Orange sunshine Cake

The orange season is over but there are still some recipes to be jotted down or else they will go in a big pile of to do list. This year it was fun discovering that adding just a few tablespoons of citrus hints to any recipe lift up the flavours to a new height and make it all the more scrumptious. I have this yellow cake recipe learned from my mother. It is a keeper indeed. Because whenever I whip up a cake it brings back fond memories to delve into. This is her love kept save in a form of a wrapped present ready to bring smiles whenever required. 

I have shared the swirl or marbled version of this cake before but this improvisation of plain vanilla infused in orange juice is a new one. I remember one time my mother made a orange chocolate cake from this recipe and that cake was delicious too. 

The key to have a soft cake using this recipe is having all ingredients at room temperature, whipping eggs till their maximum volume with caster sugar and gently folding oil, flour and orange juice with a flat spoon or a spatula. We had a metallic flat spoon with which my mum used  to fold in flour and oil, with sides to centre movement. And that made all the difference. Perfect super soft cake every time.

So coming back to recipe! To 

Orange Cake

• 3 eggs at room temperature 
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all purpose flour sifted with
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/3 plus 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice or juice from 2 oranges
• Grated rind from 2 oranges
• Icing sugar to dust for garnish

Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade.Whip eggs with electric beater till light and foamy. Add in caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, vanilla essence and continue beating till batter is creamy white. Pour in oil in a steady stream from side and gently fold in with sides to centre movement with a spatula. Now add grated orange rind and fold in. Gently fold in flour in threes alternating with orange juice in between. Pour batter in greased 7 inch pan and bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Leave in a pan for 5 minutes and then invert on a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar at serving time.

If you want you can save a little orange juice or squeeze fresh from another orange on the cake as it comes out of oven. This makes a soft cake bursting with orange flavour to be readily relished at teatime. You can use store bought orange juice if fresh oranges are not available.

And regarding this design it is made with the help of one of my grandma’s crochet work. I placed the doily on the cake and sprinkled icing sugar from top and then carefully removed the doily. 

It is just a simple way to make your cake stand out and be the cake of the hour with just a handful of icing sugar. Sweet garnish with just an icing sugar is the easiest way to adorn any dessert. 

Happy baking the orange sunshine cake 😊

The December Differential

December, with its myriad of happenings. The last leaf to fall off but to a nurturing of new hope and wishful beginnings.

 Although a last stop on a road trip before the bend in the road or reroute but still a worthwhile stop to savour in. A station to rewind, revitalise, rejuvenate and relive in the realms of scenic outdoors. Even a walk alone in wild countryside or simply a road trip in crisp and calming sunshine contrasting with face numbing bouts of winter winds is a moment to delve in. Here I was having this evening hour when the sun has started to go down but with enough light to capture the twilight and gold. It looked stunning. 

And then there was the special night event of spectacular  Geminid Meteor Shower dazzling the night sky. It was reported to be at its climax two hours past midnight. Looking forward to this star scenario, it took me trying two to three times to witness the silver slivers. Checking the Gemini spot on Google Sky Map, while aiming at the sky, within seconds two shooting stars whizzed by in a blink of an eye. Indeed it was the lapse of ultimate exhilaration when I jumped with joy in front of my dad feeling like a kid again upon fulfilment of a wish. Watching and finding shooting stars in the quiet of the night had a fair share of a nostalgia. Marvelling at the thought, the whole world is under this bedazzled experience, a sense of belonging in the company of stars, just as someone has rightly stated, if you are feeling lonely then look at the moon and imagine somewhere, someone is watching it too. 

Happy Holidays season as it is with vacations, coming together of families, joining in fun and frolicking. Combined with holiday baking and a scrumptious meal prep with a catchy song playing in the background add more chutzpah to the joyous atmosphere. The crazy laughter fits making cheeks hurt, getting ready in a jiffy for coffee meet up, all these make last fortnight of December more memorable. I had this side of December before and this year too with family, cousins, and friends. 

Dinner was decided before to be a Chinese journey. Slice and dice faster, julienne with finesse and chop finely, the trick of the trade of this side of cuisine. There was a starter hot n sour soup, a main course vegetable fried rice with chicken in sweet chilli sauce and lemon pineapple chicken with crunch of the fried almonds. And then I had decided if there is a little time slot then I would try my hands at a recipe inspired by a celebrity who is now known all over by his humble nature, warm smile, down to earth personality and outclass acting skills. He is talk of the town with his first venture which was a hit. And fan base keeps increasing day by day. Honey Garlic Chicken by Ahad Raza Mir was the inspiration behind this side dish. I altered the recipe a bit but started it as such, finishing it off with a drizzle of honey and lemon juice at the final caramelising stage. Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers in citrus flavours, this side dish was loved by all. Oranges and tomatoes addition added a tangy tinge against honey infused sweetness. And a drizzle at the end where some of it caramelised along with a splash of fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper rendered all the flavours complimenting each other. Maybe a celebrity quotient was attached to it but Ahad Raza Mir’s Plate was indeed a hit with my friends and family. And this success with a quick side dish made me smile 🙂 Indeed when an extempore recipe turns out to be a nailed it event, it sure makes you happy inside and out 🙂

And as according to Julia Child , a party without a cake is just a meeting, so this time it was three flavoured icecream cake. Coffee, Chocolate and Vanilla icecream on Oreo base. The recipe is a tried one before with Strawberry Swirl Vanilla Icecream. This Strawberry Icecream was for a competition of desserts with Oreos. 

Only difference is condensed milk addition in three flavoured icecream. It surely adds to the soft texture of icecream with less crystals and rock hard texture. 

Three flavoured Oreo Icecream Cake

• 1 litre / about 4 cups full cream milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornflour
• 2 tablespoons vanilla icecream powder
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons condensed milk 
• 400 ml full cream chilled to be added later
• 2 teaspoons coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup hot milk, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1/4 cup chocolate syrup or melted chocolate, for coffee and chocolate icecream 
• 10 to 12 Oreos crushed finely plus a tablespoon or two of Chocolate syrup for the base

Dissolve cornflour and vanilla icecream powder in water and keep aside. Heat milk with sugar and vanilla essence in saucepan till boiling stage. Pour in cornflour and icecream powder mixture and keep stirring till it thickens and coats back of spoon. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Refrigerate afterwards till addition of cream and coffee chocolate flavours. Line a base of 6 inch springform pan with Oreos and drizzle chocolate syrup on it. Refrigerate till icecream mixture is ready to layer. After 4 to 5 hours in fridge take icecream mixture out. Beat 400 ml chilled cream with electric beater till soft peaks stage. Add in condensed milk and beat again. Gently fold it in the icecream or whip the whole mixture till smooth. Now divide this mixture into 3 half litre icecream portions in 3 plastic containers.  You will have a little more mixture left, then distribute it evenly between 3. Label one container vanilla and freeze it. Add coffee in hot milk, stir and mix it in second portion . Similarly for chocolate flavour add in cocoa powder and chocolate syrup and stir till smooth. Freeze all flavours for 3 hours or till it start to set from sides. Beat with electric whisk all 3. Pour coffee icecream on set Oreo base, and freeze for about 40 minutes to one hour. In the meanwhile keep other two flavours in freezer. After coffee icecream has set layer above with chocolate and freeze again till it sets for about 30 to 40 minutes. Put the last layer of vanilla icecream and cover gently with cling wrap and freeze overnight or for 6 to 8 hours. 

Before serving take it out of freezer about 20 minutes before. Drizzle chocolate or salted caramel syrup on top, or shards of tempered chocolate or grated chocolate or more Oreos or a brown sugar sprinkle and sing to the three genres of flavour songs in one icecream record. 

You can add more or less coffee or cocoa powder or chocolate syrup depending on how do you like your coffee or do you have a taste for dark or milk chocolate.

Some say it is difficult to enjoy  icecream in the chill of winters but those having a sweet tooth cannot resist it despite the cold.  What is better than a bowl of your favourite flavour to dig in on a clear sunny day , absolute joy indeed. An icecream equation to December differential is sure to equate 🙂 with the winter variables . ….. !   

Cherry Berry On Top

  Whenever there are cherries in season all I can think of is utilising them in as many desserts possible. One thing missing though is remaining berries are out of season and because here in sweltering heat of summers berries don’t last long, as in summers in other parts of the world. It’s only the spring season that boasts of super juicy strawberries. And I am inspired by desserts having all berries in them. Be it blueberries, strawberries, mulberries or cherries making a dessert a berrylicious affair. The natural shades of these fruits are so colourful and soothing to look at when used properly. The cool purple of blueberries, pastel pink of strawberries, and the vibrant violet of mulberries.  

 So in order to have all flavours at one time in one dessert requires the fruit to be preserved in dainty jars of homemade jams. With strawberries I try to do it every year. But this time I forgot the recipe so maybe next time if I remember I will share the recipe here.  

 For any dessert enthusiast there are endless summer desserts to think of. But the favourite is only one that is I scream you scream icecream. And if you manage to experiment making icecream at home and by trial and error adding a teaspoon of this ingredient or a tablespoon of that you manage to achieve the right texture and taste of icecream then voila its eureka moment. And such moments when shared are multiplied into a dozen smiles, a dose of carefree laughter in any happy family. So here Iam sharing my recipe of homemade berry swirl icecream.  

 The fact that it uses three egg yolks is coincidence because I had saved them when using three egg whites for a white cake. And that white cake was the showstopper icecream cake ( that’s what my cousins said of it, although I know it was not that perfect) of a girls night sleepover here at my place.  P.S this cake also had strawberry icecream with cherry compote. 🙂 but the store bought icecream. 

 
But still the egg yolks provide that creamy softness to this icecream with very less ice crystals. 

So here how the recipe goes…..

Berry Swirl Vanilla Icecream

• 2 litres full cream milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornflour
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• 200ml double cream
• 1 cup cherries
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam 

In a medium saucepan boil milk with sugar reserving 1/4 cup of sugar for the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of milk for dissolving cornflour. Whisk yolks and sugar in a small bowl. Pour in some hot milk and whisk again. Add essence to yolks. Pour this into near boiling milk whisking simultaneously so that yolks do not curdle. Now pour the cornflour slurry into milk and cook till it thicken and coats back of spoon. Give it just one or two boil and remove from heat. Let it cool and refrigerate for a day.  

 Whip cold double cream on next day till soft peaks form. Whip icecream also with electric beater. Gently fold cream into icecream mixture and put this into freezer. Remove pits from cherries and cut them into chunks. Put them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar for an hour till they are soft and you have some cherry syrup too. After an hour fold this fruit mixture along with jam into icecream only giving 2 to3 stirs because you are having a swirl  icecream. Jam quantity can be lessened according to your flavour preference. Freeze icecream till it half sets. Beat with electric beater semisolid icecream and freeze again completely till serving. 

Some points to consider 

• Always freeze icecream in an airtight container using cling wrap so that it comes in direct contact with icecream. This prevents crystal formation.
• Jam quantity and fruit can be adjusted to your preference but I like it the more the merrier.
• Homemade icecream appears hard on complete freezing but 10 minutes out of freezer this becomes soft and easy to scoop out. 
• With or without fruit this icecream can be enjoyed with strawberry or chocolate sauce or a touch of caramel or a generous sprinkling of roasted nuts or some tossed fresh fruit, a handful of crushed biscuits or some pinch of chocolate chips or a dollop of honey or some candies or whatever comes to your mind as your favourite cherry on top moment.   

This above picture is of homemade mango icecream which is another recipe and maybe other blog post. 

Enjoy and indulge in your cherry on top delish sweet moments with this homemade icecream……! 

 

Baked with love, you and me side by side

There are certain times, in life that rushes past like a fast moving train, when you want to close your eyes and reimagine, reinstall and rewind that particular instant, stopping it then and there like a song in queue, forgetting surroundings momentarily. You want to keep doing it till those best hours are reinforced with all the minute details and for a split second this exercise may result in having a faint hint of a smile, a smile that is without any trying.  

 To do that again,re live the moment, practically is difficult but like it’s said in physics about the image formed in front of a convex or concave mirror is smaller or larger or inverted or same size ( I don’t remember exactly although back in school I liked this subject), however the moment can give inspiration. That inspiration may culminate in something that satiates your yearning and hence that image may be larger or smaller, or erect or inverted but this does not matter as long as you are sort of happily satisfied. You have in your hand that beautiful moment again, that loving gesture, the priceless memory. 

 My golden ticket to that time is a mama’s favourite recipe of a basic marble cake or a plain vanilla flavoured that brings back our childhood in a blink of an eye. I would call this recipe my first step in bakingdom. The easiest one taught by mama along with a cute present for me and my sister on one of our birthdays. 

 We were so mesmerised as that cake batter doubled and tripled as mama whipped up eggs and sugar, and vanilla essence addition was like a touch of magic because everyone one of us wanted to lick the spoon, the bowl and the egg beater blades. We used to have a fight who gets more batter to enjoy as chef’s treats although mama didn’t leave much in the mixing bowl as she carefully poured it in baking pan. 

 This is one of those best loved moments that comes from being in a comfort of home cooked food and that is even made more special if it comes from loving hands of your mom. There are many more short trip down memory lane but I leave it to some other blog post.

Coming back to the recipe …. 

 Marbled Cake or Vanilla Cake with chocolate Swirls 

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk extra 

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Grease a medium loaf pan (9.5 inch into 3 inch rectangle and 2.5 to 3 inch deep) or 7 inch round pan. Dust it with flour too. Take 3 eggs in mixing bowl and whip with electric beater till light and fluffy. Add in vanilla essence and sugar tablespoon by tablespoon and beat after each addition till all is incorporated. Batter should be light and increased up in volume. Now pour oil in a single stream and gently fold it with flat metal spatula very lightly caring not to deflate batter. Sift flour and baking powder separately 3 times and then gently fold in 2 lots in batter from outside to centre along with 1/4 cup milk . Stir cocoa powder in 2 tablespoons milk in a cup. Add in 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter and mix. Now there are two methods of forming swirls. Either pour alternate vanilla and chocolate batter in baking pan i.e 2 tablespoons of vanilla and then 1 tablespoon of chocolate in centre of vanilla batter doing it all the way till all batter is used. Second method is simpler. Pour all this chocolate batter from cup  into vanilla batter, give it one gentle stir with spatula and pour it all in baking pan. Bake for 30  to 35 minutes in moderate oven till cake risen and springy to touch and toothpick comes out clean. 

Mama’s tips 

1. All ingredients should be at room temperature 
2. Always sift dry ingredients 3 times 
3. Metal spatula is best for folding in flour and oil
4. Second method of creating swirls is the best. 

You can make this cake all vanilla by omitting cocoa. And you can add chocolate chips or roasted nuts or candied orange peels on top or in batter to have varying flavour to your liking. The leftover cake is ideal for classic dessert fruit trifle.

Our Sweet Connection

    Every family share a togetherness promise that is deep rooted in its every member. The love of parents, the camaraderie of siblings is one treasure to always cherish because you cannot find the same notes of understanding in another place. That’s why there is a place called home and home is where you forget all your worries, and only thing you remember is the smiles, the laughter, the happy times, the usual, the playful bickering, the trying-to-put-a-smile-thing, and the esprit de corps of doing everything together, that binds everyone even in some hard hours of life.

  
  
There is a family tradition of enjoying fruit at our place with layered leisure called fruit trifle. It belongs to my dad’s long list of favourite desserts . 

  
Everyone likes to make it, even once my bro put the finishing touches of layering cake, custard,(made by mom),and fruit and topping it with biscuit crumbs and grapes, and I remember it looked scrumptious. 

  
I began doing desserts with trifle, and each time i played among the layers to get varied results of sweet intermingled with tart every time I made it, but every time it tasted the same. I was so fed up sometimes that I started not liking it but contrary to my reasoning everyone used to say you have done something different and something distinctly delicious this time and it was a pleasant surprise.

  
Dunking into it, you have to keep guessing as you open the door and go down, every level has distinct taste story of sweetness indigenous to every fruit that you put into it. 

  
Whatever the fruit combinations and jelly flavour you use , the cake used as a base has to be a simple sponge or a Swiss roll. 

  
It’s easy to make as there are not many ingredients involved. Fresh homemade jam imparts a nice texture and flavour to this cake. 
Here Iam sharing the Swiss roll recipe quickly otherwise pending it will remove it from my random access memory and I’ll have to keep guessing.

Swiss Roll 

• 3 eggs separated
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup strawberry jam or any jam of your choice
• Caster sugar extra for rolling and dusting

Eggs should be at room temperature. Sieve dry ingredients three times.Separate whites in a bowl and beat with electric beater along with salt pinch till foamy. Add in sugar a teaspoon at a time and continue beating till it dissolves ( check the whites by rubbing between fingers, it shouldn’t be gritty). Drop in the yolks and essence one at a time and beat till combined. Now fold dry ingredients with flat spatula by soft hand. Add in 2 teaspoons of milk too while folding gently. Pour batter in Swiss roll tin or aluminium tray (14 inch by 11 inch size ) lined with paper and greased with oil and dusted with flour, distributing evenly with knife and bake at preheated 180 degree C for 12- 15 minutes till light brown and springy to touch. 

Warm the jam. Lay a damp kitchen napkin on counter , put a grease proof or simple paper over it and sprinkle generous helpings of caster sugar. Invert the hot cake sponge over it,carefully peel the paper on which it was baked. Spread with warm jam and roll it from the short side carefully avoiding the paper as you roll. Put it seam side down once rolled in its paper and napkin and let it cool. Afterwards remove it from napkin and paper and dust with icing sugar and serve as such with tea or coffee or use as base for your custard trifle.