Spiced Apple Cake Recipe

I love baking with fruits, most of my baked recipes are with different fruits and here again I baked a cake with my favorite bake fruit – Apple.   This cake I baked together with gingerbread man cookies and packed along fruit cake, all these goodies for cuties nibbling.  

Coming back to this cake, it’s very simple cake with minimal ingredients, all the spices makes it very interesting and flavorful plus the aroma is so good, it’s soft, moist and crumbles just a perfect cake packed with apple goodness.   If you like spices then you going to absolutely love this cake and if you don’t like spices then reduce the quantity to get just touch of spices, adjust according to your taste. 

 Ingredients for Spiced Apple Cake

Apples - 4-5 [I used different varieties]
Cinnamon Powder - 1 tsp
Sugar – 5 tbsp
Plain Flour/Maida – 2 Cups
Baking Powder - 2 tsp
All Spice Powder - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 3
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil – 3/4 Cup
Milk - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Wash, core and dice apples, we don’t have to peel apples.

2. Toss with 5 tbsp sugar and cinnamon powder and set aside.
~ If you leave aside this for long time or a hour sugar will release water, which happened with me as I got busy with cooking lunch.  But it’s not really a issue, we can use the water.

3.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, all spice, nutmeg powder.

4. In a bowl beat eggs and sugar together until fluffy and sugar dissolves.

5. Add vanilla extract, milk and oil mix well.  Now add flour mixture in batches, stir well to incorporated all ingredients.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degree or 180C.  Prepare a 8 inch pan grease and dust with flour or line with parchment paper.

7. Pour half of cake batter into pan, spread half of apple over it. 

8. Pour remaining batter over apples and again arrange remaining apples on top. 
9. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake completely on a wire rack before slicing.
~ Check if the cake is baked after an hour. 

Our cake is ready.

Have a nice day ~~

Christmas Cakes & Bakes Recipes 2012

 

Christmas is here and this festive season means baking cakes, cookies, muffins etc for family, friends and enjoy the joy the giving. I am posting collection of cakes, cookies, muffin, cupcakes that I have already in blog here so you can plan your Christmas baking and enjoy with family. Do try the eggless, alocohol-free Christmas Fruit Cake it doesn't require days of soaking fruits too and taste too good.

Eggless Christmas Fruit Cake

December is month of celebration and it’s goes so true for me with my birthday, anniversary, my sis, bro, sil, close friend birthdays, it’s a month long celebration time.  And if your friend bakes a cake for your anniversary and travel all the way to give the cake it’s makes your day super special like we say in hindi sone pe suhaga.

The cake was just so perfect it was dense, soft, moist, crumbly with loads of fruits and nuts making it way too good and I actually didn't believe it’s a eggless cake.  So thank you Prema for the wonderful cake recipe :)

If you planning to try fruit cake/kerala plum cake during this festive season then try this recipe you going to love it, there’s no two away about it.  It's eggless, alcohol free, easy and the best part is just too delicious.  In case you use rum or brandy then just replace fruit juice with that and enjoy your cake.  I packed this cake along with gingerbread man cookies for DH to take India and every one just loved this cake.  Frankly speaking I can go ga-ga over this delicious cake but let me not do this here and check out the recipe.

Ingredients for Christmas Fruit Cake | Kerala Plum Cake

Brown Sugar - 120g
Butter  (Salt-less)- 120g
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Plain Flour - 125g
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
All Spice Powder - 1/4 tsp
Fruit Juice - 1/3 cup  OR 30 ml Brandy (Used here is apple juice)
Mixed Fruits - 120g (sultanas, raisins, cherries, prunes, dates, mixed peels) roughly chopped
Mixed Nuts - 120g (macadamia nuts, cashew nuts, almonds) roughly chopped

Method

1. Add roughly chopped mixed fruits, fruit juice (or rum/brandy if using) in a bowl and mix well.  Leave to stand for overnight or at least 3 hours.  If you have time soak fruits for 2-3 days for better results. 
2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar and keep aside.
3. Preheat oven to 180C, meanwhile in a mixing bowl, beat butter till light and fluffy.  Add brown sugar and mix well.
5. Sieve baking powder, plain flour, salt.  Add flour in batches with butter & sugar mix, beat the mixture just for 1 minute at low to medium speed.
6. Add soaked fruits along with juice, chopped nuts, spice powder, baking soda & vinegar mix and blend well.
7. Grease a 9 inch tin and transfer the cake batter in it.
8. Bake it for 35-40 minutes at 180 degree Celsius or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Once the cake is done, cool on a wire cake.

Our cake is ready, you can dust it with icing sugar.  I didn't do that because I was not in that mood!   Share with your family, friends to double your joy.

Variations
~ You can use orange juice instead of apple juice for soaking.
~ If you don’t have spice powder, use 1/2 tsp mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove powders.
~ Mixed candied peels comes in bottle, you can just add candied orange peel. If you don't have both add 1 tsp heaped orange or lemon zest.
~ Slice cake when it’s completely cooled.  If you find cake getting crumbs, keep it in fridge for 30 minutes and then slice it.

