Archives for May 2012

Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe with Fruits

In the last few years, carrot cakes have become a rage among cake lovers all over the world. My favorite healthy carrot cake recipe is one that contains lots of fruits. Carrots themselves are very rich in vitamin A and the fruits add a lot of flavor to them. Do try out the following carrot cake recipe at home.

Ingredients:

– 2 cups flour
– 1 medium-sized orange
– 2 teaspoons baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
– 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
– 1 pinch salt
– 1 cup low fat mayonnaise
– 1 1/2 cups sugar
– 3 eggs
– 2 teaspoons vanilla
– 2 cups fresh grated carrots
– 1 can crushed pineapple with juice (if you are using fresh pineapples then take about 30 grams)
– 1/2 cup toasted pecans
– 3/4 cup dried cranberries
– 100 grams dried raisins

Instructions:

– Preheat the oven to 350F.
– Use a fine grater to grate the orange zest and take about 3 tablespoons of juice.
– Soak the raisins and half of the zest in the orange juice.
– Separate the egg white of one egg and add a pinch of baking powder to it.
– Beat well until you get soft peaks. Set aside.
– In a separate bowl, take the egg yolk and break in the other two eggs.
– Add the sugar and beat well to get a fluffy mix.
– Add the mayonnaise and vanilla.
– Use an electric blender at high speed to mix all the ingredients.
– In a dry bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, roasted pecans and dried cranberries.
– Add the dry ingredients to the egg-mayonnaise mix to get a stiff mixture.
– Now add the grated carrots and crushed pineapples along with the juice.
– Add the ginger.
– Fold in the orange soaked raisins.
– Add the egg white mix in last and gently fold it in.
– Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, or you can use one 20-inch big cake pan.
– Pour the batter in the greased cake pans.
– Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden stick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
– Take the cake out of the oven and gently remove from the pan.
– Let it cool on a wire rack before serving.

To serve the cake

Frosting ingredients:

– 250 grams soft cheese
– 1/4 cup melted butter
– 2 cups icing sugar
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice
– The rest of the orange zest from the cake recipe

Instructions:

– Blend the cheese and butter together until well blended.
– Slowly add the icing sugar and blend well after each addition.
– Stir in the lemon juice and orange zest.
– Spread the frosting on the top of the cake (if you have one large cake); or you can stack the smaller cakes on top of each other with a layer of frosting in between.
– Cut up in little squares to serve.

Pin It

Dark and Yummy Plain Chocolate Cake Recipe

There is absolutely nothing more comforting than a piece of chocolate cake at the end of the day. I always feel good when I know that a chocolate cake recipe is sitting in my fridge. Here is one delicious  plain chocolate cake recipe that I love to bake and would make it every day if I could. This recipe uses Coca-Cola to give it a dark color that is difficult to resist.

Ingredients:

– 114 grams unsalted and softened butter
– 1 cup Coca-Cola (you can use diet coke if you are looking for a low calorie version)
– 3/4 cup marshmallows
– 30 grams semi-sweet cooking chocolate
– 1/2 cup shortening
– 1/2 cup vegetable oil
– 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
– 2 eggs
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 2 teaspoons vanilla
– 3/4 cup buttermilk
– 2 cups sugar
– 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions:

– Preheat the oven to 350F.
– Grease and flour a 13×9 inch cake pan.
– In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate.
– Add the Coca-Cola and bring to the boil.
– Remove from the heat and stir in the marshmallows.
– Stir to get a smooth mix (the marshmallows melt).
– Let it cool to room temperature.
– Use an electric blender to blend the eggs and sugar to get a fluffy mix.
– Add the shortening, oil and vanilla and beat some more (for 2 minutes).
– Add the buttermilk to the above mix and blend well.
– In a dry bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
– Add half of this mixture to the egg-shortening mix and blend well.
– Now add the Coca-Cola mix and stir well to get an even mix.
– Make sure that you scrape the sides of the bowl to blend all the ingredients.
– Now add the rest of the flour mix.
– Do not worry if the batter is thick; it will turn out to be perfect.
– Pour the prepared batter in the cake pan.
– Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 35-40 minutes. When a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean, the cake is ready.
– Remove from the oven and cool.

Coca-Cola Frosting

Ingredients:

– 1/2 cup soft butter
– 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
– 6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
– 250 grams confectioners’ sugar
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions:

– Mix the butter, cocoa powder and Coca-Cola in a saucepan.
– Heat over medium heat and bring to the boil.
– Remove from the heat and pour over the sugar.
– Add the vanilla and pecans and stir well to get a thick spreading mix.
– Spread over the lukewarm cake and let it cool completely before cutting in slices.

