Rose Milk Tres Leches Cake

Cake - Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, take 1 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp of Salt, 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda and set aside. In another medium bowl, add 5 Eggs, 3/4 cup of Powdered Sugar and beat until fluffy for 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of Oil and 1/2 tsp of Rose Essence, 2 tbsp of Rose Syrup and beat well for another minute. Add 1/4 cup of chopped mixed nuts (Cashews, Almonds and Pistachios) and few drops of Red color and fold in with a spatula. Prepare a 7x11 baking dish by spraying oil and pour in the batter into it and bake for 32 minutes. Let it cool. Once cooled, poke holes in the cake with a wooden skewer.

Rose Milk - In a bowl, add 3 cups of Milk, 200 ml of Whipping cream, 1/3 cup of Rose Syrup, 1/4 cup of Powdered Sugar and whisk until smooth. Gently and evenly pour the Rose milk on cake and let the cake absorb all of the Rose milk. Cling wrap the cake and refrigerate for an hour.

Rose Frosting - Take 300 ml of heavy whipping cream in a bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 tsp of Rose Essence, 1/4 cup of Powdered Sugar, a tsp of Rose Syrup and mix gently with a spatula. 

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and apply the frosting. Garnish with dried Rose petals and chopped mixed nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pineapple Poke Cake with Glaze

Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt 1/2 cup of Butter in a mixing bowl. Add 2 eggs, 2/3 cup of Sugar, a tsp of Vanilla essence, 1/2 tsp of Salt, 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda and whisk until smooth. Add a cup of All Purpose Flour and stir in until just combined. Add 20 oz / 2 cups of crushed Pineapple (reserve 3-4 tbsp of Juice for later) and stir to combine. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Set the cake on wire rack until it cools down.

Glaze - Add 2 cups of Confectioner's Sugar, 3-4 tbsp of reserved Pineapple Juice and whisk vigorously until smooth. Using a paring knife / skewer, poke the cake in multiple spots. Evenly pour the glaze over the cake slowly until all of it soaks in. Let it rest for couple hours before serving.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Preheat oven to 350F and line a 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, beat an Egg, 1/2 cup of Buttermilk, 1/4 cup of Oil, a tsp of Vanilla Essence and a cup of Sugar. Add a tsp of Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda, 1/4 tsp of Salt, 1/2 cup of unsweetened Cocoa, a cup of All Purpose Flour and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of hot fresh brewed Coffee to the mixture and combine until batter is formed. 

Pour the batter into the prepared plan and bake for 35 minutes or until the toothpick test passes. Allow the cake to cool.

Ganache - Heat a cup of Heavy Whipping Cream in a bowl, to it add 2 cups of chocolate chips and let it sit.  After 2 minutes, mix well to form a silky smooth ganache. Cover and allow ganache to set for couple more minutes before topping the cake.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400F and line the muffin pan with liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil, a cup of Sugar, 2 Eggs, 3/4 cup of Milk, 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract. Then add 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, 1 tsp ground Cinnamon, 1 tbsp Baking Powder and 2 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour and mix well. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of Chopped Apples.

Divide the batter into muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp of Sugar and a tsp of Ground Cinnamon. Generously sprinkle on top of each muffin. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

Tres Leches Cake (Caramel topped Milk Cake)

Prep - Grease a 8x8 pan / glass dish and keep aside. Preheat the oven to 340F.

Cake - In a bowl, beat 5 Eggs and 3/4 cup of Sugar in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until frothy. Add 2 tsp of Vanilla Essence, 2 tsp of Baking Powder, 1/2 cup Oil and beat for 2 minutes. Add in 3 tbsp of Sooji, a cup of All Purpose Flour to the batter and mix well till incorporated with a spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes and keep aside to cool.

Creamy mixture - In a mixing bowl, take a cup of Heavy Whipping Cream, 1/4 cup Sugar, 1/4 cup of Milk Powder, 3 cups of Milk and whisk well. Refrigerate until use. 

With a skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake and pour the prepared cream mixture on top of it. Let it chill in refrigerator.

Caramel - Heat a tbsp of Butter in a skillet and add a cup of Sugar to it. Stirring continuously till the sugar caramelizes (12 - 19 minutes). Add a cup of Heavy whipping cream to it and mix well till incorporated. 

Add this prepared caramel on to the top of the soaked cake and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve cold.

Lemon Bread

Prep - Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Pre-heat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, soften 3/4 cup of Unsalted Butter. Add in 3 Eggs and 3/4 cup of Milk and beat util incorporated. Add in 2 1/4 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder, 3/4 tsp of Salt, 1 1/4 cups of Sugar and a tbsp of grated Lemon zest and blend well. 

Add 4 1/2 tsps of Lemon Juice to the batter and mix well (Skip this if you want to add the lemon glaze over the bread afterwards). Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 75 minutes (1:15 hours) or until the toothpick test is passed. 