Have a nice day ~~

Eggless Christmas Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipes

I wanted to make gingerbread man cookies for long time but it was not happening, this time I got very good excuse to bake these & sent these cookies along with other goodies to India for DH nibbling, they are happy, am happy and that’s makes one big happy family ;)

Gingerbread  man cookies are epitome of Christmas baking and it does looks very festive.n  If you are thinking baking ginger man cookies are difficult tasks then leave your worries behind it actually very easy and quick, I only find the icing part time consuming but that because my patience level was running out that day due to baking so much.   I like to make all cookies eggless and there’s no difference in this recipe too, it still makes a soft, crunchy and tasty cookie without egg.  Try this and wow your family & friend this festive season.   Check out other cookies recipes here.

Ingredients: [Makes 25-28 Cookies]
Plain Flour – 3 Cups
Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
Ginger Powder – 2 tsp
All Spice Powder – 1/2 tsp [or cloves powder 1/2 tsp]
Nutmeg Powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda – 3/4 tsp
Dark Brown Sugar – 3/4 Cup
Soften Butter – 3/4 Cup
Molasses – 3/4 Cup [or honey or maple syrup 3/4 cup]
Milk – 2 tbsp

For Royal Icing
Icing Sugar – 1 Cup
Corn Flour – 1 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice/Vinegar – 1 tsp
Milk – 2-3 tsp
Food Color [optional]
Sprinkles [optional]

Method:

1. Sieve together plain flour, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg, salt and baking soda, keep aside.

2. In a bowl take butter, sugar & milk and beat until smooth. 
3. Add molasses and mix well.  I used maple syrup.

4. Mix flour in batches and mix until smooth dough is formed.

5. Pinch a big lemon size bowl and roll into 1/8 inch thick on parchment sheet.  Use ginger man cookie cutter or any other cookie cutter of your choice and cut, gently lift cookie.  Collect scraps, add little more dough and repeat rolling, cutting until all dough is used.  I also used star shape cookie cutter.

~ If you are unable to lift cookie or dough as it’s soft add little flour and mix well.  If dough is hard then add 1 tbsp of milk to soften, adjust until you can roll dough, cut and lift pieces.
~ After doing above step if you think dough is still soft, wrap it in a cling and keep in fridge for 15 minutes or more if you have time. You can keep dough over night too in fridge.
6. Preheat oven at 350F and line baking tray with parchment sheet.
7. Place cookie in tray and bake for 8 to 12 minutes depending on the size of cookie or until they are slightly darken, keep eye after 8-9 minutes.  Don’t over bake cookie.  During my 1st batch of baking I was busy rolling next batch and few of cookies were over baked.  So do keep a eye after 9 minutes.
 
8. Once cookies are baked, cool on a wire lack completely before doing icing.

For Royal Icing
9. In a bowl take 1/2 cup icing sugar, corn flour, lemon juice and beat until smooth.

10. Add remaining 1/2 cup icing sugar and beat again to mix well.

11. Divide icing into 3 portions (or as many you want), in one portion mix green and another mix red color (or any color of your choice), mix well & fill icing in piping bags.

12. Decorate cookies as your desire or simply just make dotted lines or outer line. Add sprinkles if you wish.

~ The truth is this requires lot of patience's at least for me, so if you have give this decoration tasks to your kid, they will not only enjoy this process but also will love the fact that it’s done by them and it saves your time, win-win situation for all I say. 
13. Let icing get dry completely and enjoy.

Have a nice day ~~

Homemade Ginger Powder Recipe

This ginger powder recipe post is pending from the time I posted garlic powder.  Making ginger powder at home is so easy and economical, not to mention freshness we get can’t be compare.  I used to buy ginger powder and never really like the smell and after a while it’s turns into bad smell and taste.  This ginger powder recipe is again my SIL recipe, she makes this in huge batches and keep.

I had step vise picture, now it seems I lost those, but this recipe is so simple and straight forward that stepvise pictures are really not indeed.  You can make this in small quantity for a start if you want and store.  Try this once and you will not go back to store brought ginger powder anymore.  If you like ginger tea then mix little amount of this ginger powder with tea dust/powder and store, you easy instant ginger tea ready.

Ingredients:
Fresh Ginger – 1/2 Kg or as you want

Method:

1. Wash ginger 5-6 times in fresh water each time or until ginger gets very clean.  We don't have to peel ginger.
2. Chop ginger in to small pieces.  Smaller you make better it is.
3. Sun dry ginger pieces in a clean cloth for 2 days or until ginger gets completely dried, it may take 1 day or 3-4 days too.
4. Once ginger is totally dried pulse in mixer or spice grinder into fine powder in batches if making in large quantity.
5. Sieve ginger powder, transfer back the remaining amount into mixer and grind again.
6. Sieve one more time and sun dry for 30 minutes ginger powder again.
7. Store in air tight container and use as required.

The powder you see in picture is more than a year old and it’s still fresh with strong fragrance. 

