Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Ganache

I KNOW!!!!!!!!.......the vanilla cupcake is totally lost........thanks to the sinful looking ganache.....it has stolen all the limelight.......Please do not be blinded by the ganache and forget my vanilla cupcakes.....coz they are beautiful soft spongy pillows that just melt in your mouth and the orange zest works like magic which makes these cupcakes extra special......these come under my 'Have to make every month' list and 'Vanishes in seconds' list.

Recipe source :Joy of Baking

Ingredients

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For Vanilla Cupcake

• 113 grams Butter , softened (1/2 cup)
• 130 grams Sugar (2/3 cup)
• 3 large Eggs ,room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Zest of one Orange or Lemon
• 195 grams Flour (1 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 60 ml Milk (1/4 cup)

For Chocolate Ganache

• 300 grams Dark Chocolate
• 200 ml Cream

Method

For Vanilla Cupcake

1. Preheat oven at 180 Degree C , line muffin trays with cupcake cases.
2. Mix orange / lemon zest , flour,baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a bowl beat butter an sugar till light. fluffy and pale,add one egg at a time,beating after each addition.Now add vanilla extract.
4. Add flour and milk in 3 batches,starting and ending with flour mixture and beating in medium speed after each addition.
5. Using an ice cream scoop divide the batter into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 to 25 minutes or when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack.let the cupcakes cool in the muffin trays.
7. Once cooled completely pipe chocolate ganache on top.

Method for Ganache

1. Keep grated chocolate in a heat proof bowl.
2. Pour cream into a saucepan and place on medium flame.Remove once small bubbles start forming in the sides of the saucepan.Do not boil.Pour this hot cream on the chocolate and let stand for a minute.
3. Mix till all the chocolate melts and you are left with smooth ganache.
4. Let  it cool down completely, the ganache will thicken, transfer into a piping bag and pipe the cupcake with the ganache.

Yellow butter cake with Chocolate butter cream icing - Happy birthday Dad

                                   Again......planned to write 1000 words....but this is all I could come up with...

Dad you are my hero........Happy Birthday

Recipe Source:Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
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For Cake

• 480grams Cake Flour (4 cups + 2 tbsp)
• 2tsp Baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 225grams unsalted butter (softened)
• 400grams Sugar (2 cups)
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 4 large Eggs (room temperature)
• 2 cups Butter milk

For Butter cream icing

• 225grams unsalted Butter (softened)
• 188grams Icing sugar
• 1 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate (melted and cooled slightly)

Method

1. Make cake flour : Once you measure plain flour remove 8 tbsp  and replace with 8 tbsp Cornflour. Sift 3 times.Cake flour is ready.
2. Buttermilk substitute : add 2 tbsp vinegar to 2 cups of milk,let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes,use this for cake batter.
3. Preheat oven to 180 degree C.Line two 9 inch baking pan with baking paper and grease the sides.Set this aside.
4. Sift all the dry ingredients cake flour,baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and set aside.
5. In a large(when I say large I mean really large,coz you are gonna have crazy batter)bowl beat butter and sugar till light,fluffy and pale, add vanilla extract and mix, now add one egg at and time and beat after each addition and keep scraping down the sides.Beat on low speed and add in the buttermilk,add this point the batter will look curdles.
6. Add in the dry ingredients in three batches, beating after each addition till all the dry ingredients are well incorporated and you are left with a smooth batter.
7. Divide the batter equally among the greased cake pan.
8. Pop it in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted it comes out clean.
9. Cool the cake in the pan for 10minutes and transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely for one hour.
10. Meanwhile prepare the butter cream icing, in a bowl beat butter and sugar till light,fluffy and pale,add in the melted chocolate and beat till well combines and smooth.
11. Assemble the cake, place one cake on a cake tray or plate ,top with 1/4th of the butter cream icing and spread with a spatula evenly.Place the second cake on top and spread the remaining frosting on the cake.

