Eggless Pineapple Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Ever since I was first successful and satisfied with my eggless cake, I've been excited to try other recipes as well. The base remains the same and with simple modifications, we can create so many different varieties!

After the great success of Mother's Day came the occasion of Father's Day and below are the pictures of the cake I baked then (I know I'm too late to post here but well better late than never right?) which was a super hit as well.. Everybody absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take a good cross sectional picture! But I atleast got one this time!!

This is also an incredibly simple recipe and I hope you guys give this a try.. Do let me know your feedback in the comments section below.. Happy cooking

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 cup hung Yogurt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Pineapple Extract
• ¹/₂ cup Oil
• 1 ¹/₂ cup All Purpose Flour (Maida)
• 2 tbsp Semolina/Sooji
• ¹/₄ cup Warm Milk (I used half and half; regular milk can be used as well)
• 3-5 drops of Yellow Food Color (Optional)

Whipped-cream Frosting:

• 1 ¹/₂  cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• ¹/₄ cup confectioners sugar
• ¹/₂ Pineapple Extract

Cake Assembly:

• 1 can of sweetened Pineapple - Chunks

Method:

Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius.
• In a mixing bowl, mix the hung yogurt and sugar; beat well.
• Add baking powder n baking soda, mix well and let it stand for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will bubble up.
• Add pineapple extract and if using food color, add it as well and mix well.
• Add oil and mix well.
• Add the sieved all purpose flour and Sooji and mix to combine; do not over mix.
• Finally add 1/4c warm milk (I used half and half; regular milk can be used as well) and mix well.
• The mixture should be of dropping consistency.
• Pour in the prepared tin. (I split the batter into two tins for the sake of incorporating more layers..)
• If you are splitting into two tins, bake for 20-25 minutes - or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• In case you decide to choose the single tin method, the baking time will increase by about 10 minutes; total bake time of 30-35 minutes (or of course until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean).

Whipped-cream Frosting:

• Before starting with this process, I'd like to share a few tips that'll help you get perfect frosting each time:
• Try to work during cooler times of the day (either early mornings or evenings).
• For best results, use a stainless steel bowl.
• Keep the beaters, the bowl and the whipped cream in the freezer for 15 minutes just before beginning to make the frosting.
• Your heavy cream should have atleast 35% butter-fat content. The frosting wouldn't hold well if the fat content is less.
• Add the whipping cream in the mixing bowl and using either a stand mixer or an electric beater, start at medium speed and gradually increase to high speed.
• Keep beating continuously until you reach soft peak consistency. Soft peak stage is when the cream is no longer in a liquid state and when you lift your beater, it would form a peak but it wouldn't hold its shape well. It should NOT be dripping at all.
• Stop beating and add the sugar & pineapple extract. 
• Now, start beating again on low speed (until the sugar is incorporated) and gradually increase to high speed until the cream has reached stiff peaks consistency. Stiff peak stage is when you lift the beater, a stiff peak is formed and it holds its shape.

Cake Assembly:

• You can use the cake from the two cake tins as-is or you can split them into halves (if more layers is what your heart desires!). I did not split the cakes any further
• Drain the pineapple can (reserve the sugar syrupy water). 
• If the chunks are big, chop them into smaller chunks.
• Apply the sugar syrup (from that reserved from the pineapple can) on each layer and frost the layer with the fresh cream frosting.
• Now add few pineapple chunks (as evenly as possible to cover the entire layer).
• Cover with the next layer. Repeat this process if you have more than two layers.
• Now frost the cake to just make a crumb coat (yes crumb coat because we are going to cover the entire cake with rosettes the coating doesn't need to be perfect!!..).
• I used Wilton star tip and used a swirl motion to create the rosettes. I worked my way from edges to the center.

Enjoy!!

Eggless Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Eggless cake is something that has been so frequently requested and it prompted me to try the eggless cake. There are so many different recipes that are available on the Internet and so vividly different from one another making the hunt even more difficult

Finally after a few attempts that I wasn't very happy about, I am finally satisfied with this recipe that I'd like to share with you all..

Below are the pictures of the cake I baked on the occasion of Mother's Day and it was a super hit.. Everybody absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take a cross sectional picture!

It is very simple and I hope you guys give this a try.. Do let me know your feedback in the comments section below.. Happy cooking

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• 1 cup hung yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¹/₂ cup oil
• 1 ¹/₂ cup all purpose flour (Maida)
• 2 tbsp Semolina/Sooji
• ¹/₄ cup warm milk (I used half and half; regular milk can be used as well)

• Butter-cream Frosting:
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup shortening
• 5 cup confectioners sugar
• ¹/₄ cup half and half milk (you can use regular milk but I feel half and half adds to the creaminess)

Method:

• Cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius.
• In a mixing bowl, mix the hung yogurt and sugar; beat well.
• Add baking powder n baking soda, mix well and let it stand for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will bubble up.
• Add vanilla extract and mix well.
• Add oil and mix well.
• Add the sieved all purpose flour and Sooji and mix to combine; do not over mix.
• Finally add 1/4c warm milk (I used half and half; regular milk can be used as well) and mix well.
• The mixture should be of dropping consistency.
• Pour in the prepared tin. (I split the batter into two tins for the sake of incorporating more layers..)
• If you are splitting into two tins, bake for 20-25 minutes - or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• In case you decide to choose the single tin method, the baking time will increase by about 10 minutes; total bake time of 30-35 minutes (or of course until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean).

