One Stage sponge Cake

Its weekend ..... for us n...... !!!

I had to bake a cake as the base of the dessert .... would love to share the recipe  of this cake which can be used as a base for most of the cake based dessert...!!!

This cake is called one stage sponge cake adapted from an old book from my mom's collection.


Ingredients:

• melted butter for greasing
• 1/2 cup jam for filling 
• icing sugar for decoration

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/170C,
2. Grease  and flour two 7 inches sandwich tins or I used 1 large 10 inches tin since I need to use this cake as a base for Alaska pudding.
3. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
4. Add the butter, sugar ,essence and eggs.
5. Beat them together  until well mixed, glossy and light.
6. Pour the mixture into the tins or tin and smooth the surface. 
7. Place in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until shrinks away slightly from the sides of the tin and springs back into shape when pressed lightly with a finger.
8. Remove from the oven, cool in the tin for 2 minutes. Turn out on to a clean towel, then invert the cake on a wire rack to cool.
9. When cold, sandwich  with jam , In case you r not using for any dessert as a base.

chocolate Butterfly cakes

  Sometimes wonder why I end up making chocolate cake... .. was enjoying the morning coffee and my daughter her glass of milk ... but was missing  .....chocolate cupcake. So here ended up making chocolate butterfly cake... 

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp butter softened
• 100 grams castor sugar
• 150 grams  self-raising flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 25 grams plain chocolate melted
• icing sugar, for dusting

Filling:

• 6 tbsp butter softened
• 175 grams icing sugar
• 25 grams plain chocolate melted

Method:

1. Put the baking cases in a muffin pan.
2. Put the margarine, sugar flour, eggs and cocoa in a large bowl and , using an electric hand whisk, beat together until smooth. 
3. Beat in the melted chocolate.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, filling 3/4 full.
5. Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven, 180C/350F, for 15 minutes or until springy to the touch.

My daugtie started eating it when it was warm ..... we just enjoyed cupcakes ...didn't bother the complete the filling.

So here's the recipe for the filling....

1. Put the butter in a bowl and beat until fluffy.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and beat together until smooth. 
3. Add the melted chocolate  and beat until  well mixed.
4. When the cupcakes are cold, use a knife to cut a circle from top of each cupcake and then each circle in half.
5. Spread or pipe a little of the buttercream into the center halves into it at an angle to resemble butterfly wings
6. Dust  with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.

Hope u will be able to wait to complete the filling and not jump into it  like us...!!!

Christmas cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 9 tbsp butter, softened
• 200 grams castor sugar
• 4-6 drops almond essence
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 150 grams self-raising flour
• 175 gras ground almonds

Topping

•  white  ready-to -roll fondant icing
• Diffrent colours of wilton( I used pink n red)

Method

1. Put 16 paper  muffin cases in a muffin pan.
2. Put the butter, sugar and almond essence in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  
3. Gradually  add the eggs, beating well after each addition. (Was lazy so added at one shot) .
4. Add the flour and using a large metal spoon, fold it into the mixture, then fold in the ground almonds.
5. Spoon the mixture  into the paper cases to half-fill them.
6. Bake the cakes in a preheated oven, 180C/37F, for 20 minutes or until well  risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. When the cakes are cold, knead the white icing  until pliable, then roll out on a work surface  lightly dusted with icing sugar. 
9. Using round cutter , cut out n place on top of the cupcake.
10. Then divide the fondant icing into 2 and I used one for pink and the other for red.
11. Decorate the way u want. ( I wanted to give the effect of red berries...).

Brownies

Its been quite sometime.... hardly been able to blog during the holidays but I did bake cakes n cookies n Devil's cupcake but couldn't take photographs. My first blog for this new year is Brownies. I really wanted to try this recipe from www.zoomyummy.com , I tried it and turned out to be perfect.... so here goes the recipe...... thanx Petra


Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 110 grams butter
• 240 grams semi- sweet chocolate
• 1 cup sugar 
• 3 eggs

Method:

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa and set aside.
2. Chop the chocolate and met with butter over a pot of simmering water.
3. Keep stirring until smooth and remove from the fire.
4. Add sugar and mix to combine.
5. Finally add the flour mixture and mix it until just moistened.
6. Preheat the oven at 175C.
7. Bake for 20 -25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Brownies when eaten with ice cream is deadly combination .... !!!

Prawn Biryani

There are many ways of preparing prawn biriyani. My version is a mix from mangalore and malabar biriyani


500 grams shelled prawns
500 grams basmathi  rice
150 ml ghee (I use 2 tbsp of ghee)
250 grams onion
50 grams green chillies
30 grams garlic
30 grams ginger
1 tomato
1 tsp chili powder
 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp gram masala
1 bunch coriander leaves
200 mil oil
1 juice of lime
salt to taste

Method:

Clean and wash the prawns.
Smear on mixture of chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Grind the green chillies, ginger and garlic.
Slice the onions.

Heat the oil and fry the prawns  to a light brown colour and remove.
Fry the onion in the same oil till light brown.
Add the ginger, garlic and green chili paste and fry for a few seconds.
Add the tomato, stir well and add 1/2 cup water and salt to taste.
When the gravy is thick, add the fried prawns, lime juice, chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder.
Stir well, remove from the fire and keep aside.

Pick, wash and drain the rice.
Heat the ghee and saute the 1/2 onion if you need( I don't but my mom does).
Add double the quantity of water and let it boil.
Add rice and salt.
Cook till the rice is done and the water is absorbed.

On top of the masala , I spread the rice since my daughter does not like to have to spicy. In this way you can serve the rice and masala separately.
(My mom n grandma n my aunt's way :Remove half the rice to a pan and spread prawn masala over the rice in the vessel. Spread the rest of the rice over the masala.)

Sprinkle 2 tbsp of rose water mixed in 1 tbsp of lime juice and little gram masala on top of the rice.

Cover with a lid and keep on a slow flame for a few minutes. (Here I also cover with a foil before covering with the lid this really helps for the dum )
Serve hot with coconut chutney and pappad.