Eggless Baking

Buttercream Flower Cake – Part 2 | Trending Cut Out Cake

August 24, 2019

This Buttercream Flower Cake is an easy floral design cake perfect for any occasion – Wedding, Birthday or Anniversary. Making buttercream flowers is easier than you think.

In this tutorial learn how to make this beautiful Cut-Out Cake decorated with hand-piped buttercream roses that cover the detailed tips and tricks on piping tips, buttercream frosting consistency and the one way to get it right EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!

This Buttercream Flower Cake Tutorial Breaks down into 3 steps:

Making Buttercream Roses
Layer, Fill and Frost the Cake
Decorate the cake with the trending CUT-OUT pattern

After going through the tutorial of this floral buttercream cake, I believe that you will become more confident with frosting the cake and trying the Watercolour Buttercream Technique, piping simple buttercream flowers and finally adding the magical touch to make your cake look straight out of the bakery or even better.

Even though I will be discussing a lot of factors in depth in this post, I would still recommend you to go through two of my earlier posts on the Buttercream Series which will help you even more namely:

Buttercream Frosting 101:

Now before you even start to make the frosting for making the cake, I would highly recommend you guys to check out my tips for how to make the perfect Buttercream Frosting. In this post, you will find answers to all your questions namely:

How to make buttercream frosting that is not overly sweet yet holds its shape perfectly well.
The buttercream frosting ingredients tips that ultimately results in the desired results.
5 important tips to help you perfect your Buttercream Icing
How to colour and stiffen your Buttercream
Troubleshooting Common Buttercream Frosting Problems
How to store and re-use them

How to make Buttercream Flowers on Cupcakes:

The major take-aways from this particular post will include:

The best buttercream for piping flowers.
Buttercream Consistency and Temperature
Buttercream Flower Tips – The basic piping tips you need to make buttercream icing flowers
How to make Cupcake Bouquet

Since I have covered the majority of the things in the two mentioned posts, I will not repeat all those points once again or else this post would become too long and it might happen that I might miss writing the other things you need to know or you are so bored by the length of the post that you just GO BACK!!!

So WAIT.. please don’t leave just go through this and I promise that you will find what you came looking for. 😀

STEP 1: Making Buttercream Roses

2 pointers to note before you start piping buttercream roses:

The stiffer the buttercream, piping buttercream flowers becomes so much easier. If you are planning to follow my favourite Buttercream recipe then I would suggest you guys use 1:3 butter to sugar ratio for making this buttercream rose cake.
Make sure you are working in a relatively cool area. Warm hands and ambient temperature would give you a tough time making buttercream flowers.

Here is a step by step guide to making the Buttercream Roses:

Things you will need:

Piping Bag fitted with Petal Nozzle like Tip 104
Buttercream Frosting that I have coloured in pink.
Flower Nail
Parchment paper cut into small squares.

With your frosting ready in the piping bag fitted with the petal nozzle start by squeezing just a bit of it directly on the flower nail. This would act as a glue for the parchment paper to stick on and won’t allow the paper to move while you are piping the buttercream flowers.

Start by piping a dollop of the prepared buttercream frosting in the centre of the nail to create a bud. This would just look like a blob at the centre.

Next, go a 360° round around the blob of frosting closing the inner blob to represent a bud.

The inner-circle should have exactly 3 petals. The technique of making the petal involves creating an arch from left to right overlapping the first arch.

The next circle should have 5 petals. The technique remains the same. And one more thing is that start by creating a smaller arch at the beginning and then increase the size as you finish the petal.

Let the flowers chill in the fridge until set.

Watch it in the video format would be even easier.

For the sake of decorating this Buttercream Flower Cake, I have just made roses of different sizes. The primary colours used in making the roses are pink, peach and yellow.

However please note that the video has 3 additional flower-making procedure which would be super helpful too. 😀

Piping tips for buttercream flowers:

As a beginner, it would totally stress you out when you just begin to make your first buttercream flower. Be patient here, with a little practise you will get there. And I promise by the end of making 5 flowers you will gain the speed you need.

But here are certain tips and pointers to keep in mind while making the roses. Not only roses this will work for other flowers too.

The warmness from your hands would surely soften the buttercream and you might find it difficult to pipe the petals. This can happen if the ambient temperature is also relatively hot. To avoid this chilling the buttercream for 5 mins every now and then totally helps.
Make use of small parchment paper squares and pipe the roses on it. The parchment paper makes it easier to handle the flowers.
Always chill the roses until the butter is set completely. That way it becomes so much easier to handle the flowers and place them on the cake.

Everything you need to know about Freezing Buttercream Flowers:

How to Freeze Buttercream Flowers:

Once you pipe the flowers you need just place the parchment paper squares on to the cookie tray. Place the tray in the freezer for 10 mins.

And when they are frozen (becomes super easy to handle), simply place them in an airtight container. You can even stack them one above the other.. Nothing will happen till they are in the freezer.

Once they are out of the freezer, make sure to separate the flowers as they tend to thaw pretty quick and would then stick to each other.

However, if you are planning to use the buttercream flowers on the same day itself then simply chill them in the fridge until set no need to freeze in that case.

How long can you freeze the Buttercream Flowers:

You can store the buttercream flowers in the freezer for up to a week. Nothing will happen if you store more than that but I haven’t tried storing beyond that point and so won’t recommend too.

Can you make the Buttercream Flowers ahead of time:

Yes definitely.

That’s the whole point of me writing this section and also mentioning to make this easy Buttercream Flowers right at the start.

Make the buttercream flowers 2 to 3 days prior and store them in the freezer as mentioned above.

Collective pointers to remember while making the Best Buttercream Flowers for a beginner:

Avoid working in a hot and humid condition.
Place the frosting in the fridge every now and then for 3 to 4 mins to avoid softening of the buttercream due to the warmness of your hands.
Make use of small parchment paper squares – makes it easier to handle the flowers.
Use stiff buttercream for piping the flowers. My go-to ratio is 1:3 butter to icing: sugar.
Always make the flowers ahead of time. Makes you feel relaxed while decorating the cake. Chilled buttercream flowers are easier to work with.
Pipe the flowers in odd numbers for the realistic look.

Step 2 – Buttercream Cake Tutorial/Watercolour Technique

For this Buttercream Flower Cake tutorial, I have made use of my go-to simple Vanilla Cake Recipe.

I have used 1.5 times of the recipe and baked it in 3, 6-inch cake tins for the same time interval.

Once cooled trimmed the top off and applied my simple syrup so that the cake remains moist all the time.

Filled with my all-time favourite smooth and not so sweet Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Tutti Frutti and also frosted the cake with the same frosting just dyed it peach.

Watercolour Technique:

To give the watercolour technique simply take the frosting of your choice and colour it as you like. I have used pink and yellow colour.

Using a spatula apply the colours at random places on top of your cake. Once you are happy with the colouring, take a spatula and smoothen it out in one or two go maximum so that the colours remain distinct.

If you would go on smoothening the frosting then the colours would blend with each other and would not remain distinct.

Chill it for 10 to 15 mins makes it so much easier to work with while you reach the decorating part.

One major Tip:

Always make the frosting more than what you think would be needed.

Apart from the filling and frosting you also need frosting to make the flowers. So keeping that in mind make sure you always have excess in hand. I hate it when I am just about to finish the cake and realise that there are no more frosting left.

For this particular cake, I used nearly 600 gms of butter and 1500 gms of Icing sugar from start to finish.

Step 3 – Assembling the Buttercream Flower Cake/ Trending Cut-Out Cake:

Now that you have the required buttercream flowers ready and the cake is also chilled and ready and placed on the cake board of your choice, time to decorate the cake.

Using a sharp knife, (Insider’s Tip: I like to dip my knife in hot water before slicing any cake for clean cuts) cut the cake halfway keeping the end portion still intact. (Refer the video)

With the help of the spatula or a knife move the half slices to the edges of the cake board creating a centre gap.

Using the same frosting, frost the now exposed sides of the cake. This would also act as a medium or glue for our buttercream flowers to stick on.

Using a leaf tip and green coloured frosting make leaves on the centre end of the cake where the cake is still joint to each other.

Now look at your buttercream flower sizes and place them on the cake in the colour pattern you like or according to the space available.

Do not worry about the little gaps that you can see we will fill those up too.

So once you are happy with the placements of flowers, using tip 1M make hydrangea flowers on the gaps that are super evident.

Finally, add some leaves using the leaf tip to cover up any faults or still exposed cake parts.

To add the magical touch, place some butterflies on the cake, add edible gold glitter and sprinkles.

Voila, the most beautiful cake I have made until now. What do you all think?

Besides making the Cut-Out cake you could also have chosen to simply place the flowers on top of the cake to make a wreath design. Buttercream flower wreath cake is quite a popular cake design trend too.

Please Note:

While placing the roses on to the sides of the cake some of them might fall. Do not panic simply press the roses a little harder to the frosting and it will stick. If not add some frosting to the back of the rose and then place it.

I hope you guys found my detailed post on this Buttercream Flower Cake Tutorial helpful and you are now at least a tidbit confident about making a three-layer cake.

If so then definitely do share your thoughts with me on Facebook messenger or Instagram or Twitter. I would love to hear from you guys.

Pin this for later

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then

Hugs

Sushma

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

August 1, 2019

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups – A fun and entertaining holidays treat for your kids, family or friends. These muffin tin little cups filled with 2 ingredient Chocolate Mousse would surely win hearts around your dinner table.

Also, check out the recipe for an easy way to make a small batch perfect eggless chocolate chip cookie.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Having an egg allergy?

Or you open the refrigerator just to find out that there are no more eggs left.. 🙁

Or are you a vegetarian?

Simply looking for an egg-free dessert?

Whatever be it – all I can say is your search ends here!!

Perfectly crispy edges and a soft centre, one bite of these delicious chocolate chip cookies and you will never realise that there are no eggs in it.

And when baked in muffin tins, the edible cookie dough takes the shape of such adorable and cute chocolate chip cookie cups that you will fall head over in love with it.

The filling choice for these amazing chocolate chip cookie cups is endless.. From ice-creams to cheesecakes to simple ganache or whipped cream to mousse or simply plain milk, each addition would totally elevate the dessert to the next level.

Today I have chosen to fill this with a ridiculously easy peasy recipe of Chocolate Mousse that is made with just 2 ingredients, yes you read it right JUST 2 INGREDIENTS!!

What can you expect from this Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups post?

Use the same cookie dough to make the best chocolate chip cookies or turn them into a fun and entertaining cookie cups.
How to make a small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe without eggs?
The best and easy recipe to make Eggless Chocolate Mousse recipe which you can also use to fill and frost a chocolate cake.
Tips to make the best chocolate chip cookies from scratch.
Troubleshooting common Cookie dough errors.

Ingredients for chocolate chip cookies

Before the tips, it is important to understand the role of each ingredient to make the best out of any recipe.

1. Butter or Margarine:

Don’t even think about it!! Always and Always Butter.

Never use margarine here. The flavour and quality of the end product that you get out of using butter are nowhere close to the ones made using margarine.

