Yummy Home Made Chocolate Truffle Cake

Treat yourself with a luscious chocolate truffle cake !! Its soooo yummmmm ...
I enjoyed every bit of it.. and i hope you do too :)

INGREDIENTS:
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tbsp
Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
salt - 1/2 tbsp
Butter - 1 stick
Eggs - 2 large or 3 medium
milk - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - few drops

FILLING:
Butter - 6 tbsp

Semi sweet chocolate, chopped - 4 ounce

Confectioners' sugar - 2 cups

Heavy whipping cream - 1/2 cup

GANACHE:

Semisweet chocolate - 10 ounce

Heavy whipping cream - 2/3 cup

METHOD :
You can either use an electric mixer or a hand mixer. I use a hand mixer.
Add butter to a bowl and mix nicely till creamy. Then add the Powdered sugar and mix well.
Let it rest
Meanwhile, beat the eggs separately till fluffy.
Mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda together and sieve to make sure here are no lumps.
To the butter and sugar mix, add the flour and eggs alternatively and slowly to make sure no lumps are formed.
Add cocoa powder and mix.
Once everything is mixed , add 1/2 cup milk and vanilla essence and mix well.
Let the oven preheat at 350degrees
Meanwhile, add the parchment paper to two baking trays.
Add the batter to your trays and bake for 25 to 30 mins. or , pierce the center of the cake to see if the stick comes out clean.

Let it cool for 10 mins before it remove it from the tray. Once removed, let it cool completely before adding the filling and ganache.

For filling:
In a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in confectioners sugar and cream until smooth.

For ganache: 

Place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil.
Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth.

Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches a spreading consistency.

LAYERING:

Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with required filling.

Top with second cake layer. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Decorate with reserved filling.

TIPS:

• You can also use semi sweet chocolate instead of cocoa powder. For that, in a saucepan, heat milk , butter and chocolate till its all in a flowing consistency and let it cool before you add it will the remaining cake mixture.
• The fluffier the eggs the softer the cake ..so do make sure.
• Always use butter and eggs at room temperature for any cake.
• Frosting , layering , etc to be done only when cake and filling is in room temperature or cool.

Golden , Extra Fluffy Pancakes !!

 

 

Thinking of having a wonderful breakfast or some evening/midnight snack ? Pancakes !!! pancakes ...pancakes mmm yumm yummm

 

Ingredients:
All - purpose - flour - 1 cup
baking powder - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 3 tbsp
salt - 1 pinch
Egg - 1
milk - 1 cup
vanilla essence - a few drops. (optional)

 

Method :

 

Add the egg to a bowl and give it a good beating. Good enough to make some bubbles appear. Then add in some sugar and salt and mix well. Add the milk and essence. Now , slowly add the flour and baking powder and mix well.

If you want to adjust the consistency , you can reduce or increase the milk amount. But this measurement will be perfect.
Let it rest for 30 mins.
Heat a pan, grease with butter, add one full spoon onto pan. Let it spread on its own. Wait till bubbles appear on the top.
Now, its time to flip over.. Flip and let it cook for a minute. The pancake will fluff up..
Serve hot and maple syrup, honey or jam :))!! Top it with blueberries, strawberries, banana , etc and Enjoy with lots and lots of Maple Syrup

Tips:

• Making the consistency watery will make the pancake very thin and hard. Thicker the consistency,softer and fluffier the pancakes !!
• Once the batter is ready, let it rest for atleast 30 minutes. It helps !!

Do share comments !!!



Nutty Banana Vanilla Creme Cake

It was my hubby's Bday yesterday and so, i baked a Surprise cake for him :)) mmm ..Not much of a surprise, coz he knew ill bake a cake for him.. I bake cakes for all special occasions. Then, wont i do it for his bday ??? !!! ha ha ... so it was not a surprise ... he was actually expecting one !!!

So... my hubby is very picky...so finicky... no chocolate, no pineapple, no strawberry's ....what else cake can we bake for a bday ??? If i had baked any of the above No's ...ill end up eating the whole cake and adding extra kilo's..which i don't want :) So I decided to bake a Banana Walnut cake ....but since i did nt have walnuts...i used Almonds and Pecans and changed my cake name to "Nutty Banana Cake with Vanilla Creme ... " ...howz that !!!

Here's what you ll need to bake Nutty Banana Vanilla Creme Cake:

All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
Baking Powder - 1 tbsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tbsp
Butter - 100 gms (1 stick)
Powdered Sugar - 2 cups
Egg - 2 (Separate the egg white and yoke and beat both till fluffy- keep aside)
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sour Creme - 2 tbsp
Vanilla Essence - 2 tbsp
Smashed Banana - 1
Nuts - Almonds, Pecans, walnuts - 1/2 cup ( use any nut of your choice and quantity of your choice too)
For Nutty Banana Vanilla Creme Cake:

• Wet Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, add butter and beat till creamy and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat again. Add the beaten eggs, milk, vanilla essence, sour creme to the above mixing bowl and beat till it mixes well.
• Dry ingredients: First Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda. Add them to the mixing bowl along with all the other ingredients. Beat well till the batter is well mixed.
• Add the smashed Banana and beat again.
• Finally add the nuts and fold the batter well.
• Grease the baking pan, place a baking paper( parchment paper) and add the batter to 2 pans. Meanwhile, preheat the oven @ 350 degree
• Bake the cakes @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes.



• Let the cake cool down for a little while.

For Vanilla Creme Icing Ull need:

Heavy Whipping Creme - 1 pint
Butter - 1 stick (optional)
Sour creme - 1 tbsp (optional)
Confectioners sugar - 1 to 1/2 cup
Vanilla Essence - 2 tbsp

• Add the heavy whipping creme, sugar and beat till the creme becomes little thick, then add the butter and beat again till thick. Add the vanilla essence and fold the icing creme.

Layering the Cake: Once the cake is cooled, Place the first cake layer add 1/2 inch icing on top, then the next layer and add 1/2 inch icing throughout the outer surface of the cake in even pace. You need not make it perfectly flat. Having a little bumpy and messy cake surface gives a nice Home mstyle look ....and i like that. :))
Tips:

• I added cocoa powder to the icing creme for the decorations. coz i needed a contrast color. You can also add 'icing color' to the icing mix to decorate in different colors. Since i did nt have it, i used chocolate icing for decorations. you can try any other colors as well.
• While layering, you can also add Strawberry preserves to the middle layer.
• You can also use, nuts and chocolate chips for the decorations..
• Adding sour creme to your cake, makes your cake more fluffier and soft..

I baked the cake yesterday and its over today !!! It was indeed delicious and nutty :))) try it out and let me know your suggestions and comments...

Marble Cake

Hello All....a few days back, i baked a marble cake for my sweet daughter and it was so yummy yummy!!! She loved it ...ya ya ..I can hear you saying " We should be saying that !!! " Ok fine here s the recipe. Try it and let me know how was the cake ...

So here's what u'll need for making Marble Cake:

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
Butter 200 grams or 1 stick
Powdered Sugar - 2 and 1/4 cups
Egg - 2 or 3
Salt - 1 pinch
Baking Powder - 1 tbsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tbsp
Cocoa powder ( 4 to 5 tbsps)
vanilla essence - few drops
milk - 1 Cup( optional)
Sour creme - optional

Fo the Cake:

• In a Bowl, put the butter and beat it nicelyYou can either use an electric mixer or hand mix it with a spatula. Beat it till it is soft and creamy.


• Then add powdered sugar and blend it nicely. Set it aside.


• Now seperate the egg yoke from egg white in two seperate bowls. Beat the egg white till they are very very fluffy. The Fluffier the egg white , softer the cake becomes. ( secret tip for making soft cakes....hmmm ) Also beat the egg yoke and keep aside.


• Seive the flour along with baking powder and baking soda and keep aside.


• Now, To the butter mix, add one spoon flour mix and then add one spoon egg mix.


• Keep adding flour and egg in alternating fashion.


• Remember to mix the batter only in One direction... this will prevent lumps from forming.


• Once everything is mixed, add required amount milk to bring the batter to the required consistency. Not very thick and not thin too. Milk gives a good flavour and texture to the cake too. However, adding milk is optional.


• You can also add lil sour creme. This also gives a good flavour to the cake.


• Add Vanilla essence to the batter.Mean while, prehaet your oven for atleast 15 mins at 400degree F.


• Now, In another bowl place half the batter and add cocoa powder to the batter in one bowl. If you want more chocolate, add more cocoa powder ( not much to make it sour though)...


• Now you have two bowls, one with basic cake batter and another with the chocolate cake batter. Apply some butter to the vessel in which you are going to bake the cake and place a baking sheet to prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom.


• Pour lil of the basic cake batter and lil of the chocolate cake batter, side by side. Like one spoon of basic cake batter and then one spoon of chocolate cake batter. Make sure the batter does nt get mixed.


• Place then in alternating fashion. Once done, using a fork, swirl around from one side of the other, only in one direction. ( only once) .


• Bake the cake in the oven for around 40 to 45 mins. To check if the cake is baked, use a chop stick or any other stick or knife and pierce in the centre of the cake. If the stick/ knife comes out clean and clear your cake is ready ...:)


• Remove the cake from the oven and give it a standing time of 10 mins. Your yummy marble cake is now ready to be enjoyed and relished !!! ...Enjoy your cake and do let me know your comments!!!Ill make sure i post some pics of the cakes next time i bake....

Tips:

1. While preparing the batter, mix only in one direction in order to avoid lumps.


2. Add milk and/or sour creme to give a nice flavor to the cake.


3. You can also add chunks of chocolate pieces to the batter while adding to baking pan.


4. To this basic cake batter, you can add even nuts, like walnuts, pineapple, banana etc. anything ...

Enjoy your freshly baked Marble Cake ...