Chocolate cake with Macaroon filling

I made this cake for my cousin who was paying us a sudden visit. This cake has a tunnel of coconut macaroon filling. Bengalis will associate well with this filling -narkeler nadu (coconut ladoo). I had seen this cake at my office once and had this combination in mind to remake it. I have of course tampered with the original macaroon filling recipe and made the filling my way which gave it the more gooey consistency. It came out pretty well; just my cake became a little dry as I used a packet of pre-mixed cake batter instead of making it from scratch. Blame it on my laziness for which I of course felt quite bad later on. The picture did not come out too well with our cell phone camera but yet sharing it.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/4 cup sour cream

 Coconut Macaroon Filling:

• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut / grated coconut

 Vanilla Glaze:

• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, or as needed

OR Chocolate Ganache Glaze

• 2 OR 4 OZ dark chocolate bites
• 2 tablespoon heavy cream / half and half

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, blend together the shortening, white sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time using an electric mixer. Combine 1 cups flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the egg mixture alternately with the sour cream and water. Pour half batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
3. In a separate bowl mix in coconut and condensed mil. Mix well and then microwave for 5 minutes stopping and mixing in between. Drop this mixture by teaspoonfuls over the chocolate batter in the pan. Be careful not to let the filling touch the sides of the pan. 
4. Pour in rest of the cake batter.
5. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to allow the cake to cool completely. Remove cake from pan, and drizzle with vanilla glaze.
6. To make vanilla glaze, mix together the confectioners' sugar, butter and milk in a small bowl, gradually adding milk until the mixture is thick but pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake. 
7. To make the chocolate ganache glaze pour the chocolate bits in a sauce pan with 2 table spoons of cream / half and half and then melt by placing the pan on broiler with boiling water. Drizzle of cooled cake.

Very Berry Cobbler

I made this cobbler for my teams holiday party. I was quite skeptical while making it as I wasn't sure if people would like it or not but it was infact quite well accepted and enjoyed by both my team and my aunt, uncle and nephew who were visiting us. The reason for my skepticism was because someone told me that cobblers are eaten mostly in summer and here I was making it for winter holiday party. But make it the right way and pair it with ice cream I think any desert can do wonders in any season.

So here is the recipe for this very berry cobbler. Needless to say I love berries for not only their tangy taste but for their anti oxidant nutritional values as well. I also like them especially because I do not have a sweet tooth and thus I find any berry desert to be much milder to deal with.

This recipe would serve 6 people so adjust accordingly. 

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh mixed berries (frozen or fresh)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice and 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined. If the batter is too dry then add few drops of milk to mix it well. The batter should not be runny or too dry.
4. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Chocolate Orange Cheescake

For a dinner party that I was hosting I really wanted to make a desert with dark chocolate and orange flavor combined. I had never made cheese cake before as cheese cake not something everyone appreciates. For this evening I just decided to go for it but I used all fat free ingredients in order to make a little less sinful.

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I got low fat cream cheese)
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
8 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1 and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9 or 10 inch springform pan.

2. Combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, softened butter, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and the cinnamon. Mix well and press mixture into the buttered springform pan, set aside.

3. In a medium sized bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar mixing until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat at low speed until very smooth.

4. Melt the 8 ounces semisweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons whipping cream in a pan or bowl set over boiling water, stir until smooth.

5. Add chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture and blend well. Stir in sour cream, salt, coffee, orange extract and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

6. Bake in the center of oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Center will be soft but will firm up when chilled. Do not over bake. Leave cake in oven with the heat turned off and the door ajar for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and chill for 12 hours. Just before serving top cake with mounds of flavored whipped cream or drizzle chocolate sauce on top. Yields 16 servings.

7. To Make Flavored Whipped Cream: Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form, then beat in confectioner's sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur.

Tips

Always bake cheesecake with water bath. To bake the cheese cake with water bath cover the bottom of the springform pan with foil so that there is no water soaking the inside of the cake. Never bake cheesecake for too long otherwise the texture is lost.

Lemon Pie Bars

I just wanted to make these. No reason. Had this recipe in mind for a while and wanted to make it for the holiday season. But since we were out during the holiday season I just made it for my husban'd surprise birthday bash. This recipe makes 32 bars. It is unbelievable how soon this thing gets made with such simple ingredients.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix 2 cups of flour and confectioner's sugar together. Cut in the butter or margarine. Mix well until the dough resembles pie dough consistency. Press the dough into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Beat together eggs, sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon juice and lemon rind for at least 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the baked crust.
5. Bake the bars another 20 minutes, or until the lemon topping has set. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when cooled.

Rum Mocha Chocolate Cake

This recipe was inspired by my dear hubby's wish for his special year's birthday cake. He wanted a cake that had rum and coffee flavor in it. He offcourse wanted a super coffee flavored cake. After thinking for a while this was the best I could get. He surely loved it and so did my guests. Overall his surprise birthday party was such a hit that no matter how the cake turned out we all had a blast. Thanks to all my dear family and friends who made the day so much more memorable.

Somehow my last few baking expeditions were not as pleasant as they used to be. There has been some or the other mishap with either my cakes or my frostings. This time it was my frosting that just did not want to set. Not sure what I did to mess up the frosting but it was too runny in the beginning. Finally I had more cream cheese to get the right consistency.