Bakeries often tend to use margarine in their products to be cost-efficient. But as a home-baker, the best flavour is achieved by using butter.

Conditioning the Butter:

I have talked about this particular step in much detail in my Science behind baking the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie post. If you are someone who loves reading articles about baking science highly recommend you to check that post.

Will just touch it shortly here that we have to use softened butter to get the best results. Not melted not cold but soft enough to slide your finger through the butter cubes.

To achieve this simply place the butter at room temperature at least 2 hours before you start with the recipe.

2. Brown Sugar or Regular Sugar:

I would recommend using both to make the cookies or cookie cup.

The role of brown sugar here is to give the cookies the characteristic Brown Colour and the caramelised flavour. However, you can choose to substitute the same with white sugar if you do not have them handy.

But do use caster sugar here in place of granulated sugar. That is because in the creaming method caster sugar tends to dissolve faster along with the butter as compared to the granulated sugar owing to the smaller size.

3. Baking Powder Or Baking Soda:

One of the reasons for the cookies to turn flat and become soft is because of the addition of baking soda. So always use baking powder in the recipe to avoid the same.

4. Cornstarch

Hmmm… The role of cornstarch is interesting. The addition of the same tends to make the cookie chewy.

Personally, I do not like chewy cookies so I have not included the same in the recipe.

If you follow the recipe to T, you would get a cookie that has crispy edges and soft centre, which is absolutely divine in my opinion. If you like you can go ahead and add 1 tsp of cornstarch to make the cookies soft and chewy in the centre.

5. Eggs

Eggs act as a binding agent in this recipe so it was very easy to come up with a substitution for the same.

You can read more about eggs in baking from this post here.

Here are some tips on How to make Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups in a step by step manner:

Step 1:

Unlike the 3 ingredient butter cookies recipe, it is important to cream together softened butter and both the sugars until light and creamy in this case. This would take around 10 to 15 mins using a stand mixer.

PRO TIP:

Use softened butter. The butter should neither be melted nor cold. Just perfect enough that you can easily slide your finger through it.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. It is important to create air pockets in the dough so that the eggs would easily emulsify. In this case, it is milk though.
Do remember to scrape your bowl every now and then so that there is even creaming of the butter and sugar.

Step 2:

Add half of the measured out milk. Beat until combined. Add the rest and beat well.

PRO TIP:

Be it eggs or milk add it in batches. If you add all at once, it may happen that the weight of eggs might collapse the beautiful air pockets you created while creaming and that would end up in curdling the batter.
Make sure to use room temperature milk and eggs at 23 °C – this again is for the same reason of not curdling the batter.

Step 3:

Sieve all the dry ingredients and add it to the butter mixture. Beat until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.

PRO TIP:

If you over-mix the ingredients in this Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe you may end up with flat cookies. And you will not get that characteristic layers or crinkles in the cookies.

Step 4:

Add the chocolate chips and fold that through.

Using an ice-cream scoop as a guide simply scoop the batter and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

CHILL IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR A MINIMUM OF 2 HOURS.

Or preferably overnight. I did chill it overnight.

And then bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 12-16 mins until the edges crisp up and turn light golden in colour.

I divided the dough into 2 which means I made 6 cookies and with the remaining dough made 7 cookie cups.

PRO TIP:

I cannot stress how important it is to chill the dough before baking it. Cold butter won’t spread easily in the oven and would hold the shape. On the other hand, if you do not chill the dough warm butter would melt faster in the oven and would eventually yield in a flat cookie without any dimension to it.
Do not place more than 4 to 5 cookies to bake at a time leaving adequate space between each. That is because these Chocolate Chip Cookies tend to spread a lot while baking so if placed closer to each other it would spread into each other and you won’t get a proper shape.
The cookies would turn flat and more on the crispier side if over-baked so avoid over baking the cookies.

How to make Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups:

All the tips and steps mentioned up to step 3 remains the same while making these best cookie cups too.

What varies for this is Step 4 so I will directly start with that.

Step 4:

You would need a mini muffin tin to make these easy cookie cups. And the best part is there is absolutely no need to chill the batter. Cool right!!

So once you make the eggless cookie dough, using an ice-cream scoop simply scoop out the dough and place it in the mini muffin tins.

Bake them in a preheated oven of 180°C for 14-17 mins until the sides start crisping and the centre is just set.

While still warm, that is when it is out of the oven, using any circular object ( I have used the back of a tbsp) press down the centre to create a hollow space pressing it to the edges.

Since the cookie is still warm it would take the shape of the muffin tin base and you would get a cookie cup.

Let it cool in the muffin tin itself for another 10 mins. Then remove from the tin and let it cool completely on the cooling rack before filling it with fillings of your choice.

PRO TIP:

There is absolutely no need to chill the dough. Since we are making it in the muffin tin, the dough would ultimately take the shape of the pockets and would not spread flat like in the former cookie case.

2 ingredient Chocolate Mousse Frosting

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the beauty of this silky smooth and utterly delicious Chocolate Mousse Frosting that is made out of just 2 ingredients.. Unbelievable right!!

This is not the traditional way of making Mousse I understand.

But a shortcut method is always welcomed right!! Plus it is Eggless and needs just 5 mins of your time. Also the chocolate and whipped cream itself is stable enough to hold the shape of the frosting.

That means you can use this frosting to fill and frost an entire cake as I have done in the image below. The frosting is stable enough to pipe designs over the cake too.

Basically, I have used my favourite chocolate cake as the base, this chocolate mousse frosting to fill and frost the cake. Followed by a dark chocolate ganache drip decorated with basic chocolate decorations which I believe every baker must know.

To make this 2 ingredient Chocolate Mousse Frosting all you have to do is:

Chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl. Pour some hot cream on top. Let it stand for a minute and then stir to dissolve.

If the chocolate is not dissolved completely then place the bowl over a bain-marie and stir to dissolve completely. Set aside for 10 mins until it thickens a bit.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl start whipping the cream and once you get soft peaks, add the ganache to it and whip until still peaks. Voila, your easy peasy shortcut chocolate mousse frosting is already:D

Cookie Troubleshooting Guide:

Honestly, it would take an entirely separate post to solve each and every query regarding making cookies which I will surely do sometime sooner.

For today let us see the major 2 issues that you would face.

Why do Cookies spread?

Ingredients are too warm: That is why it is important to chill the dough before baking. If the ingredients especially the butter is warm then it would melt easily and spread too much while baking.
Too much of sugar: Another reason for overspreading of the cookies is if the recipe calls for too much sugar. The sugar melts in the oven and causes the cookie to spread.
Over-mixing the cookie dough would also mean overspreading of cookies while baking.

How do you fix cookies that spread too much?

If you note all the points mentioned above then your cookies will not spread too much.

How can you tell if chocolate chip cookies are done?

The edges turn crispy and light golden brown in colour whereas the centre still seems to be soft and not cooked completely. Do not worry upon chilling the cookies will crisp up further.

How long can you store homemade chocolate chip cookies?

Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Cookie Dough: To keep cookie dough, wrap it in a cling film or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months.

How to make Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Chilling Time

2 hrs

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups is a fun and entertaining holidays treat for your kids, family or friends. These muffin tin little cups desserts filled with 2 ingredient Chocolate Mousse would surely win hearts around your dinner table.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate chip cookie cups, cookie cups, eggless chocolate chip cookies

Servings: 13 cookies

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

For the Cookie Base

1/2 cup (115 gms) Softened Butter
1/2 cup (65 gms) Brown Sugar
1/2 cup (95 gms) Caster Sugar
3 tbsp (45 gms) Milk
1+1/4 cup (175 gms) Flour
1/2 tsp (2 gms) Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Chocolate Chips

2 ingredient Chocolate Mousse

100 gms Chocolate chopped
250 gms Cream

Chocolate and sprinkles if needed

Instructions

Cream together softened butter and both the sugars until light and creamy in this case. This would take around 10 to 15 mins using a stand mixer.
Add half of the measured out milk. Beat until combined. Add the rest and beat well.
Sieve all the dry ingredients and add it to the butter mixture. Beat until just combined and it takes the shape of the dough. Do not overmix the batter.
Add the chocolate chips and fold that through.
Divide the dough into 2.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough and directly place them in the mini muffin tins.
Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 14-17 mins.
Once out of the oven and while still warm, using a rounded object (I have used the back of a tbsp) press down the centre to create a dent pushing the cookie to the sides to form the shape of a cup.
Let it cool in the pan itself for 10 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies.

For the remaining dough also, scoop out the batter using an ice-cream scoop, and place them in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Chill the dough for a minimum of 2 hours. (I would highly recommend to chill them overnight which is what I did).
Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 12-15 mins until the edges crisp up turning into golden brown colour and the centre still remains soft.
Let it sit in the baking tray itself for 3-4 mins and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

2 ingredient Chocolate Mousse

Take the chopped chocolates and 50 ml Cream in a bowl. Melt them over a double boiler until the chocolate is all melted and combined with the cream. This is the ganache
Let it cool and thicken for 5-10 mins.
Meanwhile, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks. Gradually add the cooled ganache and whip until stiff peaks.
Your chocolate mousse filling is ready to be filled in.

Chocolate and Sprinkles

Melt some chocolate and place in a wide mouth bowl. Also keep the sprinkles ready in a separate plate.
Dip the cookie cups into melted chocolate such that it only coats the top rim of the cups. Tap to remove off the excess.
Then place the cups into the sprinkles so that it sticks around the edges. Let it stand for couple of minutes to set completely.
Fill with the prepared chocolate mousse.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Choose any kind of filling that you like to fill the cups with - Nutella, Ganache, Plain Milk, Cheesecake, Whipped Cream just anything of your choice.
The more the filling sits in the cookie the softer it would tend to become.
Do refer the pictorial step by step recipe for PRO TIPS.

How to Make Small Batch Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies?

As mentioned in the recipe I have divided the cookie dough batter into two to get 6 cookies and 7 cookie cups.

That means simply just halve all the ingredients to make just 6-7 cookies at a time.

The recipe works perfectly fine when halved. I have always made a small batch for my family so be rest assured that the recipe works.

Conclusion:

These Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie cups are a fun and entertaining treat for kids, friends or family that you can try to make this holiday season.

Totally satisfying and worth trying.

The crispy cookie base followed by a smooth and silky melt in your mouth mousse filling and the little bite of the crunchy sprinkles is totally divine.

So is the eggless chocolate chip cookies a delight to eat. The crispy edges with a soft centre studded with chocolate pearls dunked into milk are something that I can have any time of the day. Can you too?

The 2 ingredient Chocolate Mousse takes hardly 5 mins of your time and with just 2 ingredients it is a dessert that is worth making even at 2.00 am. A quick and easy dessert to satisfy your dessert craving.

You can use this frosting to fill and frost an entire cake. The details of which have been shared in the recipe post above.

