Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This one has been on my list for some time, baked it on our anniversary and then again got lasy with posting it over here. 

But here we are, better to be late than never !

DH loved it, actually he loves everything that has to do with pineapple ! :o)

By the way on the side note I found this article handy for the conversion, whenever i get confused following a recipe with different measurements :-)

http://allrecipes.com/howto/cup-to-gram-conversions/

Ok so... 

Let's collect Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

6 Tbsp cake flour

6 Tbsp of ground almonds (Optional)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups of sugar

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

4 large eggs

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup sour cream

Let's start Baking:

Caramel topping:

1. Take brown sugar and butter. Combine them and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture looks bubbly. (After sugar melts, don't stir) 

2. Pour mixture into stick-free cake pan. 

3.Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer ontop of the caramel mixture.

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F / 170 C. 

2. Whisk the flours, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

3. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light. 

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. 

5. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition. 

6. Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.

7. Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. 

8. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy !!!

Red Velvet Cake

I baked this cake for this Valentine. I was thinking to bake a plain venilla or pineapple cake and pink/ red frosting decorations to give it a bit of Valentine-special effects, and then i came across this recipe of American Red Velvet Cake on Joy Of Baking and whollaaa...!

Let's collect Ingredients for Red Velvet Cake:
250 gms sifted Self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
100 gms unsalted butter, at room temperature
300 gms granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
240 ml buttermilk
2 tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
225 gms cream cheese, room temperature
225 gms Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
115 gms confectioners'/ icing / powdered) sugar, sifted
360 ml cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Let's start baking the Red Velvet Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Butter two round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.

3. Mix together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes) in a separate bowl.

5. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

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

7. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

8. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

9. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

10. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

11. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

12. Let cakes cool down on a wire rack.

13. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. (This makes filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Let's prepare Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In the bowl, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread.
4. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Let's assemble the Red Velvet Cake:
1. With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers.

2. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.
3. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers.
4. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
5. Garnish the cake in a way you like. And your cake is ready !

Pineapple Cake with Fruits topping

Nithya mailed me this recipe for Pineapple cake and since then I wanted to try it. This weekend was a perfect occasion as we were going to one of our friend's place for dinner and I thought let me bake and bring this along.

A day prior to that we spent almost whole day discussing options to decorate it with, from only pineapple decorations we concluded to make it more colorful and then decided to make it rich with topping of all kind of fruits :o)

This cake was an instant hit! (Or at least I was told and convinced to believe so!! hehe)



Let's Collect Ingredients:

4 eggs
100 gms flour sieved with 2 small level tsps of baking soda
100 gms ground sugar
1 tsp pineapple essence
1 pineapple can
Sugar cream for icing

Let's Start Baking:

1. Beat the eggs till they become stiff n reach to the 3/4th level of the vessel. The true test is, even if u tilt the vessel the egg stuff should not move. This will take u approx 15-20 mins; it can be done taking breaks in between. (Actually I am very impatient, so I had my doubts to beat this longer, but I am happy I did)

2. Once done add sugar slowly n beat again.

3. Add flour spoon by spoon and fold in one direction. Do not mix a lot just very delicate folds. Add pineapple essence. (I did a mistake of mixing a bit more than required which made it lose a bit of fluffiness; I will remember it next time not to do so)

4. In an aluminum cake pan put butter n dust some flour. Pour this mixture. Bake in preheated oven at approx 180 C for approx 30 mins or till when tasted with the stick, it comes out clean.

5. Remove, cool and get it out on a plate.

6. Cut the cake from centre to make 2 layers. Use a thread to avoid breaking the cake.

7. Put the syrup from the pineapple can on both insides of the cake. Sugar water on the both the insides of the cake, the cake should be wet. Instead of syrup, you can use sugar water.

8. In a different bowl, beat cream and sugar till fluffy n thick, this should take just 5-10 seconds. Beating it more will change the taste of the cream- butter formation.

9. Mix sugar to the cream, add pineapple pieces and apply on the inside and top of the cake.

10. Decorate with fruits of your choice!

Refrigerate and eat cool. Yummm. :o)

Tutti-Frutti Cup Cakes

I don't know how, but it always happens that i end up baking when i want to use some ingredients to empty my fridge ! last time it was carrot cake to use carrots and this time it was Tutti-frutti cup cakes to use a box of Tutti-frutti which Ashu picked up at an Indian store some time back and since then is accupying a space in refrigerator !

While i started, i didn't measure anything, it was jus mix and match experiment. Normally i use condensed milk when i am baking egg-less cake, otherwise i use eggs with mix of white and brown sugar. This time i used all... hehehe condensed milk, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar !

it turned out good.

Let's collect Ingredients :

2 cup of all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of white sugar, add more if you like it sweeter

1/2 cup of brown sugar

3/4 Cup melted butter

3 Eggs

3/4 cup sweet condensed milk.

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 Cup Tutti-frutti.

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Let's start baking:

1. Pre-heat oven at 350F.

2. Beat eggs, combine sugars, butter, in a large bowl; stir until all ingredients are well blended.

3. Combine rest of the dry ingredients except sugar, in a medium bowl; set aside.

4. Mix both the mixtures along with tutti fruity and vanilla extract. Blend it well.

5. Grease and flour cup cake moulds. Pour this batter, put a few tutti fruity on the top and bake it for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.

6. Cool them for 10 minutes on wire racks.

It can be served warm or cold, as you prefer.

Carrot Raisin Cake

I was wondering what to do with carrots lying in my fridge for some days now. And then i came across idea of preparing Carrot raisin cake. Ashu has been asking me for cake since quite a few days and i thought what a perfect combination, use of my carrots and fulfilling his wish. hehehe

Let's collect Ingredients :
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
3/4 cup of white sugar, add more if you like it sweeter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3/4 Cup Vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup melted butter )
4 Eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon. ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon. ground ginger
2 Cups Carrots, peeled and grated
1 Cup chopped walnuts/cashew

1/2 cup raisins
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Let's start baking:

1. Pre-heat oven at 350F.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients except sugar, in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Beat eggs, combine sugars, vegetable oil, vanilla extract,in a large bowl; stir until all ingredients are well blended.
4. Add this to the flour mixture, along with carrots,walnuts,and raisins blend it well.
5. Grease and flour cake pan (8 or 9 inch). Pour this batter and bake it for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Let the cake pan cool for 10 minutes; invert it on wire racks.

It can be served warm or cold, as you prefer. You can find egg-less version at A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine.

I love it with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream.