Ribbon Cake - mixed essences

Recipe courtesy: BigFatTummy

INGREDIENTS:

Maida - 175 gms
Powdered sugar - 250gms
Egg at room temp - 4
Salted butter room remp - 175 gms
Milk Cream - 1.5 tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Pineapple essence - 1/2 tsp
Liquid food colour - green and pink
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Pinch of salt.

METHOD:

Line a baking tray with parchment paper, grease and keep aside.

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Take butter in a bowl at room temperature. Add maida and mix well.
Add powdered sugar and mix well for 3-4 minutes until well combined.
Add eggs one a time, mixing well for about 2 minutes with each addition.
Add milk cream and whisk on fast speed for 3 minutes.
Add baking powder and soda and pinch of salt and mix well for 2 minutes.

Divide batter into 3 portions (1:1:2)
Add vanilla essence and green colour to one 1/4 portion and mix well.
Add vanilla essence and pink colour to second 1/4 portion and mix well.
Add pineapple essence to the 1/2 portion which is your white batter, and mix well.

Take baking tin, add half of the prepared white batter and spread evenly.
Next add all the green batter and spread evenly.
Next add all the pink batter and spread evenly.
Finally add remaining white batter and spread evenly.

Give the baking tin a few taps to remove any trapped bubbles in the batter.

Bake at 180c for first 15 minutes.  Then lower the heat to 160c and bake for another 30 minutes or so till done.

Ribbon Cake - vanilla essence

Recipe courtesy: Xantillicious

INGREDIENTS:

•   125 grams Unsalted Butter
•  125 grams Granulated white sugar
•  2 large Eggs
•  1 tsp Vanilla extract
•  125 grams All-Purpose Flour
•  1/4 tsp Salt
•  1 tsp Baking powder
•  Few drops of liquid Food colors (Pink and green)

METHOD:

• 1 Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (320 degrees F) and grease a baking pan(loaf pan) 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm). In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  
• 2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract. Beat.
  
• 3 Fold in the flour (sieved with salt and baking powder) using a spatula.
  
• 4 Remove 1 tbsp each of the cake batter in 2 bowls. Color each batter with pink and green liquid food colors.
  
• 5 Pour batter in the pan in mixtures (layers- White cake mixture, green mixture)
  
• 6 Pour a tablespoon of white cake mixture,and then the pink mixture as shown.
  
• 7 Pour remaining white cake mixture over it.
  
• 8 Bake for about 45 mins until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  
• 9 Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 mins. Remove cake from baking pan. Let the cake cook completely. Cut into slices. (makes about 12 slices) Beautiful! See the Pink and green ribbon effect!
  
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Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:

4oz unsalted butter
150 gms flour
100 gms granulated brown sugar (i usually add about 70gms brown sugar and 30gms white sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
handful of crushed nuts (walnut or pecan), optional
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups (2-3 carrots) finely grated carrots

INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING:
8oz cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream - optional

METHOD:
Whisk together melted butter and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.
Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg powder and mix well.
Add vanilla esssence and mix well.
Add grated carrots and nuts and mix until well combined.

Pour the cake batter into a well greased pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 30 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Take cake out of oven and leave to cool in pan for 10 mins.  After 10 mins turn it out onto a wire mesh and leave to cool completely before putting the frosting.  The frosting would melt if the cake is even slightly warm. Top frosting with some crushed or whole nuts.

Prepare frosting by whisking together ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Do not overbeat.  Refrigerate and chill covered until ready to frost cake.

Caramel Pudding

Ingredients for the Caramel Sauce:
-4 tbsp granulated white sugar
-2 tbsp water

Ingredients for the Pudding Mix:
- 1/2 litre full cream milk
- 4 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg powder
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar or to taste

To prepare caramel: Mix sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan and heat till the syrup turns a sticky golden brown. Pour into pudding mould and swirl to coat bottom of the mould.

To Prepare Pudding: Whisk eggs in a bowl till light. Add sugar, milk, salt, essence and nutmeg and stir well to combine.
Pour the mixture into the mould lined with caramel syrup.
Steam for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow to chill in the fridge for atleast an hour before turning it over.
Serve chilled.

Variation: Add 3 slices white bread (soaked and mashed in the milk mixture) to the mixture for a thicker consistency.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS

main

• 45 g smooth peanut butter
• 50 g butter, softened
• 50 g caster sugar
• 45 g light brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100 g plain flour
• 10 g baking powder
• grated zest from the quarter of 1 oranges
• 50 g unsalted peanuts, chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, caster sugar and light brown sugar for 4 minutes until well-blended.

3. Add in the beaten egg and mix for a further 2 minutes.

4. Add the flour, orange zest and baking powder, then mix in the peanuts.

5. Divide the mixture into 20 even-sized balls and place them onto a lined baking sheet, spacing them well apart. Press each ball lightly with a fork.

6. Bake for 25 minutes until set. Cool on a wire rack.

Basic cookie

Makes 30-35 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 225 g butter, at room temperature
• 110 g caster sugar
• 275 g plain flour
• ground spices, or finely grated zest (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.

2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in a food mixer until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

3. Sift in the flour and spices or grated zest (if using) and bring the mixture together to form a firm dough.

4. Using your hands, roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them slightly apart on a baking tray (no need to grease or line). Flatten them slightly with the back of a damp fork and bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown and slightly firm on top.

5. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. 

Raspberry Friands

Recipe courtesy: TASTE.COM.AU

INGREDIENTS

• Melted butter, to grease
• Plain flour, to dust
• 195g (1 1/2 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted
• 75g (1/2 cup) plain flour, sifted
• 155g (1 1/2 cups) almond meal
• 3 eggs, lightly whisked
• 180g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• 100g frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons flaked almonds
• Icing sugar, to dust

METHOD

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush thirty 40ml-capacity mini muffin pans with melted butter to grease. Dust with plain flour.
• Step 2
  Combine the sugar, flour and almond meal in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add egg and butter. Stir until well combined.
• Step 3
  Divide among the prepared pans. Divide the raspberries among the centres. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
• Step 4
  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
• Step 5
  Dust the friands with icing sugar to serve.