Sweet Tooth/Desserts

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes | Best Chocolate Cupcakes

July 12, 2018

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes – I bet you this is the easiest cupcake recipe you will ever make yet are the best chocolate cupcakes you will ever have!!

Soft, Moist, Simple, Chocolaty and Easy cupcake recipe that you need to have in your books. No Eggs, No Curd, No Butter, No Condensed Milk or Milk Powder. You will be surprised to learn these cupcakes uses basic ingredients you probably have at all times in your pantry!!

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are a very basic cupcake recipe that every baker needs to know. In fact, there are few selected recipes that you need to have in your books if you are just starting to bake or even if you are a pro as you can use these basic cake recipes and then modify it to get any flavour of your choice.

I highly recommend having:
1. Vanilla Cake recipe (with and without eggs)
2. Chocolate Cake recipe (with/out eggs)
3. Basic Muffins recipe
4. Vanilla Cupcake recipe
5. Chocolate Cupcake recipe
6. Hand selected cookie recipe like this and this.
7. Some tea time cake recipe like this or this.
8. And basic frosting recipe in your collection.

If I am claiming it to be the best chocolate cupcake recipe ever then trust me on this and give it a shot for yourself and then let me know your thoughts on it.

Wondering what so special that makes it the best cupcake recipe?
A. It’s an ultra easy cupcakes to make. All you have to do is sieve together the dry ingredients. Add wet on top it, mix and bake that’s it. No fancy equipment or ingredients needed.

B. This is also a super moist chocolate cupcake recipe. What makes it so moist?
Oil!! yes, oil is that secret ingredient which makes these the best vegan cupcake recipe.

However, there is also another secret ingredient that would take these basic chocolate cupcake recipe to another level and that particular ingredient is buttermilk. Since we are making Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes today I am using water but if you include dairy products in your routine then definitely try this recipe with buttermilk too, you will love it.

Find the details for making your own buttermilk at home in the notes section below.

C. Apart from that, these vegan cupcakes are also light, soft and fluffy. Tastes so rich and chocolaty because of the good amount of cocoa powder that we are using.

D. You can use this same recipe to make a chocolate cake. In fact, I have already shared the chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting recipe on the blog before. Linking it up here do check it out.

E. Also, you can use the same recipe to make a red velvet cake.

That’s the advantage of having basic cake recipe because we can definitely modify it and make whole new recipes out of it.

This Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes recipe is adapted or I must a continuation of the chocolate cake recipe without milk that I have shared previously.

Sorry if you guys thought that this is a repetitive post but like I said earlier I am just trying to compile a list of recipes that a baker must have in their books.

Neither do we have eggs nor do we have curd (yogurt) in this recipe. Then what makes this cake rise and hold its shape and at the same time give us a perfect light and fluffy texture?

It’s nothing but the reaction between the raising agent – soda and vinegar which creates lovely air bubbles or air pockets in the cake making it light and fluffy.

One more ingredient that keeps it moist and fresh for one whole week; yes that long is Oil. Since oil does not solidify at room temperature unlike butter; this cake stays moist and soft throughout the week.

I will share a secret with you. If you have been watching my vlogs on Youtube you know that I generally shoot my videos on Saturdays. So just like any other Saturday I shot a video for this recipe as well on Saturday.

But when I sat down to edit the video on Tuesday night I realized that I do not have a shot of the sliced cupcake to show you guys the texture within. Luckily I had two of these vegan chocolate cupcakes that were left. So on Wednesday morning, I shot the sequence to show you guys the texture which you can check out in the video for yourself.

Five days up and still moist and soft ready to be consumed. Can you believe that?

Here is a detailed recipe on how to make chocolate cupcakes

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

25 mins

Soft and fluffy, rich, chocolaty, moist, simple and easy to make from scratch these perfect eggless chocolate cupcakes are a keeper’s recipe.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1.5 cups All Purpose Flour/Maida
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Sugar

Wet Ingredients

6 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Vinegar (refer notes)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Cup Water

Instructions

Sieve the dry ingredients mentioned above into a bowl.
Make three wells in it and add vinegar, vanilla and oil in each well or depression.
Finally add water all over and combine to get a cake batter like consistency
Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake lines in the muffin tin filling upto 2/3 or 3/4 the total height.
Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 18-22 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Notes:

1. You can use lemon juice in place of vinegar whichever is available handy at the moment.
2. Use Milk in place of water for even moister cake.

By the way, guys I have used this mind-blowing and perfectly smooth chocolate whipped cream frosting to decorate the cupcake. Since it is not vegan I have not included it here in this post rather made a separate post for the frosting because it is definitely a must try recipe. Definitely check it out here.

If you are looking for some vegan frosting to decorate the cake then definitely check it out here or here.

If you like my today’s post then definitely let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Conclusion:

Can any recipe get simpler than this? I hope you enjoyed this simple homemade chocolate cupcakes recipe.

Perfectly soft and moist cupcakes made without using any dairy products is surely gonna impress everyone.
Which is that one basic recipe that you absolutely love and have it in your records for years? Do share with me in the comment section below.

Enjoy these Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with a big dollop of frosting or enjoy it plain as a tea time cake. Either way it is one keeper’s recipe.

Pin it for later:

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then
Hugs
Sushma

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

Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting for cake decoration

June 23, 2018

Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting is every baker’s dream!!!

This Easy Stabilized Homemade Whipped Cream recipe made without gelatin will hold its shape for days. It is a great frosting for your next cake decoration or for beautiful piping or even a delightful topping that’s perfect for cupcakes, pastry or desserts.

Stabilized Whipped Cream is something that I had wanted to achieve since a really long time.

Off-lately I have started taking cake orders from near and dear ones. Nothing as a full fledged business at this stage just making cakes for close buddies.

And it was so happening that; if I allow the cake to stay at room temperature for even just 30 mins I could see that it was not retaining its shape and I had to clean the cake board every now and then to remove the water off.

More than that making a birthday cake with whipped cream frosting was becoming a nightmare to me. For the obvious reason of not having enough freedom to decorate it as per my choice or their requirement, as the whipped cream was never stiff enough.

Finally, I am ready to bade good-bye to those days because of this “secret ingredient” that has chanded my outlook towards the simple whipped cream recipe making it the best whipped cream recipe ever.

This secret ingredient is what makes the frosting the ultimate; “CREAMY WHIPPED CREAM”

For those of you do not know let me first start by sharing; how do you make homemade whipped cream?
A pretty basic whipped cream recipe includes:
1. Whipping Cream
2. Sugar

That’s it these are the two basic ingredients that you need to make this easy whipped cream recipe. You combine the two and whip the cream till you get stiff peaks. You can add any flavouring or colouring agent as per choice.

What makes this whipped cream frosting the most sorted one? And why are Asians so crazy about this Stabilized Whipped Cream frosting?
1. It is super light
2. So airy, it feels like a cloud in your mouth.
3. And most importantly, it is not at all sweet, unlike a regular Buttercream recipe which makes it a perfect whipped icing for decorating a cake or cupcake.
4. Easier to work with as it does not call for too many ingredients or steps.
5. Works well with any flavour of choice.

There are two types of whipping cream available in the market:
1. Dairy Whipping Cream and
2. Non-Dairy Whipping Cream.

I would not go into the difference between the two products in this Stabilised Whipped Cream frosting post (If you want I can do one separately… let me know in the comments below.) or else it would become way too lengthy and boring for you guys.

So the main difference lies in the fat content which makes the dairy whipped cream lose its shape in just a few hours. As the non-dairy ones have stabilizers added to it; it is easier to work with those.

