Lemon Cake with Cheese Cream Frosting

 Ingredients - 
All purpose flour ( maida) - 1.5 cup
Butter - 100 gm
Eggs - 3
Castor or granulated sugar - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Lemon zest - 1 tbsp
Buttermilk - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence - few drops

For frosting - 

Cream cheese - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 85 g
Icing or granulated sugar - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 3 tbsp
Vanilla essence - few drops

To make home made cream cheese -
Milk full cream - 1/2 ltr
white vinegar - 1 tbsp
Boil 1/2 ltr full cream milk, when it comes to rolling boil, switch off the flame, add vinegar and stir it nicely till the mixture has separated completely . when it curdles put the mixture into a sieve, let it strain and cool completely for 10-15 minutes. 
Transfer it into a blender and blend it until its smooth and creamy.
Blend it further if it's grainy. it is ready to use.

Method - 
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, sieve flour, baking powder 
    and baking soda.
2. In a big bowl take butter and beat it on a high speed for 
    2 minutes with an electric beater.
3. Add sugar beating it continuously.
4. Add eggs beating nicely after each addition.
5. Gradually add half of the flour, add the lemon zest, lemon
    juice and buttermilk, give it all a good mix, then add 
    remaining half, little at a time and mix it thoroughly.
6. Grease and line two baking tins of 6 inch and 8 inches. 
7. Divide the batter into it and bake it in a preheated oven
    until it is thoroughly baked. Insert a toothpick to confirm
    it's done, if it comes out clean then take it out and 
    let it come to room temperature.

Frosting and assemble  - 
 1. In a big bowl beat butter for few minutes until very light.
2. Add cream cheese and beat it further until well combined.
3. Add sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and beat it from low 
    speed to high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy 
    and of spreading consistency.
4. The cake is ready to assemble, in a serving plate place the
    bigger layer of cake, trim some of the upper part of the 
    cake to level it, spread the cream cheese frosting on it
    generously to cover it from the top and sides.
5. Place the smaller cake right on top of it, trim it too, cover
    it with the lemon cheese cream frosting from the top and 
    sides completely.
6. Transfer the remaining frosting in a piping bag with a
     star nozzle fitted into it.
7. Pipe big swirls on the edges of the cake and place a lemon 
    slice on each of the swirls to complete the look of it.
8. Your beautiful lemon cheese cake is ready to serve, just put 
    it in fridge for an hour before serving.
    
   It's a beautiful cake, can be enjoyed on any summer afternoon.
   If you want to skip the frosting the cake can be enjoyed 
   without it as well. It has a great tangy flavour.

Custard Cake with Choco Chips :

Ingredients -

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
Castor or granulated sugar - 1 cup
Egg - 1
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Oil refined - 1/2 cup 
Choco chips - 2 tbsp
Milk - 3/4 cup
Custard powder - 5 tbsp 

Method - 

1. Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda together 
    in a plate.
2. Mix the milk and custard powder nicely.
3. In a big bowl take the oil and sugar and beat it with an 
    electric mixture for 2 minutes until incorporated well.
4. Add the egg and continue beating it.
5. Add flour gradually alternating with the custard milk
    until all mixed well.
6. sprinkle the choco chips in the batter, saving some for 
    garnishing.
7. Grease a 9 inch round baking dish with oil or line it 
     with a parchment paper.
8. Pour the cake batter evenly on it, sprinkle the remaining 
    choco chips over it and bake it on 180 degree Celsius 
    until baked well and a knife or a toothpick comes out 
    clean when inserted in it. 

Dulche De Leche Cheesecake

Ingredients -

Biscuit (any butter cookies or digestive cookies ) - 1 pac of 200 g
Almond brittle - 1/2 cup
Cream cheese - 1 cup
Butter - 9 tbsp melted
Dulche De Leche - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - few drops
Heavy cream - 100 ml
Gelatin - 2 tsp mixed in 3  tbsp of hot water
Salt - a pinch

Almond brittle -
Almond toasted and chopped - 1/2 cup
Butter - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Salt - a pinch

1. In a pan heat butter and sugar over a medium heat, 
    stirring in between.
2. Keep stirring the pan and cooking until it is caramelized 
    and turns golden brown.
3. Add the chopped and toasted almonds, vanilla essence
    and the salt into it.
4. Grease a foil or a plate and pour the mixture over it.
     Let it sit for 10 minutes and break it into pieces . 
     Store in an airtight container, it's ready to use.