Pineapple Cream Gateau - Happy Birthday Mom

I am no doubt  a Daddy's girl.....always taken my mom for granted...still do and I don't think it is going to change in the near future....My mom and me.....we are not the very expressive kind....always  at each others throat....fighting,arguing,screaming(well its just me doing all the three...my mom just ignores me and my tantrums).....have you ever noticed....no matter how rude you are towards your mom,she is always fine the next minute(at least that is how my mom is)....its like nothing happened, I feel god made her that way...'super special'.


I may not appreciate my mom much .....I am sometimes rude to her.......I may not hug or kiss her often......I may not say 'thank you' often.......nor do I say 'I love you' often...but I know deep down inside .....she is my SUPERWOMAN and I love her and I will be happy and blessed if years down the lane ...I am at least half the person she is. Happy Birthday Mom (Please don't tell her this...I won't be able to deal with her attitude)


My mom does not like chocolate.....I know she likes pineapple.....I was all set, started preparing for the cake the previous day.....early morning...running around....getting my girl ready to go to school....dropped her....came back....made the basic sponge cake....let it cool....skipped gym...went to pick up my girl from school....slit the cake to two......made syrup...whipped first batch of fresh cream...plopped on the cake... meanwhile cut my finger trying to open the pineapple tin....sprinkled chopped pineapple on the cream(after tending to my wound).....plopped top layer...whipped second batch of cream...took almost 20 minutes to frost the cake almost perfectly....made butter cream icing for decorating......daughter pretending to help me bake but actually being a big pain.....piped the cake with frosting ...all done.....and mom says "I would have preferred  pineapple mousse" .......Thank you mom....I wonder where I got that 'Non Appreciating' gene from.

Ingredients
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For Cake
Recipe source :From my heart

• 105g  All purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 3 Eggs
• 125g Caster Sugar
• 55ml Boiling Water
• 7g Butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/4tsp Pineapple essence (optional)

For Soaking Syrup

• 1/2 cup Syrup from tinned pineapple
• 2tbsp  Sugar
• 2 tsp Rum

For Frosting

• 400ml Fresh Cream
• 6tbsp  Icing Sugar
• 450 g tinned pineapple slices

Butter cream frosting (optional)

• 55g Butter,softened
• 4ml Vanilla Extract
• 125g Icing sugar, sifted
• 15ml Milk
• few drops of lemon yellow color

Method

For cake

1. Grease an 8inch pan and line with baking paper.Keep aside.
2. Preheat oven at 180 degree C.
3. Sift flour and baking powder.Keep aside.
4. Using an electric beater, beat egg and sugar till it turns pale yellow,light and fluffy.
5. Fold in the sifted flour, do not over mix.
6. Now fold in butter,vanilla,pineapple essence and water and mix slowly till well combined.
7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or till done.
8. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes ,remove from pan and cool the cake completely on wire rack.

For Soaking syrup

1. Combine sugar and syrup in a small sauce pan and boil till sugar dissolves. Let this cool.
2. Add rum.

For whipped cream Filling

1. Whip cream and icing sugar till soft peaks are formed.

For Butter cream icing

1. Cream butter till light and fluffy.
2. Add icing sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed, add enough milk to get smooth and light consistency
3. Add color and beat for 30 seconds.
4. Transfer the icing bag and set aside till further use.

Assemble the cake

1. Cut the cake to two layers.
2. Place one layer on cake stand, soak the layer with half of the soaking syrup.
3. Cover with cream and top with half of the chopped pineapple
4. Place the second layer on top, soak with the remaining syrup.
5. Frost the cake with rest of the whipped cream and decorated with chopped pineapple or anyway you desire.
6. Pipe the butter cream frosting on the cake. 
7. Let the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate cake in a Can - Happy Birthday my better quarter

How many of you fall into the category of wives who do not appreciate their husbands much??.........well I surely do........I know........I am such a witch..........well........having said that........I am still not going to appreciate my husband just because its his birthday.........coz its just not ME.......and.......there is no way I am giving him an opportunity to fly too high ( I might change my mind if my husband surprises me with a Kitchen Aid cake mixer :)........oh my god I am such a witch.

All jokes apart.......Wish you a very Happy Birthday Shailesh......you know me very well to realize that I don't show much affection and you also know what is in my heart.......All I want to say is that you have given me a great gift and that is 'Patience'( I am still trying to master it).....you are a great friend ....and.......the best father ever.

I recently came across this author Debby Maugan Nakos who specializes in small batch baking.... and when I saw this recipe where the cake is baked in a can I was so amazed....it is just the perfect recipe if you are baking for two.....I had to try it out and just loved the idea.

Recipe source: Small batch baking

Ingredients  

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For Chocolate Cake 

• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp Egg, well beaten egg
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup + 2tbsp All purpose flour
• 1/3cup + 1tbsp Sugar
• 3tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1/8 tsp Baking powder
• 1/8tsp Baking Soda
• 1/8tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted Butter softened

For Ganache

• 100 g Dark Chocolate (I used Bournville 40% cocoa)
• 100 ml Cream

Method

For Chocolate cake

1. Clean 2 cans (I have used 450g empty pineapple slice tin), remove the top and the paper around the can.Line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the sides with butter and dust with flour.Set aside.You can also use 4 muffin cases instead of a can. I have used one can and 2 muffin cases.
2. Preheat oven at 180 degree C
3. In a bowl mix in egg,milk and vanilla extract. Whisk till well combined.Set aside.
4. In a small bowl sieve flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda,salt and cocoa powder.
5. Add the softened butter and half of the milk mixture. Using a handheld electric beater ,beat on low speed till all the ingredients are combined and moist.Increase the speed to medium and beat till the batter is light and increased in volume(around 45 seconds)
6. Add remaining milk mixture and beat till well blended (20 seconds)
7. Transfer the batter into the 2 greased cans or 4 muffin cases and bake till done,when a toothpick inserted it comes out clean.20 minutes for cupcakes and 30 minutes for can. My cake in can took 40 minutes to bake completely.
8. Transfer the cans onto a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake and invert the can and remove the cakes and let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting them.

For Ganache

1. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate on high. After every 30 seconds remove the bowl from oven and mix the chocolate with a spoon and then pop it back in the oven and continue till the chocolate is melted.My chocolate took 1 minute 30 seconds to melt.Or melt over double boil.
2. Add the cream to the melted chocolate and mix till you have a smooth thick chocolate ganache. Cool this before  frosting the cake.

To Assemble

1. Place the cooled cake on a serving plate. Cut the cake to half  horizontally. Apply the ganache on top of the bottom half and spread evenly.Place the top half of the cake on the ganache and frost the whole cake.

Apple Streusel Cake

The aroma of apple cake being baked in the oven is just out of the world.....the house is filled with cinnamony perfume....and you can just get lost in your own world.

Recipe Source:Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days

Ingredients

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For sponge

• 60g unsalted Butter , softened
• 140g All Purpose Flour
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 1 large Egg
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
• 1tsp Baking powder
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 80ml Milk
• 1  large Apple

For Streusel Topping

• 70g Plain flour
• 1/2tsp ground Cinnamon
• 40g unsalted Butter,chilled and diced
• 70g Light Brown sugar

Method

1.Preheat oven to 170 degree C and grease one 8 inch round spring-form cake tin and dust with flour.Keep this aside.

2.Streusel topping :-Sift flour and cinnamon powder into a bowl, add chilled butter and rub the ingredients with your fingertips till they resemble breadcrumbs.Add brown sugar and stir.Keep this aside and make the sponge batter.
3.Sift flour,baking powder and salt and keep aside. In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar using an electric beater till pale and fluffy, add egg and vanilla essence and mix till well combined.
4.Now add half of the flour mixture into the creamed butter and sugar mixture followed by half of the milk.Mix on medium speed.Now add rest of the dry ingredients and milk and beat till you get a smooth and thick batter.
5.Pour the batter into the greased tin.

6.Peel ,remove the core and thinly slice the apples.Arrange the sliced apples in concentric circles on the cake batter .

7.Sprinkle the streusel topping on the apple layer, make sure it forms an even layer.

8.Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or till done and golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into middle of the cake comes out clean.Place the cake on a wire rack to cool and remove from the tin.

9.Serve warm or cold with ice cream or custard.