Unfortunately, we do not get non-dairy whipping cream so easily here in New Zealand and I am assuming that is the case in most of the western countries.

And that is the reason we need a stabilizer to achieve that beautiful shine, glossy effect and the smooth icing on top of our cake.

But being a vegetarian I have a very limited choice of selection over the stabilizers that I can use.

Ok ok; I get it. I won’t build the suspense even further now… Or else I am sure some of you ladies already have a rolling pin (belan) ready in your hands for hitting me.

Ta Ta Da Ta Ta Da…

Drumrolls…

And the secret ingredient behind achieving that Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting is… is… is…
“CREAM CHEESE”

Yes, adding just a small amount of Cream Cheese to your Whipping Cream makes it the best cream frosting recipe ever.

When Pinterest suggested me this pin on my feed, it kind up opened up my inner sleeping brain and I started researching more on stabilized whipped cream which I should have done long back. Anyways I knew it immediately then that I had to give it a shot to stop the many failures that I have seen in my cake decorating experience so far.

And when my friend Khushboo tried it too and shared her experience in this blog post of hers I knew that this technique would absolutely work. That confidence that you get and build when you start trusting someone makes you an even better baker.

Do you guys trust me? Do I make sense in the posts that I write? Let me know whether you find all these posts informative and you guys really trust and believe in everything that I share with you.

More than anything else all I want is to build that trust, that bond between us. Do comment and share your thoughts.

Anyways coming back to the Stabilized Whipped Cream frosting post.

So I am not sharing the recipe just like that I actually did some comparison between a basic whipped cream recipe and a Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe. You can watch that all in the video.

Or here is a short snippet from the video.

I did the comparison between the two using these four factors. There might be many other factors too that i did not think off, if you have anything in mind then do share it would be beneficial for everyone.

So, the four tests that we did include:

1. Looks/Appearance:
It is no rocket science here. A very evident result is what I achieved. The stabilized whipped cream frosting looked way too smoother, glossier, shinier just like the consistency of a spreadable butter without any lumps and bits as compared to the basic whipped cream.

On applying it onto a cake; I really did not have to do much on getting the smooth bakery-style finish. It glided so well that I was impressed with my cake frosting skills. 😉

2. Taste:
Let’s be honest here.

Nothing can beat the light and airy texture of a freshly whipped cream. So in terms of lightness, I will have to give it to the plain whipped cream.

But, wait for it, once you taste the Stabilized Whipped Cream I can guarantee that you would never go back to the plain ones.

I know you might be having this question in your mind; won’t I taste the cream cheese if I am using it?

Absolutely NOT!!! feels good to learn this right!!!

That is because the amount of cream cheese you use as compared to the whipping cream is actually so less and once you add the flavouring agent then there is no after-taste of cream cheese.

Cream Cheese just helps us stabilizing the entire whipped cream.

3. Piping:
Again a no-brainer there right.

If your frosting is smooth and whipped to the right consistency then there is nothing like a cake with whipped cream frosting.

And the bonus point is that this Stabilized Whipped Cream will hold its shape for days together. A nice stiff and smooth piping is what every baker wants right!!!

4. Stability:

Now that’s the whole point of this post. What we are trying to achieve is a whipped cream frosting for birthday cake or be it any cake for that matter that is smooth and stable given any time or temperature of the day.

I have often heard many people complain about their whipped cream cake falling apart in the hot and humid climate or the frosting melting down pretty quick.

If you are someone who have experienced this then look no further, have faith in me and try out this particular version of Stabilize Whipped Cream and you will be amazed at the outcome.

This frosting remains stable and holds its shape for days together.

You do not believe me yet right.. Check the image of this cake down below. I made this cake last Thursday, 14 June 2018. I shot a video for this frosting on Sunday, 17 June 2018

Even after 4 days, the frosting remained smooth and pipeable. You can check the video yourself.

A quick disclaimer here: It would definitely melt if you let it sit in hot weather for a really long time. Otherwise pretty easy and convenient to work with.

Here is the detailed recipe on how to make whipped cream aka Stabilized Whipped Cream

5 from 4 votes

Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting

Prep Time

20 mins

This Easy Homemade Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe made without gelatin will hold its shape for days. It is a great frosting for your next cake decoration or for beautiful piping or even a delightful topping that’s perfect for cupcakes, pastry or desserts.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: stabilized whipped cream, stabilized whipped cream frosting

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

1/2 cup (110 gms) Cream Cheese softened
1 and 1/3 cup (350 ml) Whipping Cream
90 gms Icing Sugar
Flavouring and colouring of your choice

I have used 1 tsp Pineapple Essence and yellow food colour

Instructions

Whip the softened cream cheese until lump-free and smooth. Scrape the bowl in between if needed.
Scrape the bowl before adding the cream. Whipping continuously add the measured cream little by little. (Refer video)
Once the cream is added; add the icing sugar. Remember to whip the cream continuously while adding sugar.
Now that even the sugar is added; add your desired flavouring and colour and whip until stiff peaks.
Your cream and delicious whipped cream frosting is now ready.

How do I know my whipped cream is whipped to stiff peaks?
1. When you lift the cream with the help of your whisk; the cream would stand out like a peak with a sharp point and it would not lean over to one side.

2. Also when you take out a small portion on your spatula and turn it upside down; the cream would not fall off the spatula unless you shake it off to remove. That’s magical ain’t it. Defying gravity. 😀

How do I avoid my cream from being over-whipped?
Well, you have to take care of this part really well because once the cream is over-whipped there is no way to bring it back.

However, sharing with you all a small step that I follow to avoid this.

Once my cream reaches soft peaks stage I stop whipping it using my hand blender and switch over to manual whisking using a wire whisk.

That is because when you whip it manually you have a better control over the cream whereas the beater whips it a faster rate making it a little bit difficult to stop at the right stage… This is just for beginners. If you are comfortable using a hand blender then definitely go ahead and whip your cream to the right stage.

What is softened Cream Cheese?
By softened cream cheese all I mean is a cream cheese that has been resting at room temperature 30 mins prior to whipping.

It is difficult to whip the cream cheese straight from the fridge. You want it to be soft and not melted.

If you are running out of time, definitely you can choose to microwave it for 10-20 seconds before starting your whipped cream frosting.

Can I use regular powdered sugar in place of icing sugar?
Hmmm… so the thing is icing sugar has cornstarch added to it which also helps in stabilizing the cream so I would highly recommend using only icing sugar here.

Is there any additional instructions that I must take care off?
You have already done a great job on reading this blog post till here. I would not ask you for taking care of anything more.. 😀

Simply whip your cream cheese until it is smooth and lump-free rest of the steps will automatically fall into place.

By the way, I used this Best Whipped Cream recipe to make and decorate a 7 inch Pineapple Cake the recipe for which you can expect in my next post.

If you like my today’s post on Stabilized Whipped Cream and found it informative then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or Instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

And if you are a beginner and love cakes that call for whipped cream frosting then definitely check out my chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting recipe actually with chocolate whipped cream frosting.

The chocolate cake is so easy to make just like counting 1 2 3 and the messy frosting makes it perfect for any beginner reading this.

In fact, feel free to follow my beginners baking board on Pinterest and you will be impressed how easy it is to start baking.

I will see you soon with yet another interesting baking science
Until then
Hugs
Sushma

Cake Popsicles (Step by Step Tutorial)

June 13, 2018

Cake Popsicles are the latest trending cake designs in the market.

A step by step tutorial recipe post on how to make DIY cake popsicles. Perfect dessert ideas for kids birthday or valentines learn all the details to make the cake popsicles without using any moulds.

Cake Popsicles – one of those recipe post which brings me so much happiness in putting it forth in this small community of ours.

To be honest I am attached to each and every blog post that I write. It is my passion, my dream, my love to bake and when I add a recipe post that you guys find informative and useful then nothing like it.

Your single comment; be it in a blog post or on social media posts makes me feel out of the world.

And that is what I love about this creative community.

It gives me the freedom to express, the freedom to write, the freedom to try new things and share some creative recipes, ideas and information.

One such creative post that I am sharing today is – Cake Popsicles which is basically a simple and easy cake pop recipe

If you are someone like me who spends way lot more time on Pinterest or Instagram.. yeah I get it not proud of that habit of mine; trying to get over it.. 😀

So ok not way more time but even while browsing the internet you might have come across these cute little Cake Popsicles or cakesicles somewhere.

I have seen images of Cake Popsicles in Disney theme, farm animal themes, MR and MRS theme, and so many others.

Even though I was overwhelmed by the images and intrigued to try those but hey mama kehti hai (mom says); whenever you are trying something new:
A. Try it in lesser quantities and
B. Try the simpler version first.

And I clearly stick to those principles just to avoid too much of food wastage and also to gain confidence; you know just in case things does not work the way you wanted.

But as far as these cake batter popsicles were concerned; I really really liked the simplicity of the designs. Sometimes simple is beautiful. Don’t you agree?

Oh and by the way I guess we must officially declare this year as the year that marked amazing trends as far as the food industry is concerned.

Be it the alphabet cream tart cake or number cake or Instant pot recipes (well its been popular for a really long time now but still, the craze has not decreased) or now this Cake Popsicles.

I thoroughly enjoy getting creative at times and trying different unusual recipes other than the cakes, cookies or cupcakes.

Before we begin with the step by step recipe post on Cake Popsicles Tutorial; let me first tell you that is absolutely not necessary to make these cake pops recipe from scratch.

What do I mean by that?
All I meant is any type of cake would work just fine for this recipe.

Be it Vanilla Cake or Chocolate Cake, with eggs or without eggs, store-bought or fresh homemade just anything will work as long as it is a cake.. 😛

Do I limit my creativity to just trying this for my family or can I take it to next level?

Oh yes, absolutely I believe the sky is the limit when it comes to creativity. You can make this for any occasion that you can think of like this
A. Baby shower Cake pops or Gender Reveal Cake pops.
You can coat the Cake Popsicles with a blue or pink colour and then decorate it with some baby shoes, napkins, diapers etc in place of hearts and bows that I have made.

B. Graduation Cake Pops
Decorate the Cake Popsicles in dark chocolate and make a graduation hat, tie or just a rolled paper to indicate your certificate. Or check this pin from Pinterest; I loved the shirt pattern in this one.

C. Birthday Cake Pops
Oh, how can I leave this occasion behind? You can customise the Cake Popsicles as per your birthday theme. I really loved these cute little animal farm themed popsicles; would work amazingly if you are planning for an animal theme party.

Coming to the flavours. What different Cake Pops Flavours can you use?

Firstly the base – Think of any flavoured base and you can use that.
Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Coffee Flavoured, Pistachio or Almond Flavoured, Sponge Cake just anything.

Secondly the frosting – Again its the same.
Use any frosting of your choice – Whipped Cream, Butter Cream, Ganache and in any flavours.

Third – The Chocolate Coating.
Milk, Dark or White any type of compound chocolate would work

And finally for decorations use fondant, marzipan or sprinkles.

Today, I have used my favourite Eggless Vanilla Cake as the base, Whipped Cream as the frosting, White Chocolate for coating and marzipan for decorating.

Now let us see a step by step tutorial post on how to make Cake pops or Cake Popsicles.

Step 1:
Prepare the cake of your choice and allow it to cool completely. I am using Eggless Vanilla Cake here.

Step 2:
We will start by crumbling the cake so that it resembles fine crumbs.
Pro Tip: For a whiter and smoother look trim the top and bottom crust of the cake. But if you are lazy just like I am and you are not making this for commercial purpose then just let it be. 😛

Step 3:
Add a tbsp of frosting at a time and combine everything until it forms a dough.

Test: Pinch out a portion of dough in between your hands. If it holds its shape you are good to go.

Pro Tip:
Start by adding little frosting at a time. The amount of frosting will depend upon the moistness of the cake. So you can always add more if needed but if you add way too much the cake would turn sticky and you won’t be able to shape it.

Step 4:
All you now have to do is shape it into a popsicle.

For that, you will have to divide the cake batter evenly. I am using an ice-cream scoop for the same. I figured out that 3 scoops of cake batter worked just fine for me to get the height and width of the popsicle I needed.

You can adjust the same accordingly.

Step 5:

Using a reference mould as your guide shape the cake batter to resemble the popsicles. (Refer video to get an idea on how I shaped my popsicles).

Step 6:
Paint some melted chocolate on the visible cracks to smoothen the top of the cake pops.

Step 7:
Freeze the cake molds for 30 mins to an hour.

Step 8:
Dip the edge of the ice-cream sticks into melted chocolate and insert in the base of the frozen cake pops.

Let this rest and in the meantime prepare decorations of your choice.

Step 9:
I made some bows and hearts using frangipane. The same icing that I used to make my Unicorn horns and ears in the Unicorn Cake that I had made.

You can check my video tutorial if you would like to know how I made it.

Step 10:

Melt some white chocolate using bain marie method. I have shared a detailed post on how to melt chocolate the right way. You can check that too it has lots of useful information shared.

Keep this melted chocolate ready in a glass or mug into which you can dip the entire popsicle in one go.

Step 11:

Finally dip the frozen cake pops into the melted chocolate in one go. Let the excess drip off.

You will observe that in just few seconds the chocolate will solidify. And before that happens you have to add the sprinkles if you are using any.

Or if you are decorating like I did then just allow the chocolate to solidify and then decorate your Cake Popsicles as needed.

Yes, it may seem like a lot of steps but all the steps are pretty basic and easy to follow make this a very simple cake pops recipe.

Here is the detailed video:

5 from 1 vote

Cake Popsicles Tutorial

Prep Time

15 mins

Freezing time

1 hr 30 mins

A step by step tutorial recipe post on how to make DIY cake popsicles. Perfect dessert ideas for kids birthday or valentines learn all the details to make the cake popsicles without using any molds.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cake Pops, Cake popsicles

Servings: 3 cake popsicles

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

1 (6 inch) Cake (refer notes)
1/4 cup Frosting of your choice
3 no Ice-Cream Sticks
450 gms Compound Chocolate
Sprinkles, marzipan or fondant for decorations

Instructions

Crumble the cake until it resembles sand-like texture. (Trim the top and bottom crust for an even cake pops)
Add the frosting of your choice little by little and combine it to form a dough like consistency.
Divide the batter evenly. I figured out 3 scoops of cake batter worked fine for each popsicle.
Give the cake batter a popsicle shape and freeze for 30 mins to 1 hour.
After an hour take the cake popsicles out. Dip the tip of the ice-cream sticks into melted chocolate and insert at the base of the popsicles. Put it back into the freezer. Meanwhile, prepare the decorations of your choice.
Take the melted chocolate in a cup or mug. Dip the popsicle straight into the mug until it coated from all sides. Allow the excess to drip off. Decorate as needed.

If you like this detailed step by step tutorial post and want me to share more of this kind of posts then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or Instagram me. I would love to hear from you.

Notes:

1. Any type of cake will work here. Vanilla, Chocolate or Red Velvet Cake. Even cake from a box mix will also do. I have used my Eggless Vanilla Cake recipe. However, I have halved all the ingredients and baked it in a 6-inch cake. So for eg: If the recipe says 1.5 cups of flour I have used just 3/4 cups. Likewise halved all the ingredients.

2. I have used regular whipped cream frosting. Used 1/4 cup of whipping cream and 2 tbsp of icing sugar and some vanilla essence and whipped everything to get stiff peaks. Start by adding 1 tbsp of frosting at a time to the cake crumbs to get it into a dough. A little goes a long way.

3. One mistake that I did was I just melted 200gms of chocolate to dip our popsicle into it. But later on, I realised that it was not enough to cover my large popsicle and hence you see that it is not all smooth. I mean not the way I wanted. So the next time I must remember to use 400 gms of melted chocolate for the same. You guys also enough chocolate to cover your popsicle in one go.

4. Since the Cake Popsicle is really cold; the chocolate coat on it will solidify in few seconds. So if you are planning to add sprinkles to it then do it immediately.

Go Creative and decorate your Cake Popsicles as you like 🙂

Conclusion:

If you are someone who loves Choco-Bar icecream then you would definitely love this too. That is because the chocolate coating on top cracks exactly like the way an ice-cream does.

And when you use your favourite cake and favourite frosting recipe then nothing can go wrong right.

IF you would want to make this Cake Popsicles for a commercial order then I would highy recommend you to buy a popsicle mould for smoother and neater finish.

But if you just want to try your hands on these trending Popsicles just for a time then definitely follow these steps.

Pin this for later

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then
Hugs
Sushma

Baked Yogurt | Bhapa Doi (Butterscotch Flavour)

June 8, 2018

Baked Yogurt or call it Bhapa Doi; a traditional Indian dessert that is surprisingly super easy to make.

Are you looking for a simple and easy dessert recipe using Yogurt then look no further. This Indian Baked Yogurt pudding recipe needs just 2 ingredients and 5 mins of your time.

Baked Yogurt Pudding recipe or Baked Yogurt Cheesecake.. Well wait; I thought it was a recipe for our simple Bhapa Doi (Indian dessert)

Hmmm.. Call it by any name; make it traditional or fancier westernised the outcome is a luscious, smooth, lump-free and perfectly sweetened and flavoured dessert.

The base recipe for making this Baked Yogurt or Bhapa Doi needs just 2 ingredients:
1. Yogurt of course and
2. Condensed Milk

Rest everything is just flavouring agents which is actually optional or you can customise it as per your liking, season or mood. Cool right!!!

Why is this Baked Yogurt dessert recipe a must try one?
1. Like I said just 2 ingredients. An Indian Sweet using just two ingredients is absolute must try recipe.

2. 5 mins of Prep Time or Active Time is all you need.

3. Perfect make ahead dessert. Makes it ideal for parties.

4. Make it in any form, size or shape. Bake in a cake tin or ramekins it is totally up to you.

5. Can be customised as per mood, flavour, season, theme just endless.

Vaise aap convince ho gaye ya mein aur bolun.. (are you convinced or should I talk even more..) 🙂

Just kidding. Well, I guess the point is clear though 😀

Have you ever wondered, what can I bake with Greek yogurt?

Then let me tell you I simply love using Greek Yogurt in baking recipes.

It is also a great substitute for eggs in baking. Generally, it can be substituted for recipes that call up to 2 eggs in them.

And baking with Greek yogurt is so much fun because it is so thick naturally that you can directly use it in any recipe. In fact I made a Chocolate Yogurt Mousse Tart sometime back using this Greek Yogurt and trust me guys it was just amazing.

But I get it.. some of you might not find Greek Yogurt in your city. Then what would you do?

It is really simple. All you have to do is hang the yogurt in a cheesecloth for a while; all the whey will drip off and you will be left with nice and thick Hung Curd. You can use that and follow this Baked Yogurt Dessert recipe.

Can’t believe we are already in Mid June. Where did all the days go?

I for one absolutely love the other half of the year. Do you know why? Any guesses?

Ain’t it obvious.. That’s because in just a few days we have all the festivities coming up. Be it Indian festivals (let me not start naming everything now the list goes endlessly ;)), Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year everything will be here in no time.

And in all the hustle bustles we are always in the hunt for some quick, simple and easy Indian Sweets recipe or some cool and fancy dessert recipes to impress our families right!!!

One such recipe is this Baked Yogurt Dessert recipe or Bhapa Doi recipe. You won’t believe how easily and quickly it can be made.

Today I have given it a Butterscotch Flavour. To achieve the flavour we need
1. Butterscotch Sauce – it is a 5 mins super simple recipe that I have already shared before with you all. You can click here for the recipe.

2. Almond Praline – Praline is basically some caramelised sugar mixed with nuts which is then allowed to cool down so that it becomes crunchy. This recipe also I have shared with you all a couple of times like in festive Kalkandu Pongal recipe or Toffee cookie. You can check it from there.

3. And lastly, some butterscotch essence to further enhance the flavour.

And I would describe this Baked Yogurt dessert as a smooth, sweet pudding-like texture with some crunch here and there from the praline and the butterscotch flavour hitting you at the right notch.

If you are someone who wants to make this recipe even simpler; then do not worry I have got you covered for that too in the notes below so definitely read this till the end.

For now here is the detailed recipe for you guys.

close up horizontal view of baked yogurt or bhapa doi recipe

Baked Yogurt | Bhapa Doi (Butterscotch flavour)

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Chilling time

2 hrs 20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Baked Yogurt or Bhapa Doi is a smooth luscious pudding recipe with a crunchy praline and is flavoured with butterscotch sauce.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: baked yogurt, bhapa doi

Servings: 4 ramekins

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

1.5 cups Greek Yogurt (refer notes)
300-400 ml Condensed Milk (refer notes)
1/3 cup Butterscotch Sauce
1/4 cup crushed Praline (refer notes)
1/4 tsp Butterscotch essence
drop of yellow food colour

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine together all the above ingredients. (Reserve some praline to garnish on top).
Mix it using a wire whisk until combined and lump-free. Divide it evenly in between the ramekins. Cover it with aluminium foil.
Transfer the ramekins to a baking tray. Add some warm water thereby creating a Bain Marie system.
Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 15 mins.
Switch off the oven after the 15 mins time interval but let the ramekins sit in the oven itself for another 10 mins just to ensure that it sets completely.
After that place it in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Next day you are ready to serve these beauties. Garnish it with some more praline and you are sorted.

Like always if you like this recipe then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. Would love to read your posts too 😀

How to make Baked Yogurt in Steamer?
Once the water in your steamer starts steaming, just place the aluminium foil covered ramekin in the steamer and steam for 12-15 mins. As simple as that.

Let it chill in the refrigerator for min 2 hours or preferabbly overnight and you are done.

How to make Baked Yogurt in Microwave?
Making this dessert in the microwave is like a Joke!! I mean.. just read on..

If you are just baking one single ramekin then microwave it for just a minute.

And if it is 3-4 ramekins at a time then microwave for 5-6 mins.

You can test by inserting a toothpick if it comes out clean you are good to go 😀

Notes:

1. In place of Greek Yogurt you can also make use of regular yogurt. Just make sure to hang them for a while (couple of hours) so that you get thick Hung curd.
2. Do not start with sour curd as better the taste of your curd the better your end product would be.
3. Sweetness can be adjusted as per taste.
4. I have already shared the recipe for praline a couple of times before like in this Toffee Cookies recipe or Kalkandu Pongal. You can get the exact recipe from these posts. For today’s recipe, I have used 25 gms Sugar, 2 tsp Water and 2 tbsp almonds.
5. Again the butterscotch sauce is also homemade. You can get the recipe from here.
6. If you are using store bought sauce then you might want to adjust the sweetness of the recipe as per that.

Variations:

1. Even though the butterscotch sauce just needs 5 mins of your time to make it. If you are in no mood to make one then definitely you can use caramel flavoured condensed milk directly which is easily available in the market.
2. Likewise, instead of praline, you can definitely use butterscotch chips for the texture.
3. Any flavouring of your choice like just plain vanilla essence, mango pulp, some mixed dry fruits, caramel sauce, any kind of coulis on top can be used to flavour up our basic Baked Yogurt recipe as per your choice.

Conclusion:

Baked Yogurt dessert recipe is a smooth, creamy and delicious pudding-like dessert that can be made with just 2 simple ingredients – Yogurt and Condensed Milk and needs just 5 mins of your active time.

One Indian sweet that can be made so easily and hardly any efforts needed making it perfect for your dinner table for celebrating any Indian Festivals.

By the way one of my most loved flavours is just adding some vanilla essence and few chopped nuts and my dessert is sorted in no time 😀

I hope you loved the simplicity of this dessert and if you did then do pin it for later:

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then

Hugs
Sushma

Fresh Fruit Tart | Mango (Eggless) Tart

May 23, 2018

Fresh Fruit Tart is one of those classic French tart recipes with a biscuity, crumbly tart base followed by a smooth, thick pastry cream – crème pâtissière and topped with seasonal fresh fruits. A perfect classy and elegant show stopper dessert!!!

Fresh Fruit Tart – doesn’t the name itself sound French?

I clearly remember when I tasted this the first time in my baking course with the description of my tutor running back of my mind; I was taken back to the streets of Paris. The cafes in Paris studded with endless french desserts and amongst them sitting right there a mini version of this Fresh Fruit Tart.

With the first bite of this custard tart I am hit with the tangy yet sweet mangoes with the oh so smooth and lump-free perfectly sweetened custard and with a texture of those biscuity base crumbly in my mouth with a buttery burst; the combination is so deadly that it would make a stunning showstopper of your each party.

There are certain characteristics of the tart crust which includes:
1. The base of the tart should be tender and crispy
2. It should not be rolled too thin which means that when we line the base it needs to have that proper thickness.
3. The tart crust should not shrink while baking
4. It should be pale in colour once baked.

The texture on the crust is achieved due to the shortening of the gluten.

And shortening of the gluten is done by the RUBBING-IN process.

In the rubbing-in method, the fat is rubbed in with the flour. When fat is worked into dry flour, the fat creates a barrier between gluten molecules (in the flour ) and the liquid (be it the liquid in the eggs or plain cold water), thus preventing them from cross-linking once the liquid is added.

This step is important in the making of pie crusts, flans etc because gluten tends to make the baked end product chewy (example:bread); whereas we want a soft, tender and crispy baked product.

Further, the butter separates into oil and milk solids upon melting while baking which makes the base crispier.

So are these sweet paste or to say sweet tarts vegan?
Definitely not, you need the fat in the form of butter as explained above to achieve that tender crust.

However; I might try to make some adjustments to the above science and see if I could make these fruit tarts vegan. Let’s see if that happens or not. 😀

And are sweet tarts gluten free?
We are using all purpose flour in here so definitely not gluten-free. Again will have to experiment with gluten-free flours and see how it works out.. Well, now that’s for some future project.

What make a good sweet paste or a perfect Fresh Fruit Tart?
1. A sweet paste or the tart base that has not shrunk
2. Thinly rolled sweet paste
3. Custard filling that is smooth and lump-free and not burnt.
4. Evenly sliced and cut fresh fruits.

Here are my certain tips to avoid shrinkage of the sweet paste dough or the tart base from shrinking while baking:

1. Always use Cold Butter and cut it into cubes. This would ensure that the gluten is inhibited properly.

2. Use cold water: To make sure that the butter does not melt while forming the dough. If you tend to use warm or hot water that would definitely impact the consistency of the butter.

3. Never knead the dough: Now this applies for both a cookie dough or a sweet paste dough. Kneading leads to the development of gluten which is exactly what we do not want in this case. We do not want the gluten to develop at any stage.

4. Resting the dough: It is very important to rest the dough before and after rolling it. That is done to allow the gluten to rest which might get activated by slight kneading or while rolling the dough. (refer video)

5. Many a time you might be asked to trim the excess dough once you have lined the tart tin. But my tip for you guys is to leave just a little bit of excess dough hanging around so that even if it shrinks a little while baking you will still manage to achieve a height equal to that of the tart tin.

6. Blind bake tfor dough using a cartouche to maintain the pale colour of the tart shell once baked.

When I had first shared a recipe of this trending Alphabet (Numerical) Cream Tart Cake; you guys had asked me to share an eggless version of the same. So here I am sharing an eggless Fresh Fruit Tart Base recipe just for you guys.

And yes, by the way, I have also shared a chocolate version of this Sweet Paste dough in my Chocolate Yogurt Mousse Tart recipe. Do check it out if you wish to.

So here is the detailed recipe of this Fresh Fruit Tart:

5 from 2 votes

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Fresh Fruit Tart | Mango (Eggless) Tart

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Chilling Time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Fresh Fruit Tart recipe is a classic French Tart recipe that has a biscuity, crumbly base followed by a smooth custard and topped with fresh seasonal fruits.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Fresh Fruit Tart, Mango Tart

Servings: 20 cm tin

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

Sweet Paste Dough Base

200 gms Plain Flour
100 gms Cold Butter cubed
80 gms Caster Sugar
40 gms Water
2 gms Vanilla Essence
pinch of salt

Crème Pâtissière (Custard)

340 ml Milk
2 gms Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Pods
2 nos Eggs (Refer notes)
80 gms Caster Sugar
22 gms Plain Flour
5 gms Custard Powder

Seasonal Fresh Fruits of your choice

Instructions

Sweet Paste Dough

Rub the butter, flour and salt together until it resembles a wet sand.
Add the sugar and mix well.
Finally, combine it into a dough by adding the water and vanilla essence. Give it a circular shape pat it down, cling wrap and let it sit in the fridge for a minimum of 30 mins.
Roll it out to an even thickness in order to fit the 20 cms tart tin.. Let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour. (Refer video for exact procedure)
Blind-bake for 20 mins in a preheated oven of 190°C. And then remove the cartouche and bake for another 5 mins. (Refer video for clear picture).

Crème Pâtissière (Custard)

Whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined. Add in the flour and custard powder. Mix to combine.
In a saucepan, combine together milk and vanilla. Bring it to a rolling boil.
Add the milk to the eggs slowly and gently stirring continuously.
Transfer the milk eggs mixture back to the flame and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Won't take long around 2-3 mins.
Pour the prepared smooth lump free custard onto the baked tart base and smoothen the top using a spatula.
Allow it to cool completely before decorating it with fruits of your choice.

If you happen to like my today’s post then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to connect with you.

Also if you enjoy reading the nuances of baking then definitely check out my chocolate chip cookie post or chocolate muffins post for even clear understanding of science behind baking.

Notes:

1. Always start with cold butter and cold water only then will it be easy to maintain the consistency of the dough.
2. Allow resting period for the gluten or else the pastry dough will shrink a lot while baking.
3. If you are looking for an eggless custard recipe then I have already shared one in my trending Alphabet Cream Tart Cake post you can use that eggless custard recipe here.
4. Use any fresh fruits of your choice. It is totally customisable.

Please do comment below and let me whether you like to read such posts or not so that I can plan my future posts accordingly.

Pin this for later:

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then

Hugs
Sushma

Makhane ki Kheer | Makhana Kheer (Fox nuts Pudding)

May 21, 2018

Makhane ki Kheer is an aromatic, flavourful Indian pudding aka Kheer recipe that is not only a perfect recipe for occasions but also is loaded with health benefits. To know more about this Makhana Kheer do keep reading.. 🙂

Makhane Ki Kheer – A nostalgic ride..

It was 7th of January; care-free and stress-free I wake up to the aroma of freshly grounded cardamom. The grinding of the little pods in an earthen pot; I get mesmerised looking at the milk boiling over in that iron karahi (Indian cooking pot).

The bubbling white pearls – a regular food (milk) today adorned in the beauty of rich yellow drape; thanks to the naturally coloured Saffron strands.

A hand that has worked through ages; my Mom lovingly and smilingly adorns the Kheer with those fried cashew-nuts and pistachios; turn towards me to give the most precious gift – A hug and whispers “Happy Birthday”.

Be it someone’s birthday, my parents anniversary, any Indian festival – all the celebration is incomplete without making a kheer. I am sure you all might also have a story to say when you think of Kheer. What is it? I am curious to learn? Share it with me guys 😀

I have always enjoyed Rice Kheer all through my life. Even blogged about it before – had made Kheer with Jelly for our anniversary. You guys must definitely check it out.

So what is this fuss about making Makhane Ki Kheer or Makhana Kheer all about?

For those of you do not know let me tell you fox nuts or makhana are a part of the lotus flower. These seeds are often used in quite a few Indian sweets and savouries like kheer, raita or makhana curry, and are also eaten as an evening tea-time snack.

Today I am sharing with you the Makhane ki Kheer recipe. But, at the end of this post I will also be sharing with you all how to eat makhana or to say include makhana in savoury recipes.

Did you guys know Makhan is so nutritionally enriched that it is considered superior to dry fruits like almonds and walnuts?

Benefits of eating makhana:
1. They are low in cholesterol, fat and sodium. This makes them an ideal snack to satiate those in-between meal hunger pangs.

2. It is a rich source of Calcium and a boon for mothers like me. I mean Yoshana has all of a sudden stopped having milk; but these crunchy and crispy healthy Makhana comes to my aid and helps me keep up her daily calcium need 😀

Makhana in Pregnancy:
Consuming phool makhana would help a woman to increase her fertility. And just like walnuts, the high nutrients contained in phool makhana are good for a pregnant woman who is facing a high risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension and the high calcium contained in Phool makhana is very good for the fetal development.

Moreover, whether you are expecting, have just recently delivered, are trying to lose weight after pregnancy, starting weaning foods for your little one, or pondering over what is the best finger food for your toddler. Look no further for Makhanas are here!!!

Protein in Makhana:
Makhanas are gluten-free, protein-rich and high in carbohydrates.

Makhana for Weight-Loss:
Makhanas are quite low in calories, which is why they have become so popular as evening weight loss snacks, which you can munch on happily. A 50gms serving of dry-roasted makhanas has 180 calories and no saturated fat or sodium at all. Dry-roasted means that no grease or oil has been used in roasting the makhanas.

Makhana nutritional information:
1.Makhanas are rich in good carbohydrates and proteins.
2.It has anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties.
3. Makhanas are also rich in iron

No No No.. haha.. I am not marketing Makhanas for any particular brand or trying to sell you anything.. 😉 This is purely out of interest that I am sharing with you all the benefits of Makhanas and encouraging you to try it out in your kitchen 😀

By now reading all my posts so far you all might be knowing that its freezing out here in my part of the world.

I have always had a special place for Indian sweets in my heart. The soothing and comforting warm cuppa kheer is all I am craving in place of my favourite Masala Chai today.

And that is exactly why I have made this Makhane ki Kheer today. What is your favourite kheer by the way? Have you all tried Makhane ki Kheer before?

Well before we see the recipe for making Makhana kheer let me share with you all how to roast Makhana first?

I mean yes, its no rocket-science here.

You can eat the Makhana seeds raw too, but it is kind of soft and chewy which many of us do not prefer.

Roasting the Makhanas brings out the flavour in it also makes it crispy and crunchy perfect for munching.

You can choose to either dry roast it if you are making savoury snacks recipe using Makhana or roast it in ghee like I am doing today in this Makhane ki Kheer recipe.

If you are after weight-loss then definitely dry roast or roast it in just a tsp of oil.

Here is the detailed recipe for making this Makhane ki Kheer:

Makhane ki Kheer | Makhana Kheer

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

32 mins

Makhane ki Kheer is an aromatic and delicious Indian pudding recipe with the added health benefits of Makhana

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 3 people

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

2 tsp Ghee or Clarified butter
1.5 cups Makhana
3 cups (750 ml) Milk
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
Big pinch of saffron
3 tbsp Slivered nuts of your choice (almonds, cashewnuts, pistachios etc)

Instructions

Over medium heat, add the ghee in a saucepan and once it melts, add the makhana and roast it until light golden brown in colour. Take it out in a blender and grind coarsely. Keep aside.
In the same saucepan, add milk. Once it starts simmering take out 2 tbsp of milk and add it to the saffron strands. Mix and set it aside for the saffron to release its flavour and ready to use.
Cook the milk until it reduces in quantity (around 10 mins). Keep stirring in between and also scrape the sides of the pan every now and then.
Once the milk has reduced to what you had started with add the makhanas and let it cook for further 5 mins.
Add in the sugar, cardamom powder, saffron milk and nuts. Let this boil for another 10 mins or so. Or until you achieve the desired thickness of your choice.
Garnish it with some more nuts, saffron strands, rose petals etc. Serve it warm. Tastes amazing when chilled too 🙂

There is something about slow cooking and traditional way of making Kheer.

Slow cooking the milk makes it, even more, creamier, thicker and to be precise what we say malaidaar – the right term.

Apart from being so yummy, this Makhane ki Kheer has so many nutritional and health benefits making it a perfect way to introduce makhana to your little ones.

If you are looking for savoury recipe ideas using this Makhana here is the procedure for you:

1. Dry roast the makhanas until light brown in colour. You may observe that it also starts popping. And when you crush it between your fingers it will break easily.
2. Keep this in an air tight container and mix in as many flavours as you like when needed.

For eg:
A. Simple Chilli Makhana
Take a tsp of oil in a pan. Add little chilli powder to taste. Mix for few seconds and add the makhanas. Salt to taste. Mix well and your chilli makhana is ready.

B. Pav Bhaji Makhana
Take a tsp of oil in a pan. Add pav bhaji masala and saute for a while and add in the makhanas. Salt to taste. Mix well.

You can use any spice combinations like Peri Peri masala, Cheese Masala, Pepper fry etc. Use your creativity sky is the limit.

Store it in an airtight container and use when needed.

Some important notes to make the Makhane ki Kheer:
1. Keep your gas flame from low to med always.
2. Do stir the milk every now and then; scrape the sides of the pan too.
3. The Makhane ki Kheer tends to thicken upon cooling, so allow it boil considerably. If it thickens way too much you can always add some warm milk while serving 🙂

I hope you like this recipe and if you found the information on Makhane ki Kheer informative then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to hear from you guys.

