a brainwave or should I say the lazy Tuesday special, which was AMAZING !!!!!!!!!! it really was.. come on look at it.. it’s so pretty and so freaking EASY.. I have no steps for this, no pictures except for these shimmering golden tops..

Ingredients

2 eggs

30 mls milk

2 heaped tsp flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp dried basil

Grab a bowl.. Mix in all the above ingredients.. pour into cupcake molds & bake at 200℃ for 15 minutes.. pull out and eat. This was sooooooo awesome.. i made three of these little monsters and wolfed them down like there was no tomorrow.. these are so tasty and tender and every possible adjective for awesome.

Here’s another picture.. look at it and drool and make them asap..