Nutella filled Chocolate Cupcake with Nutella Frosting - My first Guest Post

Have you ever felt weak at your knees....it happens when.....you experience something amazing........when you get a glimpse of someone you have been waiting to see for a long time......when you are kissed like you have never been kissed before.......oh ya it also happens when you are shit scared.......But...in my case......my knees did go weak when I had a bite of this crazzzy crazzzyyyy yumilicious  Nutella cupcake......I seriously got turned on....like seriously....or should I say in my sister Neetu's words 'My mouth had an organism' - -read it any way you want to.....If you get it- GOOD......if you don't EVEN BETTER.

I think I better give this post an 'A' rating

I am guest posting at Priya Sreerams fabulous blog Bon Appetit for this month, I felt this was the best recipe I could share with Priya and her readers.....coz these Nutella cupcakes are so ME.

Iam really glad  to be doing this guest post...I would like to thank Priya for this opportunity....it is very much appreciated :)

For the recipe please visit Priya's Blog  and do not forget to check out her amazing collection of recipes.

Chocolate cupcakes waiting to be filled.

Drool worthy.... cupcakes filled with sinful Nutella....they look so happy.

Complete the cupcakes with Nutella frosting.....ooooooo.......can't wait to make more of these.....its like they have a life of their own.

Egg less Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Egg-less Chocolate cake...........soaked with sugar syrup.........filled with Chocolate butter-cream icing........and topped with amazing sinful Chocolate Ganache.....now try beating that.

This cake was like an eye opener for an arrogant person like me who always underestimated egg less cakes.....I always thought they were below me....little did I know.....I would anytime choose this egg less cake over my other cakes.....well ......excluding.....Strawberry Cream Gateau

This Veggie cake......Hot Veggie Cake  is a keeper.....well......as of now.......till the mind starts to act fickle again.

Recipe Source :Divine Taste

Ingredients 

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For Chocolate cake

• 200g Plain Flour (1 1/2 Cups)
• 50g Cocoa Powder (1/4 cup)
• 30g Caster Sugar(4tbsp)
• 2tsp Baking Powder
• 1tsp Baking Soda
• 400g  Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 150g Unsalted Butter , melted
• 250 ml Water (1 cup)
• 1tbsp Vanilla extract

For Soaking Syrup

• 125 ml Water  (1/2 cup)
• 2 tbsp Sugar

For Chocolate Butter cream icing

• 50g Butter ,softened (1/4 cup)
• 100g Icing Sugar (3/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 to 2 tbsp Milk

For Chocolate Ganache

• 200ml Cream
• 200g Semi Sweet Chocolate chips

Method

For Chocolate Cake

1. Grease two 8 inch round cake pan and line with parchment/baking paper, grease the sides and dust with flour. Keep this aside.
2. Preheat oven to150 Degree C.
3. Now prepare batter. Sieve flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a big mixing bowl. Add caster sugar.
4. Add condensed milk, water,melted butter and vanilla extract.Beat with electric beater or hand whisk till the batter is smooth and no more lumpy.Do not over beat.
5. Divide this batter equally into the greased pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or till done.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting it onto wire rack.Let the cakes cool down completely before assembling.

For Soaking Syrup

While the cakes are baking in the oven prepare the syrup.Place sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook till the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil.Take off the heat and let the syrup cool down.

For Butter-cream icing

Combine all the ingredients except milk and beat till light ,add milk slowly till you get a smooth icing.

For Ganache

Melts chocolate in a microwave or on double boiler.Add cream and mix till cream and chocolate is well blended and you have a slightly thick and smooth sauce.

Assemble the cake

1. Place one chocolate cake on a plate, soak it with half of the soaking syrup.
2. Spread chocolate butter cream icing over the soaked cake.You can reserve little icing to decorate the cake.
3. Place the second cake on the butter cream icing. Soak this cake with the remaining syrup.
4. Pour the ganache over the cake and spread it around on the top and sides of the cake.
5. Decorate the cake by piping some butter cream icing on the cake.
6. Let the cake rest in the refrigerator for few hours before serving. 

