Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing

Chocolate cake is my Hubby's favourite one, I baked this cake for our Wedding Anniversary (27th May) and made Icing with Caramel. My Hubby gave me a lot of Surprise gifts, the whole day was lined up with continuous surprise gifts. In the evening, I gave him a surprise with his favourite Chocolate Cake. It came out very perfect Soft n Spongy Chocolate Cake, My Hubby enjoyed this cake very much on yesterday. He doesn't like the Icing with heavy Cream, So everytime I do different Icing without using Cream. This Caramel Icing is very easy one no hard times with it, very simple to make it in 5 mts melting the store bought caramel filling n topping with cadbury's dairy milk brown chocolate. Here, is the recipe for Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Cake flour - 1 cup
2.Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
3.Whole Eggs - 3 no's
4.Castor sugar - 3/4 cup
5.Canola Oil - 1/2 cup
6.Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
7.Baking Powder - 2 tsp
8.Boiling water - 1/2 cup

Preparation:

1.Pre-heat the Oven to 350 deg F, Put the eggs and castor sugar in a mixing bowl and beat it nicely for 5 mts with an electric beater till it turns white.
2.Add oil to the mixture, beat it in high for 5 mts.
3.Follow with Vanilla essence and baking powder beat it nicely. Now in tea cup measure the cocoa powder to 3/4 portion and add the hot boiling water with the cocoa powder. Mix it nicely with the spoon, now pour the thick cocoa mixture to the mixing bowl.( Now we used little bit of boiling water with cocoa powder totally the water we need to use is 1/2 cup add more boiling water according to it ).
4. Beat it nicely for 5 mts, now add the cake flour to the mixture beat it well in high for 2 mts.
5.Grease the baking pan and place the wax sheet on it, pour the cake mixture in the baking pan. One thing I made a mistake, try to beat it nicely the cake mixture with the fork before pouring into baking pan have to avoid the air bubbles.
6.After Pouring into the baking pan only I saw the air bubbles, I couldn't do anything on that time.
7.But Other thing came out perfect, bake it for 20 - 25 mts. Check it with the tooth pick.
8.Leave it to cool for 30 mts. It should be completely cool while we do the Icing.

Ingredients for Icing:

1.Nestle Caramel filling and Topping - 1 can ( I used 5 tbsp from the can )
2.Cadbury's chocolate - 60g ( I used 2 small bars)
3.Sugar balls for garnishing.

Preparation:

1.Use Double Boiler pot or Normal Steel pot topped with glass bowl to melt the Chocolate. Allow the water to boil in cooking pot place one glass bowl on top of the pot to melt the caramel and chocolate.
2.Put the caramel and 2 cadbury's bar to the glass bowl use the spoon to stir it well.
3.Gently stir the mixture till it turns soft ( Cadbury's bar is easy to melt quickly than other baking bars)
4.Now make it to smooth paste, apply on all sides of the cake and garnish with sugar balls or any other chocolate pipes of your choice.
5.Now the Perfect Soft n Spongy Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing is ready to serve.

Venetian Wafer Cake

Wafer cake is my Hubby's Faaav Dessert, he likes to have it after Dinner. I usually make custard n caramel for him, it's soo simple n quick one. Wafer Cake is Light dessert looks soo colourful and soo soft, while making and baking it looks little bit different but after cut into pieces look beautiful ones. If anyone planning for a party or get-together then this one will be the perfect dessert easy n quick one for more persons. Usually, my Wafer cake looks plain this time i planned to make it colourful and i tried that it came out right. Here, is the recipe for you.

Ingredients for making Wafer:

1.Cake Flour - 2 cups
2.White Sugar - 1/4 cup
3.Eggs - 2 medium
4.Butter - 4 tbsp
5.Baking Powder - 2 tsp
6.Salt - 1/2 tsp

Ingredients for making Custard:

1.If you got tetra pak thick custard then it is fine can also use that.
2.Milk - 2 cups
3.Custard Powder - 2 1/2 tbsp
4.Sugar - 2 tbsp
5.Food Colour - Red n Green ( i got only red and green, can also use your favourite colours)

Preparation for Wafer:

