Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Whewww!!!!!! That is one long name for a little thing and I am tired from typing it ;) . These cupcakes are soft , moist , chocolatey , caramely ...... I could go on and on and on describing it coz it's just that good and the frosting is just yummy . It's just chocolate ganache whipped up to give a nice fluffy smooth frosting , it's just too good so here goes..................

INGREDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 and 3/4 baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup canola oil or any flavorless vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup nestle caramel treat or caramel topping

for the frosting

200 gms dark chocolate chopped
1 cup whipping cream

METHOD

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl .
Mix all the wet ingredients together except for the caramel topping .
Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix it well till you get a smooth mixture .
Now fold in  the caramel topping into the batter . Don't over mix it .
Grease or line the cupcake tin.
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 15-20 min or till the tops are springy to the touch .
Meanwhile make the ganache by heating the whipping cream in the microwave for 1 min .
Add the chopped chocolate in the hot cream and stir it till you get a smooth mixture.
Now keep it aside to cool.
When the ganache is cooled whip it using a beater till stiff .
Pipe the whipped ganache onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy :D.

Plantain and Coconut Milk Pudding

This is a very unique dish we make for special occasions like welcoming our new year , the beginning of Eid . It is the best thing I have ever tasted especially the one my mom makes and I don't think anyone makes it like her . The soft ripened plantains are cooked in a delicious creamy coconut milk . It tastes really fresh and I think this is a new thing for many of you out there , so here goes.....

INGREDIENTS

1 coconut freshly grated
2 large ripe plantains cut into chunks
1/4 cup basmati rice soaked for at least two hours
3 tbsp split chick peas soaked for at least two hours and cooked
1/2 cup or more ( according to your taste ) sugar
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

METHOD

The main thing is the fresh coconut milk in this dish so add 1/2 cup of water to the grated coconut and grind it in the blender really well . Now sieve this and set aside the milk ( you get a thick milk from this )
Do not discard the coconut , put it back in the blender and add 1 cup water and repeat the process , grind it really well and sieve the milk . Do not discard the coconut , add 1 cup more of water and blend it again .
Sieve the milk and now you can finally throw away the coconut ;).
In a deep saucepan , add the last coconut milk and in this add the plantains chunks and cook it till soft , then add the chickpeas.
Meanwhile , when the plantain is cooking , add the second coconut milk in the blender along with the soaked rice and grind it really well .
Add this mixture to the saucepan and stir it really well , by now the mixture will start to thicken , add the sugar , salt and then the first thick milk .
Cook it till it starts to get thick .
Now turn it off the heat and set aside to cool .
You can have it warm or cold , it tastes wonderful both ways .

NOTE

Check if you have to add more sugar , add it according to your taste as the plantains can be sweet or the coconut milk can be sweet . 

Vanilla and Chocolate Layer Cake with Caramel and Mousse Filling

 Eid Mubarak to everyone !!!!!  What a fun and hectic week it was with all family and friends getting together , truly it was a week to remember .The best part was the food and that too lots and lots of it and everyting truly delicious .As usual I was in charge of the dessert and decided to go all out for it and I am not one to brag ;) ,  but the cake turned out superb and everyone loved it .I made a chocolate and vanilla layered cake with white chocolate and dark chocolate mousse filling and caramel so now you know why everyone loved it . It was just superb and above all very easy to make so here goes........

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe of Chocolate cake
1 recipe of Vanilla cake

for the dark chocolate mousse filling 

150 gm dark chocolate chopped
1 cup whipping cream

for the white chocolate mousse 

150 white chocolate chopped
1 cup whipping cream

1 tin nestle caramel treat

for the frosting

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
150 gms butter softened
11 oz dark chocolate chopped

METHOD

Make the cakes in two 8 inch sandwich tins according to the recipe .
To make the mousse filling , melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler till smooth .
Whip the cream till stiff and fold in the melted chocolate .
To make the frosting , In a saucepan add the water,  sugar and  butter and heat it till it melts .
Now turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate and stir it till smooth .
It takes a while to set so make it first .
To assemble the cake cut each cake in half horizontally .
Place a layer of vanilla cake , spread 2 tbsp of caramel treat on it .
Now add 3 tbsp of  the dark chocolate mousse filling on top.
Place a layer of chocolate cake on top and then add the caramel treat again if you like and top it with the white chocolate mousse filling .
Now repeat the process till you run out of cakes : ) .
Now frost the entire cake with chocolate frosting and leave it to till .
Garnish the top with crushed peanuts if you like .
Serve and enjoy .