Devil's Food Cake for Neetu

Okay.......I know.......I am going overboard with chocolate......I am official a self confessed 'CHOCOHOLIC' ......

This Devil's Food Cake is truly 'DEVILISH' .....and the frosting is just 'SINFUL'...I can think of doing a lot of naughty things with it ...(Is that sentence permissible in the blogging world.....or will I be banned ).....I don't care......coz.....believe me ....this frosting ....is 'PURE PURE PURE SIN'

This cake is dedicated to my 'Dearest Nautanki Sister ' Neetu .......If Devina is the butter in my life.....Neetu is my Chocolate:)

Ingredients
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Recipe source:Nigella Lawson

for cake

• 50g Cocoa Powder, sifted
• 100g Muscovado sugar - I used Soft Brown sugar
• 250 ml Boiling Water
• 125g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 225g Plain Flour
• 1/2tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2tsp Soda bi carbonate
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 Eggs

for frosting

• 125ml Water
• 30g Muscovado Sugar- I used Soft Brown Sugar
• 175g Unsalted Butter cubed
• 300g dark chocolate- I used quantities of dark and milk chocolate

Method

1. Preheat oven at 180 degree C.
2. Line the bottom of two 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
3. In a bowl whisk together cocoa powder, muscovado/brown sugar and boiling water till well combined and set aside.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder and soda bi carbonate and set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl cream butter and caster sugar with an electric hand beater till it turns pale and fluffy.Now add vanilla essence/extract and beat.
6. Add one egg and keep beating and quickly add a scoop full of flour mixture. Now add the other egg.
7. Keep mixing and add in rest of the flour mixture. Finally add in the cocoa/brown sugar/water mixture
8. At this point my batter was pretty thick and I really felt that my beater was going to give up, I quickly added few tablespoons of milk and mixed in with a spatula.
9. Divide the batter equally between the two cake tins and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or till done.
10. Let the cake cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
11. I started preparing the frosting as soon as the cake was in the oven, because the frosting needs at least an hour to set.
12. For frosting :Combine water, brown sugar and butter in a sauce pan and place on low heat till the butter melts and mixture starts to bubble slightly.Remove off the flame and add the chopped chocolate and let it stand for few minutes before mixing with a whisk. You will be left with a runny chocolate sauce.
13. Set aside for an hour, keep whisking in regular intervals. The frosting will thicken gradually. If you want to hurry up the thickening process, keep the frosting in the fridge for few minutes,remember to keep whisking the frosting in regular intervals or the frosting will harden.
14. Assemble the cake:-Place one cake top side down on a cake stand and spread about third of the frosting on the cake and spread with a spatula. Place the other cake and spread the remaining frosting on the cake and spread evenly on the sides.

Coffee and Chocolate Loaf - Happy Birthday Devina

                                       
                                                              You are the butter in my life .........
                                                         (a true foodie will know what that means)

                                                        Devina......Wish you a very Happy Birthday

Miss you like crazzzzzy.......Please come back......I will treat you well......I will make tea everyday(except in the morning and evening).......I will not throw a karate kick at you......I promise to take you out for breakfast every Sunday to different restaurants.......I promise not to steal your clothes,belts and bags......and  I promise never to leave you whenever you need me no matter where you are.............Just come back.....I miss my best friend......my sister....my partner in crime.....my navigator.....my foodie pal.....my critic.......and most important....I miss my butter.......Love you Devina

Recipe source:The Hummingbird Bakery- Cake days
Ingredients
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• 190g Unsalted Butter (softened and extra for greasing)
• 130g Plain Flour, extra for dusting
• 190g soft Light Brown Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 60g Cocoa Powder
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 20ml Milk
• 1 tbsp Coffee powder or decoction(brewed coffee)

Method

1. Preheat oven at 170 degree C.Grease loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
2. In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar till light, fluffy and pale. Break in one egg at a time and beat till well combined.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and keep aside. In a small glass combine brewed coffee and milk and mix well.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the cake batter in two batches alternating with the coffee and milk mixture. Beat on low speed till till combined. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, increase speed to high and beat till you get a smooth batter.
5. Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf tin.
6. Bake in the preheated oven till the sponge is firm and when inserted with toothpick in middle of the loaf comes out clean.According to the original recipe it takes 60 minutes to bake the loaf but mine took 45 minutes.
7. Allow the loaf to cool in the loaf tin for a while before turning it out on to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Nigella's Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Seriously...I cannot get enough of chocolate...Is it just me or do I have an overdose of chocolate recipes in my blog.....I don't care ....you are gonna see more chocolate anyway.

I don't like to brag ;)......but believe me....... these are super simple .......amazing.......yummilicious.......with an attitude ....... muffins(does that even make sense).

Ingredients
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• 1 3/4 cup All purpose flour
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 4 tbsp Cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup Caster sugar or powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup Semi sweet chocolate chipes
• pinch salt
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/3 cup + 2 tsp Vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/4 cup Chocolate chips to sprinkle

Method

1. Preheat oven at 190 Degree C.Place muffin paper cases into a muffin tray and set aside.
2. In a bowl whisk or sieve together all the dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, caster sugar and cocoa powder. Add 3/4 cup chocolate chips and mix well.
3. In another small bowl combine all the wet ingredients - oil, milk, egg and vanilla.Whisk lightly using a fork.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk lightly , do not over mix.
5. Using an ice cream scoop divide the batter evenly among the muffin cases.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or when inserted with a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Transfer onto a wire rack and let the muffins cool completely before digging in.

Simple Chocolate Cake for my Girl

I am always looking out for a diary free......tasty...... Chocolate Cake recipe for my daughter.My girl is not a fussy eater....but I have to be careful...thanks to her diary allergy. Though she is just 3 years old she has understood the fact that milk,cheese and yogurt are no good for her. She voluntarily refuses to eat ice cream,cheese and cream biscuits.....but one thing I just cannot keep her away from are ....CAKES....she just refuses to accept the fact that there is milk in cakes and cream in the frosting.....My heart sinks when we go to birthday parties and she just stares at that cream filled Black Forest cake.....

I am so glad I found this very simple ...yet tasty chocolate cake recipe...and what more its diary free.You won't believe me ...my daughter had more than half of this cake...she could not believe the fact that I let her eat the cake...I think she was scared I will change my mind....she ate all she could. My granny asked her if she can have a small piece and my daughter told her politely... "Ajji ,this cake is only for kids,you go and eat your chakuli"


Recipe from :- Testado,provado and aprovado
Ingredients
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• 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour
• 1 cup Sugar (I used castor sugar)
• 1/2 cup Cocoa powder
• 1/2tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 cup Boiling water

For Glaze

• 1/3 cup Icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp Cocoa powder,sifted
• 1 tsp Butter
• 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degree C
2. Grease and line with parchment paper an 8 inch round baking pan.Keep aside. 
3. Sift flour,baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add sugar and using a hand whisk mix well.
4. Now add oil and lightly beaten egg and whisk little. Add boiling water and whisk till well blended.
5. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or when inserted with a toothpick it comes out clean.
6. Prepare the glaze:-Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil.Cook on medium heat for few minutes till the sauce thickens.
7. Remove the cake from its pan when its still warm. Pour the hot glaze on the cake and spread it around.

Candy Cupcakes

Candy Cupcake for crossing 1 lac views after 7 months of  blogging..........no actually I made these cupcakes for my daughter...she just loved it...each bite she took...she kept asking me..."did you make it?"..."did you make it?"....I knew exactly why she kept asking me that.....she dragged her friend in...and I offered her the cupcake and my daughter said proudly..."My mom made it"...little did she know that these were the simplest cupcakes ever made...but her expression was worth a million.

Seven months back...my husband was about to go to bed and I asked him "How do I start my own blog?" and he told me yawning..."Ok ...I will tell you later" and he slept. My brain was so hyper at that moment and I just could not wait...I am not tech savvy...so if I have a doubt I turn to my best friend.....Google....and I asked Google the same question I asked my Husband "How do I start my own blog?".....when my husband got up.....my blog 'Cheries Stolen recipes' was ready.So moral of the story 'Google is better than a Husband' (Just joking....for those who don't get my sense of humor).......

The journey since then has been amazing...This blog has definitely changed me in many ways.....I am a more confident person now......learnt so much about Mangalorean food and in the process connected with my Mother, saw a whole new side of her....she is more of a friend to me now and got to try out dishes I never thought I could make....I would like to change my profession from a Housewife to......'Housemaker/Blogger'

I would love to thank all my viewers and fellow bloggers for helping me get so far, it would not have been possible without you guys...(ok that was sooooo not me....it was so cliche...sounded like some Oscar speech by some boring actor)

Seriously..............a heartfelt THANK YOU.

Recipe Source:-Australian Women's weekly- Easy Baking

Ingredients

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• 80 g Butter (softened)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla Essence
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup(75g) Caster sugar
• 1 cup (150g) All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 2 tbsp Milk or Soya Milk
• few candies

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 Degree C. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake cases.
2. In a bowl combine butter, vanilla essence, caster sugar, eggs, sifted flour and baking powder.Using an electric whisk beat on low speed till all ingredients are well combined.Now beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or till the batter looks pale in color.
3. Divide the mixture into the paper cupcake cases using an ice cream scoop.Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. remove from the oven and place candies on top of each cupcake.Bake for 5 more minutes or till the candies melt (I did not wait till then, I prefer my candies whole)
4. Let the cupcakes stand in the pan for few minutes ,then transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Brewing espresso cake

I love coffee.Remember those college days ,cold Cafe Frappe at Coffee Day.

Guess my taste buds have matured now,moved on to hot Cappuccino and Espresso.

I just enjoy coffee and cake.

Coffee cake ,life cannot get better than this.

This cake is for my hubby, though he is a hardcore tea drinker, he just enjoys drinking coffee at 'Caribou Coffee', Hot Cappucino with cream and caramel -his favorite.

 few months back my hubby surprised me with this amazing book 'Cake Days ' from Hummingbird Bakery.

Such an amazing book,simple recipes and mouth watering pictures.Best gift ever.Thank you ;)

This is originally a cupcake recipe,Iam not good with cupcakes.Chose to make a cake instead.

 Ingredients for sponge
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• 240 ml milk
• 20 g instant espresso
• 80g unsalted butter(softened)
• 240g plain flour
• 280g castor sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs

For frosting

• 50 ml milk
• 16g instant espresso
• 500g icing sugar
• 160g unsalted butter(softened)
• demerrara sugar to sprinkle

Method for sponge

1. Pre heat oven to 190 degree C
2. Dissolve the espresso powder into warm milk, keep this aside.
3. With an electric beater combine sugar, butter, flour, baking powder and salt at low speed,until they are breadcrumbs like consistency.
4. Break 2 eggs into the coffee flavored milk and whisk by hand until well combined.
5. Pour 3/4 th of the coffee-milk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together on low speed.Then increase the speed to medium and keep beating until smooth and thick.Add the remaining milk and egg mixture.Scrape down the sides and beat on medium speed until mixed together and you have a smooth batter.
6. Pour this batter into a 9 inch cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or till done.
7. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Method for frosting

1. Dissolve espresso powder to slightly warm milk and keep aside to cool completely before using.
2. Beat butter and icing sugar with an electric beater until fully combined and the mixture is sandy consistency.
3. Now pour the coffee flavoured milk and beat on low speed till well combines.
4. Beat on high speed till light and fluffy.
5. Spoon the icing on the cake and cover the sides.
6. Sprinkle demarara sugar on the frosting.
7. Espresso cake ready to be served.

Rich chocolate cake with chocolate ganache

It was my Mom's birthday on 25th and I was all prepared to bake a cake for her,something went wrong and it failed,the cake just did not rise,it was like a flat ,hard piece of cake and whats worse it had that EGGY smell.I was so disappointed,I had no time to bake another cake.We had to settle with a store bought cake.But I was determined to make a cake for my mom,the next day with my sister Devinas help,we made this amazing cake.

This cake was yummmm,the chocolate cake,whipped cream and ganache makes an amazing combination.I would like to thank Devina for helping me out and also for sharing her friends recipe for the whipped cream frosting.I would also suggest you use a 9 inch baking pan,coz we used 8 inch pan and the cakes looked so chubby and each slice was very tall.

 Ingredients for Cake- recipe source hersheys perfect chocolate cake
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• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup  Cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder(got this idea from Divya Kudua's blog easycooking )

 Ingredients for Whipped cream frosting 

• 3tbsp  unsalted butter (softened)
• 6 tbsp caster or icing sugar
• 400ml whipping cream (I used Emborg)
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

Ingredients for ganache (recipe from blog easycooking)

• 200 grms semi sweet chocolate chips
• 200 ml heavy cream

Method for Cake
1. Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake tin and keep aside.
2.Pre heat oven at 175 degree C.
3.Mix 2 tsp instant coffee powder in the boiling water and keep aside.
4. Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda ,cocoa powder and salt.Place it in a big mixing bowl,add the sugar.
5.Add eggs,milk,oil and vanilla essence into the mixing bowl.Beat with an electric whisk on medium speed for 2 minutes.Pour in the boiling water (with coffee powder) into the batter and mix well.The batter will be thin.

 6. Divide the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 175 degree C till the cake is done.
7.Cool the cake for 5 minutes in the tin,then cool it completely on wire rack before icing it.

 Method to prepare Ganache

1. Pour cream into a thick bottomed vessel, place on  low flame.When the bubbles form around sides of the pan,remove from flame and pour on to the chocolate chips.Let it stay for a few minutes,mix till the chocolate and cream is well blended and the chocolate chips are melted.
2. You will have an amazing smooth and silky batter.let the ganache cool down completely before using.If it hardens then heat in a microwave for few seconds.keep this aside.

Method to prepare whipped cream frosting

1. Beat sugar and butter in a bowl using an electric whisk,when its creamy add the salt, vanilla essence and cream.
2. Whip on high speed till thick and fluffy.Place in the fridge till further use.

 how to assemble

1. Place one Chocolate cake on a cake tray. slice the top part of the cake to make it even(at this point you can place three strips of baking paper around the edges of the cake,this helps in keeping the cake tray clean while you are icing the cake.after the icing the cake just pull away the baking paper).Put 4 to 5 tbsp of whipped cream frosting on the cake and spread it evenly. Pour around 4 tbsp of cooled ganache on the whipped cream and spread.Place another cake on top of the ganache.
2. Slice top of the cake to make it even and flat.Use all the whipped cream frosting and cover the cake evenly.place the cake in the fridge for 10 minute,
3. Remove the cake and pour the ganache on top of the cake,You can let the ganache drip down the sides of the cake or spread it around the entire cake.
4. Place the cake in fridge till the ganache sets, once its set remove the baking paper on the sides of the cake (ganache would have dripped on it)
5. Decorate the cake .I have used sprinkles to decorate this cake.
6. Serve with vanilla icecream .

choco vanilla sponge cake

Ok to tell you the truth,this cake started of as a marble cake and ended up as a choco vanilla sponge cake.I got the recipe from another blogger 'Edible garden',her cake had beautiful swirls and the name 'marble cake ' suited it. In my cake the chocolate was dominating hence cannot see proper swirls.But the cake was amazing,it had a nice outer crust and soft and spongy inside.Its a perfect tea time cake.We could not even wait for it to cool down and like my cousin Debs said "the house smells heavenly"

Recipe source : edible garden

Ingredients
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• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 100 grm butter (softened)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup milk

Method
1.Pre heat oven at 180 degree C. Grease 8 or 9 inch cake tin and keep aside.
2.Sift flour,baking powder and salt and keep aside.
3. In a deep mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar,butter,vanilla essence,milk and sifted flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Using an electric beater or hand whisk, beat the ingredients until well combined(about 3 to 4 minutes).
5. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the cake tin.To the remaining batter sift in cocoa powder and mix till well combined.
6. Spoon the cocoa batter onto the plain batter and using a knife swirl the batter to blend in both the vanilla and chocolate batter.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or till done.
8. Let it cool for few minutes,or just dig in.