1.First melt the butter in one deep bowl, add the sugar beat it well follow with eggs beat it well together. In another bowl sift the cake flour, salt and baking powder mix together n keep it aside.
2.I didn't used my electric egg beater to this wafer, use fork or egg beater.
3.Now add the dry ingredients to the egg bowl use your hand and mix it together like a cookie dough.
4.The same consistency the dough should not stick to the edges of the bowl.
5.Knead it well together, make into small balls like we do for poori.
6.All balls should be in same size and roll down the each balls into very thinly in round shape.( roll it very thin first grease the surface with margerine n then roll down then only its easy to take from the surface)
7.I used my aluminium pot lid to bake, cos it is perfect round shape i couldn't fit the rolls in my baking tray in big tray i can keep only 1 if i put another its touching each other.
8.So, i used my Pot plates for baking, you can use your comfortable trays.
9.Preheat the oven to 350 deg F, grease your trays and place the rotis and bake it for 5-10 mts ( till it turns light light brown it will start to bubble on top no need to leave it till golden brown)
10.Like the same do it for all rotis and place it in cloth to cool.You can see the cracks on sides of the rotis don't worry it will become right while we are serving.
11.Atleast one biscuit roll will tear or turn light brown , make it into crumbs for toppings.
12.Now place one biscuit roti in plate apply red colour custard on all sides then place another roti apply green colour custard on all sides follow with another roti apply the plain custard like the same do it for all biscuit rotis like doing for Lasagna layers.
13.On top pour all colour remaining custards and sprinkle the biscuit roti crumbs over the sides and top, leave it cool inside the fridge for 1 or 2 hrs.
14.Now cut the wafer cake into pieces you will see the difference, the custard will set into the rotis it will turns soft and it looks like jelly.

Preparation for Hot Thick Custard:

1.Heat the milk in medium flame , add the custard powder and sugar.
2.Mix it gently continuously it will turns thick.
3.Cook in medium flame or else it will burn at the bottom.
4.Now take out the pot from fire after it turns thick hot custard, pour food colours in 2 bowls n pour custards to the bowls and keep remaining custard for yellow colour.
5.Mix the custard well with the food colours, now its ready to make the wafers.
6.First bake the biscuit rotis then try to make this hot custard.

Koeksisters - South African Dessert

Our Weekend went on very well, enjoyed a lot and have done our this Month's Candle Light Dinner at Restaurant enjoyed a 3 course meal with dessert me n my Hubby's faaaaav Cheese Cake. After a long time, we went to Restaurant for our Candle Light Dinner to Indian Restaurant " Bhanjara" this restaurant got very good ambience, in the evening time it will be pleasant to spend time for couples with Candle Light Dinner. On Our Dinner day evening, the weather was pleasant outside drizzling, nice breeze and our table was in the Balcony side with melodious live music inside restaurant wooooow!!!! simply superb evening. Last week, my Hubby was busy with his work, we couldn't find time to spend each other in the evenings so we planned to stop other works and spend our weekend only both of us.

Okay, let me come here to my recipe today. Koeksisters comes from the Dutch word koekje, Koek meaning "Cake". It is a South African syrup-coated doughnut in a twisted or braided shape (like a plait). It is prepared by deep-frying dough in oil then dipping the fried dough into cold sugar syrup. Best eaten cold, koeksusters are very sticky and sweet and taste like honey.(source wiki). Here, Everybody makes Koeksisters for Christmas and all occassions, also Indians do for all occassions very simple and easy dessert with sugar syrup on outside and inside will be fluffy like cake.I tried many times, while i tried at first time the shape didn't came our right after getting practice doing many times now the koeksisters shape looks nice n perfect. Below, i showed my first time koeksisters and present koeksisters shape you can see the difference between my first try and recently made koeksister.

Ingredients:

1.Cake Flour - 2 cups
2.Egg - 1 Large
3.Butter - 3 tbsp ( i used margerine many times but while using butter koeksister comes soft)
4.Butter Milk - 1/2 cup
5.Baking Powder - 3 tsp
6.Salt - 1/2 tsp
7.Canola Oil for Deep Frying

Ingredients for making Syrup:

1.White Sugar - 700 gms
2.Water - 2 cups
3.Crushed Whole Cardamom pods - 4 no's ( Here they use Cinnamon sticks, i like always cardamom to use)
4.Ground Ginger - 1 tsp
5.Lemon juice - from 1 small lemon

Preparation:

1.Mix dry ingredients first, Cake Flour, Salt and Baking Powder then rub with butter nicley till it turns like Fine bread crumbs.
2.In another bowl, beat the egg roughly and add the butter milk mix it gently for 2 mts, then add these wet ingredients with flour knead it gently for 5 mts if you feel sticky in your hands apply oil and then knead the dough.
3.You have to knead the dough till you feel soft and do not stick around the edges of the pot, test the dough by making one small lemon size ball it should come soft and in shape without any crack on sides.
4.Now close the dough with damp cloth and leave it to sit for 4 hrs. Meanwhile, we can make Sugar syrup.
5.I use to prepare the syrup a day before itself, because we shouldn't put the fried pieces in the warm or hot syrup. It should completely cold while we are dipping the hot fried pieces.
6.Heat all the ingredients under making syrup put together and leave it to cook in medium flame close the pot with the lid. Stir it well frequently till it dissolves fully.
7.There is no consistency need for this Sugar syrup, just dissolved everything ( not too watery use exact amount of measurement for syrup)
8.Now leave the syrup to cool, keep it inside the fridge.
9.Now, we need to start do frying our koeksisters, Now roll down the dough to 7 cm long and 2 cm wide.
10.Cut into 3 strips, we can make in 2 ways one like our hair plait with 3 strips and other one is take 1 strip from the 3 strips twist like in the first picture and pinch together at the end of the strip.
11.Make what shape you prefer, but the koeksisters shape should be like in the pictures.
12.Now deep fry the koeksisters till it turns golden brown. Drain it in the kitchen towel and dip it in the cold sugar syrup. (Dip immediately the koeksister is hot)
13.Take out after 5mts and leave it in the plate to set well.
14.Now the Koeksisters are ready to serve cold.