Dulce De Leche -

Milk full cream - 1/2 litr
Sugar - 1 cup
vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

1. In a heavy bottomed pan pour the milk and sugar and
    bring it to boil.
2. when it comes to boil slow the heat and simmer it in 
    a low heat stirring it occasionally.
3. Keep simmering it until it thickens and caramelizes , 
    stirring it more often to avoid sticking. It will taken 
    almost an hour to reduce it
4. Remove from heat and stir vanilla essence.

Cream Cheese -
Full cream milk - 1/2 ltr
White vinegar - 2 tbsp

Boil the milk in a heavy  bottomed pan, when it comes 
to boil , pour the vinegar and stir it until the milk curdles 
and is separated fully. Take a fine sieve or a cheese cloth 
and strain it completely. keep it like that for 15 to 20 minutes
until it is completely drained and ready to use. 
This recipe yields 1 cup of cream cheese. If you want more 
of it the quantity of milk can be increased.

 Cheese cake Method  -

1. Grind the biscuit in a blender until it resembles fine crumb.
2. Add 9 tbsp butter in it and mix it thoroughly.
3. Take a 6 inch springform tin and grease it with butter.
4. Spread the biscuit crumbs in it evenly and pat it nicely.
5. Put it in the fridge to set until the filling is ready.
6. Blend the cream cheese in a big jar until it is mixed 
    well for 1 minute and is creamy and smooth, add the 
    dulce de leche, whipping cream, gelatin, vanilla essence 
    and blitz it until all are incorporated well.
7. Pour it over the set biscuit crust evenly, sprinkle the 
    almond brittle over it generously.
8. Let it set it in a fridge for 4-5 hours. decorate it with 
    some almond brittle and dulce de leche or whipped cream.
    It can be garnished with fresh fruits like cherries, kiwi, 
    apple slices etc.

 

Fudgy Chocolate Walnut Brownie

Ingredients -
Butter - 75 g
Castor or granulated sugar - 1 cup
Flour - 1 cup
Eggs - 2
Cooking chocolate - 60 g
Dark coco powder - 1 tbsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
1 Tbsp coffee boiled in 1/4 cup water
Walnuts chopped - 4 tbsp

Method -

1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over a pot of hot 
    boiling water, it can be melted in a microwave too.
2. Beat butter until glossy, add melted chocolate in it 
    and beat continuously until mixed well.
3. Add sugar gradually in it and mix well.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition.
5. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add the 
    flour gradually and softly alternating with coffee.
6. Put in the coco powder and chopped walnuts, stir to combine.
7. Grease a baking tin ( i used a 18 cm by 23 cm rectangular tin)          and pour in the batter in it evenly.
8. Bake it at 180 degree Celsius  for 25 -30  minutes or until baked.
9. A home made scrumptious and delish delight is ready to serve.
10. It can be served hot with vanilla ice-cream in dessert too.

Mocha Cake With Chocolate Rum Frosting

Ingredients -
All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
Castor Sugar or granulated sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Egg - 3
Butter - 120 g
Coco powder - 2 tbsp -
Coffee powder - 1 tbsp
milk warm - 3-4 tbsp
Baking powder - 1tsp
Bicarbonate of soda - 1/2 tsp

For the chocolate frosting and decoration  -

Cooking chocolate - 100g
Dark Rum - 1/4 cup
vanilla essence - 2-3 drops
Icing sugar - 3/4 cup
Butter - 2 tbsp 
warm milk - 1 tbsp
Cherries - 6-8 ( optional)
 chocolate shavings - some

Method -

1. Beat butter until glossy, with an electric mixer.
2. Add sugar gradually, continue beating until double in
     volume, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating it until combined.
4. In a small bowl add the warm milk with cocoa powder
    and coffee and mix it.
5. Sift the flour and add the soda and baking powder in it.
6. Gradually add the flour in the butter mix, in between add
     the coco and coffee mix in the batter too.
7. Turn the batter into a grease and lined, round baking tin, 
    bake it at 180 degree Celsius until done when tested with
    a skewer.
8. Leave it in tin for 2-3 minutes and turn out on a rack or 
    plate to cool down completely.
9. when cold, cover it completely with the frosting and 
    decorate it with the chocolate shavings and the cherries 
    dipped in the chocolate frosting.

