No Bake Cheese Cake (blueberry topping/caramel topping/ blueberry glaze topping/both toppings together)

Cheese Cake with Caramel Topping

Cheese cake with blueberry flavoured glaze topping

Cheese Cake with blueberry topping

For the crust:

Digestive Biscuits : 1-1/2 cups 

Granulated sugar: 1/3 cup

Butter: 1/3 cup 

For the filling:

Unflavored gelatin: 2 tablespoons

 Water: 1/2 cup

Cream cheese: 1 225-gram bar

 Cream, cold: 200 ml

Condensed milk: 1 tin
Lime Juice: of 1 lime

For the topping:

1 cup blueberry pie filling, Or blueberry flavoured filling or caramel sauce

Caramel Sauce:

Sugar: 1/2 cup

Salt: a pinch

Fresh cream: 1 tub

Heat the sugar, salt and water till it is golden brown in color. Make sure it doesn't get too brown as it will turn bitter. Also, do not meddle with spoon- just swirl the pan. When it reaches golden brown color, switch off and add in fresh cream and mix well. Allow it to cool.

Method

Line the bottom of a nine-inch by three-inch high springform pan (with a removable bottom pan) with foil or wax paper.

For the crust, in a food processor, pulse the digestive biscuits, granulated sugar and butter. Pour into the prepared pan. Press on the bottom with a spoon.

For the filling, dissolve the gelatin in the water over a low fire. Set aside.

Put in a bowl and beat until creamy the cream cheese,  cream, and condensed milk. Add the lime juice, melted gelatin and beat at high speed until blended. Pour immediately into the pan. Level off. Refrigerate for atleast 6 hours or until ready to serve.

Cheesecake before adding the topping

Top with the blueberry filling or caramel filling or blueberry flavoured filling.

You can also do half the cake with blueberry topping and the other half with caramel topping

Another option is to divide the filling, to one portion beat in the blueberry filling. then pour the plain filling on top of the biscuit base, followed by the blueberry mixed filling and then allow to set.

here, half the filling is beaten with the blueberry filling and set as top layer.

Yummy Vanilla Cake

Maida: 2.5 cups

Granulated Sugar: 1 3/4 cups

Butter: 200 grams

Eggs: 3 large

Egg yolks: of 3 other eggs

Milk: 1 cup

Baking Powder: 2.5 tsp

Vanilla Essence: 2.5 tsp

Salt: 0.5 tsp

Nutmeg Powdered: 0.25 tsp (This is optional)

Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas mark 4

All your ingredients shoud be at room temperature.

Grease and dust a cake pan/ 2 cake pans and keep aside

Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs and egg yolks one by one and continue beating.

Add the vanilla essence and beat again

Add the flour mixture alternating with milk little at a time

 Fold in until incorporated.

If the batter is thick, add a few tbsp. of milk and make the batter thin (not too thin, but it should fall like a ribbon, or something like our dosa/Appam batter.

Bake in the prepared pans for 35 minutes (Oven temperatures vary, also it depends on the size of the pan- so keep an eye after 25 minutes)

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before taking it out of the pan.

Slice and Enjoy.

Recipe Source: Sumod Toms fav vanilla cake

Easy Jam Tarts (Baking for Kids)

Its the holidays and wondering how to keep your kids occupied? Well, why not ask them to join you in the kitchen??? I know, I know, it might look a herculean task.... No, Iam not asking you to make them do a whole dinner. Do something together which is easy and fun for the kids. Like these Jam tarts which are so easy to make and kids will get a satisfaction that they accomplished something on their own. It is very very easy to make and they can click pics and brag to their friends when school reopens.

All Purpose flour: 500 grams

Salt: a pinch

Butter: 200 grams

cold water: 1/4 cup

Jam: your choice.... strawberry/ mango/ orange/ Mixed Fruit

In a mixing bowl, Mix the butter, salt and flour till it resembles bread crumbs.

Now add the butter and add watter little by little to make the dough.

Wrap the dough in a cling film and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 180C

Take out the dough and with the help of a rolling pin, roll out the pastry to 1/2 cm thickness.

With the tart mould cut out the pastry and again roll slightly and press one disc into each hole.

Spoon a heaped tsp of orange jam/mango jam/strawberry jam to each pastry case.

Bake for 15 minutes or till the edges of tarts are brown.

Cool completely before consuming as jam gets real hot.

Red Velvet CupCakes

Ive already posted Red Velvet cake before. This is the same. My family just cant get enough of this delicious melt in the mouth cake. So I keep making and thought will share the recipe for around 20 cupcakes.

Maida/All purpose Flour:  1 and 1/3 cups

Corn Flour: 1/4 cup

Eggs: 2

Cocoa Powder: 4 tsp

Baking Soda: 1/2 tsp

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Butter: 1/4 cup

Granulated Sugar: 1 cup

Veg Oil: 1/2 cup

Vanilla: 2 tsp

White Vinegar: 1/2 tsp

Liquid food coloring (I used tomato red food coloring for cakes) : 2 tbsp

Butter Milk: 1/2 cup (or you can use 2 tbsp milk and rest curd to make it 1/2 cup and whisk and use)

Preheat Oven 180C

Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners (this makes 22 cupcakes)

Sift the corn flour, all purpose flour, baking soda,salt and cocoa thrice. Keep aside

Beat the butter and sugar till they are mixed well.

Add oil and beat again till everything is mixed.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again till everything is creamy.

Beat in the vinegar and food coloring and beat for a few minutes.

Now add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately and beat on low till everyhting is mixed well.

Spoon the batter into cupcake liners filling 2/3 of the way full.

Bake till done  (15 to 20 mts depending on ur oven) till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Make sure you dont overbake as these cakes dry out fast.

Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Butter: 1/4 cup

Cream Cheese: 200 gms

Icing Sugar: 2 cups

Vanilla: 1 tsp

Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and sugar till smooth.

Beat on high for 2 minutes.

Frost cooled cupcakes with a star tip.

You wont get a star finish as the frosting is a little thin.

Recipe Courtesy: Sallys Baking Addiction

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Mothers Day to all the lovely mothers out there. This one is specially for you and believe me when I say, this is the BEST EVER RED VELVET CAKE!!!!!! You are gonna love me for this recipe.....

For the cake:

Cake Flour: 3 cups (or 2 and 2/3Cups All purpose Flour ad 1/3 cup corn flour)
Baking Soda/Cooking Soda: 1 tsp
Cocoa Powder: 2 tbsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Butter: 100 grams
Sugar: 2 cups granulated
Oil: 1 cup
Eggs: 4
Vanilla essence: 1 1/2 tbsp
Vinegar: 1 tsp
Red Food coloring (I used liquid coloring for cakes, tomato red color): 3 1/2 tbsp
Butter Milk: 1 cup (3/4 cup curd and 1/4 cup milk whisked together)

Preheat oven for 10 mts at 180C
Grease and dust 2 cake pans
Sieve together the Corn flour, Maida, Baking Soda, Cocoa powder and salt thrice.
Keep aside.
Separate the egg yolk and whites and beat the whites till stiff
Beat butter and sugar.
Add oil to it and beat again.
Add the yolks and vanilla essence and beat everything for a few minutes.
Now add the vinegar and food color and beat again.
Now fold in the flour and buttermilk alternately till everything is mixed well.
Lastly fold in the egg whites.
Bake for 30 minutes or till done.
Let it cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese; 400 grams
Butter: 200 grams
Icing sugar: 4 cups
Vanilla essence: 2 tsp

Beat all the ingredients on high for about 2 minutes. Make sure the cream cheese and butter are cold from the fridge. Halve the frosting recipe for semi naked cake.

Assembling
Slice the cake horizontally and on the bottom half, spoon a generous amount of cream cheese and spread. Keep the top half on it (so it is sandwiched) and now apply the rest of the cream cheese generously all over.

I got 2 cakes like this with the quantity mentioned

Recipe Courtesy: Sallys Baking Addiction

Apple Cake

Apples: 3, peeled cored and chopped finely

Butter: 1 cup or 200 grams melted

Sugar: 1 3/4 cups

Eggs: 3

All Purpose Flour: 2 cups

Baking Powder: 1 1/4 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

All Spice: 1 tsp

Grease and flour a baking dish.

Preheat oven 180C

In a bowl, beat the sugar, butter and eggs till well combined.

Sift the four, baking powder, salt and all spice and add to the sugar mix.

beat again till everything is blended.

Fold in the apples.

Bake for 45 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Cobbler

This is an easy to make, delicious treat!!!!

Apples: 4-5 (peeled,cored sliced)

Vanilla: 1+1 tsp. vanilla 

Sugar: 1 + ½ cup

Cinnamon: ½ tsp

Butter: 2/3 cup, melted and cooled

Egg: 1 

Flour:1 cup 

Baking Powder:¼ tsp

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Preheat the oven to 180C. 

Butter the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish.

Keep the apple slices on this dish till it is half full

Sprinkle the apples with 1 tsp of vanilla, ½ cup of the sugar and ½ tsp. of cinnamon 

Combine the melted butter, 1 egg, and the remaining 1 tsp. of vanilla.

 Add the remaining 1 cup sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix together.

  Pour the batter evenly over the apple slices.

Bake for one hour at 180C. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Source: best apple cobbler

Chocolate Cake (eggless and butterless)

Happy Friendship day to all my lovely readers out there!!!!!A guilt free chocolate cake to celebrate this day.

Recipe Source: Sharmis Passions

All Purpose Flour: 1 1/2 cups

Cocoa Powder: 3 tbsp

Baking powder: 1 teaspoon

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Chocolate chips: 2 tbsp

Water: 250 ml

Oil: 60 ml

Vanilla Essence: 1/2 tbsp

Lime juice: 1 tbsp

Sugar: 1 cup

Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt twice.

In a bowl, take the water, oil, vanilla essence, lime juice and sugar.

Mix till the sugar dissolves.

Now add the flour mix and mix gently till you get a smooth runny batter.

Aadd the choco chips and mix again.

Preheat oven 180C

Grease a regular loaf pan with butter and dust flour.

Pour the batter to it and bake for 40 minutes or till done.

Mango Mousse (eggless)

This recipe was on my to do list for such a long time. Finally I got to try it. It was really good and thick but it doesnt have that egg mousse consistency (if you know what I mean). Also, this recipe doesn't contan gelatin or agar agar.

 But when you try, whisk the fresh cream till soft peak consistency and then fold in with the cubed mango. But be careful when u beat the fresh cream coz at first it will become liquid then it reaches soft peaks and then look out----- past the soft peak stage, it will turn buttery- the fat will separate. So stop immediately when the soft peak stage is reached.

Mango puree: 4 cups

Sugar syrup: 1/2 cup

Amul cream: 1 cup

Thick curd: 2 cups

Mango cubed: of 1 fruit

Prepare sugar syrup by dissolving half cup sugar with half cup water and heating it on medium flame for about 3 minutes.

Take the mango purée, cream, curd and sugar syrup in a bowl and blend it with your cake mixer. Not too much.
What you can do is, do not add cream at this stage when u blend it. Whisk the cream till soft peak stage and then fold in to the blended mix. Be very careful coz past the soft peak stage, the fat will separate from the cream.

Mix in the cubed mangoes and pour in to a serving bowl or individual bowls and refrigerate till set.

Medovik / Russian 8 Layer Honey Cake

This is another recipe I got through a whatsapp chat. My dear friend, Deena Baby Mathews sent me the recipe and it took me 3 days to convince myself that baking a cake and for that matter, having a biiiiig slice is not going to tighten my pants. But the problem is not that. I baked and O my God, I knew it wasnt going to be one slice. Well, already 3 slices in my tummy and believe me when I say, I might not even consider sharing this with anyone....that good it is.