I am Passing this Sweet, gooey and fluffy Koeksisters - South African Dessert to AWED - Africa hosted by PJ and to Divya's AWED menu.

And also Passing this Cardamom flavoured koeksister to Priya's CWS event.

I am passing this Sweet Koeksisters to Meetha's Monthly Mingle - South African Cuisine

Pancakes with Maple Syrup

Pancakes are easy to make with fresh ingredients like eggs, butter, milk and flour, it doesn't take too long time to mix the batter. Pancakes are great Weekend Breakfast with maple syrup and also a good pudding. I like the Maple syrup topping on Cheese cake with blueberries.This is the first time am trying Pancake at home myself or else we use to order in coffee shops with Cheese cake. For my Hubby Pancake is nothing but a rich maida dosai, he always do fun comments on Pancakes and on Me. Yesterday, i tried with little amount of ingredients and it came out very nice. Here, am sharing the Pancake recipe with you .

Ingredients:

1.All Purpose flour/ Cake flour - 1 cup
2.Baking Powder - a big pinch
3.Salt - a pinch
4.Egg - 1 large
5.Milk - 1/2 cup
6.Sugar - 1 tsp
7.Canola Oil - 2 tsp
8.Unsalted butter - 2 tsp
9.Castor sugar - for garnishing
10.Glazed cherries - 2 no's for garnishing

Preparation:

1.Take 2 two bowls, in one bowl sift the flour,salt,sugar and baking powder. Keep it aside.
2.In another bowl, whisk the egg nicely and then add the milk.
3.Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour bowl, mix it nicely till it incorporate.
4.Mix it with the fork, the consistency should be like a cream.
5.Heat a non-stick pan, melt the butter and add it to the Pancake batter mix it nicely.
6.In the same non-stick pan, Pour about 3 tbsp of batter like our uthappam.
7.Leave it for a while and flip it to cook on other side to light golden brown.
8.Now the Pancake is ready to serve hot with Maple Syrup.
9.You can also try the batter with little more salt and no sugar, it tastes good with Our Curries. I like the Pancake tasted Yummy with Veg curry.
10.Now roll the pancake or you can place it as like that in the serving plate and top with maple syrup if you like can also add dollop of butter.
11.Sprinkle some castor sugar and top it with glazed cherries, Hmmmm really it tasted great and yummy with maple syrup.

This delicious Pancake with Maple syrup is going to be a part of:

 Pancakes Event hosted by Priya.

Vanilla Cake with Lite Creme and Peaches

Ingredients:

1.Cake flour - 1 1/2 cup
2.Powdered sugar - 1 cup
3.Whole eggs - 2
4.Unsalted Butter - 4 tbsp
5.Baking powder - 1 tsp
6.Salt - a pinch
7.Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

For Topping:

1.Lite Creme - 1 tbsp
2.Peach slices in syrup - 1 slice

Preparation:

1.Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease the baking pan.
2.In one bowl sift the cake flour,baking powder and salt. Mix it well and keep it aside.
3.In another bowl beat the butter well with hand mixer ( butter should be in room temperature), add the powdered sugar little by little in butter and beat it again nicely.
4.The butter and sugar should blend together, now add the eggs one by one beat it nicely for 5 mts.
4.Follow with vanilla essence, now add the dry ingredients little by little into the egg bowl.
5.Mix it nicely till it incorporate with flour. Transfer the cake mixture to the greased pan and bake it for 20 - 25 mts.
6.Check the cake with tooth pick and allow it to cool.
7.Now cut the crust parts and slice the cake into your desired shapes.
8.Top the cake with lite creme and peach slice.
9.This looks delicious and yummy, easy to make at any time.
10.We enjoyed this yummy dessert after our yesterday's dinner.

Note:

Me n my Hubby don't like heavy cream icing, everytime we try the cake with jam or with lite creme. Sometimes with custard milk, it tastes delicious. Here, i used non-diary lite creme it's good for the health with low fat.You can also enjoy the cake soak with maple syrup, that tastes good.