 Have a nice day ~~

Prawn and Eggplant Curry

I always make Prawn Masala whenever we get prawn and mind you this when ever is really once in blue moon but then the prawn masala recipe is just so worth it to try again & again.  But then I look for change and tried Prawn Aglio Oilio which I really liked it and another trial was to combine prawns and  eggplant together, first I was doubtful about the combo but the curry came out really well and makes a wonderful side dish for rice or roti.

Ingredients:

Prawns – 300gm
Eggplant Long – 1 [or 2 cup sliced]
Onion – 2 [large]
Tomato – 3 [medium]
Green Chillies – 3
Minced Garlic – 1 tsp
Oil – 3 tbsp
Asafoetida/Hing – 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt – To taste
Water – 2 cup
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Cilantro – 2 tbsp [chopped]
To Marinate
Ginger-Garlic Paste -  2 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Clean, wash prawns and marinate with items listed under ‘to marinate’ and keep aside for 1-2 hours or more if you can. 
2. Chop onion, tomato, green chilies, cilantro and slice brinjal keep side.
3. In a wok heat oil add hing, cumin & fennel seeds let it splutter. Add garlic and green chilies and sauté for 30 seconds.
4. Now add chopped onion and sauté until golden brown.  Add chill  coriander and turmeric and sauté in medium flame for 2 minutes.
5. Add prawns, sauté for 5-7 minutes, now add eggplant pieces cover and cook in slow flame until prawn, eggplants get’s soft, stir in intervals.
6. Add tomato, mix well, cover and cook until tomato mashes.  Add salt and cook for a minute, add water and simmer until every thing is cooked around for 10 minutes in medium flame. 
7. Add garam masala and stir (adjust salt if required), add chopped cilantro cover and off flame. 

Serve as side dish for rice or roti/parata and enjoy this wonderful combo.

Have a nice day ~~

Cluster Beans Stir Fry | Kothavarangai Poriyal

I never used to like cluster beans known as gawwarfali in hindi and kothavarangai in tamil.  In our house only my elder sister used to like this and my mom would make this once in a while for her, that day rest of us will be very upset.  But things changes isn't it? so when DH started to bring cluster beans I had no choice but to to cook and most of the time I do stir fry mostly without coconut and started to eat this nice vegetable.  In my in-laws place they make garwaarfali-aloo sabzi, it's very north style of preparing cluster beans, I should post that some time.   I make this poriyal the most easy way – no onion, no garlic and it goes well with dal/sambar/rasam just with anything.  If you don’t like cluster beans then try this way of preparing this poriyal/thoran and you sure going to like it.  So let’s check out the recipe.

Ingredients:

Cluster Beans/Gawaarfali/Kothavarangai – 250gms [ 2 cups chopped]
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut – 3 tbsp
Salt – to taste
For Tempering
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds –1/2 tsp
Urad Dal – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig

Method:
1. Wash and chop cluster beans into small pieces like in picture below. Add little salt & sprinkle water, pressure cook for 2 whistles or microwave for 10 minutes.

2.  In a pan heat oil and add tempering ingredients – cumin, mustard seeds and allow to splutter.  Add urad dal, curry leaves and roast until golden brown.
3. Add cluster beans and cook in medium flame for 5 minutes, stir in intervals.  If need add few drops of water to cook it well.

4. Add red chili, turmeric powders and salt, mix well and cook for 2 minutes.  Add coconut, mix and cook for 2 more minutes or until poriyal becomes dry.

Our simple and super easy cluster beans stir fry recipe is ready.

Have a nice day ~~

Eggless Banana Chocolate Chips Muffin

I wanted to make banana and chocolate chips muffin for a long time now and every time I kept banana to ripen well but then in the end I have to throw it for some reason or other.  This time I did the same kept the banana, it was well ripen but still I kept postponing to bake the muffins, in the end I just pulled the socks and did it.  

These muffins are so delicious I can't describe.   Strong banana flavor with chocolate chips is yum, I finished clicking and ate immediately 2 muffins controlling myself not to eat any more.  Without egg also the muffins are so soft and spongy that you won't miss the egg factor here.  The recipe is so easy just mix everything and bake, no special gadgets needed.  Frankly, you have to try this there's no excuse just make this and you going to love it as me and my family did.  I took the picture late evening so there's color difference due to light, kindly ignore that :)

Ingredients: [ Yields 6 Muffins]

Mashed Banana – 1 Long
Plain Flour - 1 Cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Milk -1/2 Cup
Sugar - 1/2 Cup [ I used little less]
Oil - 1/4 Cup [ or butter 1/2 cup]
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
Chocolate Chips - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Mash banana well, I used mixer to do the job.
2. Shift flour and baking powder. 

3. Add mashed banana, milk, sugar, essence, oil and mix everything well to combine.

4. Add chocolate chips and fold.

5. Preheat oven to 180C and line muffin tray.  Fill muffin liners with batter.

6. Sprinkle few chocolate chips on top and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cool muffins in wire rack.

Enjoy these yummy muffins.

Have a nice day ~~