All in all, this Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cup is a delight to make and share with friends and family. If you too think so then definitely let me know your thoughts by tagging me, tweeting me or Instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Pin this to your Cookies or Dessert Board

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then

Hugs

Sushma

Instant Pot Whole Wheat Pita Bread Recipe

April 11, 2019

I am sorry for making you addicted to bread baking at home, because once you make this soft and chewy Whole Wheat Pita Bread at home then there would be no looking back..

You would totally get addicted to its flavour and would keep coming back for more!!!

What can you expect from this Whole Wheat Pita Bread recipe post?

In this vegan pita bread post, I will cover details on:

A brief discussion on What is Pita bread and why to make it with whole wheat?
Answering questions from you guys from my earlier video on How to Make Pita Bread at home like a pro?
6 steps you need to know to make the best pita bread I mean Whole Wheat Pita Bread.
And on popular demand have included the recipe for falafel and hummus too. 😀

Now I would try to keep this post short and cut it down because all the tips and tricks and the methods that I have discussed in my Pita Bread post applies to this as well so I will try not to repeat the same and try to share few additional information instead.

And hence if you have not already gone through my earlier post I would highly recommend you guys to look into it now or maybe after you read through this recipe. Here is the link to that post.

Beginning with, What is a Pita Bread?

Pita Bread basically falls into the category of flatbreads from the Meditteranean Cuisine.

The pita bread dough has similar ingredients like other flatbreads such as pizza dough or a naan dough, the little techniques used to make this dough is what gives the Pita Bread that characteristic puff and that pockets is then used to fill hummus, veggie or meat filling, falafel and dipping sauce.

Stay tuned because the 6 steps and tricks mentioned in the post would definitely help you make a Pita Bread on your own.

If Pita bread itself is so amazing then why make it with whole wheat?

Why make Whole Wheat Pita Bread?

To be brutally honest with you, I have made this homemade pita bread just on the request you guys made on the video. I like to enjoy bread or cakes made of Plain Flour or Maida more than ones made using Whole Wheat.

However, I must respect your thoughts and opinion too right.. so if you ask for a whole wheat pita bread recipe I would definitely share it.

Moreover, whole wheat flour is easily digested by our body as compared to plain flour and also it is said that whole wheat flour has more iron and nutrients comparatively. Does that answer your question; is pita bread healthy or is whole wheat pita bread healthy?

Well, I for one do not believe that everything made using whole wheat is healthy. Let us not get into that debate as for now, but rather let us enjoy making pita bread at home.

Now that you know what is pita bread, time to look into the Whole Wheat Pita Bread ingredients – which includes the usual flour, yeast, salt, sugar and water.

I have already discussed each of them in detail in my previous post so skipping it now and moving on to the next step. In place of plain flour or maida mentioned in that post we are using whole wheat flour here.

So let us now have a look at:

6 steps to help you make the perfect Best Whole Wheat Pita Bread at home!!!

Like any other yeast-leavened bread, to make a soft Whole Wheat Pita Bread you will have to follow the same steps of bread making – Kneading, First Proofing, Shaping, Second Proofing and Cooking.

So that brings us to our first step.

Step 1: Kneading a Soft and Smooth Dough

Did you know each and every bread has an optimum temperature after kneading? And to get that optimum temperature we need to have the liquid required to make the dough at a specific temperature.

Pheww…

And the temperature of water for this Whole Wheat Pita Bread dough has to be around 90-100 degree Fahrenheit.

The second thing to note is that if you are using Active Dry Yeast in place of Instant Yeast then you need to activate it first before adding to your mixture.

To make this dough, we will add all our dry ingredients – flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and give a mix. Dissolve your yeast in the water and add this to the dry flour.

Combine together until all the flour is hydrated.

Dust your worktop with some dry flour. Transfer the dough to your worktop and start kneading.

This is going to be a really sticky mess to begin with but keep on dusting and keep on kneading. After about 10 mins add olive oil and kneed again. It took me around 25 mins and almost 1/2 cup of more wheat flour to get a soft, smooth and tacky dough.

Once again I would refer you guys to check my previous post on Pita Bread as to how to knead the dough right way!!

Step 2: First Proofing in an Instant Pot

Grease a bowl with oil. Transfer the dough into it and allow this to proof for 2 hours.

And this is where my new found love – Instant Pot comes in play. Instant Pot Bread is suddenly a rage now and I can totally see why.

So I allowed my bread to proof in Instant Pot for 1 hour. Yes, that is the advantage of using the magic pot it literally cuts down the proofing time by half. Super handy to make a no-knead bread.. no need to wait for 6 to 8 hours for it to proof.

Yea so if you have an Instant Pot then allow it proof in the pot for 1 hour in yogurt setting mode or else proof it for 2 hours.

Proofing in a Bowl : 2 hours

Proofing in Instant Pot : 1 hour

Next time I am gonna test the batch for 30 mins of proofing in Instant Pot.. Will test it and update the results with you guys 😀

Step 3: Shaping and Rolling the Dough

After the first proofing, gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log and divide it into 6 balls. Or you can also weigh them to be accurate. I weighed them this time and each ball was around 75 gms.

Take a ball, tuck the sides to the base and try to give them a round shape and place it on your worktop. Cover it with a tea towel and repeat the step with the remaining 5 balls and place it adjacent to the previous one.

Starting with the first dough that you shaped, flatten it out and using a rolling pin to roll it into a circle with around 6 inch diameter.

Points to note while rolling

The dough should be rolled thin.
I observed that trying to keep the diameter to 6 inches gives the dough the required thickness and also helps to maintain a uniform size for all the pitas.
Make sure to roll it evenly without any tears or cracks on the surface.

Don’t get me wrong again to understand the why and how’s just check that post..

Step 4: Second Proofing

Once you roll the dough out, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or worktop dusted with flour. Cover with a tea towel so that it doesn’t dry out.

You need the parchment paper beneath because the dough on resting seems to get wet a bit and when you try to lift it up you might unknowingly cause it to tear and then the pitas won’t puff so it is important to place them on a parchment paper.

So once rolled out, allow the dough to rest a bit – second proofing for 30 mins so that the gluten gets time to relax.

Step 5: Cooking the Pitas

In whichever medium you choose to cook your pitas be it in an oven or a skillet make sure that it is super HOT.

The hot conditions of the oven are needed to quickly create steam which would eventually create the pockets. If the oven temperature is too low, the steam won’t cause the puff, and you’ll end up with thick pita bread.

Preheat the oven to max temperature with the baking stone inside so that the stone is also hot when you place the pitas. Within a matter of 3 to 5 mins, you will observe the pitas puffing up.

The same logic applies to cook it in the skillet too.

Apart from that, the other thing you need to note is to flip the pitas before cooking.

So the rolled portion which was the top portion would hit the skillet or baking stone first and would now be the bottom portion.

Step 6: The right way to store them

Simply place them in a tea towel stacked one above the other. This would keep them warm and soft. The tea towels would retain the moisture and at the same time letting the pitas to breathe.

Follow these 6 simple steps and I assure you that almost all of your pitas would puff.

I am saying almost because sometimes the pitas just don’t puff

Pitas that don’t Puff:

Yea even after following all the tips and steps sometime the pitas won’t puff. Don’t get disheartened.. It took me 2 attempts to perfect my pita making skills 😉

Even though it doesn’t puff the base would be still so soft that it makes an excellent base for pizzas. Or simply dip them in hummus and enjoy.

Or bake them again to make pita chips and enjoy with dip of your choice.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Now a heartfelt thank you to all of you who watched my Pita Bread Video and shared your thoughtful and meaningful comments on the same.

Even though I tried to reply to each of you, after a point it was just not possible, extremely sorry about that but definitely, I have read all your posts and few questions that were asked frequently in that video and that is what I would like to address in this one.

1. What is the flat surface that I am using to cook the Pita Bread?

It is called Tawa. Basically, it is an iron skillet that I got from India. I am pretty sure you can easily find it in any of the Indian stores near you or you can also choose to order it from Amazon.

2. How hot is my skillet?

So on a scale of 1 to 9 on my gas stove, I heat it on 7. After about 5 to 8 mins when I place my hand a few inches above the skillet I could feel the heat on my palms and that is when I reduce it to 5. And then start cooking my pitas.

You will have to initially test 1 or 2 pitas to understand your gas flame.

3. Do I use oil while cooking or do I oil the skillet?

I do not use oil while cooking the pitas.

And neither do I oil it separately.

What I mean is every time I wash the skillet, I put it back on the flame to dry it and once dried add in a tbsp or 2 of olive oil and using a paper towel simple spread it all over the skillet evenly and then heat it up until it smokes. Switch off the flame and store it once it is cool to touch.

Basically, that is how I store my iron vessels to avoid the formation of rust.

And that oil which is already present on the skillet is the only Oil I use apart from that I do not add any extra oil while cooking.

4. How to store the Pitas. Can you freeze it?

I will divide the section into three parts.

First, let us see how to store the pita bread dough?
Simply transfer the dough to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for upto a week. Just pinch out 1 or 2 balls or depending upon how much ever you need for the day and proceed with the steps mentioned in the recipe.

How to store partially cooked pitas?

Well, I would not recommend this method, to begin with.. Because when you cook the pitas on one side and flip to the other side it automatically starts to puff immediately which means we would end up cooking it completely.

So I have not tried it successfully and hence would not recommend it.

How to store cooked pita bread?

You can store cooked pita bread in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Just place a parchment paper in between each pitas. Wrap it with an aluminium foil. Put it in a ziplock bag with correct labelling and then store it.

How do you revive Pita Bread?

I personally use the following method to revive my day old Pita’s.

Simply cut the pitas lengthwise like you normally do.. Then using wet hands just dab dab dab the water onto the pitas on both the sides. Place it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 10-15 seconds.. and you will have a perfect soft pita as fresh as new ones 😀

Since I just made a small batch of pitas the other day I could not film this portion using pita bread as nothing was left out. So I am using a regular Indian flatbread – Lachha paratha as an example here in the above pictures. Sorry about that guys.

How do you eat pita bread?

Due to the puffy pockets it gets while cooking or baking, it is usually used as a medium to stuff things in.. The common thing that you would find in all kind of stuffings is a salad.. Other than that you can use any filling like kebabs, falafel, eggs, the meat of your choice just anything you like..

Any sauce or condiments like a different flavour of hummus, tzatziki sauce, basically something to keep it moist.

You can also cut it into triangles add some spices, bake it until crispy to enjoy it like chips.

Can we add herbs or spices to flavour the dough?

Yes, you can add any dried herbs or spices to flavour the dough. Just add in along with the dry ingredients itself be it while making regular Pita Bread or this Whole Wheat Pita Bread.

With all those things in mind, let us see how to make Whole Wheat Pita Bread

5 from 2 votes

How to make Whole Wheat Pita Bread like a PRO!!

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Proofing Time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

42 mins

Learn all the tips and tricks and the right steps needed to make Instant Pot whole wheat pita bread. And upon your suggestion find the recipes for hummus, falafel, balela salad and tzatziki sauce.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: whole wheat pita bread

Servings: 6 pita bread

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

Pita Bread

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour/Atta
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
200 ml Water
1 tsp Instant Yeast
1 tbsp Olive oil
+/- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for dusting

Falafel

1/2 cup Chickpeas soaked overnight
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
3/4 tsp Salt or to taste
1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/4 tsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Flour
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Hummus

1/3 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tbsp Sesame seeds
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sun dried Tomatoes

Balela Salad

1/2 cup Cooked Chickpeas
1/4 each of bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, cucumber
Olive oil, Lemon Juice, salt and pepper to taste

Tatziki Sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 Cucumber grated
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp olive oil
handful of Dill leaves Chopped
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

Pita Bread

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and give a good mix.
Dissolve yeast in the water and add it to your dry ingredients and combine together until the flour is hydrated. Transfer to the worktop dusted with some whole wheat flour and then knead the dough
After about 10 mins of kneading add a tbsp of oil and knead again until you reach the soft, pliable and tacky dough stage which would take another 15 mins of kneading. You would have to approximately knead the dough for 25 mins in total. Add extra flour while rolling the dough as needed
Feel free to cut short the kneading time to 10-15 mins by choosing to knead the dough in a stand mixer.
Oil the bowl and allow the dough to proof in it for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Or cut short the time by proofing the dough in the Instant Pot.
Spray some oil to the base of the pot. Transfer the dough into it. Vent to sealing position. Use the yogurt setting and set the time to 1 hour.
After the timer beeps, take the dough out and divide it evenly into 6 balls of 75 gms each. Tuck the sides underneath to create a smooth round surface. Cover with a tea towel so that it doesn’t dry out.
Take the first dough that you weighed. Roll it out evenly into circles measuring 6 inch in diameter .
Place them on a baking tray that has been pre-lined with parchment paper.
Allow for second proofing - 30 mins.
Prereheat the oven to 230 degree Celsius with the baking stone inside. Right before baking flip the rolled out dough on to the stone and bake for 4-5 mins until it is nicely puffed up.
To make it on a stovetop make sure that the skillet is hot. Flip the rolled out dough and place it on the hot skillet. After about 20 sec flip the dough and you will observe that the dough puffs up like a balloon in minute's time. Flip it over again and cook on both sides.
Wrap it in a tea towel as soon as it comes out of the oven or skillet to keep it soft.
Pita bread tastes best when still warm.

Falafel, Hummus, Salad and Tzatziki Sauce

Please refer the attached video in the recipe card for the exact steps.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Please note I have used the Instant Pot only to proof the bread. Under normal conditions the first proofing takes 2 hours whereas Instant Pot cuts the time to 1 hour so note the time difference depending upon how you proof the dough.
If you are using any other variety of Yeast other than Instant make sure to activate the yeast first before proceeding with the recipe 🙂 The quantity remains the same.
The ideal water temperature for this recipe is 90 to 100 degree F.
Please refer the Frequently Asked Questions section right above the recipe card to get all your queries answered

Conclusion:

Whole Wheat Pita is considered to be a healthier version over its plain flour counter part.

To me in terms of taste and texture both the pitas were equal.. there was not much difference.. both were soft, chewy and flavourful.

Only thing is that I had to knead it for a longer time as compared to the plain flour ones.. but I would say that is a good exercise 😀

The homemade Whole Wheat Pita Bread paired with hummus, falafel, tzatziki sauce and balela salad was one flavourful combination.

Few other bread recipes that I think you might love:

If you thought that this post was informative then definitely let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or Instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Pin this to your Bread Board on Pinterest.

I will see you soon with yet another one.

Until then

Hugs

Sushma

How to make Number 3 Peppa Pig Birthday Cake

March 28, 2019

Peppa Pig Birthday Cake – a cake that would help you win over that cute, innocent and naughty little kiddo.

A step by step guide on how to make a number cake without any number tins or pans, rather made using a round cake which is then filled and frosted with whipped cream and decorated with Peppa pig cake toppers.

Raise your hands if your kids spend their evening time watching Peppa Pig on Youtube!!!

It is my daughter’s current favourite show so when it was time for her birthday, I had already known what was coming – A Peppa Pig Birthday Cake.

In this Peppa Pig Birthday Cake post you will learn:

How to layer and crumb coat a round cake.
Shape the round cake to make a number cake specifically number 3 cake. So this particular Number cake is made without using any number tins or number moulds.
What piping tips and nozzles to use to decorate the cake.
Links to making fondant Peppa Pig, Mummy and Daddy Pig cake toppers along with other cake toppers that I have included in this post.
Finally, I will also try to include details on covering your cake board with fondant.

So this year on Yoshana’s Birthday her cake has a little bit of everyone’s liking.

She wanted a Peppa Pig Cake – Check

Daddy wanted Pineapple Cake – Check

And mummy wanted to try a number cake – Check.

Haha.. yes a little bit of all our wishes are there in her cake.

Have used my evergreen Pineapple Cake recipe. A detailed recipe for all the components of pineapple cake has already been shared so you can check it out by clicking here.

For a better understanding of the assembly of this Number 3 Peppa Pig Birthday Cake, I have divided it into 6 steps which we will go through one by one in a detailed way.

Starting with the first step would be to actually bake the cake and layer it right.. 😀

Step 1 : Layering and Crumb coating

To make this Peppa Pig Cake, I have baked 2 “7 inch” pineapple cake.

Divided it into 3 layers each. So in total now I have 6 layers of cake.

Placed the base layer on the cake board. Then filled it with whipped cream, pineapple compote, tutti-fruity and choco chips. Place the second layer on top and repeated the steps until I reached the very top.

Using the same whipped cream that I used for filling I have now crumb coated the cake as well. Allow it to chill for a minimum of 30 mins.

All these steps are explained in a more detailed manner in Moist Eggless Pineapple Cake blog post. You can also find the detailed recipe from there.

However, the cake flavours totally depend upon your personal liking. You can also go for plain vanilla cake, chocolate cake or chocolate caramel cake etc or as per your client’s needs.

PRO TIP:

I would advise to place the 2 cakes side-by-side and do each step simultaneously. This would save a ton of your time.

Step 2: How to cover your cake board with Fondant?

These days home baking, cake baking and cake decorating has gained so much popularity and grown so much that there are new trends and techniques coming up every other day. Be it the cake popsicles or alphabet cake some trends have taken the internet by storm.

One such trend that I have been observing for a really long time has to be covering the cake board to match the colours, theme or decoration of your cake.

It was not very popular when I was a child. Growing up I have never seen this but now you can see it everywhere.

So for our Peppa Pig Birthday Cake, the concept that I choose was that the family goes to a park to feed the ducks and also sit and relax, play and eat together.

This is one activity that the three of us often do in fact every other weekend I must say.

For which the cake has to be green in colour with grass piping and hence I decided the base that is the cake board to be in sky blue colour with sun and clouds around.

And hence I rolled out blue fondant (or mix some blue food colour to your white fondant and use) to the size of my cake board.

So after rolling some portion of it on my worktop I placed the fondant on my cake board and rolled it over to adjust to its size tucking just a bit underneath the board so that I could also cover the sides of the cake board.

Alternatively, you can also choose a ribbon to tie on the sides of the board. Set this to dry overnight.

Step 3: Shaping the Round Cakes to form a Number 3 Cake

It is actually hard to explain the way to cut your cake in plain words.

So I have shown a diagrammatic representation of the same on a paper which I am attaching here for your reference. Or you can also refer the video below for an even better understanding.

Once you have cut the round cake as shown in the pictures simply place them on your blue cake board to form a number 3 shape.

Step 4: Decorating the Cake

As mentioned I wanted the cake to resemble a park set-up. And hence to pipe on the cake I used a grass tip. Wilton Nozzle no 233 to be precise.

Using my favourite stabilized whipped cream frosting coloured in green and flavoured with pineapple, I simply piped the grasses all over the cake.

However, it was difficult to reach the nooks and corners or to say the inside portion of the cake that is the curved part. So to cover that portion I used a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or nozzle and then simply do random piping all over.. Yes, it would look more like noodles than a grass effect 😉 but still will look good in the end 😀

Step 5: Creating a Lake effect or call it a Pond

You do not have to do this. In place of the water effect, you can also make a small puddle and place your pigs there if you wish.

But in this case for making the Peppa Pig Birthday Cake as per our theme or concept, what I did was, melted some white chocolate, add a drop of blue food colouring along with few drops of oil. Combine it all together. Transfer to a parchment paper cone and just make a random drawing of a lake or pond. Just become a child again.. hehe..

Another detailed video that you must check out has to be how to melt chocolate the right way.

Step 6: Fondant Placements

Now I do not consider myself an expert in making fondant designs yet so I have not included the steps or method for making all the cake toppers.

However, here are few Youtube links that I referred to make my cake toppers.

Not including any link for making the sun because it is so simple. Just cut out the round shape using a cookie cutter and thin strips for the rays.

And then place them on top of your cake. Place the sun and clouds on the cake board.

That’s it our Peppa Pig Birthday Cake is all done and dusted.

Here is the link to the Peppa Pig Birthday Cake video.

I won’t say this Peppa Pig Birthday Cake tutorial is a simple or easy recipe for that matter.

Yes, a bit time consuming and need some practice but totally worth the happiness on the face of your friends and family 🙂

This was a personal and special post for me.

Every year I look forward to this time to create something beautiful and special for my daughter believing it to stay as a fresh memory forever. On her first birthday, we did a Little Krishna Theme party. You can check all the details of the same from here.

Last year on her second birthday we were in India so I could not make anything special for her.

Hope I continue to create more beautiful memories for her through the medium of food.

And I also hope that you guys enjoyed the tutorial too. I know it is not a perfect cake but still a special one forever.

If you ever recreate this then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts..

Pin this Peppa Pig Birthday Cake tutorial to your cake decorating board

I will see you soon with yet another one

Until then

Hugs

Sushma.

Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake Recipe

March 8, 2019

A decadent Indian dessert or to say Indian sweets inspired cake; this Gulab Jamun Cake is literally going to sweep you off your feet. Completely Egg-Free this moist, sweet, light and fluffy fusion Gulab Jamun Cake is what you need to make any occasion special.

Gulab Jamun Cake is something that I am really gonna hold close to my heart.

You know why? (How would you.. so stupid of me 😛 )

That is because I baked this cake for my daughter who turned 3 last week. It is truly said with kids days are longer and years are shorter. How I wish to go back to the day when I held her for the first time <3

Awwww… I know right!!

Well, recently I got an opportunity to bake this for a client and I was so so impressed with the gulab jamun decoration that I had to recreate the exact same design for my daughter. Not only that but also I wished to share with you all because IMO it is one of the beautiful cakes I have made so far.

In this post, you can find details on

What is Gulab Jamun Cake
Tips to Make Gulab Jamun Cake at home
How to serve the cake

Indian inspired cupcakes and cakes are taking over the market these days..

On my last visit to India, each and every bakery shop that I visited had some or the other kinds of fusion cake in the display. The most popular one was, of course, Rasmalai Cake. (Let me know if you would like to have a video post on Rasmalai Cake since it is such a common cake I am not sure of making it anytime sooner.)

I also had the chance to taste Kaju Katli Cake which was pretty good too.

Now there are two kinds of people – One who likes fusion cake and ones who are totally against it… Which category do you belong to?

To make Gulab Jamun Cake you would, of course, need some gulab jamuns.

What is Gulab Jamun?

Gulab jamun is a milk-solid based sweet from the Indian subcontinent.

These milk solids, known as khoya, are kneaded into a dough, with a small amount of flour (maida), and then shaped into small balls and deep-fried at a low temperature. The balls are then soaked in a light sugar syrup flavoured with cardamom and rose water or saffron.

Then what is Gulab Jamun Cake?

It is basically a variation of my Eggless Vanilla Cake recipe or to be precise Eggless Fruit Cake recipe.

So instead of vanilla or fruit essence, I have used Rabdi Essence in this recipe.

It is a rabdi flavoured cake, the even light and fluffy layers of cake with soft crumbs are then drenched in the sugar syrup that is scented with rose and saffron, layered with the smoothest cloud-like whipped cream frosting sandwiched with bits and pieces of soft gulab jamun that literally melts in your mouth which is then dressed up in the most amazing silky smooth whipped cream frosting.

A slice of this cake would surely make you close your eyes and enter into the state of nirvana 😀

No no no I am not at all exaggerating here; since everything is made fresh and at home, including the gulab jamuns which are totally homemade you get the best experience ever.

I always prefer to make homemade Rasmalai and homemade Kaju Katli or any Indian sweet like, in this case, homemade gulab jamun for all the fusion cakes, the final outcome has to be impressive.

Surely I would share a detailed post on how to make gulab jamun at home for you guys.

Gulab Jamun Cake ingredients:

1. Cake Base:

Haha.. sounds silly right.. so obviously you would need a cake base for which I have used the same base recipe from my Fresh Fruit Cake post except that in this case substituted the fruit essence with Rabdi Essence.

Feel free to use any of your favourite cake recipes or check out this simple eggless vanilla cake recipe made without condensed milk that is perfect for beginners.

2. Gulab Jamuns

You can make your own gulab jamun mix using mtr gulab jamun, gits gulab jamun or any gulab jamun packet for that matter.

Or make gulab jamun from scratch like I did, using mawa.

Simply just refer google for gulab jamun near me and just buy it from there. 😉

You would need 10 pieces of gulab jamuns for this cake.

3. Whipped Cream

The only type of cream that is available to me here is non-dairy whipping cream so that is what I use to fill my cakes most of the time.

Since it is not as stable as the non-dairy whipping cream that is available back in India, I often make a Stabilized Whipped Cream and use it for frosting my cakes.

Have also used Pistachios and Rose Petals as garnish.

Actually have added some pistachios along with gulab jamuns in the filling so I think this cake can pass out as being named: gulab jamun pistachio cake 😉

Tips for making Gulab Jamun Cake:

I feel that the gulab jamuns make this cake pretty heavy so I would advise you to work with chilled cake as far as possible.
Always soak the cake to keep it moist for 3-4 days. Soaking with the syrup that came along with gulab jamuns is just ideal for this cake
Use an ice-cream scoop or ladle to add even layers of cream as part of filling. This is a useful tip especially if you are a beginner.
Make sure to chop your pistachios and also gulab jamuns to bite size pieces.
Always place the gulab jamuns on top of your cake as part of decoration right before delivery as the gulab jamuns is heavy there are possibilities that it might slide down with the passage of time. Though mine stayed firm throughtout the travelling and reaching the client’s house just a precautionary step is what I wanted to tell you.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”5 tips to make the best ever decadent Gulab Jamun Cake. #snf #indiandesserts #indianinspiredcake” quote=”5 tips to make the best ever decadent Gulab Jamun Cake.” theme=”style5″]

How to serve Gulab Jamun Cake?

Well, this technique is not only applicable to this cake but for all the cakes that you would cut and serve going forward.

Instead of making a regular triange slice on cakes like we usually do while cutting it, we should cut it into rectangles for serving.

What I mean is make horizontal and vertical cuts like rows and columns and then serve them to your guests.

If you were to cut a triangle slice the max pieces that you would get is 8 in any cake whereas if follow the method of cutting the cake in rows and columns it would serve a large number of guests.

This is exactly what a catering guy would do while serving wedding cakes.

Makes sense right!!

[click_to_tweet tweet=”4 simple steps is all you need to make this luscious Gulab Jamun Cake #snf” quote=”4 simple steps is all you need to make this luscious Gulab Jamun Cake #snf” theme=”style5″]

Finally, let us see how to make Gulab Jamun Cake at home from scratch

5 from 1 vote

Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Filling and Frosting

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

A decadent Indian desserts or to say Indian sweets inspired cake; this Gulab Jamun Cake is literally going to swipe you off your feet. Completely Egg-Free this moist, sweet, light and fluffy fusion Gulab Jamun Cake is what you need to any occasion special.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: eggless gulab jamun cake, gulab jamun cake

Servings: 1 6 inch cake

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

For the Cake Base

1.5 cups All purpose Flour/Maida
1.5 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
pinch Salt
1 Cup Sugar
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Yogurt
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 tsp Rabdi Essence refer notes

Sugar Syrup

Syrup that came along with Gulab Jamuns

Cream Filling

175 gms Whipping Cream
44 gms Icing Sugar
1/4 tsp Rabdi Essence

Gulab Jamun Filling

4 nos gulab jamuns
2 tbsp slivered pistachios

Cream Frosting

53 gms Cream Cheese refer notes
225 gms Whipping Cream
56 gms Icing Sugar
1/4 tsp Rabdi Essence
1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence

Instructions

Step 1 - For the Cake Base

Sift together the dry ingredients - Flour, Baking powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Sugar and keep aside.
Mix sugar and milk in a bowl until homogenous. Whisking continuously add the oil to help it emulsify. Next, add the yogurt and essence and combine together.
Add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet in two batches. Combine to form a smooth batter
Divide the batter evenly between three 6 inch pans that have been greased with butter and lined with parchment paper. Approximately 275 gms in each tin.
Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 35-45 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Step 2 - Cream Filling

Take the measured out whipping cream, icing sugar and essence in a bowl.
Whip until stiff peaks form and it is ready to use.

Chop the gulab jamuns into bite size pieces

Step 3 - Cream Frosting

Whip the cream cheese until it is creamy
Whipping continuously add the whipping cream little by little. Scrape the bowl using a spatula and then add icing sugar and fruit essence. Whip until stiff peaks form.

Step 4 - To Assemble

Layer the cake onto a cake board. Trim off the top to even the cake.
Soak the cake with the sugar syrup that came along with the gulab jamuns
Add half of the cream filling and spread it out evenly.
Top with half of the bite size gulab jamuns and slivered pistachios.
Place the other cake layer on top and repeat the steps.
Crumb coat the cake with the leftover cream filling and let it chill for 30 mins.
After 30 mins frost the cake completely with the stabilized whipped cream frosting till you get a smooth finish on the sides and top. Refer the video on how to frost your cake for a better understanding.
Let it chill once again for 30 mins.
And the decorate the gulab jamun the way you like. I have used a total of 10 gulab jamuns to fill and frost the cake.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

If you do not have radbi essence, (though I would highly recommend using it as it is easily available also these days) you can flavour the cake with cardamom powder.
And for the cream, you can use any other essence like almond or even rose water or rose essence.
Simply follow my stabilized Whipped Cream frosting recipe for a much detailed recipe step to get the perfect smooth frosting.
If you liked the writing on top of the cake and you would want to master the art of writing on cakes? Then definitely check out my post for the 6 tips that would help you master it.
Allow the cake to chill for a few minutes between crumb coating, frosting and decorating stage.
Feel free to use saffron strands, rose petals, edible silver foil and some more slivered pistachios as part of the decoration.

Conclusion:

In all get away from your regular baked gulab jamun cheesecake or no bake gulab jamun cheesecake and give this interesting Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake recipe a try.

This Cake is

Light with soft crumbs

Moist

Delicious filling

Soft gulab jamuns

Looks so good; Ain’t it?

And if you try this recipe then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or Instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Pin this to your Baking board

I will see you soon with yet another one

Until then

Hugs

Sushma

Easy Spanokopita recipe | Spinach Feta Filo Cups

November 17, 2018

Spanokopita – Traditional Pie recipe stuffed with a creamy cheesy filling of spinach and feta all layered in between thin, crispy and flaky filo crusts; with each bite giving you a dreamy texture of crispiness and creaminess.

This easy Spanakopita recipe or spinach and feta filo cups is a shortcut recipe, easy and quick to make for a crowd; perfect as a Thanksgiving appetizers.

Spanokopita is one of the best spinach appetizers that you can make and serve during this festive and holiday period.

I have not one or two but six reasons for you to make this authentic spanakopita recipe
1. Ridiculously easy to make.

2. Can be made ahead of time.

3. Perfect recipe for a crowd can be easily doubled or tripled.

4. Hardly needs any time. In just a few minutes you would have an amazing appetizer all ready to serve.

5. Can be made in different forms like spinach feta pie, spinach and feta rolls, spinach and feta triangles, spinach and feta filo pie, spinach and feta tart, spinach and feta filo parcels, Spanakopita bites. Basically, you just have to master the recipe once and you can serve it in so many different forms either in the same party or in multiple parties.

6. It has a variation of texture play. The crispy and flaky crusty sheets with layers of creamy and smooth cream cheese flavoured with garlicky feta and fresh herbs with an additional bite from soft onions and spinach, this spinach spanakopita recipe leaves a burst of flavours in your mouth.

This Spanokopita recipe might be unfamiliar to some of you. So let us see What is Spanokopita? or What is in a Spanokopita?

Spanokopita is basically a Greek savoury pastry. Usually made as a pie with spinach and cheese filling seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh herbs and baked to golden. And then served by cutting it into triangles or squares.

However today we are shaping it into filo cups and serving it in a more interesting and unique way.

So if you look into spanokopita ingredients all you need is:
1. Pastry Sheets either homemade or store bought. Today we are using store-bought so that we can spend more time making other recipes or simply spend some time playing with our kids.

2. Cream Cheese – makes the filling creamy and smooth.

3. Feta Cheese – gives that tangy taste. And today we are using cumin and garlic flavoured which further enhances the flavour quotient.

4. Spinach and Onion – the quintessential filling needed to make these spinach phyllo appetizers.

And of course, salt, pepper and fresh herbs to make this the best spanakopita recipe ever.

It is Thanksgiving next week. And these spinach and feta pie recipe; actually now that we have made a shortcut method to make our life easier I should mention these spinach and feta filo pastry served in filo cups or phyllo cups are the best thing that you can serve to your guests.

As mentioned earlier there are so many reasons on why you should definitely make these phyllo cup appetizers but let us address the most important one.

Can you prepare filo parcels in advance? or Can you prepare spanakopita in advance?
Yes undoubtedly.

To make it ahead of time, make the filling as per the instructions. Cling-wrap and store it in the refrigerator.

