I made this cake for a friend’s husband. I approached the icing with fear and trembling, but it turned out really great. So go ahead and try this icing.
Icing that melts in your mouth
Ingredients
Unsalted butter 250 g
Icing sugar 2 cups
Cream 1 cup
Cocoa powder 1/2 cup
Method
Bake the cake according to this recipe. I used brown sugar for a less sweeter option.
When the cake has completely cooled down, trim the top and edges to get even surfaces for the icing.
Whisk the butter and fold in the icing sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Whisk again and add the cream gradually.
Spoon the icing on the cake and smoothen it with a flat spatula. Use a serrated cake smoother to get the design on the cake.
Add the rest of the cocoa to the remaining icing and mix well. Spoon it into an icing bag with a star-shaped nozzle and decorate the cake freehand.
Cake was one of the first things I learnt to bake when I was still a schoolgirl. Over the years, I have made many cakes, both simple and complicated, but a favourite that I keep returning to is this Chocolate Walnut Cake.
When I was working on the newspaper desk in Singapore, we would start work at the unearthly hour of 4.30 am and the one thing that kept us going was that we would take turns to bring in warm bread for an early breakfast. One of my colleagues used to make this really divine banana bread. My banana bread recipe is based on hers though I have tweaked it to add nuts and raisins and also sour cream to make it more moist. This has been a hit with my family for more than 20 years. In fact, my sister-in-law said this should be my retirement plan: to make and sell banana bread.
I make this in the bread maker and so it is super easy. I set it for baking overnight and it is ready for breakfast the next morning.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil 1/3 cup Sour cream 1/4 cup Eggs 2, beaten All-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups Brown sugar 2/3 cup Baking powder 1 tsp Baking soda 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence 1 tsp Bananas 2, mashed Walnuts 1/2 cup Raisins 1/4 cup
Method
Add everything to the bread-maker pan in the order given above. Set it to Sweet or Cake setting depending on your machine.
When done take it out and let it cool. Slice and serve.
This is a quick and easy pudding that can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes. I make this for impromptu dinner parties and winter lunches. It goes well with vanilla ice cream or toffee sauce.
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
All-purpose flour 3/4 cup Butter 100 g Sugar 1/2 cup Cinnamon powder 1 tbsp Bananas 3 (2 mashed and 1 sliced) Eggs 2, beaten Milk 2 tbsps Baking powder 1 tsp
Method
Melt the butter in a rectangular baking dish for about 30 seconds.
Add the beaten eggs and sugar to the butter. Mix with a whisk.
Add the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and whisk well.
Add the mashed bananas and milk and mix all the ingredients till well blended to form a thick batter.
A comfort food and a favourite with my son throughout his schooldays was Mac and cheese. I used to make it three or four times a week. I use sharp English mustard and chilli flakes, which impart a unique flavour to the dish.
The chilli flakes add a piquant flavour
Ingredients
Elbow pasta 2 cups All-purpose flour 3 tbsps Butter 2 tbsps Olive oil 2 tbsps Salt to taste Pepper powder 1 tsp English mustard 1 tbsp Milk 1/2 litre Cheddar cheese 1 cup, grated Italian herbs 1 tbsp, dried Peperoncino chilli flakes 1 tbsp
Method
Boil 6 cups of water with 2 tbsps of salt. Add the pasta and cook till al dente. Drain.
Add the butter and olive oil to a heavy bottomed saucepan. I use Amul salted butter as I feel it gives a better flavour to the dish.
Add the flour and sauté on low flame till the raw smell of the flour is gone.
Add the milk gradually, whisking all the time. Add salt, pepper and mustard. Add the Italian herbs. Cook till the sauce thickens. It should not take more than three minutes.
White sauce
Layer the pasta, white sauce and cheese in an oven proof dish. My trusted dish that I bought from John Lewis in London almost 15 years ago is the one I always use to make mac and cheese. Sprinkle the peperoncino chilli flakes on top.
This cake will appeal to even those who don’t like very sweet desserts. The mix of buttercream icing and fondant keeps the sweetness balanced to a level that will suit most palates.
Elegance in white
Ingredients
All-purpose flour 1 cup Salted Butter 180 g Eggs 3 Sugar 3/4 cup Baking powder 1 tsp Vanilla essence 1 tsp Milk 3 tbsps Fondant 250 g
For the buttercream icing: Unsalted butter 250 g Icing sugar 1 cup Cream 1/4 cup
Method
Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer.
Add the eggs one by one.
Sift the flour and baking powder and add it to the mixing bowl, a spoonful at a time.
Add the vanilla essence and milk.
Pour the batter into a round greased 9 ” cake tray and bake at 160 degrees C for about 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick. It should come out clean.
Cool the cake on a rack.
Mix softened butter and icing sugar well. Add the cream in a slow stream while whisking the icing. If the icing is too liquid, add more icing sugar.
