Honey Cake

'Honey Cake' Just this name, takes me back to my school days. It was my favourite cake when I was a child, especially the one from Iyengars bakery. On Sundays, when my father took me out, I would never miss a chance to convince him to buy me my favourite cake along with my favourite egg puff . ;-) Today there are varieties of cakes in market but still honey cake has its own place and it will always be my fav one.

I got this recipe from a facebook member, Mrs Alee Venkatesh. After viewing so many positive reviews about this recipe, I decided to put it in my 'Must Do' dish list. Thanks to her for this easy and wonderful cake recipe. 

No doubt the cake came out to be too good but I felt the sponginess in the cake was missing.

Cake Ingredients:

Maida - 1.5 cups
sugar - 1 cup
plain thick curd - 1 cup
baking powder - 1 1/4tsp.
baking soda - 1/2 tsp.

Oil or butter - 1/2 cup (I used butter)
vanilla essence - 2 tsp.
honey - 3 tsp

Ingredients for Soaking the Cake
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup dry coconut (powdered)
Pinch of cardamom powder
2/3 cup water

Method:

• In a pan add water, honey, dry coconut & cardamom powder and bring it to boil for 10mins. Keep it aside to cool

 

• Sieve together maida, baking powder and baking soda(make sure no lumps are present).
•  In a large mixing bowl, take all the cake ingredients, mix well to combine and set aside for 3 mins.

•  Pour this cake batter to a greased baking tray & bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg. C for about 30-35 minutes or until done and little brown on the top.

• When done, remove from oven, pour the honey mixture on top of the cake & allow it to soak for approximately 30minutes

• When cake is completely cool, cut into pieces & serve.

My 150th post..Black Forest cake (Eggless)

Happy to post my 150th blog post "Black forest cake" .:-)).. This needs no introduction..Just the name itself, takes one back to memories of so many special events of life.. 

This cake originates from the Schwarzwalder (meaning Black Forest) region in Germany, a serenely beautiful place covered by thick vegetation one of its own kind created by mother nature. Also it has been the source of inspiration for some great poets, artists and play writers across Europe

Thanks to my friend Pooja Baliga who motivated me to make this cake.She also shared some links from Recipesecrets and Easycooking which really helped me in making this..

1. Ingredients:
Maida/ cake flour ........225 gms
unsalted butter.............125 gms
cocoa powder..............4 full tablespoon
baking powder.............1 teaspoon
baking soda..................1 teaspoon
aerated cola..................200 ml (Pepsi or coke zero)
sweetened condensed milk.....400 ml/ 1 can


Method:

• pre-heat oven to 160  degree C
• Grease an 8 inch baking pan ( I used steel cooker vessel ). Place a round wax/butter paper at the bottom of the pan
• take butter in a mixing bowl. Microwave or heat on stove only till it melts. Let it cool
• Add condensed milk n beat well till a smooth silky mixture is obtained
• Sift together Maida, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder. keep aside
• Add the sifted flour mix to the milkmaid- butter mixture alternating with cola till flour and cola mixture are finished
• Mix the mixture well preferably with a hand mixer, make the mixture lump free
• Pour into the greased baking pan, bake for 35 mins or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean 

 

• Carefully take out the cake and cool on a wire rack

2.Preparing the frosting/Whipped cream 
Heavy whipping cream.....300 ml
sugar ...............................4-5 tablespoons
vanilla essence..................1tspn


Keep the cream and the whipping blades in freezer for 40 mins(very important)
Add sugar and essence to the chilled cream and whip till soft stiff peaks are obtained
Keep refrigerated until use



3. Preparing the Sugar syrup
The soft testure in this cake is brought about by cherry syrup or sugar syrup that is sprinkled on the cake before applying the frosting.


water........1 cup
sugar........1 cup
In a thick bottom pan mix sugar and water. boil till sugar melts. let it cool 

4. For Garnishing 
Cherry...............1 tin (fresh or stored)
some finest chocolate bars : make chocolate shavings/ available in stores

5.Assembling tthe cake

• Cut the cake into 3 layers horizontally
• Place the 1st layer on a easy to rotate plate
• sprinkle 7-8 tbspns of sugar syrup, enough to cover the entire cake surface
• spread a ladle full of whipped cream on top of the cake
• Add sufficient chopped cherries on top of it.Cherry jam can also be used (add some more cherries)

• Place the 2nd layer on top of this
• again sprinkle sufficient sugar syrup and repeat the process
• Place the 3rd layer and cover the cake completely with whipped cream 

• level the cream with a long knife or spatula on top n side
• Decorate the cake the way you like with choco shavings, choco chips, cherries and cream etc
• Keep it refrigerated

Chocolate Moist cake(Eggless)

This cake recipe is quite easy to make which is both Eggless and butter less(Good one for weight watchers, just like me!!! ;)))) Few of my friend are strictly vegetarians and so I wanted to try an Eggless cake version .Hence I googled for it and finally landed into sharmispassions. Thanks to her for this simple cake recipe. If the cake is prepared in this exact method and with proper proportion, it comes out real soft and moist.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/maida : 1 and 1/2 cups (225 gms)

Cocoa powder               : 3 tbspn

baking powder               : 1/4 tspn 

baking soda                    : 1/2 tspn

salt                                  : 1/4 th tspn 

oil                                    : 1/4 th cup or (60 ml)

water                               : 1 cup(250 ml)

vanilla essence               : 1/2 tspn
vinegar/lemon juice        : 1 tbspn

Granulated sugar            : 3/4 th cup(200 gm)(Increase to 1 cup if choco chips are not added)

choco chips                    : 4-5 tbspn

Method: 

1. Sift together maida , cocoa powder, baking powder,baking soda and salt, once or twice. Make sure to break all the lumps
2. In a mixing bowl , take oil, water ,vinegar, vanilla essence and sugar. mix them till the sugar dissolves completely
3. gently add the sifted powder batch wise, start mixing it using wire whisk. alternatively, stirring with a spoon in one direction can also be done,( so that further lumps are not formed) until the required consistency of the batter is reached
4. add some of the choco chips, mix gently with a spoon

Step 1 to 4

• Pre heat the oven for 180 deg c for 10 mins
• Meanwhile grease a baking tray with little oil, pour the cake batter. Make sure the batter fills only to half level 
• Top it with remaining choco chips
• Bake it for 40 mins at 180 degree C

• After 40 mins, insert a tooth pic at the centre , up to its base. if it comes out fully clean, then it take out . Cool for 20 mins. With a knife loosen the cake  around the circumference from its baking vessel. Turn it upside down in  a plate