Caramel , Apple and Pecan Nut Cake

This recipe came about when I was craving for something sweet  and  had only an apple and not even a handful of pecan nuts  in my house so decided to make do with them in the unhealthiest way possible ; p , if I hadn't made something then the apple would have been thrown out the next day and didn't want to do that . Surprisingly the cake came out really good and it was also simple to make , so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp water
1 apple
1/2 cup toasted pecan nuts chopped
50 gms butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup all-purpose-flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk

METHOD

In a saucepan , add the sugar and the water , mix it up and put on low heat till it just starts to turn burgundy .
Turn off the heat and pour the caramel in a 6 inch baking tin , spread it in the tin evenly .
Add the toasted pecans on it and set aside .
Cream the butter and sugar till pale .
Add the egg and vanilla and beat again .
Sift all the dry ingredients together and add it to the creamed butter alternating with the milk .
Slice the apples very thinly and arrange on top of the toasted pecans .
Pour the batter over it and bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-25 min or till done .
Cool it in the tin for a while so that the apple topping sets and it will easily come out .
This cake best tastes while it is warm .

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever !!!

I have been so lazy since I had my vacation that I really needed to make something in chocolate to get me energized and what better thing to make than Nigella's Devil's Food Cake . I so LOVE Nigella , her recipes are so awesome , quick and delicious and also it always comes out just like it says . This is indeed Devil's cake coz this is so good that something this good is always bad for you . The cake is super moist and the frosting is to die for , you really have to try it to know . It's always better to make the frosting before the  cake coz the frosting takes time to set and also it does not set very hard but it is indeed the yummiest frosting that I have tasted  , it is light and not overly sweet , so here goes...........

INGREDIENTS

for the frosting 

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
150 gms unsalted butter
11 oz chocolate chopped coarsely

for the cake 

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup boiling water
165 gms unsalted butter room temp
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

METHOD

In a saucepan , add the all the ingredients for the frosting except the chocolate and melt on low heat .
Turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate and stir it into a smooth mixture and set aside.
In a bowl mix the boiling water , cocoa powder and the brown sugar and set aside .
Cream the butter and the sugar till pale and fluffy .
Sift the dry ingredients together .
Add the vanilla in the creamed butter and sugar .
Add eggs one at a time alternating between the dry ingredients .
Add the cocoa mixture in the batter .
Grease and line two 8 inch sandwich tins and pour the batter in this .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20 min or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean .
Sandwich the cooled cakes with frosting and spread the remaining frosting on the entire cake .
Enjoy to your heart's content .

Ferrerro Raffaello Cake and an Anniversary

I know I said I wouldn't be posting as much  coz I am on my vacation ( thank you for all the wishes you guys  ) but how could I not post today coz today is the day I started my blog a year ago and that was the best thing I had done . I got to post about stuff that I love so much and above all that I made lots of new and wonderful friends from all over the globe . I have to thank each one of you who visited my blog and left comments here , I just love reading them and it really encourages me to do more so a big Thank you to all of you again .
For today's post I had to make a cake and this cake is based on my favorite chocolate and I think all of you know this chocolate I am talking about , it's called Ferrero Raffaello ,the white counterpart of the famous Ferrero rocher . I just love the coconutty taste of this one and I wanted to incorporate this flavor into my cake and I am happy to let you know the results were quite good .

The cake is light and moist with a hint of the coconut flavour and the sweetness of the white chocolate ganache balances well with the light cream frosting and  the crunch from the toasted coconut and almonds and I hope you guys like it :) .

INGREDIENTS

100 gms butter room temp
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp almond essence
1 cup light coconut milk or 3 tsp coconut milk powder dissolved in 1 cup water

for the white chocolate ganache 

225 gms white chocolate
1 cup cream

for the frosting

1 cup liquid whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar

for the topping

3/4 cup toasted dessicated coconut
3/4 cup toasted almond flakes


METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy .
Add the eggs and beat well.
Add the vanilla and almond essence
Mix the flour and the baking powder well and beat it into the mixture alternating between the coconut milk .
Grease and line two 9 inch sandwich tins and pour the batter in it .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 15-20 min.
To make the ganache , heat the cream and add in the chopped chocolate and stir it till you get a smooth mixture.
Whip the cream and sugar till stiff .
To assemble the cake , add the white chocolate ganache on top of the cake and cover it with another layer of cake . Add a little more of the ganache on top of the cake and leave it to cool till the ganache is set .
Now frost the entire cake with the whipped cream  and top it with the toasted coconut and almonds.
Chill and enjoy .