Slice off the top of the cake to get a flat surface.
Apply the buttercream icing with a butter knife. Dip the knife into hot water and smoothen the surface.
Refrigerate for at least two hours to stabilise the icing.
Knead the fondant to make it pliable.
Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the fondant into a circle of 1/4 inch thickness. Put it on the cake. Pat it on using a cake smoother. Go over the sides as well. Trim the excess fondant.
Knead the cut fondant and roll it out. Using a star-shaped cutter, cut out three shapes. Cut out three leaves. Draw the veins using a butter knife.
Attach the cutouts to the cake using a little water. Attach tiny balls of fondant to the centre of the flowers. Use fondant strings to link the flowers.
Roll out two strings from the remaining fondant and twist it to form a rope. Attach it to the bottom of the cake.
I love corn bread and this one has a rustic flavour with a hint of sweetness from the corn. It goes well with stew, cold cuts, chilli cooked in a slow cooker, or beans.
Ingredients
Corn meal or makki ka atta 1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour 3 cups Yeast 3 tsps Milk 1/2 litre Butter 30 g Rice flour 2 tbsps Sugar 2 tbsps + 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Olive oil 2 tbsps
Method
Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Heat the milk and add the butter to it. As the milk begins to bubble, reduce the heat and whisk in the cornmeal. Let it cool to room temperature.
Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the cornmeal mixture. Make a dough.
Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with olive oil and cover with cling film. Leave it to rise for two hours.
Divide the dough into two boules. Dust with rice flour and criss-cross the top with a knife. Spritz with water.
Pour boiling water into a tray and place in the oven. Bake the bread in the middle rack for 35-40 minutes.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is maybe even more relevant in today’s pandemic-ridden world. And there are so many ways the apple can be eaten. Apple Crumble, Apple Pie or Stewed Apples, to name a few. And there is no better smell than an apple pie baking in the oven. It is no wonder that property agents like the smell of a baking pie when they are trying to sell a house.
Ingredients
Green Granny Smith apples 5, peeled and chopped Brown sugar 3/4 cup Cinnamon 2 tsps All-purpose flour 1 tbsp Pie Pastry Crust
Method
(Serves 5)
Add the sugar, cinnamon and flour to the apples and mix well. Microwave for 5 minutes.
Make the pie pastry crust according to the recipe given here. Divide the dough into two halves and roll out both into two circles. Line the pie dish with one and cut the other into 1/2” strips.
Add the microwaved apples into the lined pie dish.
Criss-cross the top with the strips cut from the pastry dough.
Bake in a 170 degree C oven for 40 minutes. Cool and slice into wedges.
It might sound difficult, but making the crust for a pie is quite simple. You have just got to be careful that everything is really chilled. I even keep the flour in the freezer. Use chilled butter and iced water with ice cubes.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour or maida 2 cups Butter 230 g Water 1/2 cup Sugar 2 tbsps
Method
Mix the flour and sugar and cut the butter into the mixture till it resembles bread crumbs.
Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time and make into a dough. Do not overwork the dough.
Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for two hours.
Divide the dough into halves. Roll out one half to line the pie dish. Roll out the other half and use it as the top crust.
Use the crust for sweet or savoury pies. For the savoury pies, leave out the sugar.
I always use all-purpose flour for my cakes. Today, I experimented with whole wheat flour. In fact, I decided to go for the healthy version without eggs or butter. I used light vegetable oil and plain yoghurt instead. It turned out really delicious with a nice, chewy texture.
Healthy option
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour (atta) 2 cups Sugar 3/4 cup Sundrop vegetable oil 1/2 cup Yoghurt 1 cup Baking powder 1 tbsp Baking soda 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 2 tbsps Vanilla essence 1 tsp Water as needed Milk 3 tbsps Walnuts, roughly chopped 1/2 cup Raisins 1/2 cup
For the syrup: Cadbury’s Bournvita 2 tbsps dissolved in 1/4 cup water Cadbury’s cocoa 1 tbsp
Icing sugar 1 tbsp
Method
Mix the wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon powder, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl
Using a stand mixer, add the oil and yogurt to the pan and mix at Speed 1. Add the flour mix, a little at a time. Add water as needed to maintain the consistency of the batter.
Add the milk and vanilla essence. Add the walnuts and raisins.
Use a stand mixer at Speed 1
Grease a 9”x6” rectangular cake dish and pour in the batter.
Bake in a 170 degree C oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Test after 50 minutes and when the skewer comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven. Let it cool.
Heat the Bournvita syrup in a nonstick pan and when it boils, add the cocoa. Heat on a low flame for 20 minutes, stirring continuously. Take it off the heat and let it cool.
Before serving, pour the syrup over the cake. Sprinkle icing sugar over the top.
Chills & Chillies 