Daring Bakers April 2012 Armenian Nutmeg Cake

Armenian Nutmeg Cake.. sounds fancy right? This cake is a twist on the traditional coffee cake with the addition of fresh nutmeg which gives it an interesting flavor. It is simply wonderful and I have already made it twice this month.

Blog Checking Lines - The Daring Bakers' April 2012 challenge, hosted by Jason at Daily Candor, were two Armenian standards: nazook and nutmeg cake. Nazook is a layered yeasted dough pastry  with a sweet filling, and nutmeg cake is a nutty, fragrant coffee style cake.

While I didn't make the nazook this month I did make the cake twice and it was quickly gobbled up both the times. The pictured cake is a 6 inch one as I halved the recipe when I made it the second time. Latif polished off four slices coz he couldn't wait for dinner anymore!

Recipe Source - Adapted from The Commonsense Cookery Book

Ingredients - Makes one 9 inch cake

1 Cup (240 ml) Milk
1 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsps Baking Powder
2 Cups Brown Sugar (Firmly Packed)
1 1/2 Sticks (180 ml) (170 gm/6 oz) Unsalted Butter (cubed)
1/2 Cup Walnut pieces (I also used pistachios and almonds)
1/2 Tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon Powder
1 Egg

1. Pre heat the oven to 175 Degrees C (350 Degree F). Have ready a 9 inch round pan.

2. Place the flour, baking powder and brown sugar in a bowl and whisk to mix evenly. Toss in the butter cubes and crumble the mixture with your fingers. It should resemble coarse breadcrumbs.

3. Take two cups of the mixture and press it evenly in the bottom of the cake pan to form the crust.

4. Mix the baking soda to the milk and keep aside.

5. Add the egg to the remaining cake mixture and mix well.

6. Add the milk, nutmeg and cinnamon powder. Mix well. The batter should be a little lumpy.

7. Pout the batter over the prepared crust in the pan. Scatter the nuts on top and place in the oven,

8. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack and then invert on a serving plate. Have a slice and enjoy!

Happy Eating!! 

Daring Bakers March 2012 - Dutch Crunch Bread

This month we visited the zoo to see all the wild animals like tigers, giraffes and zebras! Not really, but if you see all the wonderful results of the challenge you will surely think so too.

Blog Checking Lines : Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!

Though I did make the bread I couldn't make a sandwich as I was really pressed for time and we had them as dinner rolls. The recipe is very easy and within two hours you can have fresh baked bread out of the oven.

Recipe Source -  The recipe for the Dutch Crunch topping came from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible. The recipes for the breads we’ve suggested came from The Bread Bible and an adaptation of a recipe found on Bakingbites.com

Check out the Daring Bakers website for the recipe!

Happy Eating!!

Strawberry Tiramisu or Charlotte or Whatever!!

I am not sure what to call this dessert. It is called a Tiramisu but the only similarity the two have is that they are layered. It looks like a Charlotte Ruse from the outside but that's again where the similarity ends. But as they say, Whats in a name? right? The important thing is that it tastes amazing and is very easy to make.

We had company on the weekend and I wanted to make an elaborate dessert as I never get to make it for the two of us. I had some frozen strawberries in the freezer and wanted to use them up. This recipe caught my eye on the Kraft website and it had fab reviews. I did make a few changes as I couldn't find all the ingredients (like Cool Whip, which I had seen a thousand times in the store, but when I went to buy it they had removed it from the shelves!!! Grrr) and I must say that Stabilized Whipped cream is a good substitute for Cool Whip.

Recipe Source - Adapted from the Kraft Website

Ingredients - This is a great dessert for a crowd

2 Packages (200 gms each) Ladyfinger biscuits (Saviordi)

500 Gms Fresh or Frozen Strawberries

3 Tbsp Castor Sugar

200 Gms Philadelphia Cream Cheese (I used light)

2 Packets (3.4 oz - 4 serving) Jell-o Instant Pudding - I used Cheesecake flavor as that is all that was available on the shelves, the original recipe called for vanilla flavor.