Pineapple Delight

Hey all you guys , summer vacation is on the way and this is gonna be my goodbye post , I am going for a long.... long....... really long vacation for almost two months , so Kerala here I come , going to enjoy the monsoons and the fresh air and I am gonna be really busy so won't be able to post quite frequently as I do now but I will popping in to see all my blogger friends delicacies .
Now back to today's post , this is something my sister used to make way back  now she is too lazy  (ooooh!!! I am gonna get into so much trouble for that ) and I just loved this dessert and had forgotten about it for a long time , so decided to refresh my memory of it . This is sort of like a cheesecake but without the cheese , it is quite creamy ,crunchy ,tangy ,sweet from the pineapples , it has all the textures and flavours for a perfect dessert so here goes..........

INGREDIENTS

10 digestive biscuits
75 gms melted butter
600 ml whole  milk
2 eggs separated
300 gms cream
12 tbsp sugar
2 and 1/2 tbsp gelatin + 6 tbsp water to dissolve it
200 gms canned pineapple

METHOD


Crush the digestive biscuits.
Melt the butter and add the crushed biscuits and toast it till a nice aroma comes up.
Put this mixture in a loose based tin and pop it in the fridge to cool it.
Beat the egg yolks with sugar till light and pale .
Heat the milk on low and add the beaten yolks to it , cook it on low heat till the mixture coats the back of the spoon like a custard .
Set the custard aside to cool .
Meanwhile, dissolve the gelatin and mix it in the custard stirring till the gelatin is mixed properly in the custard.
Beat the cream with 2 tbsp of sugar till soft peaks form  and fold it in the custard.
Beat the egg whites till stiff and fold it in the mixture.
Now pour the whole mixture on top of the crust .
Add chopped pieces of pineapple and also before pouring the custard , you can add the pineapple slices for garnish and then pour in the custard .
Chill to set and then enjoy .

Fruit Kebabs with Vanilla Yoghurt Dip

Now that summer is here , there are all sorts of fruits available in the market and here we all are fruit lovers and I try to make to make many things with them . This dish is pretty easy to put together and it tastes really fantastic . The dressing for this fruit kebab is quite simple , it is just lemon juice and fruit chat masala which can be store-bought . It is spicy, tangy, sweet , it is quite a burst of flavours in your mouth and the dip balances the heat from the masala . This is quite refreshing and healthy , perfect for the summer so here goes...................

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of melon balls
1 cup of diced green apple
1 cup of kiwi quartered
1 tbsp or more of fruit chaat masala
1/4 cup of lemon juice or orange juice

for the dip 

1 cup yoghurt skimmed or whole
1-2 tbsp honey according to your taste
1 tsp vanilla

METHOD

Put all the fruits in a big bowl
Add the lemon/orange juice and the fruit chaat masala powder and mix it all up making sure all the fruit pieces are coated with dressing .
Mix up all the ingredients for the dip .
Serve the fruits on wooden skewers and enjoy .

OMG! It's Chocolate Heaven

Ok , I might be being a tad bit dramatic , but lemme tell you something , I went on a diet last week and boy , that was one week I will never get back , I was just miserable ,was having only fruits and vegetables and I had these terrible nightmares of a lettuce strangling me and a giant apple knocking me dead  ( naaah , just kidding ) but seriously  if I ever see one more lettuce or an apple I might just kill myself . More than me , my kids were behind my back to stop the diet coz they wanted cookies and I wouldn't make it for them until I was over with the diet . So finally my diet is over and my kids are happy and me too to an extent and made these cookies to celebrate my success ( or failure) . These are Nigella Lawson's double chocolate cookies and they are just so decadent , rich , chocolatey and I could go on and on about it , they are that good , they are just divine .