You can shape them as shown in the video into filo cups and freeze them. But since it is so much easier and less time-consuming I would recommend you to do it before the start of the party itself.

If you would like to bake them ahead of time then definitely you can. I am sharing the method on How do you reheat spanakopita? down below.

In case you are making spanakopita triangles that is spinach and cheese triangles instead of spinach feta filo cups then it is even easier to make it ahead of time.

Cut the sheets into rectangles. Add the filling and fold to form a triangle. Place it out on top of a baking tray and once frozen, transfer it to a ziplock bag and bake whenever needed.

Or the best option would be to make spinach and feta puff pastry pinwheels. Lay out the filo sheets as mentioned in the recipe. Place the filling in the centre and roll from the shorter end to make a log just like a swiss roll. Cling wrap and refrigerate. Next day simply divide it into equal roundels and bake.

Now that you have baked your spinach phyllo cups ahead of time you might be wondering Can you reheat filo pastry?
Yes, you can. Most pies and pastries can be gently reheated at 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through.

However, my personal recommendation to you all would be to make your filling separately and keep the filo cups or spinach triangles ready and then bake them right before serving. That is because baked spanokopita tends to lose its crispiness at some point.

Can you serve spanakopita cold?
Oh yes!! These spanokopita tastes equally good when cold. So you can do all the prep work the night before bake these 30 mins to 1 hour ahead and keep everything ready at your serving table.

I had made these to serve the little kids during navratri festival, so what I did was – prepared the filling night before, made the filo cups in the morning 1 hour before the party time. Then when everyone came in and were settled with some juice or welcoming drink, I put the tray in the oven as it hardly takes any time to make.

So by the time kids and mommies finished their drink, this spanakopita with puff pastry was all ready to serve.

Guessing with all my blabbering you have some idea about this Spanokopita, so let us see how to make spanakopita?

two pieces of spinach and feta filo cups or spanokopita served on a plate

Easy Spanokopita recipe | Spinach and Feta Filo Cups

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Looking out for easy appetizer recipes - My go to simple, easy to make homemade Spanakopita recipe is all you need. This greek traditional and authentic eggless fresh spinach and feta filo cups with cream cheese is sure to win hearts.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: spanakopita, spanokopita, spinach and feta filo cups

Servings: 12 filo cups

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

1 tbsp Oil
1/4 cup Finely Chopped Onions
175 gms Baby Spinach chopped
175 gms Cream Cheese softened
1/3 cup Feta Cheese Garlic and Cumin Flavoured
3 tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste
6 Filo Pastry Sheets
Melted Butter as needed

Instructions

Heat up oil in a pan. Once hot add onions and saute for a minute. Add in the spinach and cook until wilted. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, whisk the cream cheese until soft. Add in the feta cheese, coriander salt and pepper to taste and combine until mixed.
Add the cooked onion and spinach mix and combine until mixed. Set aside.

Filo Cups

Thaw the filo sheets as per package instructions.
Lay out a sheet onto your working board. Brush some melted butter all over the sheet.
Spread another filo sheet on top of it followed by melted butter. Repeat the process until you have a total of 6 filo sheets spread out onto your working board.
Divide it into 4x3 to get 12 individual filo pastries.
Flip it out and place it into the muffin pan such that the base is covered completely whereas the top is hanging around the edges. This is what creates the crispy top of the filo cups.
Fill each filo cup with 1 tbsp of prepared filling and bake in a preheated oven of 200°C for 5 to 8 mins until light golden in colour.
Serve warm

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

1. If you do not find garlic and cumin feta cheese you can use the regular ones too. However, before sauteeing onions just add minced garlic first and saute until raw smell goes.

2. Any other seasoning of your choice can also be used like pizza, dill leaves etc.

3. You can also add paprika or red chilli flakes to make it more on the spicier end.

Feel free to chop the spinach first and then add to your pan if you do not like to eat the entire leaf

How do you cook Costco spanakopita?
I understand you might have seen the readymade packets available in Costco. You can use that directly and bake in a preheated oven of 350F for 20 mins or simply follow the packet instructions.

However, if you choose to make your own you always have an upper hand in choosing the filling flavours of your choice.

You might also be wondering what to serve with spanakopita triangles? or simply What do you dip spanakopita in?
Ideally, this is a one pack appetizer. As in the filo cups itself is so appetizing that you do not need any accompaniments along with it. However, Spanakopita goes well with honey mustard, herbed sour cream, salsa, sweet ‘n sour sauce, roasted red pepper dip etc.

Also feel free to top with sesame seeds, chilli powder, Parmesan cheese, chopped nuts or other personalized toppings right before baking.

Thanksgiving is such a beautiful occasion just like michhami dukkadam celebrated by Gujratis. It gives us an opportunity to thank all those people who have touched our heart.

And with this post, I take that opportunity to thank each one of you reading this for always being there with me and supporting me all through my blogging journey and helping me to grow each day.

Thank you, everyone.

I also have some more appetizer recipes that I think you might like.
1. Palak Paneer Momos

2. Paneer Potlis

3. Cheesy Monaco Bites

Also, do not forget to check out the entire playlist on Desserts that would be super handy.

You can also follow my Thanksgiving recipes board on Pinterest for more ideas.

And if you like this post then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Pin this to your Thanksgiving board or appetizer board.

I will see you in my next one.

Until then

Hugs Sushma.

The Best Apple Crisp Recipe | Apple Crumble

October 25, 2018

Apple Crisp Recipe – warm and soft baked apples topped with crispy crumbly topping; flavoured with cinnamon screams Fall in every bite!!! The only delicious apple crisp recipe you need this season..

Apple Crisp Recipe is one of those classic American desserts that you might find being made in every American household by their grandmothers and mothers; just like how Gulab Jamun is made in every Indian household since ages.

Honestly, I had never heard this dessert back in India not a common dessert there. But the world is so small that many a time you tend to adapt and acknowledge the beauty of other cuisines from all around the world.

Be it the silky smooth pannacotta from Italy, the amazingly moist Tres-Leches Cake from Mexico (videshi version of Rasmalai Cake) or this classic Apple Crisp Recipe from America – I am naturally pulled towards deserts of all kinds.

I am sure some of you are not familiar with this old-fashioned apple crisp recipe. So for those of you wondering WHAT IS APPLE CRISP? let me tell you it is a pretty basic dessert made using cooking apples.

Basically, juicy tart apples are coated with sugar and cinnamon, cooked until soft, layered with crispy crumbly topping and baked to golden.

Served warm with chilled ice-cream on top.

Imagine yourself sitting with your family watching your favourite show on Netflix on a cold Christmas or holiday evening with a warm bowl of baked apples that are soft yet having a bite perfectly sweetened and flavoured with cinnamon topped with a crumbly crispy topping adding a beautiful texture and a caramel flavoured cheesecake ice-cream or a plain vanilla ice-cream.

That’s an explosion of flavour bomb in your mouth.

I absolutely love the idea of warm dessert in this cold evening. And that is why choco lava cake is also my all-time favourite during this time of the year.

And you know what is the best part of this easy Apple Crisp recipe – It can be made ahead of time and kept, can be made for single or two serving or for a crowd. Perfect for your next fall or Thanksgiving party.

Bonus – your house would smell so heavenly you won’t need any candles to brighten the mood of the evening. 😉

You guys might have noticed that I am talking a lot about the crispy crumbly topping.. Gosh I just can’t get over it.. It is so full of texture.. Ok sush, stop diverting and concentrate.. damn meee..

So what was I saying, ya the crumbly topping!!

What is that crumb topping? How do you make a crumb topping? And How do you make crumb topping for apple crisp specifically? OR How do you make the crumble for apple crumble?

Firstly do not get confused with the terms apple crisp and apple crumble. Both of it means the same. Just that this recipe is popularly known as Apple Crisp in the US but in Aussie and NZ it is commonly known as Apple Crumble.

But it is NOT the same as an apple cobbler or an apple pie. Cobblers usually have a biscuit-like topping. And a pie will have a flaky pastry crust.

So both of them means the same and if you notice me swatching the use of the two here and there never mind.

A basic crumble topping is just flour, sugar and butter rubbed together to resemble sand-like texture. Upon baking the butter and flour crisps up adding a crispy texture whereas the sugar lends it the required sweetness.

To make the easy apple crisp topping we have just added additional cinnamon powder because apples, cinnamon and Fall are a match made in heaven. Don’t you agree?

In this recipe, I have shared a different variation of making the crumble topping as compared to the one that we used while making the Apple Crumble Cake recipe.

By sharing both the methods I just wanted you guys to opt to whichever way you are comfortable with. Texture and Taste-wise there is absolutely no difference. 🙂

What kind of apples do you use for Apple Crisp recipe?
Since we would be cooking the apples first and then baking it, you really need a variety that would retain its shape throughout.

I have used the Granny Smith variety here because they’re so firm and they hold up well for baking without turning to mush.

So if you are wondering What kind of apples make the best apple crisp – Granny Smith Apples is your go to. However, you can also try Empire or Honey Crisp… or mix all three. Totally up to you.

Also to peel or not to peel apples is again totally up to you.

Now is the time when you might be having an abundant stock of apples growing in your gardens or you might have handpicked them or you just happen to see fresh in the market; this is the perfect way to use them all up.

Because the Apple Crisp Recipe calls for a lot of apples; yes it might seem a lot while chopping them into even sizes but trust me they would wilt a little while cooking them down. So you definitely need a lot, to begin with.

Today I am sharing with you all the ultimate apple crisp without oats.

But generally, you will find easy apple crisp with oats or to say apple crumble with oats. Adding oats would definitely add an additional texture.

I am sometimes like this horse with the blind shutter on. While I was learning bakery in school here, we had been taught the crumble topping without oats so that is what I am following till now.

However, if you like oats you can definitely make this apple crisp with quick oats or apple crisp recipe with cooking oats or apple crisp with old-fashioned oats. The oatmeal crumb topping for apple crisp would definitely lend its own unique taste.

I think I have already talked enough for now, let us see How do you make easy apple crisp now and then I will share few tips on how you can make it ahead of time for parties, how to store them, Can you freeze apple crisp? etc.

How to make homemade apple crisp?

5 from 1 vote

apple crisp served in a bowl showing the texture of apple crumble

Best Apple Crisp Recipe

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

The ultimate combination of baked apples and the crispy crumble topping with a punch of cinnamon - this Best Apple Crisp Recipe screams Fall in every bite.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple crisp recipe, apple crumble recipe

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

For Crumble Topping

1+1/4 cups Plain Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
1/2 cup (113 gms) Butter

Apple Crisp Recipe

6 Granny Smith Apples peeled
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder optional
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp Salt

Instructions

Crumble topping

Start by preparing the crumble topping. In a bowl, combine together flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
Melt the butter in a cast iron pan and once melted add it to the flour mixture. Using a fork just mix everything together and keep aside.
For the apples: Start by chopping them into even thickness. Add it to the same pan in which you had melted the butter.
Top with everything else - sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and lemon juice. Mix well and put it over med-low heat.
Combine everything until it thickens a bit around 5-6 mins. You still want the apples to retain their shape.
Top with the prepared crumble topping generously and put it in a preheated oven of 180°C for 20-25 mins until the crumble crisps up and turns golden brown.
Serve warm with ice-cream or whipped cream

Notes:

1. You need not worry about melting down the butter and then mixing. You can also follow the method that I have mentioned in the Apple Crumble Cake recipe and choose whichever way you find it easy.
2. Do not have an iron skillet. No worries you can make it in any pan. Just transfer the apples to a bake safe bigger size ramekin, top it with crumble topping and bake.

