International Food Feast - English Fruit Cake

International food feast is not going to miss the famous English Fruit Cake. :)

Fruits have always been my friend and so is this cake. Its absolutely yummy and apt for any celebration.

I had made this for my sister's in-laws. The irony is that the sweet couple celebrate their birthdays on the same day but with two years of difference. :)

Wasn't it the best gift?!!! :)

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 6 ounce (170 gms)
Sugar - 5 ounce (140 gms)
Butter - 5 ounce (140 gms)
Eggs - 3
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Clove - 4
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Cardamom - 3
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Tutty fruity -25 gms
Mixed fruits (Cherries, cranberries, raspberry etc..) - 25 gms
Cashews - 10
Raisins - 25 gms
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp
Caramelized Sugar - 2 ounce (60 gms)

Method:

Beat butter, sugar and egg yolk together in a bowl.

Sift all purpose flour, salt and baking powder together three times. Dice all the fruits finely and add it to the flour mixture.

Beat egg white separately till it forms foam.

Alternately add a little egg white foam and flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.

Powder Cinnamon, cardamom and cloves finely and add it to the mixture along with the vanilla essence.

Now caramelize 2 tbsp of sugar in a dry pan without adding water. When it brows, add some water to it and dilute it. Add this to the cake mixture and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.

Transfer the contents to a well greased cake mold and bake at 200 degree C for 30-45 min.

Yummy English fruit cake is ready to eat :) Have a happy celebration :)

I had little batter left and these cute little cake lollypops were made with it :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Chocolate Brownie (Eggless)

Brownie is a lovely desert to complete any full course dinner. Thats because it is extremely exotic and couples best with ice cream. Its very simple to make and sure you would rejoice it. :)

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate - 400gms(Grated) or syrup
Unsalted Butter - 12 tbsp
Castor/Powdered Sugar - 1 cup
Maida-1 cup
Baking Powder -1 tsp
Baking Soda/Sodium Bi-carb - 1 tsp
Beaten Curd -1 cup

Method:

Sift the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and a small pinch of salt twice and keep it aside.
Put the grated chocolates in a glass bowl and microwave it in High for One Minute. Now take a bowl and add the Butter and Castor Sugar/Powdered Sugar and stir them till the mixture gets creamy. Now add the melted chocolate and mix them. Add the Beaten Curd's and Flour to the mixture and mix them smoothly. Grease a Glass Bowl with Butter and pour the Flour mixture and Microwave it in High for 5 minutes. Remove it and let it cool for 10 min before you cut and serve. Your Chocolate brownie is ready. :)

Serve it hot with ice cream and chocolate sauce. :) Yummy yummy would be the reaction of all. Happy eating :)

Above said measurements would make 12 such pieces of brownie.

Note: People who prefer nuts in the brownie can add walnuts and cashew nuts to it too.



Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Raisin Cake :)

Ingredients:

Raisins - 50 gm
All purpose flour (Maida) - 100 gm
Sodiumbarbonate (cooking soda) - 1 pinch
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Egg - 2
Sugar 50 gm
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Butter - to grease



Method:

Sift flour well along with baking powder and cooking soda. Beat egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks are formed. Now add powdered sugar and continue beating. At this point mix yolks and beat well. Add flour little by little and stir quickly. To this add raisins and mix well. Now pour the mixture into a well greased dish and microwave at 100% power for 5 min. Cool the cake before cutting into slices. Raisin cake is ready to eat :)

Wish anyone for their birthday's with a quick raisin cake :) Happy Baking :)




Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Egg Less Cake

Plain Eggless cake

Ingredients:

Milk maid (condensed milk) - 1/2 tin
Powdered sugar - 4 tsp
Sodiumbarbonate (cooking soda) - 1 pinch
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Butter - 50 gms
Salt - A pinch
Maidha - 150 gms
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method:

Put butter and sugar in a bowl and blend well. Now add milk maid to it along with baking powder, cooking soda, salt and vanilla essence and mix well. Now add the maida little by little mixing the contents evenly. The mix should be in dosa batter consistency. Now pour the contents into a greased cake bowl filling it half full. Now microwave the cake for 5 min exactly. Plain eggless cake is ready. Check if it is cooked by inserting a knife into the cake. If the cake is not sticky then its done. :)

Eggless plain cake :)

Butter Cream Icing

Ingredients:

Butter - 30 gms
Powedered sugar - 30gms
Food color - A pinch

Method:

Blend butter,sugar and food color evenly making it thick and creamy. Make a butter paper cone and insert the required nozzle and decorate the cake as you like. :)



Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Guest Samayal: Black Forest Cake

yummy home made black forest :)


Ingredients:

Maida-1 cup
Coco powder-4 spoon
Egg-2
Powdered sugar-3 cups
Chocolate essence-1spoon
Milk -1/2 cup
Chocolate-1 full bar
Fresh cream -2 cups
Water- 1 cup
Cherries-12
Butter - 1 spoon

Method:

Mix maida and coco powder evenly and keep it aside. In another bowl beat eggs and add 2 cups of powdered sugar to it little by little and mix continuously. The softness of the cake depends on how evenly we mix it. In another bowl add milk, little pieces of chocolate bar and chocolate essence and mix it well. Now grease the baking container with butter. Now add all these mixed contents one by one and keep on mixing it well till u get a very smooth paste as it is shown in step1. Preheat oven at 180 degree Centigrade. Now bake the cake for 30 min. To check whether it is done, poke a knife into it and take out, it should not be sticky. Now take the baked cake out and cut it horizontally into two portions. Add 1/2 cup of sugar in water and mix it well till the sugar dissolves. Pour this water on top of both portions of the cake, this will soften the cake and give the sweetness. Blend the remaining sugar with the cream and keep it in refrigerator for 15 mins so that it becomes thick. Cut 6 cherries into small pieces. Apply the cream well on the one portion of the cake and add half of the cut cherries to it and grate some chocolate chips on it. Now put the second portion of the cake on top of it and apply cream and add the remaining chocolate and cherries to decorate it. Keep it in refrigerator and serve it cold. Enjoy the cake.

Step 1: Evenly mixed batter

Written by: Raji

post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com