INGREDIENTS

125 gms dark chocolate melted
150 gms flour
30 gms cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
125 gms butter
75 gms light brown sugar
50 gms white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg cold
350 gms semi- sweet chocolate chips

METHOD

Cream the butter and the sugar till pale and fluffy
Add the vanilla and egg and beat again .
Add the melted chocolate
Mix together the dry ingredients and add them in the butter mix .
Stir in the chocolate chips .
Scoop out with a medium size ice-cream scoop and place on the baking tray about 3 inches apart .
Bake in a preheated 170 c oven for about 18 min .
Leave in the tin to cool and then transfer to the wire rack to cool and harden .
If you stay in a hot and humid country ( like me ) then chill the dough for a half hour so that the cookies will not flatten out like a disc .

P.S : The milk is skimmed ;)

Strawberry Delight

This recipe was invented when something I wanted to make didn't turn out quite like how I wanted it to be but nevertheless the end result was just too delicious . This dessert is quite easy to make . It is very fresh,  creamy , tangy , sweet and heavenly and it looks quite good too . Now I make it whenever I have a party because firstly it is quite easy and secondly it is liked by children and adults alike so here goes.......

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of strawberry jelly
250 gms of fresh strawberry
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
200 gms cream cheese
2/3 cup icing sugar
250 whipping cream


METHOD

Prepare the strawberry jelly according to instructions and leave it to set in an medium sized serving dish or if serving individually into the glasses .
Cut the strawberries and add lemon juice and the 2 tbsp sugar and set it aside.
In a bowl , mix the cream cheese and the icing sugar well.
In another bowl , whip the cream till stiff.
Now gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix .
Now fold the strawberries into the mixture gently .
After the jelly has set , add the cream cheese mixture on top of it and garnish it with extra strawberries and almond flakes if you like and pop it back into the fridge.
Serve it chilled .

NOTE

I used Philadelphia light cream cheese and I find it is just perfect for it . 

Guilt-Free Chocolate Fudge Cake

This is one amazing cake , I never thought chocolate cakes could be healthy but this one proved me wrong , it is very chocolatey , fudgey and moist and it is also very light in texture too . You can indulge in this without feeling guilty so go ahead and give in to your chocolate cravings and make this one ......

INGREDIENTS

85 gm dark chocolate chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup almond meal
1/3 cup wholemeal plain flour
2 egg yolks
4 egg whites

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 c .Line base and side of a deep 20 cm round cake tin.
In a large bowl , combine chocolate , cocoa and sugar with water and stir until smooth.
Add egg yolks and whisk .
Fold in almond meal and flour
In another bowl , beat the egg whites till stiff .
Gently fold the egg whites to the chocolate batter and pour into prepared tin.
Bake for about 40 -45 min .
Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and fresh berries .

Chocolate Souffle

They are decadent , they are light , they are fluffy and they make you want to hum a little tune .Who needs a man when you can have chocolate souffle ( hope my hubby never sees this ). This dessert is to die for , ok maybe I am over reacting but this souffle literally melts in your mouth so here goes , enjoy .....

INGREDIENTS

60 gms chocolate
50 gms butter softened
3 eggs seperated
50 gms powdered sugar
1 tbsp flour
icing sugar for dusting
METHOD

Melt the chocolate in a microwave on power 30 for 5 min.
In the meantime beat the egg yolks and half the sugar till it turns pale .
Add the softenend butter in the chocolate and mix it up well .
Now stir in the chocolate into the egg yolk mix.
Now beat the whites with sugar till stiff .
Add the egg white mix on top of the egg yolk mix and sprinkle the flour.
Now slowly fold them to mix it all up taking care not to take the air out.
Butter and flour 3 small ramekins .
Pour the mix into the ramekins and bake in a preheated 200 c oven for about 15-20 min.
Serve hot with a dusting of icing sugar .

Chocolate Ice cream with Pralines

Yummmmmmm!!!!!! Icecreams, who doesn't like them and that too chocolate .  I had recently invested in an ice cream maker and have tried making various types of chocolate ice cream but this recipe turned out the best , it is a very rich , creamy , chocolatey , smooth ice cream and the best part is if you don't have an ice cream maker you can just freeze it and  whisk it once in the process of freezing and that too turns out great , so here goes

INGREDIENTS

6 egg yolks
120gm caster sugar
300 ml milk
300 ml single cream or whipping cream
225 gm dark chocolate grated
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD 

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar till the mixture becomes pale .
Whisk in the milk followed by the cream
Cook this mixture in a heavy saucepan over a low heat stirring constantly until it is thick enough too coat the back of a wooden spoon .
Remove it from the heat .
Stir in the chocolate into the hot custard and add the vanilla .
Cover and set the custard aside to cool .
Freeze in an ice cream maker ,following the manufacturer's instructions or freeze it in a flat bottomed container and whisk it once during the process of freezing .