The picture did not come out well as we all were too busy having fun and almost forgot to take a picture. But the cake surely received some rave compliments.

Ingredients

3 cups and 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 tablespoon and 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-3/4 pinches salt
2 tablespoons and 1-1/4 teaspoons instant coffee granules
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/3 cups boiling water
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon butter or margarine, softened
1-3/4 cups and 1 tablespoon white sugar
5-1/2 eggs
2-3/4 teaspoons rum
1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons milk

5-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons boiling water
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum

Directions

This recipe yields 15 servings

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Mix together instant coffee, cocoa powder, and boiling water; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in rum. Mix the milk into cooled cocoa mixture, then beat into the batter alternately with the flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans. (alternate or easy way is to bake a super moist chocolate cake. Just add rum and coffee granules to the cake batter for the flavor)

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

4. To make Mocha Chocolate Frosting: Sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder; set aside. Dissolve instant coffee with boiling water; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter until smooth. Beat in sugar/cocoa mixture and coffee misture (add the coffee misture little at a time to make the frosting). Mix in the vanilla extract and rum. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until you reach the spreadable consistency. Chill in refregerator if required for stiffening the frosting. Spread between layers of cooled cake.

Tips

• Add more dry coffee granules if you intend to get a more coffeeish kich out of it. I had addeed 3 extra spoons of dry instant coffee granules to get the taste.
• I had also used imitation rum instead of real rum as I had kids attending the birthday party.
• Add less sugar first and check the frosting taste and then add more sugar as needed. You don't want the frosting to be too sweet.
• Finally the most important ingredient in baking in precision. In making every measurement and instructions should be precisely followed in order to achieve the perfect result.

Triffle Any Style

I make this desert when I haven’t had time to think and plan a desert. I should rather call it a pity desert because the main focus of any of my party is desert and I feel ashamed to say when I don’t plan a desert.

We were hosting some friends at our new apt and that was one of those days when I was super lazy. Friends were arriving at 6 and I had not done grocery until 2 PM. Thus when all these errands were over it was almost 6 and I realized I have no desert. Started looking at my pantry to see what can I whip in the given short time. Woo hoo that’s it IT’S TRIFFLE TIME… This particular one is a Chocolate Triffle. But you can choose to make it in any flavor like berries, caramel or any other that your creativity suggests.

I was a little sad to begin with because all ingredients I had at home were sugar free and fat free (courtesy my health freak husband). But the end result wasn’t bad at all.

INGREDIENTS:

·    Cake mix or make a small cake from scratch. I made it from scratch but it’s further easier if you have cake mix. Choose cake mix based on the flavor of the triffle. Like moist yellow cake or chocolate cake for chocolate triffle or white cake for berry triffle. Use only half packet of cake mix.

·         Custard powder / Jello Pudding Mix. I made chocolate pudding. I also use custard a lot of times.

·         Heavy whipping cream (whipped with little sugar till stiff) or pre made Whipped cream box

·         Chocolate Sauce

·         Fruits (I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)

·         Candied toffee. (I had some coffee flavored chewy toffee lying at home)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make cake as per direction and let is cool.

Take a triffle bowl and drizzle chocolate sauce around it and at the base of it

Crumble the cake or cut them into 1” cubes and spread it on the bottom. Layer with Custard then whipped cream, then fruits, chocolate sauce and crushed candied toffee. Repeat the layer and then finally decorate the top with fruits and toffee and drizzle sauce again.

That’s all pretty, tasty, simple easy and ready in total 15 minutes.

Easy Straweberry Short Cake

I made this cake once upon a time and ever since I have always wanted to repeat it. But that day never came. I also bought heart shaped baking pans to make this cake for some special ocassion. Found those pans only during my move again which remimded me of my intentions. Finally I was reminded of this cake when a friend wanted a recipe for a light non chocolaty cake. Ayesha made this cake the same weekend as I shared the recipe and I ams till waiting for the day when I'll remake this cake. Until then thought would share the recipe.

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix (I usually use super moist cake)
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
2/3 cup Sour Cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed (found in freezer section)
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries (I always use fresh staawberries)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round or any shape cake pans or bake in a single pan and then cut it into half. (I usually bake in a single pan and then cut it in 2 layer - saves time and energy); set aside. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour half of the batter into medium bowl. Add dry gelatin mix; stir until well blended. Spoon half of the white batter and half of the pink batter, side-by-side, into each prepared pan. Swirl batters together using a teaspoon or fork.
Bake 30 min. Cool 30 min. in pans. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. (never leave cake in the turned off oven for too long. It over bakes the cake)

Mix sour cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Place one of the cake layers on serving plate; spread top with 1 cup of the whipped topping mixture. Top with 1 cup of the strawberries and remaining cake layer. Spread top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping mixture. Top with remaining 1/2 cup strawberries just before serving. Store any leftover cake in refrigerator. You can also use blueberries for the final decoration along with strawberries. Get creative and enjoy.
 
Tips:
 

• Never leave cake in open dish in the refrigerator for long as cakes tend to pic odors very fast which ruins the texture of the cake.
• If you are planning to make this cake for a party and cannot make it on the day then bake the plain cake a night before. After cooling down completely wrap the cake in cling wrap tighly and then keep in the fridge. Next day make the frosting and finish the cake.

P.S. Photo coming soon