3 1/2 Cups Cold Milk

For The Stabilized Whipped Cream (You can use 3 Cups Cool whip instead)

1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream (Chilled)

1 1/2 Tsp Gelatin

1 1/2 Tbsp Cold Water

2 Drops Red gel Food colouring

Prepare the Strawberries

Place the strawberries on a plate and sprinkle with caster sugar to release juices and sweeten them. Drain the liquid before using. 

Prepare the Stabilized Whipped Cream (You can use 3 Cups of Cool Whip instead)

1. Place the cold water in a small microwave bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on it. Wait till the gelatin absorbs all the water.

2. Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 15 seconds till it melts ( you can also do this on the stove top in a saucepan).

3. Place the cream in the bowl of your stand mixer and whip to soft peaks. Add the gelatin (if it has started to set heat in again), sugar and red colour. Whip till you get stiff peaks.

Prepare the Pudding Mixture

1. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy.

2. Gradually beat in milk,  add dry pudding mixes; beat on low speed 1 min. or until well blended.

Assemble The Dessert

1. Trim 25 biscuits to the height of your springform pan (10 inches). Line them all along the sides and use the trimmings on the bottom to help them stand. Fill the bottom completely with the ladyfingers.

2. Add half the pudding mixture and whipped cream. Cover with the strawberries (do not use the liquid).

3. Repeat with a layer of ladyfingers and remaining pudding and whipped cream.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To Serve

Remove plastic wrap and run a knife around the sides of the pan to ensure the ladyfingers are not stuck to it.

Gently open the sprinform latch and remove the mould. Tie a ribbon around the sides and decorate the top with additional berries, grated chocolate or whipped cream.

Happy Eating!!

Chocolate Marble Bread

This is the second bread I made as a part of the February Daring Bakers Challenge. The method for both the breads is exactly the same and it is a very easy recipe. However, my cake turned out a bit dry and that could be because I baked it a bit too long. I have given the link to the recipe below from Joy of Baking.

Recipe - Joy of Baking

Happy Eating!!

Daring Bakers February 2012 - Pineapple Loaf Cake

Up until the beginning of this month I had no idea what a quick bread was. So when I saw the title for the challenge I assumed we were going to make some type of bread. Then when I saw the recipe I thought, "hmm, this is a cake recipe..." I was really confused on the whole quick bread thing and hopped on to google to get some answers. So, what I have learnt so far is that a quick bread has a distinctive method of mixing ingredients and does not use any leaveners like yeast to raise the baked goods.

Blog-checking lines: The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lis stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

Though we were asked to make our own flavors I was hesitant to try anything of my own. I tried two recipes from the net and both were good. I thought the pineapple loaf would be a bit of a problem based on the reviews but that was the recipe that got rave reviews from my tasters.

Recipe Source - Slightly adapted from the Coconut - Pineapple Loaf Cake from Martha Stewart

Ingredients - I have reduced the recipe quantity from the original to fit my loaf pan.

2/3 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut

2/3 Stick (approx 80 Gms) Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Tsp + 1/8 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp + 1/8 Tsp Salt

2/3 Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

2/3 Cup Thick Yogurt

6 Pineapple Rings (from a can - Drained and Chopped finely)

Note - Make sure the pineapple is really well drained. Place it on multiple sheets of kitchen towels to remove as much moisture as possible.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Reduce speed to low, and alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold pineapple and coconut into batter. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth top.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, approx 60 minutes. Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Eating!!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Swiss Strawberry Buttercream

While I was attending my Cake Decorating course , we were required to bring some cupcakes for decorating and filling. I was feeling a bit uninspired as to my flavor choices and decided to check online for some ideas. Surely enough Annie's eats did not fail me and I saw these beauties with lovely swirls of pink buttercream.

The cupcakes are really delicious especially on their own and I ate most of them without any frosting on top. While I did try making the buttercream I was not a fan of it but only because I don't like buttercream in general. I was a bit worried that I would not be able to make it but after 10 minutes in the stand mixer the buttercream beautifully just comes together. One minute its a curdled looking mess and then it just transforms right before your eyes!

I filled my cupcakes with a simple strawberry sauce using a filling tip but they can also be served plain.

Recipe Source - Given as is from Annie's Eats with my notes in red.

Ingredients - Makes 32 Cupcakes

For The Cupcakes
21/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cake Flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Salt
2 Sticks (1 cup) Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
21/4 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs Plus 1 Large Egg White
1 Cup Milk
2 1/2 Cups Finely Chopped Fresh Strawberries (I used frozen strawberries for both cake and frosting)
For The Frosting
1 1/2 Cups Fresh Strawberries (8 oz.), Rinsed, Hulled And Coarsely Chopped
4 Large Egg Whites
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
3 Sticks (1½ Cups) Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature

Make The Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 175˚ C (350˚ F).  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  

2. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  

4. Beat in the eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  

5.With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions alternating with the milk, mixing each addition just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a spatula.

6. Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling each about ¾-full.  Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make The Frosting

1. Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender.  Puree until completely smooth.  

2. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.  (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)

4.Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (it took 10 minutes for me)  Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip with the frosting.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Happy Eating!!

Hazelnut and Chocolate Torte With Nutella Mascarpone

I am really happy to post this recipe as this was one my best desserts so far. The flavor was so reminiscent of a Ferrero Rocher that I have started calling it a Ferrero Rocher Cake. I also got to try a lot of new techniques like baking a daquoise and making my own Mascarpone.

I had missed the November Daring Bakers challenge of the Sans Rival and wanted to give it a go. Sans Rival is a Filipino dessert which means 'without rival'. I decided to give it a try but without making the heavy buttercream filling as I wanted something light. The Nutella mascarpone complements the dacquoise perfectly and is very easy to make.

Recipe Source - Hazelnut Dacquoise Slightly adapted from November Daring Bakers Challenge host Catherine of Munchie Musings; Chocolate Ganache recipe from Joy of Baking.

Ingredients

For The Dacquois
5 Large Egg Whites (At room temperature)
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cream of Tartar
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3/4 Cup Chopped Toasted Hazelnuts (Texture of Breadcrumbs)
For The Filling
1 Cup Mascarpone Cheese (You can make your own!!)
1/2 Cup Nutella
2 Tbsp Cadburys Drinking Chocolate
1/4 Cup Chopped Hazelnuts
For The Ganache
100 gms Semisweet Chocolate
60 ml Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Bake the Dacquoise

1. Preheat oven to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and draw three squares measuring 4x4 inches on each pan. (See Diagram below). Turn over the paper  and lightly grease the squares.



My weird attempt at drawing..baking sheet with three squares.

3. In a large clean, dry  glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy (2 mins.) 

4. Sprinkle with cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, a couple of tablespoons at time, continuing to beat now at high speed until stiff shiny peaks form. (about 7-10 mins.)

5. Fold in nuts.

6. Divide meringue into 6 equal parts and spread onto square shapes in the baking sheet with each square being 1/2 inch thick. (Alternatively you can bake these in cake pans also).

7. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the meringue is set. Remove from oven and peel off parchment paper while still hot. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Ganache

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. (Can also heat the cream and butter in the microwave.) Bring just to a boil. 

3. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes. Stir gently (as you do not want to incorporate air into the ganache) with a spoon or whisk until smooth.

4. Place in fridge to cool completely before using.

Make the Filling
Combine all the ingredients and whisk well. Keep aside.

Assemble The Torte
1.Trim the sides of each dacquoise square.
2. Place one square on a serving plate.
3. Top with 2 Tbsp of the filling.
4. Repeat with one more layer of dacquoise and filling.
5. Add the last layer of dacquoise and pour some of the cooled ganache on top.
6. Garnish with chopped hazelnuts.

Happy Eating!!