For the pralines .

55 gm blanched almonds
100 gm caster sugar
4 tbsp water

Toast the almonds until they are lightly browned. Spread them on a lightly oiled surface.
Heat the sugar with the water until it dissolves , then boil it to deep golden brown .
Pour immediately over the nuts and leave until cold before crushing them in an electric coffee grinder or  with a pestle and mortar.You can store this mix in an airtight container .

Indian Bread Pudding/ Shahi Tukda

This is an Indian style bread pudding , it is a very rich ,exotic and flavourful dish . I make this whenever I want an easy dessert  , so here goes.............

INGREDIENTS

6-8 white bread cut diagonally 

450 gm sugar 

600 ml water

a pinch of cardamom powder

oil for frying 

2-3 tbsp rose water 

4 cups milk 

1 can of sweetened condensed milk 

2-3 tbsp all purpose flour 

4 tbspn milk 

1/4 toasted chopped almonds

METHOD

In a deep pan boil the water and sugar till all the sugar dissolves and add the cardamom powder to it .

Deep fry the bread pieces till it turns golden brown and drain on absorbent paper.

Soak the fried bread in the sugar syrup for a few sec , do not soak it in for long as the bread will come apart .

Arrange the soaked bread in the bottom of a serving dish and just sprinkle some more of the syrup on it . 

Sprinkle the rose water on the bread peices and set aside .

In another pan bring the milk and condensed milk to a boil .

Mix the flour and the 4 tbsp milk into a paste and stir it in the boiling milk and cook it on low flame till the mixture thickens .

Pour this mixture on top of the bread and top it with the toasted almonds and chill and serve .

healthy dessert / breakfast

This is a wonderful , delicious and a guilt-free dessert , it can also be a wonderful breakfast , a great way to have the kids eat a good breakfast and the best thing about it is that it is super easy to make ,so here goes ..

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of any kind of fruits like berries , apple , banana , mango  chopped
1 cup of low-fat yoghurt ,whipped
1/2 cup rolled or instant oats
2 tbspn honey
1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
2 tbspn maple syrup

METHOD

Toast the oats and add honey to it and stir it till it becomes crisp
Blend the blueberries with the maple syrup ( if using frozen thaw them )
In a glass layer it first with the tosted oats , chopped fruits, whipped yoghurt, blueberry syrup and again the toasted oats , layer it in this order .
You can make as many layers you want , finally top it off with the toasted oats .

TIPS

If you dont have blueberries then just use blueberry jam or you can use any variety of berries .

No Bake Cheesecake

I stumbled upon this recipe a while ago and have been making it ever since and everytime it turns out perfect . it is a wonderful cheesecake very light and airy in texture and above all very easy to make . It is a big hit with my family so here goes ..............

• 450 gm cream cheese (room temperature)
• 200 ml double cream
• 110 gm caster sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vannilla essence
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 10 digestive biscuits
• fresh blueberries
• icing sugar for dusting

1. Crush the digestives into fine crumbs (use a food processor )
2. Heat the butter ina large pan on low flame . Add the digestives and stir continuously until the crubs have absorbed the butter and you can a smell a nice roasted aroma .
3. Remove from the heat and press down into a 10" or 9" inch loose base cake tin (spring form pan).Smooth over by using the base of a glass . Put in the freezer to cool .
4. In a clean dry bowl whip the double cream until it forms soft peaks . Dont over whip ( it is all in the whipping ).
5. In another bowl gently soften the cream cheese using a wooden spoon and add the lemon juice , vanilla and sugar .
6. Next fold in the double cream . mix well .
7. Pour the filling into the prepared cake tin . Arrange th blueberries on top and sprinkle with the icing sugar .
8. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours . Serve with ice ceam, creme fraiche or additional fresh berries .

If you don't have fresh blueberries you can also top it with a chunky blueberry jam ,that works very well too.