Are you thinking How to serve Apple Crisp?

You can enjoy it warm or cold. But trust me it tastes heavenly when warm. I assure you this would be the best apple crisp you’ll ever have.

I like to take out a generous amount of it into a bowl and also like to add some caramel flavoured ice-cream on top. However, you can also choose to have plain vanilla ice-cream with some caramel sauce (I have a super easy recipe for homemade caramel sauce with all tips and tricks) drizzled on top. That would taste heavenly too.

Or simply go for a simple whipped cream topping.

Can you freeze apple crumble?
Follow the easy apple crisp recipe. Once done let it cool completely, then cover it with a double layer of aluminium foil.

You can then freeze this up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes alert…l heated through.

For a single serving you can also choose to microwave it for 30-40 sec. Microwave apple crisp tastes so fresh and warm.

Just an alert.. I find that frozen apple crisp or refrigerated apple crisp are not as crispy as the fresh ones.

How do you store apple crumble?
To store, let cool to room temperature, gently place a paper towel on top of the crisp to absorb condensation. Cover tightly with foil, plastic wrap, or a lid.

Follow the reheating steps mentioned above to enjoy it warm.

How do you make this Apple Crisp Recipe ahead of time for a party or for a crowd?
You follow the exact steps mentioned in the recipe to make the crumble topping and making apple crisp.

However, you do not combine the two.

Instead make your crumble topping; add it to a zip lock bag and store in refrigerator.

Prepare your apples and once it cools completely transfer it to a bigger size ramekin and place that in the refrigerator too.

Just 30 mins prior to serving, add the crumble topping on top of the apples in the ramekin place in the preheated oven of 180°C for 20-25 mins until crisp and serve warm 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this recipe to make apple crisp. If you did then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Pin this to your desserts or winter board

I will see you soon in my next one.

Until then
Hugs
Sushma

Doraemon Cake – Easy Step by Step tutorial

October 12, 2018

Doraemon Cake is a super simple DIY tutorial post on cartoon character cake that you can make for your kids birthday.

Learn how to make Doraemon Cake step by step with all the minute details covered that would make your cake decorating a breeze.

Doraemon Cake Decoration is so easy that you won’t believe that you have actually pulled it off so well.

Up until now, I had never seen any episodes of Doraemon and friends. So when I set out to make the Doraemon character the first thing I had to do was look up some of his cartoons.

And after watching that I realised I have grown up so much that cartoons are not my thing.. hehe.. of course, I could watch Tom and Jerry countless times even now maybe because I grew up watching them but any other cartoon is really not my thing.

Secondly, you can look up on Google Baba for Doraemon cake designs where you will find so many pictures of Doraemon Cake for inspiration.

Just like Pikachu Cake, in my case, the design was sent by the client. So I was saved the time to actually look up for the same on the net. 😀

If you are planning to make this Doraemon birthday cake then there are a few things that you would need to start with.
1. Doraemon chocolate cake – I mean just any cake base layer. You can use either Vanilla Cake or Chocolate Cake. Anything would work. I am calling it Doraemon chocolate cake as I have used my go-to favourite Moist Eggless Chocolate Cake recipe as the base.

2. Filling – For making this Doraemon cake recipe today I have used a simple Chocolate Whipped Cream Filling. Again you can flavour it up as per you need.

3. Frosting – We cannot use Stabilized Chocolate Cream to frost because the colours won’t show up. So we will be using my favourite Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting. Such a beautiful frosting I must say. You can also choose to use Buttercream or Italian Meringue Buttercream here as per your needs.

4. Small tip star nozzle and a Wilton round tip

5. Piping bags

6. Gel Colours – blue, red, pink, yellow and black.

7. M and M’s or Gems in the colour red and blue.

8. Chocolate Block to write Happy Birthday in case you are making it for a client.

Before starting with the step by step tutorial on how to make Doraemon Cake there is a little thing that I wish to discuss here and that is determining your Doraemon Cake price.

I am not going to give the exact price of Doraemon shape cake as that would vary from place to place but there are 2 important things that you need to consider which is what I am highlighting.

Once you do the crumb coating on the cake put it in the fridge to chill. After which just frost the sides but not the top. That is because

A. As in this Doraemon Cake recipe, you would be piping on top so if you frost the entire cake that would mean you would need extra cream for frosting the design on top. Which in turn means you would end up charging your client more.

B. And the extra cream would eventually lead to an increase in the cake weight again would not be a justice to the work you put.

So being a home baker you will have to consider this even more.

Now let us see how to make Doraemon step by step I mean Doraemon shaped cake. 😀

Step 1:
Prepare the Chocolate Cake base layer:

So you would need a base layer to make the Doraemon face cake piping on top.

Today I have used Easy Eggless Chocolate Cake as the base and filled with chocolate cream and frosted the sides with stabilized whipped cream.

Btw it is an 8-inch cake with 3 layers of cake and 2 layers of filling.

Step 2:
Make the outline of the Doraemon character that you wish to make on top of your cake. For this, we would use a toothpick or wooden skewer with a pointed edge.

Then using a reference Doraemon images, and free-hand decoration, sketch the image on top of your cake. For making this I have used a wooden skewer with the pointed edge.

And then instead of dragging and drawing a line, we would make simple dots all over as you can see in the image below or refer my video tutorial for easy understanding.

Pro Tip:
In case you do a mistake while dotting, do not worry use a spatula to smooth it off and start again 🙂

Step 3:
Piping

The first thing you need to do is colour your Stabilized Whipped Cream into desired colours such as – Black, Pink, Red, Yellow and Blue.

Fill your piping bag with black icing and make an outline on top of the dotted points.

And then refer your image and start piping the desired colour as per your Doraemon theme cake.

The only thing you need to remember while piping especially blue colour is that everything should go in one particular direction so that the piping looks even.

Step 4:
Final touches:

Once you have done piping on top, take your black icing once again and a double coating on top to make it even and more prominent.

Also make sure to add the eyes, nose and whiskers.

Step 5:
Final decorations:

Using your round tip nozzle and red and blue colour make dots all around the base of the cake. (please refer video)

Also place red and blue M and M’s to decorate and complete the final look of our Doraemon Cake.

Yes, it is not a Doraemon 3d cake but nevertheless a beautiful, simple and adorable Doraemon cartoon cake.

Learn how to make Doraemon cake video format:

Forget buying monginis cake because making a Doraemon birthday cake at home is super easy; don’t you agree?

Moreover, if you wish to make some other cakes using this same technique then here is a list for a head start:
spiderman cake
cinderella cake
batman cake
minion cake
mickey mouse cake
barbie doll cake
shark cake
barbie cake
hello kitty cake
dora cake
cake world
car cake

In case you missed here is the direct links to certain recipes that you would need to make this Doraemon cake:
1. Moist Eggless Chocolate Cake
2. Chocolate Whipped Cream
3. Stabilized Whipped Cream
Go ahead and plan your Doraemon theme birthday party with an entire DIY dessert table that would include this Doraemon Cake, Doraemon cupcakes, blue Instagramandy, Blue and red chocolate barks and many more.

If you like this tutorial and the idea then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.. 😀

Pin this to your cake decorating board

I will see you soon with yet another one

Until then
Hugs
Sushma

Stabilized Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

July 12, 2018

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting is the best chocolate frosting you could ever make!!! Light, Smooth, Airy, Sturdy and not so Sweet this frosting makes a great filling choice for cakes as well as use it to frost and ice the entire cake or decorate a cupcake.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting is a homemade chocolate frosting recipe that every home baker needs to know. Not only a home baker if you ask me this is such a versatile frosting recipe that you can use to decorate a cupcake, cake, brownies or any other desserts – you name it and you can use this frosting and so I recommend anyone who loves baking or cooking should try this.

Wondering what makes this simple chocolate frosting recipe so special?
Simple A. You need just 4 ingredients to make this delicious chocolate whipped cream frosting.
B. Super easy and handy can be made in hardly any time say 5 to 10 mins.
C. Not too sweet making it perfect for any desserts you can think off, even a simple hot chocolate with whipped cream would taste wonderful.
D. Fuss-free and can be made in one single bowl.
E. It is a sturdy whipped cream frosting making it perfect to frost and ice an entire cake or even to make decorations just like how a buttercream would work.

Also, This is the frosting that, when there are leftovers, promptly gets used to top fresh fruit, pancakes, oatmeal…you get the idea right!!. It’s just that good.

Coming to the sturdiness, what do you think makes it a stabilized whipped cream frosting?

I guess some of you know the answer to it – Cream Cheese. You might have guessed it from my Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting post that I had shared a couple of weeks back.

That post has an in-depth detailing about the purpose of cream cheese in this recipe eventually making it the best chocolate cream cheese frosting. If you are someone who loves baking then definitely check that post.

To be honest, if you are planning to make a cake with whipped cream frosting fresh and just for a family get together or something like that then you can also choose to skip the cream cheese in this recipe.

Yes, I have shared a whole post on how to make an eggless chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting. That looks so gorgeous and professional and the best part is I have not used cream cheese at all in that recipe.

Then why do we need to add Cream Cheese to our Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting recipe?
So the thing is cream cheese makes our icing look thicker and smoother and also glides well onto a cake, due to which making a smooth sharp edge becomes easier.

Also, the main reason is stability; this chocolate whipped cream frosting holds its shape for days making it perfect if you had to make it for a commercial order.

In what ways can I use this whipped chocolate frosting?
Like I said, 1. You can use this sturdy frosting to ice and decorate an entire cake. A perfect whipped cream frosting for cake decorating
2. Make use of this Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting for cupcakes like I have done and shared with you all in my previous post.
3. Use it to make an ice-box cake.
4. Replace the cream cheese with mascarpone cheese and use it while making Tiramisu.
5. You can also use it to top a pie, in hot cocoa (love hot chocolate with whipped cream) or use it as the filling in cookies sandwiches.

Can I use the ready-made cool whip frosting instead?
Yes, definitely you can use the store bought ones directly but hey nothing can beat the taste of homemade frosting right.
That joy on your kid’s face when you bake, frost and decorate an entire cake all by yourself is impeccable.

In my opinion, cocoa powder seemed to be the easiest and simple way of making this Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting. One of the reasons why I love the original whipped cream frosting is that it can be made in one bowl. When we use cocoa to flavour it, there are no additional steps of melting chocolate and cooling it…etc.

But if you are still looking for how to make chocolate whipped cream with melted chocolate then I found this recipe on the internet which seemed legit.

