Red Wine Chocolate Cake

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          I made this cake for my Hubby's Birthday. As you can see I am not good  at writing on the cake(need more practice, obviously). This recipe has been adapted from loveandoliveoil. I have used red wine instead of blackberry.

Ingredients:
For the cake:
Sugar                                   -          2 cups 
All-purpose flour                 -         1¾ cups 
Cocoa powder                      -         ¾ cup  
Baking soda                         -          2 tsp. 
Baking powder                    -          1 tsp. 
Salt                                      -           1 tsp.
Eggs                                    -           2
Buttermilk                           -          1 cup
Red wine                             -          1 cup
Olive or vegetable oil          -          ½ cup 
Vanilla extract                     -          2 tsp.

For the frosting:
unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes  -   2 cups (4 sticks)
powdered sugar, sifted                                   -   3¾ cup
heavy cream                                                   -   ¼ cup 
vanilla extract                                                 -   2 tsp. 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter and line three 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and combine well. Add eggs, buttermilk, wine, oil, and vanilla and combine well with a beater. Divide evenly among the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
4. Run a small knife around the edges of the pan and gently invert the pan onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. 
5. To prepare frosting, beat the butter until creamy, add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add cream and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. Add more cream or powdered sugar as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
6. To assemble, level each cake layer by cutting of the domed top. Place one layer, flat side down, on a serving platter and spread half a cup of the prepared buttercream on top. 
7. Place the second cake layer again flat side down on top and press gently, spread another 1/2 cup of buttercream.
8.  Place final cake layer, flat side up and cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This "crumb coat" will make frosting the cake easier. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to allow this crumb coat to set. 
9. Remove cake from refrigerator and frost with remaining buttercream. Return cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes:

• I decorated the cake with berries and Lindsay used chocolate glaze.
• It is better to freeze the cake before applying the frosting.
• If  decorating the cake with berries then do it just before serving, (coz.  fresh berries weep when thawed, lesson learnt!)

Drumstick Potato Curry

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Ingredients:
Drumsticks, cut in 2" length        -      3
onion, diced                -      1
potato, chopped          -       1
mustard seeds            -     ½ tsp.
fennel seeds                -     ½ tsp.
garlic, sliced finely     -      5 cloves
curry leaves                 -      1 sprigs
red chili powder         -      2 tsp.
turmeric powder         -     ¼ tsp.
coriander powder        -     3 tsp.
asafoetida                     -     a pinch

Salt as required

Method:

1. Heat  one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add fennel seeds and curry leaves.
2. Add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until onions turn light brown.
3. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt and saute on medium flame for few minutes.
4. Now add the chopped drumsticks and potatoes and combine well and cook for about 2  to 3 minutes.
5. Cover and cook on low flame (add water if required) until the drumstick and potatoes are done(be careful not to burn the curry ). Once cooked remove from flame and serve.
6. This is a dry curry and goes well with chapati and rice.

Carrot Thoran (Carrot Stir Fry)

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Ingredients:
Carrot, minced                   -       3 or 4
Onion, minced                   -      1 
Cumin  seeds                     -       ¼ tsp.
Grated coconut                   -      ¼ cup
Ginger chopped                  -      ½ tsp.
Green chilies, chopped       -      3
Turmeric powder                 -    ¼ tsp.
Mustard seeds                      -     ½ tsp.
Curry leaves                        -     a sprig
Dry red chili                        -     2
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Combine the minced carrot, onion, cumin seeds, coconut, salt, green chilies, ginger, turmeric powder in a bowl using your hands.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, add the dry red chili and the curry leaves to saute for a minute.
3. Now add the combined mixture of carrot and coconut to the pan and saute well for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Cover the pan with the lid and let it cook on low flame for 3 or 4 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and mix again and open cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from flame when the carrot are cooked and serve with rice.

Butter Cake

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                   We used to call this as tea cake during school days, my dad would buy this cake atleast once a month. I like this cake compared to the Kerala Plum Cake. The cake is so soft & spongy and easy to make. I got the recipe from Wendy who got it from a Mrs NgSK. This is a very basic cake recipe & you will certainly get the desired output if you follow all the instructions to a T. This is a must try cake!

                      Make sure all your ingredients are in room temperature before using.(This goes for almost all kinds of cakes unless specified otherwise). It took me about 30 mins just for the preparation as I had to check my LO  each and every  time I was using the beater(she is a very light sleeper). The only step that is time consuming is beating the egg whites, which took me about 10 minutes on the whole (may be more).  The flour mentioned here is self rising flour if you do not have it you may substitute it with all purpose flour and baking powder. Combine one teaspoon. of baking powder to 200g of all purpose flour.

                         People who are baking a cake  for the first time might not understand the term "beat until stiff peaks are formed". When you beat the egg whites make sure you are doing this in a clean and dry  big bowl and the egg whites do not have any yolk in them. Soft peak means after beating the whites for some time the egg whites will become opaque & when you lift up the blade of the beater from the egg whites, they will form soft peak  that just falls slightly over to the side. Stiff peak means the peak formed will hold its form and will not slump, it will be erect.

Ingredients:
Salted butter, softened at room temp              -        230 g.
Eggs                                                                -        4
Sugar (for egg whites)                                    -       50 g. 
Sugar                                                               -       150 g.
Self rising flour, sifted                                    -        200 g.
Milk                                                                -         60 ml
Vanilla extract                                                -          1 tsp.

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180 C. Grease a 8 inch square pan with butter and line it with parchment paper.
2. Separate the eggs. And place the white in a big  bowl. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed and then gradually add the 50 g. sugar very slowly as you continue beating the egg whites. Beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
3. Beat the butter and the remaining 150 g sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla extract to the butter sugar mix and beat for a minute or two. Add the egg yolks one by one and beat well after each addition.
5. Now add the flour and the milk alternatively, starting and ending with flour.(in 2 or 3 batches). Beat on low speed after every addition.
6. Now beat half of the egg whites in the above batter on low speed and using a spatula just fold in the remaining egg whites slowly.
7. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and level the top with a spatula. Place in the oven (i placed in the middle rack) and bake for 45 mins. or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool on a wire rack and serve or store in a air tight container.

Notes:

• Combine one teaspoon. of baking powder to 200g of all purpose flour, if you do not have self rising flour.