Pin It

Simple Sugar Free Carrot Cake Recipe

Sugar free cakes are good for you, especially if you are a diabetic or have been detected with high blood sugar. In fact, sugar free carrot cake recipe are more nutritious because you add other ingredients such as coconut, orange juice, apple sauce etc. to compensate for the sweetness, which adds to the nutritious value of the cake. These cakes are also easy to make and don’t take much time. Here is a simple sugar free carrot cake recipe.

Ingredients:

– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 cup whole wheat flour
– 2 teaspoons baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon
– 1/2 teaspoon all spice powder
– 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
– 4 egg whites
– 1 1/4 cups brown sugar substitute
– 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
– 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1/2 cup frozen orange juice (thawed)
– 5 chopped dried figs
– 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
– 2 cups fresh grated carrots
– 1/4 cup raisins and walnuts, chopped finely

Instructions:

– Preheat the oven to 350F.
– Spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
– In a clean and dry bowl, beat the egg whites to form soft peaks.
– Add the apple sauce and buttermilk to the mix.
– Whisk some more to get a frothy mix.
– In a clean bowl, take the flours, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, all spice powder, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk to mix.
– Add the dry ingredients to the egg–buttermilk mix, taking 1/4 cup of mix each time and mixing well after each addition to get a smooth batter.
– Now gently stir the orange juice in the mix.
– Add the chopped figs, poppy seeds, walnuts and raisins to the batter and blend some more.
– Spoon the batter in the prepared cake pan. You can use a square, round or rectangular cake pan.
– Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
– Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
– Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Substitutions and variations:

– You can use 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder instead of all-purpose flour for a chocolaty flavor in the cake.
– You can also add freshly grated lemon juice and orange zest to the cake for a more tangy taste.
– Use as many fresh ingredients as possible.
– Add some grated dried ginger for enhanced flavor.
– If you want, you can substitute all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

Pin It

Heavenly 1st Birthday Cake Recipes

Every parent wants to have a special birthday chocolate cake recipe for his or her child on his or her 1st birthday. I recommend baking a cake at home so that you can be sure that it consists of all fresh ingredients. Here is one of the simplest 1st birthday cake recipes that you can easily make at home and does not contain much sugar.

Ingredients:

– 16 large egg whites (about 480 ml)
– 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1/4 cup boiling water
– 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
– 1 3/4 cups white sugar
– 1 cup cake flour (you can use gluten-free cake flour)
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
– 2 liter vanilla or flavored frozen yogurt
– 1 kg mix of sliced fruits, such as blueberries, peaches, strawberries

Instructions:

– Preheat the oven to 350F.
– This recipe is for angel food cake, therefore I always use an angel food cake tube pan. Have the cake pan ready.
– In a small pan, combine the cocoa powder and boiling water. Stir until smooth.
– Add the vanilla extract and let the mix cool.
– In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of sugar, flour and salt.
– Take the egg whites in a large bowl and use a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until foamy.
– Add the cream of tartar and beat until the egg whites form soft peaks.
– Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and keep on whisking until you get stiff peaks.
– Take 1 cup of the beaten egg white mix and add it to the cocoa mix.
– Gently fold to lighten the mix.
– Now use a large wire whisk to gently fold the dry ingredients in the remaining egg white mix. Do not over mix.
– Add the cocoa mix to the above mix. Do not over beat otherwise the cake will deflate.
– Pour the cake batter in the angel food cake pan.
– Gently run a spatula through the cake batter to take any excess air out.
– Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 40-45 minutes. The cake should spring back if touched.
– Invert the cake pan immediately. This will prevent the cake from shrinking and deflating.
– Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan.

You can easily store this cake in the fridge for about a week without spoiling.

To assemble the cake:

– Slice the cake in half horizontally.
– Slice the bottom half of the cake in 12-14 thin slices.
– Tear the top half in small pieces.
– Line a 13×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
– Place the slices in the baking dish to cover the whole bottom.
– Spread the yogurt on the cake slices and smooth out as you go. Press lightly.
– Press the small pieces of the cake on the top.
– Cover and freeze.
– Before serving, add the sliced fruits on the top.
– Cut in squares to serve.

Pin It

Banana Coffee Cake Recipe with Chocolate Chip Streusel

Coffee cakes became very popular in America in the late 1800s. It was not invented but has evolved as a combination of various styles of baking and native ingredients. Banana cake recipe are served with coffee, breakfast and even as desserts. