CARROT-PINEAPPLE CAKE WITH FRESH CREAM FROSTING AND PRALINE TOPPING

I made this cake for my husband on his birthday and wanted to give him as a surprise. I prepared this one day in advance. I knew very well that baking the cake, making the frosting, decorating the cake everything cannot be done on the same day as all this process depends on the sleeping time of my little boy. It was for the first time a cake remained uncut for a day :). Usually i taste the cake the moment it comes out of the oven.I was having tough time to keep it as secret. I hid the cake in my kitchen cupboard. But after baking the entire home was filled with the wonderful aroma of cake. Cake can be kept hidden, but the smell??i wanted to erase all the traces that I had baked a cake before he gets home from office. Then I opened each and every windows, switch on the fans of all rooms .Somehow I managed to keep it secretly. It was for the first time I made this cake but no way to check the taste, texture etc.I had no clue how it tastes like.I decided to keep the frosting as minimal as possible so that it wouldn’t be overly too sweet. But after frosting the cake looked quite blank not attractive. So I topped up with some praline and it did lift the cake to another level of taste and appearance. Actually it was my maiden attempt in cake decoration. However the entire thing went smoothly as I planned.Atleast I could keep the surprise. He was totally excited to see the cake. That’s what I wanted. Isn’t that great bringing smiles on our loved ones face by a humble deed? Cooking can do that magic!!

Over to the cake recipe..the cake was absolutely yum!! The combination of carrot and pineapple was heavenly. The cake was moist and super soft. Do try this ..you will love this cake for sure.

Ingredients

1.      Maida/all purpose flour-1 n ¾ cup

2.      Oil-3/4 cup

3.      Eggs-2nos

4.      Sugar-1-cup

5.      Grated carrot-1 cup

6.      Chopped pineapple-1/2 cup(after  chopping,crush the pineapple lightly)

7.      Baking powder-little less than ¾  tsp

8.      Baking soda-1/2 tsp

9.      Cinnamon powder-1/2 tsp

10.  Vanilla essence-1 n ½ tsp

11.  Salt-1/4 tsp

For the frosting

1.      Fresh cream-200ml

2.      Vanilla essence-1tsp

3.      Icing sugar-3 or 4 tblsp

For the praline

1.      Suagr-2tblsp

2.      Water-1 or 2tsp

3.      Cashew nuts-10 nos,chopped

Method of preparation

1.      Preheat the oven at 170◦ for 10 minutes. Prepare a loaf tin.

2.      Mix flour, cinnamon powder ,salt ,baking powder and baking soda. Sieve together or whisk everything well.

3.      In a mixing  bowl beat eggs well till it turns frothy. Add sugar in and beat again until sugar dissolves. Add in oil and vanilla essence and give a gentle stir. Add grated carrot and chopped pineapple. Mix well

4.      Add already mixed dry ingredients in to this in different batches and fold in gently .pour the batter into prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes at 170◦.

5.      Once it has cooked, let it cool completely. Invert the cake on to a plate.

Frosting is completely optional. The cake taste delicious even without frosting.

Fresh cream frosting

1.      Beat cream well until it forms stiff peaks.

2.      Add in icing sugar and vanilla essence and beat gently.

3.      Keep in fridge for 5 minutes until the frosting has reached the right consistency.

4.      Use your imagination and decorate the cake.I  applied the frosting only on the top and on the lower side. To decorate the whole cake increase the quantity of ingredients.

Praline

1.      Grease a steel plate with some oil or butter.

2.      Heat sugar in thick bottomed pan. Add little water. Turn the heat to maximum and let the sugar turn lightly brown. Once it starts to brown add chopped nuts and mix well.

3.      Immediately transfer it into greased plate and spread evenly using a spoon.

4.      Once it has cooled crush it using a pestle. Sprinkle this on the top or the sides of the cake.

After the frosting keep the cake in fridge or frosting will melt under room temperature. Take it out  15 minutes or half an hour before consumption.

EASY MARBLE CAKE (EGGLESS) AND HOW TO MAKE CAKE IN PRESSURE COOKER WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES

When I went to supermarket yesterday for our weekend purchase, I saw an attractive packet pictured a beautiful cake named pressure  cooker cake mix. Then I wondered is there any particular cake recipe that to be made in pressure cooker???My answer is absolutely NO!!Before I get my electric oven I used to make different kinds of cakes in cooker. I could not find any taste or texture difference .When I googled about pressure cooker baking,I could see many posts about this using sand and some  using crystal salt to maintain or to control the heat inside the cooker.You don’t need any of these stuffs for making a humble cake. You just require 3 things, a pressure cooker WITHOUT RUBBER GASKETAND WEIGHT ,a cooker separator and a cake tin that fits well inside the cooker.iam promising you that your cooker will not explode or damage in any way(before that instructions should be read thoroughly). You don’t have to follow any particular recipe for making cakes in cooker.Any type of cakes can be made in cooker .But if you are novice in baking start with an easy recipe. This post is for all who desperately want to bake a cake without using oven.

Coming to the cake recipe..This is a fool proof recipe. I have made this cake number of times and every time it was a hit. This is a super easy and a delicious cake..

Ingredients

1.      All purpose flour(maida)-3/4cup

2.      Curd-1/2 cup(room temperature)

3.      Oil-1/4cup(any flavorless oil like sunflower or canola)

4.      Sugar-1/2cup

5.      Baking powder-little less than ¾ tsp

6.      Baking soda-1/4 tsp

7.      Vanilla essence -1tsp

8.      Cocoa powder-2 n ½ tsp

9.      water-2tsp

Method of preparation

1.      Prepared a cake tin. For that, apply oil or butter along the sides and bottom of the tin. Sprinkle little flour all over. Invert the pan and tap to remove excess flour

2.      Take a bowl. Start by beating curd well.Add in baking powder and baking soda. Beat well. When the curd turns frothy add oil and essence and sugar. Beat well till sugar dissolves. Add flour in 2 batches and mix well without any lumps.

3.      Mix cocoa powder with water to form a paste. Add a ladle full of prepared batter in to this and mix well.this is the chocolate batter.

4.      Pour the white batter into the tin. Take a spoon full  ofchocolate batter and pour on the top of this. Using the tip of a pointed knife make some designs. Repeat this until both batter used up.

5.      Now take the cooker, keep the cooker separator. DO NOT POUR WATER OR OIL. The cake is going to cook under dry heat the same way  which is cooked up in oven. Close with the lid.         DO NOT PUT RUBBER GASKET AND WEIGHT. Keep in high flame for 2 minutes,then in medium flame for 5 minutes then reduce the flame to lower and cook for 40-45 minutes.Check in between by inserting a tooth pick or knife. Once it has cooked the knife comes out clean.

6.      When the cake is cooked, remove the cake tin from the cooker. Let it cool completely. Run a knife all along the edges the pan .Invert the pan on to plate and tap the bottom of the pan to get the cake out.Slice and serve

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preparing the cake tin

making the batter

making the chocolate batter

mixing and creating designs

keep the tin in  cooker and cooked until inserted knife comes out clean.Let the cake cooled,inverted  onto a plate ..Enjoy delicious Marble cake with your loved ones :)

VARUTHARACHA CHICKEN CURRY

This is one of Authentic Kerala curry.’VARUTHARACHATHU’ means nothing complicated ,anything cooked in roasted coconut gravy called varutharathu. Here also grated coconut are dry roasted with all other condiments  and spices ,then grinded to make  the base for the curry. It taste quite different from the usual chicken masala.This curry reflects the real taste of Kerala.

Ingredients

1.      Chicken-500gm,cut into medium sized pieces

2.      Onion-1big,thinly sliced

3.      Tomatoe-1 medium, cubed or sliced

4.      Grated coconut-1/2 of one

5.      Coriander powder-2tsp,heaped

6.      Kashmiri chilly powder-2tsp,levelled

7.      Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

8.      Whole black pepper-3/4 tblsp

9.      Ginger-1”piece,chopped

10.  Garlic-1 small bulb, chopped

11.  Salt

12.  Water-1 cup or more

13.  Coconut oil-2tblsp

For seasoning

Dry red chilly-2nos

Pearl onions-3 nos,thinly sliced

Curry leaves-a few

Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp

Coconut oil-1tblsp

Method of preparation

1.      Heat a pan preferably a non stick pan. Add grated coconut, chopped ginger and garlic.Stir this until coconut turns brown. Add in all powders and pepper stir again till coconut  -spice mix turns dark brown in color. Switch off the flame. Once this mix has cooled, grind it into smooth paste by adding required water

2.      In another pan heat coconut oil. Sauté onion till golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook until it turns mushy. Add grinded coconut mix, water and salt into this. Once the gravy boils, add chicken pieces in. Lower the flame. Cover the pan and cook till chicken has done and gravy thickens.

3.      Lastly do the seasoning-For that heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, add pearl onions,curry leaves and dry red chillies.Stir for few seconds. Pour this over the prepared curry. Keep it closed for some time.

Enjoy this delicious curry with rice,rotis ,bread…it goes well with anything.