I simply love whipped cream cake recipe, do share with me which is your favourite cake frosting?

5 from 1 vote

close up view of vegan chocolate cupcakes image

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

Prep Time

10 mins

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting is the best chocolate frosting you could ever make!!! Light, Smooth, Airy, Sturdy and not so Sweet this frosting makes a great filling choice for cakes as well as use it to frost and ice the entire cake or decorate a cupcake.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate whipped cream frosting

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

300 gms Whipping Cream
25 gms Caster Sugar (refer notes)
20 gms Cocoa Powder
4 gms Vanilla Essence
95 gms Cream Cheese softened

Instructions

In a bowl, using a hand mixer cream the cream cheese until smooth and lump free.
Whisking continuously add the whipping cream little by little until combined.
Again whipping continuously add in the sugar little at a time. Finally add the cocoa powder and whip until stiff peaks.

PRO-TIP

If you are someone who is worried about adding the cocoa powder directly on top of cream thinking that it won’t mix properly and you would get specks of it everywhere then I have an alternative for you.

Dissolve the cocoa powder in 2 tbsp of cream to get a paste. And then follow the instructions till adding sugar and finally add this cocoa paste so that you are sure that everything is mixed well.

Is it necessary to chill the mixing bowls and whisk attachment before whipping the cream?

Hmmm, that’s a good question.

In my 3 years of baking journey, I have never chilled the bowl and each time managed to get wonderful results.
Then why do we always keep on hearing this?
I guess it depends on what the weather is in your part of the world. Since it is super hot in India, you may be asked to go with that additional step but trust me I have never chilled it before.

You had advised using Icing Sugar in your previous post then how come you have mentioned Caster Sugar in this Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting?
Honestly, I ran out of stock. Yes, that is the main reason why I used caster sugar here.
Icing Sugar has cornstarch added to it so it actually helps in stabilizing the cream and that is the only reason why I recommend using Icing Sugar.

Can I make this Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting without cream cheese?
Yes, definitely you can make it. Only thing is it won’t be as sturdy as this one and also it won’t hold its shape for a longer time.
You can check out my chocolate cake post for a visual look on the frosting without cream cheese added to it.

Conclusion:

Undoubtedly this is one of the basic frosting recipes that every baker needs to know.

Light, smooth, moist, airy, sturdy and not so sweet makes it an ideal frosting for cakes, cupcakes, brownies and any other dessert.

Super simple and easy to make this Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting comes together in hardly any time say around 10 mins.

The addition of Cream Cheese helps it to hold its shape for days together.

Other frosting recipes that might interest you:
1. Italian Meringue Buttercream frosting (my all time favourite)
2. Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting.

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you happen to try this frosting then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Pin this for later

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then
Hugs
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Moist Eggless Pineapple Cake | Pineapple Pastry

July 1, 2018

Eggless Pineapple Cake; fresh, juicy and moist!!!

Light and airy pineapple flavoured whipped cream; topped with some homemade pineapple compote, tutti-fruity, chocolate chips and fresh pineapple pieces sandwiched between soft and spongy pineapple flavoured eggless cake is one ultimate summer cake goals.

Eggless Pineapple Cake reminds me of all the tropical flavours in every single bite.

Fresh, moist and juicy this homemade Eggless Pineapple Cake from scratch is to die for!!! A simple cake recipe with that whipped cream frosting (or just with cool whip) makes it perfect for your summer parties or brunch.

Come summers and all I crave for is fresh summery fruits that calls my name everytime I pass through the market. Be it mangoes, berries, watermelon or pineapple. I absolutely crave for juicy fruits!! And how can I let a summer pass without making pineapple desserts.. 😀

One of the other pineapple dessert recipes, that I would highly, highly recommend to you guys is this No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake. The flavour of this cheesecake is just mind-blowing; I insist you have to check it out.
Or don’t forget to make yourself a pineapple coconut cake. Check out the notes section for the recipe.

Or bake yourself a pineapple upside down cake. Do let me know if you would like to have a blog post that is the recipe for the same.

I wonder why do people call this Eggless Pineapple Cake as Pineapple Pastry?

A pastry is totally different from a cake in terms of recipe, looks, taste just everything. Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts, quiches and pasties. I started with examples so it is kind of easy to explain.
A pastry dough basically has flour and fat in the solid form. You can read more about it in my Mango Tart post.

Just because you used butter for making your cake; does not make it a pastry. Or just because you made some clean square or rectange slices you cannot call it a pastry. Even the famous Opera Cake which is sliced and served in a beautiful rectangle slice with amazing different layers is not called a pastry right!!

You may ask why have I named the title as Pineapple Pastry?
Well, since some of you might relate this cake flavour to the beautiful cakes and pastries from a bakery counter and hence named it so. This Eggless Pineapple Cake tastes exactly like the one from a bakery shop.

Since I made this Eggless Pineapple Cake on a SpiceNFlavors community member request I sliced the cake into two layers but if I had to make it for a commercial order or as a birthday or anniversary cake I would have definitely sliced it to get three layers.

The cake basically has:
1. Soft and spongy Eggless Cake base layer
2. Whipped Cream Frosting
3. Followed by Add-ons
4. And final stabilized whipped cream frosting.

Here is a step by step recipe tutorial on how to make Eggless Pineapple Cake at home in 5 simple steps.
(Now you too can boost amongst your friends and family for making a perfect bakery style cake.. 😉

Step 1:
Bake the base layer – Pineapple Layered Cake and (once it cools completely) divide it into two.

I have used the simplest cake base recipe ever – Eggless Vanilla Cake (no milk powder, condensed milk or any dairy product for that matter).

However, in place of vanilla essence, I have used Pineapple Essence and also added 4 drops of yellow food colouring for that beautiful colour.

Step 2:
Soaking the cake layer

This is the most important and secret step to make Moist Eggless Pineapple Cake. Not only this cake but also for any other cake layer; definitely follow this step never skip it.

Using the homemade pineapple sugar syrup (which is basically equal amounts of water and sugar, small piece of cinnamon stick and a slice of pineapple) soak the cake really well especially the corners.

Step 3:
Pineapple flavoured Whipped Cream Frosting

Add in a big dollop of whipped cream frosting and spread it out all through the cake.

Step 4:
Add-ons for texture:

Add the prepared homemade pineaple compote, some tutti fruity, chocolate chips and fresh pineapple pieces to give the cake a nice texture.

Step 5:
Crumb Coat and Final Frosting:

Using the same whipped cream frosting crumb coat the cake and let it sit in the fridge for a minimum of 30 mins.

But for the final frosting I have used this Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting; a recipe that I shared in my last post with you guys for that smooth finish and stiff decorations.

So thats how simple it is to make a fresh, juicy and moist Eggless Pineapple Cake.

Here is the detailed recipe for you guys:

5 from 1 vote

Moist Eggless Pineapple Cake

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Fresh, moist and juicy this homemade eggless pineapple cake from scratch is to die for!!! A simple cake with that whipped cream frosting (or just with cool whip) makes it perfect for your summer parties or brunch.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: eggless pineapple cake, pineapple cake, pineapple pastry

Servings: 6 inch cake

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

Eggless Pineapple Cake Base - refer notes

Pineapple Sugar Syrup

30 gms Sugar
30 ml Water
a small piece of cinnamon stick
1 no Pineapple Slice

Whipped Cream Frosting

150 ml Whipping Cream
35 gms Icing Sugar
1/2 tsp Pineapple Essence

Pineapple Compote

1/2 can Crushed Pineapple
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Custard Powder (refer notes)
1/2 tsp Pineapple Essence

Add ons - Tutti Fruity, Chocolate chips and Pineapple pieces

Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting - refer notes

Instructions

Pineapple Sugar Syrup

Take all the ingredients mentioned under the pineapple sugar syrup column in a saucepan. Mix and cook it until the sugar dissolves. That's it no need to boil it. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Take the whipping cream and pineapple essence in a big bowl. Whipping continuously add in the the icing sugar little by little until you get stiff peaks.

Pineapple Compote

Take the crushed pineapple along with its juice in a saucepan.
Once it starts simmering add in the sugar. Mix and add in the custard slurry (That is, dissolve the custard powder in 2 tbsp water and use) and cook until the mixture thickens.
Transfer it to a bowl. Add pineapple essence. Mix. Cling wrap and allow it to cool too.

To Assemble

Once the cake is cooled completely, divide it into two layers
Soak the cake well with pineapple sugar syrup especially the corners of the cake.
Add in two big dollops of whipped cream frosting and spread it all through the cake to get an even layer.
Next, add the pineapple compote and spread it through too.
Time for the add-ons - tutti fruity, chocolate chips and pineapple pieces.
Again add two big dollops of whipped cream frosting and spread it through so that the add-ons stays in place.
Soak the second sponge layer with sugar syrup and place it on top of the cream. (refer video for a clear idea). Crumb coat the cake with the remaining frosting and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins.
Finally, with the stabilized whipped cream frosting ice and decorate the cake as you like. Let it chill for another 30 mins before slicing and enjoying.

Notes:

1. For my base I have used this Eggless Vanilla Cake recipe without condensed milk, butter, milk or milkpowder. In short Vegan Vanilla Cake. Just substituted the vanilla essence with equal amount of pineapple essence. Also added 4 drops of yellow food colour to get that gorgeous yellow coloured base.

2. Pineapple Compote: In place of custard powder mentioned in the recipe you can also use cornflour. But custard powder gives a nice taste and flavour to the compote.

3. For the final frosting I have used the Stabilized Whipped Cream about which I had talked about in depth in my previous post. The ingredient quantity mentioned in that recipe is perfect enough to frost this entire 6 inch cake.

4. In place of adding yellow food colour to the cake base you can also choose to add it to the whipped cream frosting. I went for the yellow-white-yellow look if you know what I mean. 😀

5. In the recipe I have used tinned crushed pineapple but if you do not find the ready-made version in your city then what you can do is take 1 cup of chopped pineapple, blend it coarsely in your mixer jar. Add it to the saucepan and follow the rest of the steps mentioned in the recipe.

By the way, you can use this same recipe and make a pineapple coconut cake; which is an all time popular recipe. To make this the few tweaks you need to make is:
1. In your whipped cream frosting, both that is inside and outside the cake add coconut essence in place of pineapple.
2. Along with the add ons, add in a layer of dessicated coconut in between.
And thats pretty much.. you have your cake ready.

Do let me know if you would like to see the recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake on the blog too.

And we loved this cake so much so that, my husband asked me to make one to take to his office and share it with his colleagues. And so I made another one the following day and thats exactly what you can see in my Pin image. Do you like the writing on that cake? If yes then I have these amazing 6 tips and tricks on how to write on cakes without icing. Do check it out; you would absolutely love it.

So thats how simple it is to make an Eggless Pineapple Cake at home. Do not buy pineapple crush from the stores add it to your cake and call it Homemade Pineapple Cake instead follow these simple steps to get a more flavour packed and real fresh pineapple cake.

I hope you liked my today’s recipe and if you did do let us know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Pin it for later:

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then
Hugs
Sushma