Definitely check out some unusual Indian sweets that I have shared before here like the Butterscotch Peda or even No Cook Paan Laddu.

Pin this for later:

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then
Hugs
Sushma

All the information about Makhana is gathered from following websites:
1. Food ndtv
2. drhealthbenefits
3. fitmoms

Rasmalai recipe – Tips to make it just Perfect and Soft

May 2, 2018

Rasmalai – One of those soft and spongy royal Indian dessert; a rich Indian cheesecake made without a crust.

Rasmalai recipe is one of those intricate Indian sweets that most of us are intimated to try it at home.

But to be honest with you all with just basic steps or tips this can be tamed or mastered easily.

Making Rasmalai at home is time-consuming; again I would be sharing some techniques to get it all done and dusted easily.

Let me be honest with you all..

I have made this Rasmalai before; not exactly like the traditional ones but a different malai sandwich with so many components and plating – Malai Sandwich with Kesar Mousse and Cardamom Crumble. That was one amazing plated desserts that I have made.

The point is at that time; call it a beginners luck I got it just perfect.

Now when I started to make it again I was stuck, made some mistakes and that is when my dear friend Dhwani from Cookingcarnival.com shared these tips through which I could make such soft and spongy Rasmalai. Thank you Dhwani.

And that is what exactly I am gonna share with you all in this Rasmalai post.

Trial One:

The “ras” of the rasmalai is pretty basic. Kind of similar to the Kulfi recipe that we just made a few days back. The only catch is we have to cook it just until it reduces to 50% of original amount. So it was not a big deal for me.

But it so happened that in my first trial, even after hanging the paneer for 30-40 mins it was still wet and when I tried to knead it turned even mushy instead of coming together as a soft dough and so I had to repeat the process.

Trial Two:

I know exactly where I went wrong and hence sharing the tips and tricks with you all so that you do not make that mistake.

Tips:
1. Do not reduce the ras for the malai way too much; that is, do not make it thicker. The thinner it is the easier it would be for the paneer (rasgulla) to absorb it. If its thick the ras (sweetened milk) won’t be able to penetrate the paneer balls.

2. Allow the milk to cool a bit say about 70% to 80% before adding the vinegar or lemon juice to split it.

3. Once the paneer splits, stop the cooking process by adding ice-cold water. Would stop it from cooking further and turning rubbery.

4. Separate the paneer out from the whey. Squeeze the excess water completely. Hang it for a while to ensure that the paneer is dried out. This is one of the crucial step. The paneer should be completely dry. (Check out my video recipe to see the texture of dried out paneer). This is where I went wrong.

5. The next important step to this recipe is to knead the paneer really well. And I have another tip for you guys to make your life easier. Use a blender/mixer for this step; this would definitely a boon and you guys can thank me later.. 😛 anyways what I mean is use the “Pulse” mode on the mixer for 5 to 6 mins and in just a matter of 2 mins your perfect paneer dough would be ready.

6. The sugar syrup for cooking the paneer balls should be boiling when you are ready to add the balls.

7. Once the paneer balls are cooked; do not open the lid of the vessel or cooker instead just let it cool completely in the sugar syrup itself. Open the lid only when it has cooled completely.

Here is the detailed recipe:

5 from 3 votes

Rasmalai Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Rasmalai is a royal Indian dessert wherein the smooth, soft and spongy paneer balls are dunked in a rich and sweetened milk.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 17 Rasmalai pieces

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

"Ras" - Sweetened Milk

1 litre Full Fat Milk
Big pinch of saffron
3-4 tbsp Chopped Nuts (depending upon your preference)
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
Drop of Yellow
3/4 cup Sugar (or to taste)

Paneer Balls

1.5 litre Full Fat Milk
3 tbsp Vinegar
3 tbsp Water

Sugar Syrup

1/2 cup Sugar
4 cups Water

Instructions

For Ras - Sweetened Milk

On med flame, cook the 1 litre milk until you see vapours coming out or sufficiently heated. Keep stirring in between
At this stage add the saffron, nuts, cardamom powder and yellow food colour to the Ras - sweetened Milk. Allow this to cook and reduce to half of the original amount. Do keep stirring in between.
In another 10 mins you would observe that it has reduced significantly, at this point add the sugar. Mix everything well and allow it to cook for another 5-6 mins.
You do not want to thicken the milk; it should be of thinner consistency only. Switch off the gas and allow this to cool completely.

Paneer Balls

Bring the 1.5 litre milk to rolling boil on med flame.
Once boiled switch off the gas and allow it cool a bit.
Then add in the vinegar+water mixture little by little stirring continuously. You will observe that the paneer and whey would be separated (Milk would turn green in colour)
At this stage add in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process.
Filter this out onto a cheese cloth. (Collect the whey and use it to make chapati dough, dal, kadi etc). Gather the ends of the cloth and squeeze it to release all the excess water. Tie a knot and hang it somewhere to allow the excess water to drip off completely say another 15-30 mins.
Once the paneer is dried out, take it out onto a blender and using the pulse functionality pulse it to form a paste smooth dough.
Pinch out small size balls, give it a round shape and then flatten it out. Prepare all the balls. Cover and keep until the sugar syrup is ready

Sugar Syrup

In a wide mouth pan, bring the sugar and water to rolling boil.
Add the prepared flattened balls one by one, cover with the lid and allow it to cook for 15 mins until it absorbs the liquid and bulges increasing in size.
Switch off the gas, and let it cool completely in the sugar syrup itself.
Once cooled, squeeze out the excess sugar syrup and transfer the cooled ras - sweetened milk. Let it sit for 2-3 hours until the balls absorb the milk.
Enjoy it chilled

Notes:

Do check all the tips mentioned above.

Apart from that, as per the recipe of the Ras – sweetened milk that we are using here, it would give you more milk than the balls. We like to have the proportion of liquid more but if you do not prefer that way you can halve the measurements and use.

IF you found this post informative then share it with me by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and yours posts.

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then

Hugs
Sushma

Bread Gulab Jamun Recipe | Instant Gulab Jamun

April 24, 2018

Bread Gulab Jamun is a simpler and easier method of making Gulab Jamuns; a traditional Indian dessert which is otherwise a lengthier process.

Bread Gulab Jamun is one of those Indian desserts recipes that comes as a saviour when you are craving for something sweet and are in no mood to put some extra effort; especially in such a hot weather.. phew… I get you I get you..

This Bread Gulab Jamun recipe is all that you want:

1. Easy to make. No rocket science or difficult steps.

2. Takes just 20-30 mins of your time (perfect for summers or when guests arrive at a short notice)

3. Satisfies your instant sweet craving.

The Internet is crazy.. Don’t you think.. Someday something is in and the other day its out.

And we keep moving with the latest trend right!!!

One such trend going on Youtube is trying out makeup tutorials or fashion styles or in my case food recipes by other bloggers, YouTubers etc.

So just like the way, I made the trending Alphabet Cake 2018; today I tried Kabita’s Kitchen Bread Gulab Jamun. (Yes this the latest trend on Youtube at the moment.)

Before we proceed with anything else I would like to clear out with you guys that I am not trying to steal or copy someone else’s work but instead, I am using my platform to promote and share fresh content with you guys which is merely just a recreation.

If you are still not following Kabita Kitchen on Youtube definitely check her out for more everyday recipe inspirations.

So how did I go with the Bread Gulab Jamun Recipe..

The one thing that I really liked about her recipe is that the timing details that she shares throughout the video. However, since I have a burner that runs on electricity rather than a gas it did not suit my needs. This would be helpful if you are based in India otherwise you will have to go by your judgement.

I would also suggest you guys to crumble the bread using a mixer jar; rather than by hands that did make a difference. Check out my video recipe down below or on Youtube to know why.

Other pointers that I wanted to clarify regarding this Bread Gulab Jamun recipe:

1. This bread gulab jamun is not as soft as our regular traditional ones. So if you are expecting a melt in your mouth kind of gulab jamuns then sorry to disappoint you guys but this gulab jamun is a little bit harder as compared to those.

2. We are not exactly deep frying the jamuns; as in the whole ball is not fully immersed in hot oil it just sits half way (check out the video for clear understanding).

3. Knead the bread dough really well (nearly around 5 mins) to get a smoother dough.

Here is the detailed recipe:

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Easy Bread Gulab Jamun Recipe

Prep Time

3 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

23 mins

Bread Gulab Jamun is a simpler and easier version of the traditional Gulab Jamun; Indian dessert that can be made in just few mins.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 11 Gulab Jamuns

Ingredients

8 nos White Bread Slices
6 tbsp Milk
1 cup (or 200 gms) Sugar
1.5 cup (or 300 mL ) Water
1/2 tsp (or 4 nos) Cardamom pods
few strands of saffron (optional)

Instructions

Start by making the sugar syrup. For which in a saucepan combine together sugar and water and bring it to a boil on low-med flame (around 5-7 mins)
Once it comes to a boil, add the cardamom powder and saffron strands if using. Lower the flame and cook this for a further 8-10 mins. Switch off the gas once thickened and cover with a lid.

Gulab Jamuns

Slice the corners of the bread. (Do not throw it away; you can use it for making bread upma or just make crumbs store in an air-tight container for later use).
Blend it into fine crumbs in your mixer jar without adding any water.
Now add a tbsp of milk at a time to the bread crumbs and combine everything into a smooth and soft dough. Knead it well say for about 3-4 mins.
Pinch out small sized balls out of it and give it a round shape without any cracks with an even smooth surface. I could make about 11 balls from 8 bread slices.
Fry them in hot oil over medium flame until golden brown from all sides. Once fried; dunk them in the prepared sugar syrup for 3-4 hours.
Enjoy the gulab jamun cold or hot as per your liking.

Notes:

1. Knead the bread dough well and roll it into an even surfaced ball shapes to avoid breaking of jamuns in hot oil.
2. Oil should be med hot: not too hot or not too cold.
3. Do go through the pointers that I have discussed above.

If you like my today’s recipe then do let me 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 post

Until then
Hugs
Sushma

Recipe Source: Kabita’s Kitchen

No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake – No Agar Agar, Gelatin

April 4, 2018

No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake is a delicious cheesecake that does not need any baking and tastes amazing when served chilled making it perfect for Summers.

No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake is also commonly known as Pineapple Delight back in India.

What makes this No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake even more special?
1. As the name suggests it does not need any baking time and tastes amazing when chilled making it perfect for Summers.
2. The recipe does not call for Agar-Agar or Gelatin. (perfect right !!!)
3. Chocolate decorations on top make it look like straight out of a cafe counter.
4. Also sharing a simpler version of it in the notes section.. 😉

With this No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake I would like to apologize to each one of you for not uploading a post on the schedule.

If you are following me on Youtube, you might have known that I had been to India for 2 months vacation and that’s the reason I could not post on time.

At the same time, a big heartfelt Thank You for sticking with me even when I was not posting regularly.

Let’s bridge the gap with this gorgeous No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake.

Yes, I understand that the title says No Gelatin or Agar-Agar and I am still using it in the jelly layer.

Well, that is because the jelly layer and the chocolate decorations are optional. These two additions, however, make the cheesecake look as amazing as the store-bought ones.

The actual base and cheesecake layer does not have make use of these. You can choose to decorate it with either desiccated coconut, some shredded chocolate or even caramel.

Coming to the texture and taste of this No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake.

To start with the texture, I really like the division in the layers. What I mean is the jiggly wiggly jelly followed by the smooth and creamy cheesecake layer with crumbly biscuit base is something that you must give a try for sure.

The taste is perfectly balanced. The sweetness is not overpowering at all. The freshness of the pineapples and the flavour from the pineapple juice is complimenting with the cream cheese.

And the Whipped cream makes it all really smooth.

Since its Mango Season you can also use Mangoes in place of Pineapples here.

Here is the detailed recipe:

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No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake - No Gelatin or Agar Agar

No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake is a smooth, creamy and light cheesecake flavoured with pineapples. A no bake dessert that tastes amazing when served chill is a perfect dessert for this Summer.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 1 20 cm springform pan

Author: sushma iyer

Ingredients

The Base

15-18 nos Biscuits (Refer notes)
2-3 tbsp Melted Butter (Refer notes)

For the Cheesecake layer

250 gms Cream cheese softened
3/4 cup Caster Sugar
1 cup Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Pineapple Juice
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 cup Fresh Pineapples cubed

The Jelly Layer

1 cup Pineapple Juice
3/4 tsp Agar Agar
2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

The Base Layer

Crush the biscuits in a food processor without adding any water until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the melted butter and combine to form a mixture that holds its shape when pressed in your palms. (Refer video)
Transfer it to a 20 cm springform pan and press it firmly until it coats the entire pan in a nice even layer. Place it in the fridge and let it set for 15 mins or until you prepare the cream cheese filling.

For the Cream cheese layer

Combine together the pineapple juice and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then simmer until it thickens and comes together.
Transfer to a small bowl. Cling wrap and refrigerate until it cools.
Meanwhile, whip the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy and smooth.
In a separate bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks.
Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture in two stages and combine together.
By this time the thickened pineapple juice would have cooled down. Add it to the cream cheese mixture along with the pineapple cubes. Combine together until well mixed and our filling is ready too.
Transfer it on top of the biscuit base layer. Cling wrap and let is sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight.

The Jelly Layer

Combine together the pineapple juice, agar agar and sugar in a saucepan.
Bring it to a rolling boil until you see no specs of agar agar left in the pan.
Let it cool for 5-10 mins and then pour on top of the cheesecake layer.
Garnish it with chocolate decorations and you are good to go 😀

Recipe Video

If you like my today’s recipe then do let me know by tagging me, tweeting me or instagram me. I would love to follow you and your posts.

Notes:

1. I have used Atta Biscuits; that was left from my previous project as the base. You can use any biscuit layer of your choice like Graham Crackers, Oreos etc.

2. Since the Atta Biscuits already had lots of fat content in it, I needed about 2 tbsp of melted butter to combine it together. If you choose to use any other biscuits then you may need some more melted butter. Add 1 tbsp at a time and combine together.

3. Yes, the title of the recipe reads No Agar-Agar or Gelatin. I have not used this in the actual cheesecake filling layer. The jelly layer or top is just for decorative purpose and is optional. You can choose to simply use dessicated coconut, fresh pineapples or caramel to decorate the cake.

Update: I have now uploaded the video for chocolate decorations every home baker must know. Click here for watching it..

Variations:

If you do not find cream cheese in the place where you live.

Then simply skip it and follow the rest of the procedure. Then that particular dessert would be called as Pineapple Delight.

Do use praline to give a crunch to the delight and decorate the top with caramelised pineapple or caramel pieces.

Products that I have used to make this Cheesecake includes Springform Pan, Hand Blender and Cream Cheese ofcourse.

Pin it for later

I will see you soon with yet another recipe

Until then
Hugs
Sushma

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