    Frosting - 
1. Chop the chocolate in small pieces and melt it over a
    pan of hot water in a double boiler.
2. Stir in 1/4 cup dark rum and the vanilla essence.
3.  Sift the icing sugar beforehand and mix in with the 
     butter and 1 tablespoon of milk to the chocolate mix.
4. Whisk over hot water until smooth and glossy and of 
     a coating consistency.

Instant Coffee Cake with Butter Glaze Coffee Icing

Ingredients -

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup

Brown sugar - 1 cup

Eggs - 3

Butter - 75 g

Coffee - 1 tbsp,  mixed with 4 tbsp water

Baking powder - 1 tsp

baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Butter Glaze Coffee icing -

Icing sugar - 3/4 cup

Butter - 2 tsp

Coffee - 1 tsp
Milk or water - 2-3 tbsp

Method -

1. In a big bowl put the butter, sugar and eggs and beat it 
    with an electric mixture on a high speed for five minutes.

2. Sieve the flour with baking powder and baking soda.

3. Add the flour in two batches to the butter mix alternating 
    with the liquid coffee, beating it continuously on low speed.

4. Grease and line a round baking tin and pour the batter
     in it evenly.

5. Bake it on a preheated oven on 180 degrees for 1/2
    an hour or until done.
6. let it cool down and come to room temperature.

Butter glaze Coffee Icing -
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan, on a low heat, add icing 
    sugar, coffee, gradually add the milk, stirring it with a 
    spoon until smooth.
2. Spread it evenly all over the cake. It is ready to be 
     served...cut it and enjoy the rich taste of coffee.

Pineapple Sponge Cake Soufflé Recipe

Ingredients -
Sponge cake - 1 pound
Pineapple slices tined - 1 small tin
Light custard - 1 cup ( 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp level  custard powder, sugar 1 tbsp)
Egg whites - 3
Cream fresh - 150 g
Sugar granulated - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
Pineapple essence - 1/2 tsp
Cherries cut in halves - 4 pieces

Method -

1. Make the custard by boiling 1 cup milk, mix the custard 
    powder in 2 tbsp water, pour in the milk with sugar, boil
    for further 2 minutes and keep it aside to cool completely.
2. Take a sieve and drain the pineapples completely, take three
    of  the pieces and chop it finely, keep the rest for decorating.
2. Take a shallow serving bowl or a deep cake stand will also do.
3. Halve the sponge cake into two and put one piece on the
    serving plate and the other one on a flat plate.
4. Pierce both the halves with a fork and spread the custard 
    evenly on it, let it soak and be soft.
5. Take a shallow bowl and fill half of it with ice, take another 
     bowl and put the cream, pineapple essence and 1/2 cup 
     sugar into it, place it over the ice bowl and whip the cream 
     with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy,  be very 
      careful not to over beat it.
6.  Take another clean bowl and put the egg whites in it, 
      whip it with a clean electric mixer until it is light and 
      fluffy, put 2 tbsp of granulated sugar in it and beat it
       again to mix it.
7.  Add the whipped cream with the egg whites and mix it 
     gently with a wooden spatula until incorporated well.
8. Take 3 tbsp of the whip cream egg white mixture in a 
     small bowl, mix it with the chopped pineapples and spread
     it evenly on the base of sponge cake, place the upper part 
     of the sponge cake over it taking great care not to break it. 
9.  Spread the remaining cream over the sponge cake covering
     it completely. Make a swirl design on the sides of it.
10. Take four of the drained pineapple slices and place it on top
       of the sponge cake soufflé and place half cut cherries on top
       of the pineapple, can use drop of mixed jam also if cherries
        are not available.

Choco chip cookies : Diwali celebrations

All purpse flour - 2 cups
Brown sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Coco powder - 4 tbsp
Cooking chocolate - 1/4 cup
Egg - 2 
Butter - 100 g
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Granulated sugar - for dusting 

Method - 

1. Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla essence and mix until combined .
3. In a large plate sift the flour , baking soda and salt.
4. In a small saucepan  melt the chocolate with little milk
    (4-5 tbsp).
5. Add the melted chocolate  and cocoa powder to the butter
    sugar mix.
6. Gradually add the flour in the mixture and continue
    mixing until incorporated well.
7. Divide it into  two portions and shape it into a disc, 
    wrap  a cling film around it.
8. Refrigerate it for 3 hours until thoroughly chilled
9. Apply little oil on your palms, make round cookies of
    1 1/2 inch thickness, flatten a bit with your palms, 
    sprinkle granulated sugar on each cookie.
10 Line a baking tray with parchment or foil paper, arrange 
     some cookies on it and bake it until all the cookies are 
     perfectly baked.    
11. Homemade, perfectly baked yummy cookies are ready, 
     let it come to room temperature. 
12. Store in an airtight container. You can gift this homemade                  cookies to your friends in a hamper on diwali or serve this                yummy cookies whenever someone is felling hungry :-))))

Rich Coffee Cake with coffee Icing:

Ingredients -

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Butter - 100
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Coffee - 1 tbsp
Eggs - 3
Water hot - 1 tbsp

 Coffee Icing - 
Butter - 60 gm
Icing sugar - 3/4 cup
Cofee - 1 tbsp
Hot water - 1 tbsp

Filling -

Chocolate spread or chocolate sauce.

Method-
1. Grease and line a baking dish, preheat the oven.
2. Sift flour and baking powder.
3. Take a big bowl, add sugar and butter into it and whisk it 
    until pale and fluffy.
4. In an another bowl put the eggs and beat it with a fork for 
    5 minutes.
5. Add the eggs in the butter mix alternating with the flour, 
    putting one tablespoon at a time, make sure all the flour is
     not used.
6. Add rest of the flour and fold in gently.
7. Dissolve coffee in 1 tbsp of boiling water and fold in the 
    batter.
8. Pour the mixture into the greased baking tray and put to
    bake for about 20-25 minutes or until its cooked, when                      inserted with a skewer it should come out clean.
9. Take it out from the baking dish after few minutes and 
     let it cool down on a wire rack before icing.

Coffee icing -

1.Take a bowl and cream the butter and sugar, beating it with
   an electrical mixture, until light and fluffy.
2. Dissolve the coffee in 1 tbsp lukewarm water and mix it
    in the icing.

To decorate - 

1. Take a serving plate and put the cake on it, take a sharp knife and slice the cake into two parts horizontally.
2. Spread the chocolate spread generously over it.
3. Sandwich both the parts and spread the coffee icing on top 
    and sides of the cake liberally,  sprinkle choco chips over it.
4. Re-fridge it for a while before serving this delicious cake!!!

Almonds, Figs n Dates Loaf :

Ingredients -

Wheat Flour - 2/3 cup
All purpose flour - 2/3 cup
Baking powder -1 1/2 tsp
Dried Figs chopped - 1/3 cup
Dates pitted n chopped- 1/3 cup
Almonds chopped -  10
Blue berries - few (optional)
Nutmeg powder- 1/4 tsp
Ground cloves - 2
Sour milk  - ( take 3/4 cup of warm milk, put juice of 1/2 lemon 
               and let it stand for 10 minutes)
Eggs - 2 large
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Lemon rind grated - 1/2 tsp
salt - a pinch
Olive oil/ sunflower oil - 2 tbsp

Method - 
1.  Combine buttermilk, lemon rind, nutmeg, and cloves, heat 
     it on a low flame.
2. Remove it when just warm ( don't boil) and add the figs 
     and dates, let it stand for 20 minutes.
3. Take a big bowl and combine eggs, oil, sugar and whisk it
    for a while, pour the buttermilk mixture in it, mix and keep
    it aside.
4. Combine flours, baking powder, salt in a big bowl, make a
    well in the center and pour the buttermilk and egg mixture
    in it, mix it until well blended.
5. Grease a loaf tin and spoon the mixture into it, spread
     the almonds and blueberries over it evenly.
6. Bake it on a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until perfectly             baked, when inserted with a knife it should come out clean.
7. Let it cool on a wire wrack for 10 minutes, remove n serve 
    this tasty bread with breakfast.