Everyday Chocolate Cake

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One fine Wednesday, I suddenly started craving for a chocolate cake.Without thinking much, I googled for "simple loaf chocolate cake" and yes,I was exactly looking for a not-so-calorie-rich, simple as in "one bowl", chocolate cake that I can whip up in a jiffy.I was so happy to have found this recipe ! Now I wonder why didn't I ever search for such a thing before ! If I knew, I would have made this a thousand times, well almost,by now. If you are looking for a cake that you can have without much guilt and without much fuss,this is the cake for you !

I didn't have much time left before I took my son for his swimming class that day,and I had to hurry up with the pictures. With my lil buddy around,taking pictures is exactly like, or shall I say worse than,someone pointing a loaded gun at your back and you are asked to do something within matter of seconds.When he was smaller,he used to grab everything and sometimes eat the food ,his mom,a desperate blogger,rather than a desperate housewife,would have neatly kept,ready for the camera.

Apple Tea Cake With Lemon Glaze

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The weather is getting warmer in Colorado, well, most of the days. As I type this, I see snow flakes falling on trees,like floating feathers. But still, it is unusually warm for a January in this ski country. As I have told you before, winter is my favorite excuse to bake something nice. This tea cake is no exception !

Chocolate Vanilla Marble cake

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Cakes are cosmopolitan. Some of the earliest references of cakes are found in ancient Roman history, making it obvious that cakes have been around for a long while. Therefore, it should not have surprised me when I saw marble cake, a regular feature from Kerala bakeries, doing the rounds in blogosphere. Where this cake originated is probably like the age old dispute of ‘What came first, the egg or the chick.’ If Someone asked where did marble cake originate, we will all probably have a different answer. But if one of you have a genuine answer I will be interested to hear from you.

The universality of cakes, and how far and wide it has reached, continues to fascinate me. I mean, I can’t get over that I grew up seeing marble cakes in bakeries in Kottayam, Kerala? In fact, this fancy looking cake is the most commonly available one in bakeries back home. I remember how the marble pattern caught my attention first, and it continues to get my heart go skippy. Actually, the cakes from the bakeries are overly sweet and over-powered with vanilla flavor,but the pattern was eye-catching and I still remember them because of it. I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally be able to bake a perfect marble cake which tastes as good as it looks. Below you will find the recipe to make this cake with a blend of sugar and vanilla which is proportionate to keeping your tongue swirling around more than what your body needs.

I tried different recipes from the internet before reaching the recipe I like most. One of the greatest inspirations and the best recipe I found was from Archana's blog

A little, but significant something else that I have to say about marble cake is it is quite fancy even without frosting. This is especially a blessing for a busy mom like me. For example, if I want to bake a cake for a special occasion birthday, anniversary or festival and have not enough time, I can whip up a marble cake which will hold its own to any decorated fancy- pansy cake.

With Easter around the corner, you will agree it’s most appropriate to share something special with you! Have it with tea or as a dessert, but remember to say ‘gosh this pattern is so pretty!’ Well, at least for my sake.

Ingredients:

Butter- 1/2 cup(110-115grams )

Cake flour(not self rising)- 1 3/4 cup

Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Salt- 1/4 tsp

Sugar- 1 cup

Eggs- 3

Pure vanilla extract- 2 tsp

Buttermilk/Milk- 3/4 cup

Boiling water- 4 Tbsp

Dark (dutch processed) cocoa powder-1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. Preheat the oven t0 350 degree F. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Beat butter and sugar well, until it turns light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Add vanilla extract and mix again. Scrape down the sides as needed.

6. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour, and mix well after each addition.

7. Mix boiling water and cocoa powder to blend without lumps.

8. Take out 1/4 th of the batter mixture into another bowl. Mix cocoa into it.

9. Spoon both the batters alternatively making a checkerboard. Pour them in 2 layers. (Just like Archana suggested use a big spoon for the white batter and small spoon for the chocolate batter)

10. When you are done tap the pan a couple of times on the counter to get rid of the air bubbles trapped inside and to remove the space between the batters.

11. For making the marbling effect make a couple of swirls from the top of the pan to the other end.

12. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.

13. Take out the cake and cool it while still in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to cool on a wire rack.

14. This cake can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Contributor: Namitha

Recipe adapted from : Archana's blog and here

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

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Spring is around the corner, its official! Though Coloradans expect a few more snow showers, it's almost pleasant in some parts of the country.  The winter was quite dry this year in Colorado, which is unusual.    The wiles of nature seem to have confused the plants and trees so much, that some of them flowered before time!  You can see proof of these strange happenings in the exhibit below-of the yellow darlings.  These beauties were in my back yard looking perky and pretty until a little busy body in my family decided to change things around a wee bit.

As soon as I spotted these flowers, it reminded me how the weather is unpredictable, and it may start snowing the next day.  Which meant the doom of these flowers was pretty close!  I didn’t know how soon.  Before I could engage in such thoughts of the future of these flower, my lil imp had decided their fate.  He had followed me while I photographed them, and when I finished taking the picture, plucked them, and gave it to me.   What a sweet thing to do right? I know! It is one of those moments when you are not sure if your child should be punished or appreciated.  Anyways, I decided to make the most of the situation.  I took pictures of this wonderful pound cake and made the hand-picked flowers a prop.  That is the story of the cruel end of the flowers.  As for the lemon pound cake, their fate ended inside four big tummies. 

I loved the texture and mild lemon flavor in this cake

Ingredients:

For a 9 by 5 inch loaf:

All purpose flour- 1 1/2 cup
Baking soda- 1/4 tsp
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Butter- 1/2 cup
Vegetable Shortening- 1/4 cup
Granulated white sugar- 1 cup
Eggs- 2
Buttermilk- 1/2 cup
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
Zest and juice from one Lemon

For Glaze:

Confectioner's sugar- 1/2 cup
Lemon juice

Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
2.Cream the butter and shortening together.
3.Add sugar,a little at a time and beat well till its creamy.
4.Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.
5.Now add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and lemon zest and mix well.
6.Whisk together the dry ingredients in another bowl.
7.Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Starting and ending with the flour and mixing everything well.
8.Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
9.Cool on wire rack.
10. Make the glazing by mixing together the lemon juice into the sugar, until you get the required consistency.
11.Pour over the cooled cake and wait for some time till it sets.

Sending this and Almond cookies to Vaishali's event Spring


Notes:

1.You could make a bundt cake if you double the recipe.
2.If you cut down the butter or shortening your cake will be dry.
3.Deeba has made her cake in a 8 inch round pan, so could you if you want a round cake. :-)

Contributor: Namitha
Recipe Adapted from : Deebas blog ,Food network and All recipes