• Butter-cream Frosting:
• Cream butter and shortening together
• Add the sugar half cup at a time Remember to sift the sugar if you see it has lumps in it.
• Add the milk towards the end about a tbsp at a time; stop when you feel you've reached the desired consistency.
• Now add the color of your choice and give it one last mix. For the rosettes, I added 5 drops of red and 2 drops of blue.
• Frost the layers (if you have them) and the cake to just make a crumb coat (yes crumb coat because we are going to cover the entire cake with rosettes the coating doesn't need to be perfect!!..).
• I used white colored frosting for layers and the crumb coat and then colored for the rosettes (unfortunately this is not visible in the pictures). You can go with whatever your heart desires :)
• I used Wilton 2D tip and used a swirl motion to create the rosettes. I worked my way from edges to the center.

Enjoy!! 

Death By Chocolate

Now this has been long due to post here.. Made this to surprise and impress my valentine... Turned out very well.. Super moist cake layered with decadent chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate ganache; garnished with chocolate rose and petals.. Inspired by café coffee day's chocolate fantasy.. This is what I call "death-by-chocolate"..!

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter at room temperature 
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar 
• 4 large Eggs
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 
• 1 tsp Instant Coffee Powder 
• 1 tbsp warm Water 
• 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder 
• 1 tsp Baking Soda 
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• For the mousse:
• 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 
• 1 cup Heavy Cream/Whipping Cream
• For the Ganache:
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 
• 1 cup Heavy Cream/Whipping Cream

Method

• For the cake:
• Spray two 9" round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and dust it with all purpose flour; keep aside. 
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. 
• Mix together the instant coffee powder and the warm water; set it aside. 
• Melt the chocolate chips using a double boiler method or in a microwave (whichever you are comfortable). I personally prefer the double boiler method. Set it aside.
• In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients, viz. - all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set it aside. 
• In a bowl, beat together the sugar & butter until they are well incorporated. 
• Add the vanilla extract, give it a quick stir. 
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each one is well incorporated before adding the next one. 
• Next, incorporate the instant coffee mixture. 
• Mix in the dry ingredients. 
• Now stir in the melted chocolate and sour cream; mix just enough to incorporate. Do not over-mix. 
• Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans and flatten it if needed using a spatula. 
• Bake on the center rack for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Let the cakes sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, un mould and place on wire-rack to cool.  
• For the mousse:
• Melt the chocolate chips using a double boiler method or in a microwave (whichever you are comfortable). I personally prefer the double boiler method. Let it come to room temperature.
• Whip the heavy cream (as a prep to this step, I like to chill my beaters, the bowl in which I'll be whipping as well as the heavy cream - this helps reduce the whipping time). Once whipped, place it back in the refrigerator until the chocolate comes to room temperature.
• Fold the chocolate into the whipped cream in batches (I did this in about 4-5 batches). 
• Keep it in the refrigerator until ready for use.
• For the Ganache:
• It is best if the ganache is prepared when the layering of chocolate mousse is complete and the layered cake has cooled in the refrigerator for atleast an hour (I kept it in the refrigerator overnight). 
• In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer on medium heat.
• Take the saucepan off the heat and pour the cream on the chocolate. 
• Leave it aside for 2-3 minutes.
• Using a whisk, combine the cream and chocolate to a smooth finish
• Assembly:
• Using a serrated knife even out the top surface of the cakes (if needed). 
• Using an offset spatula, evenly apply the chocolate mousse on the top side of the cake (the one we flattened in the previous step). Place the top layer of the other cake on top of the mousse topped cake. This way you avoid the the uneven surface from being on the top. 
• Keep the cake in the refrigerator for atleast an hour. 
• Now prepare the chocolate ganache following the steps in the section above and let it sit for ~5 minutes. 
• Place a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet or similar (you might want to cover the cookie sheet with wax paper or foil to avoid cleanup later). 
• Carefully put the cake on top of the wire rack; wipe away any cake crumbs. 
• Ladle the ganache on the cake making sure all the visible area is covered by the ganache. 
• Let it settle for about 5 minutes. 
• Carefully lift the cake and place it on your final serving plate.

Enjoy!!!

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a desert which is near and dear to most of us... so rich, so full and so decadent! I have been in love with it ever since I first tried it at The Cheesecake Factory a few years ago! I wanted to try making it for a long time and so I started my research on the web. Below is my version of the recipe that I used (combining multiple versions out there)... It may look difficult; but believe me I had the same opinion about making cheesecake until I tried making this one, I'd say it is super easy (yes you will need patience as unlike traditional cakes, you cannot dig into it moments after you take it out of the oven!). So here is the recipe; I hope you try it soon and let me know your experiences in the comments below!

 Ingredients

• For the base
• 2 ¹/₂ cups of powdered graham crackers
• One stick + 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted in microwave)
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• For the main cheesecake layer
• 16 ounces of cream cheese (I used reduced fat) - softened at room temperature
• ¹/₂ cup of Dulce de Leche (freshly prepared or room temperature)
• ²/₃ cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ³/₄ cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• For the topping
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can Dulce de Leche (freshly prepared or room temperature)

• For decoration (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp Dulce de Leche (freshly prepared or room temperature)

 Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9" spring pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the outside of the pan with a heavy duty aluminum foil (we need this for the water bath of the cheesecake later in the cooking process)
• Using a hand held blender, mix the ingredients for the cheesecake base. Now layer it on your pan using your fingers and a flattened spoon press it down to even out the base keeping it raised from the edge by a bit (I like the edge of my cheesecake to be slightly raised, about ¹/₂ cm.. If that is not your preference, simply flatten it out evenly all across). Bake in the oven for approx. 12-13 min.
• Once your base has baked well, take it out and let it cool for about 20 min so that you are able to handle the pan using bare hands. This step is very important to ensure even baking of the cream cheese layer of the cake. If you do not let it cool down, you risk burning your cream cheese mixture at the layer where it sandwiches with the base.
• Heat water in a kettle (we are prepping this for baking our cheesecake in the water bath).
• While the base is baking, lets prepare the cream-cheese layer. In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and using a hand held/standing mixer blend it smooth (ensure no lumps of the cream remain else it will not be good when that gets to your finished product). Scrape down from the sides so that everything is mixed well.
• Now to the cream cheese, add the Dulce de Leche and blend smooth again. 
• To the mixture, add sour cream and blend smooth.
• Mix all purpose flour, sugar and salt together and add to the mixture and blend smooth (incorporate very well). This step will take longer than others.
• Blend in vanilla extract. At this point, the mixture should be very well incorporated so that no lumps remain.
• As a last step, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after the addition of each egg just enough to incorporate it. DO NOT over mix.
• Add your cream cheese mixture to your pan and jiggle it a little to even it out and remove air bubbles (if any).
• Now, in a large tray (you can use a large aluminum serving tray), place your pan and then slowly add the hot water from the kettle and place it for baking (you can do this however you are comfortable; I find it easy to place the tray and the pan in the oven first by pulling the rack partially out and add the hot water to the tray while it is lying on the rack.)
• Bake at 325F for 45-60 min. This stage of the cheesecake is considered done when you touch the top of the cake and it is not wet anymore and on gently shaking the pan, it jiggles (like jelly). A toothpick inserted would come out almost clean. I always say not all ovens are same so it is best if after 30 min, you keep checking at every 5-10 min to see if it is done.
• Remove the pan from the tray (let the tray continue to be in the oven; this will ensure the water maintains its temperature) and let it cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the top layer. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Dulce de Leche and sour cream using a hand-held/standing mixer. I personally find it easier to just whisk it manually; the method you use is totally up to you!
• Add the topping to the cooled down cake and even it out using an offset icing spatula (try and even out all the bubbles as much as possible as that will give a very finished look to your cake)
• Bake at 325F for 20-25 min in the water-bath (similar to the cream cheese layer, you'll know it is done when you see a jelly-like-jiggle).
• Take the pan out of the tray and let it cool on a wire rack. Once it has cooled down a bit and it is easy to handle, remove the outer aluminum foil covering (do not open the spring pan yet... the cake has not set completely yet). If you see a bit of water in the foil, DO NOT panic... your cake will still be fine as it chills in the refrigerator :)
• Once the pan is cool enough for you to handle it with bare hands, wrap a cling wrap by carefully putting it on the layer of your topping and then cover the sides of the pan; remove air bubbles if any... (if you wrap it at the top of your pan, when your cake is cooling in the refrigerator, water bubbles will form on your cling wrap which will then drip on your cake and that will steal away the perfect look of your cake!)
• Now, this step will be extremely difficult but it is very important - let it chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife on the sides to to ensure nothing is sticking to the walls of the pan. Open the spring (this should come out easily if you have sprayed it well). Now, to remove the cake out of the base of the pan, run a large offset icing spatula (or anything that is long enough and doesn't have a sharp edge) all around and carefully lift it and supporting it by your hand, quickly place it on your serving plate. 
• Now, this decoration layer is completely optional (I love Dulce de Leche so for me, the more the merrier!). Once the cheesecake has cooled down a bit, spread a thin layer of Dulce de Leche atop your cheesecake using an offset spatula and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 min to ensure it sets well.
• Your cheesecake is now ready to serve.

Enjoy!!