Caramelized Pears

Caramelized Pears are perfect when you have to make a quick and a light dessert.

What you need:

2 tblsp unsalted butter
2 medium pears, quartered and cored
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Vanilla ice cream/Whipped Cream, for serving

Method:

1. In a pan heat the butter and the sugar add the vanilla extract and once the sauce thickens switch off the flame and let it cool
2. In a sauce pan put some water and pears and cook for 5 mins.
3. Remove the pears on to a plate or bowl and add the butter sugar sauce and serve warm with some ice cream:)

Eggless Butterless Chocolate Cake

I always look out for new and different recipes, this one calls for no butter and no egg so I gave it a try. It was one of friends wedding anniversary and since they are vegetarians I tried this recipe.

Source: Raks Kitchen

What you need :

All purpose flour - 1& 1/2 cups
Unsweetened Coco powder - 3 tblsp
Sugar -1 cup ( Iused dermerara)
Oil (I used sunflower oil) -1/4 cup
Baking Soda -1 tsp
Vinegar -1 tblsp
Water -1 cup
Salt -1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence- 1/2 tblsp 

Method :

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 5 and sift the dry ingredients together.
2. In another bowl take the required amount of water and dissolve the sugar completely and add the vanilla,oil and vinegar and combine
3. Finally add the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Bake for 30-35 mins.
5. I topped it with some chocolate ganache:)

Recipe for Chocolate Ganche is here.

Eggless Chocolate Cake (Using Yoghurt)

I usually don't bake egg less cakes or cookies unless I have guests who are vegetarians. I baked this sometime when my cousin visited us. To my surprise the cake turned out quiet moist and yummy.

I have adapted it from Edible Garden.

What you need:

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and grease a pan of choice. Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In another bowl beat the butter, sugar and add the vanilla extract and yoghurt and mix well.
3. Now add the dry ingredients to this mixture and fold into the mixture.
4. Bake for 40-50 mins till the skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
5. I frosted the cake with a very thin layer of ready made chocolate sauce.

Lemon Cupcakes

Cupcakes are fun to bake and decorate. If you love decorating and experimenting with different nozzles colors etc its really great, except for the cleaning all the mess after its done :P .. I woke up one morning with this urge to bake lemon cupcakes :) and once it was all baked and decorated i felt so satisfied and happy. I usually bake with some of my favorite music playing in the background, with my kid permitting it (if you know what i mean;))

Well getting to the recipe; this makes 12  medium sized cupcakes.

What you need:
100 grams unsalted butter softened
100 grams self-raising flour
100 grams caster sugar
1 zest of lemons or 2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 medium eggs
1 tsp baking powder

For the lemon frosting
75 grams unsalted butter softened
175 grams icing sugar sifted
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 zest of lemons

Method:

1. Beat the butter and sugar till pale and creamy. Add the lemon juice and beat, add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Finally add the flour and baking powder and combine well.
2. Bake in a pre heated oven of 180C/350F/Gas Mark 6 for 10-12 mins.
3. Cool completely prior to frosting.
4. For the frosting beat the butter with the lemon juice well till pale, add the sugar in batches and beat till its combined.
5. Finally add the zest and combine. Check the consistency and pipe as per your choice.:)

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Marble Cake

Marble cake or zebra cakes are so pretty and i love making them. I have tried them before from here.
Recently I bought a book by Anneka Manning - Mastering the Art of Baking and I love the book i have tried few recipes from the book and they turn out great.

This recipe was in the book and i was instantly drawn towards it.So here it goes I made it for my boy's 2nd Bday.

What you need:

6 & 1/2 oz unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs at room temp
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup self rising flour ( All purpose flour with a pinch of salt and pinch of baking powder)
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1-2 drops of red food coloring

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4/350 F and grease a pan of your choice with butter flour.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.Sift the flours and fold into the butter sugar mixture alternately with the milk until combined and smooth.
3. Now divide the batter into 3 bowls. In one bowl add the red food coloring and mix well
4. In the second bowl add the cocoa powder and mix well, leave the 3rd one as it is.
5. Now drop spoonfuls of each mixture alternately into the baking pan and bake for 50 mins.

I covered my cake with Vanilla Butter cream, the recipe calls for Chocolate butter cream. so its your choice.

The recipe for the vanilla butter cream is below, it makes about 1 cup of butter cream.

3 &1/2 oz unsalted butter softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1&1/3 cup caster sugar

2 tbsp Milk

1. Use an electric beater to beat butter and vanilla in a small bowl until pale and creamy
2. Gradually add the caster sugar about 1/2 cup at a time until well combined
3. Test the consistency if its too thick add the milk 1 tbsp at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Chocolate Banana Bread (Butterless)

This recipe is butterless and uses vegetable oil. Any oil which is odourless can be used, I used sunflower oil.

What you need:

2 &1/4 cups all purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
3 large ripe bananas mashed
2 eggs room temp lightly whisked
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts/any nuts of your choice/semi sweer chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/Gas Mark 4 and lightly grease and flour a loaf pan. Sift the flour baking powder, soda in a bowl. You need remove 1/3 cup flour and add 1/3 cup of the cocoa powder in this step
2. Put the mash bananas,egg,oil,sugar and vanilla in another bowl and combine well.
3. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and combine add the nuts. Smooth the surface with a back of the spoon
4. Bake for 50 minutes or till the skewer inserted comes out clean from the loaf.
5. Cool in the pan for 10 mins and turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.