So, What is Medovik. I googled and found this:

From Wikipedia: The medovik  is a sweet spread to Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union , whose main ingredients are honey and condensed milk. It is a dessert that requires a long preparation and is made ​​of layers of biscuit with cream filling and covered with nuts. 

Ok, when you go through the recipe, you will find that there is no condensed milk mentioned.... Well Dulce de lechi is made by heating condensed milk. Since I didnt get a can of that, I made it by caramelizing sugar and adding cream.....same effect!!!!

For layers

All purpose flour - 500g

Sugar - 200g

Eggs - 3

Unsalted butter - 8 tbsp/1 Stick

Honey = 2 tbsp

Baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp

For cream

Milk - 2 cups

Egg - 3

Corn Starch - 2 tbsp

Milk caramel or dulce de lechi - 8 oz (I made caramel cream since I didnt get Dulce De Leche here)

Honey - 2 tbsp

Butter - 1 stick @ room temperature

Method

Pre heat oven to 180C

Whisk eggs, set aside

Place the sugar butter honey in a heat proof bowl and set over simmering water

Melt stirring occasionally

Add eggs & mix until pale color.

Add baking soda & cook for 1 more min. The mixture should be fluffy & double the size

Transfer the egg-butter mixture from heat and add flour. Mix in low speed until combined, about 2 min. The dough should be warm soft and little sticky. But do not add more flour.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press together gently.

Knead dough few times and form into a ball.

Divide dough into 8 equal parts

Shape each into a ball. Cover 7 so as to not lose moisture and roll out the remaining ball into a thin circle, similar to our chapati.

Make sure all the balls are rolled out in the same size & thickness as it needs to be stacked on top of each other

The base of a cake tin can be used for cutting out equal size circles.

I used a round plate and a pizza cutter.

Prick the dough in several places and bake each for 3 min to make 8 perfect cake layers

To make Custard cream

Heat 1 1/2 cup milk but do not boil

In a small bowl whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk with eggs & corn starch till smooth. 

Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the warm milk, bring it to simmer over moderate heat, whisking constantly until very thick  - 2 minutes

Make sure you dont stop whisking, or else you will get scrambled eggs.

Let it cool.

To make Caramel Cream

Sugar: 2 cups

Water" 2 tbsp

Butter: 1 tbsp

Salt: a pinch

Fresh Cream: 2 cups

Heat Sugar, salt and water on low heat till it is golden brown in colour. Resist your temptation to stir the syrup...Please do not meddle with it but you can swirl the pan

When it is golden brown, add butter, wait for it to melt.

 turn off the stove and add the fresh cream and mix well.

Let it cool completely.

To assemble cake

Mix the caramel cream, Custard cream, honey and butter. Whisk properly.

Top each cake layer with about 1/2 cup cream and spread it around evenly.

Repeat with all cake layers

As each layer is placed over each other some frosting will come out of the side, spread it evenly over the sides

Leave in fridge for 8 hours or over night

Hurry Up Cake

This is the easiest cake you can ever bake. Hurry up cake by Mrs B.F Varghese and this was baked by my 6 year old. Ofcourse, I had to help her with the measurements. 

So if you want to involve your kids, Try this first, coz it will be fun for them and easy and ofcourse, since this doesnt involve any separating egg whites, or beating till stiff or even folding in..... it will be like they are making it, you can just sit with your legs up and play head chef giving instructions.

and personally, I preferred the cake with a ganache topping. So I went ahead with that too....

For the Cake:

Flour: 1 3/4 cups

Baking Powder: 13/4 tsp

Slat: 1/4 tsp

Powdered Sugar: 1 cup

Eggs: 2

Butter: 1/2 cup

Milk: 1/2 cup

Vanilla Essence: 1 tsp

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and powdered sugar. This is done, so that it all mixes together. My lil girl just mixed everything, she didnt sift!!!!

Now add the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla essence and beat everthing with a rotary beater for 3 minutes.

Yes, u r done with the mixing.... :) :) :)\

Now preheat your oven 180C

Bake till done.You can frost it with chocolate ganache or any topping of your choice.