Optional - Heat a small pan and add 4 1/2 tsps of Lemon juice along with 2 tsps of Sugar stirring constantly till the liquid thickens. Brush the syrup over the bread once the bread is cooled down.  

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Prep - Preheat oven to 350F. Keep 3 eggs and a cup of Butter out on the counter so they are at room temperature. Grease and flour a Budnt or Loaf pan. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream  a cup of unsalted Butter with 1 1/2 cups of Sugar. Add 1/2 cup of Sour Cream and mix until incorporated. Add 2 Eggs and 1/2 tsp of Vanilla essence and beat until fluffy. Add in the 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda and 1 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour to the bowl and mix well. 

Pour the batter into a pan and bake for 45 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

Eggless Tutti Frutti Cake

Preheat oven to 400F and grease a 8" round pan or 4x7 loaf pan with oil. Sprinkle some flour until all sides and bottom of the pan are coated. 

Take a mixing bowl and add a cup of Yogurt and beat until smooth. Add 3/4 cup of Sugar, 1 1/4 tsp of Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda, 2 tsp of Vanilla essence and beat until frothy. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1/2 cup of Oil, a pinch of Salt and 1/3 cup of Tutti Frutti. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 35-40 minutes. 

 

Glaze - Once done, brush the cake with a tsp of Milk and put it back in the over for 2 minutes. Remove the pan and rest it for 5 minutes before running a sharp knife around the edges. Gently, turn it upside down and let it cool.

Low fat Fudgy Brownies

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it. 

In a medium bowl, melt together 1/3 cup of bittersweet/semisweet  Chocolate chips and 2 tbsp of Butter. Add in ½ tsp of baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp low fat Sour Cream. Whisk in a egg, a egg white and 1½ tsp of Vanilla Extract. Gently mix in ¾ cup of all purpose flour  and  1/3 cup of cocoa powder, mixing until no streaks of flour remain. Batter will be thick. Spread batter into prepared pan. 

Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool brownies completely in the pan. Store in an airtight container. Makes 12 brownie wedges

Browned Butter Banana Walnut Cake with Frosting

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Brown ½ cup of Butter in a small saucepan and cool it for 10 minutes. Take it into a bowl and whisk in a cup of Brown Sugar, an Egg, 2 mashed Bananas, 2 tbsp of Milk and 1½ tsp of Vanilla Extract and mix till soft. Add in a tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Salt, 2 cups of All Purpose Flour and mix till no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Add in ½ cup of toasted chopped Walnuts (optional) and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely before frosting with Brown Sugar Frosting.

Brown Sugar Frosting: Melt 3 tbsp of Browned Butter / Butter in a microwave-safe bowl and stir in 3 tbsp of Light Brown Sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, add 2 tbsp of Milk, a tsp of Vanilla Extract and 1½ cups of Confectioner’s Sugar, whisking until very thick and smooth (spreadable on the cake). If icing seems runny, stir in ½ cup additional confectioners’ sugar. Pour on top of cooled cake and use a spatula to spread it into the corners of the pan. Allow frosting to cool and set for at least an hour before serving.

Vanilla Cupcakes with White Creamy Frosting

Cupcakes - Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the 2½ inch muffin cup pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat 1/3 cup of softened butter, at room temperature with a mixer for 30 seconds. Add 2/3 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of Vanilla to the bowl and beat for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add 2 Eggs, at room temperature, one at a time, beating until combined. Alternately add 1 cup of All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp of Baking Powder, ¼ tsp of Baking Soda, 1/8 tsp of Salt and 1/3 cup of Buttermilk to the mixture, beating after each addition just until combined.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about half full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups, cool completely on wire rack and generously spread Creamy Frosting over cupcakes. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Creamy Frosting - Soften 4 oz of Cream Cheese by letting it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. In a bowl, beat together cream cheese and 2 tbsp of Butter until smooth along with 1 tsp of Vanilla. Gradually add 2½ cups of Sugar to the misture beating until smooth.

Orange Blueberry Muffins

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12-cup mufin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, cream together ¼ cup of Butter at room temperature, 1 cup of Sugar and an Egg until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp of Baking Powder, ¼ tsp of Salt, 1 tbsp of Orange Zest and ¾ cup of fresh Orange Juice until just combined. Fold in 1½ cups of Blueberries to evenly distribute them. Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and muffins begin to brown. Turn out muffins onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the muffin pan or a bundt pan.

Raspberry Crush - Lightly mix 2 cups of fresh Raspberries with 1/3 cup of Brown Sugar / Maple Syrup and set aside for an hour. Mix well with a spoon.

Batter - Mix 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 2/3 cup of Sugar, 1 tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Baking Soda and 1/8 tsp of Salt in a bowl.
Combine 1 cup of Yogurt/Sour Cream, ¼ cup of Butter, ½ tsp of Vanilla Extract, 2 Eggs in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Lightly mix in the raspberry crush and 2-4 tbsp Milk if needed, to make a thick batter. Spoon into the muffin pan to 2/3rds or into the bundt pan. If you want to omit the frosting: Top with ½ cup lightly toasted and chopped almonds.

Cupcakes - Bake muffins for 21 to 23 minutes, or about 40 minutes for a bundt cake. Cool on a wire rack before frosting. Makes 15 cupcakes or one bundt cake.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting - Bring 5 oz of Cream Cheese to room temperature and mix 2½ tsp of Lemon Juice, 1 tsp of Lemon Zest and 4 tbsp of Sugar to it along with a tiny pinch of Turmeric. Cool the cupcakes, frost and garnish with Raspberries. Refrigerate for an hour for the frosting to set.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Batter - In a mixing bowl, combine ¾ cup of All Purpose Flour, ¾ cup of Sugar, 1 tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Baking Soda and ¼ tsp of Salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, combine 6 tbsp of Unsweetened Dutch-process Cocoa Powder and 3 tbsp of Hot Water until a thick paste forms. Add melted 3 tbsp of Unsalted Butter, 6 tbsp of Buttermilk, 1 large Egg and 1 Egg White; beat until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth.

Cream Cheese Icing - With an electric mixer, beat 3 oz of Cream Cheese and 1 cup of Confectioners Sugar until light and fluffy.

Cupcakes - Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread Light Cream-Cheese Icing over tops.

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake

Prep - Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 8×8 square pan or bundt pan with non stick spray.

Batter - In a medium mixing bowl, cream ½ stick of Butter and 1 cup of Sugar for 3-4 minutes until light in color and creamy. Add 1 Egg and 2 tsp Vanilla Extract and cream for an additional 2 minutes. Add ½ tsp of Salt, 2 tsp of Baking Powder and 2 cups of All Purpose Flour and mix on med-low speed adding the ½ cup of Buttermilk / Milk in a steady stream. Mix batter until everything is fully incorporated, approximately 3-5 minutes. Batter will be nice and thick. Fold in fresh 1½ cup of Blueberries and pour batter into pan. Set aside.

Topping - In a food processor or by hand, mix 1 cup of Brown Sugar, ¾ cup of All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp of Cinnamon and 5 tbsp of Cold Butter until the mixture is crumbly. If mixing by hand, just use your fingertips or the back of a fork. Add crumb topping mixture to the cake pan and gently press everything down.

Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and let it sit for 8 minutes and invert it onto a plate. Garnish with ¼ cup of sifted Powdered Sugar.

Lemon Cake

1¼ cup All Purpose Flour/Maida (305 gm)
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Butter
4 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
¼ cup Milk (60ml)

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F. Grease and flour a round baking pan. Sieve maida, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
In another bowl, combine butter and sugar. Use a hand blender to make a smooth creamy mixture. Add the beaten eggs and combine well. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice and combine well. Fold in the maida mixture little by little alternating with milk. Pour batter into the greased and floured pan. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 mts or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool, slice and serve at room temperature

Banana Cake

Prepare a 8x8 cake pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F.

Bring 1/2 cup of Butter to the room temperature in a bowl. To it, add a cup of Sugar and whisk until fluffy. Add 2 tsp of Vanilla Essence, 2 Eggs and beat until creamy. Add 2 1/2 cups of Wheat / All Purpose Flour, 2 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp of Salt and mix gently. Add 160 ml of Milk and a cup of mashed Banana in batches. Do not over mix. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and knock it gently against the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 28 minutes and do the toothpick test. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Eggless Banana Crumb Muffins

3 very ripe large bananas, mashed
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

For crumb:
1½ tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp all purpose flour
½ tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugars, baking powd, baking soda, cinnamon pwd, salt and chocolate chips. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
In another bowl combine the mashed bananas, yogurt, butter and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick. Do not over mix the batter.

Prepare crumb by combining together the brown sugar, flour and butter. Keep aside.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners half way through and sprinkle some crumble on top of each muffin. Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place on a wire rack to cool and remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12.

Vanilla Date Muffins

2 Eggs
1¼ cup All Purpose Flour
½ cup Sugar
¾ cup Butter
1 tsp Baking Powder
A few drops of Vanilla Essence
A handful of Dates, stoned and chopped

Cream the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs and add to it. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well. Add the vanilla and dates and mix.
Line a muffin tray with baking cases and drop spoonfuls of the batter to each (ideally, ¾ th of the cases should be filled).
Place the tray in the centre of a pre-heated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 180C. Cool on wire racks and Serve.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

1¾ cup All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
¾ cup Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Chocolate chips
3-4 Bananas (overripe), peeled
1/3 cup Oil
2 Eggs
Oil and flour for lining and dusting

Heat the oven to 350F. Grease and dust a loaf tin. Sift the dry ingredients together. Combine the bananas, eggs, oil and brown sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend all these to a rough paste. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips. Mix well and pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 35-40 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean). Cool on a rack for a few minutes.

Note: Can use 1/3 cup of chocolate chips + 1/3 cup toasted walnuts also.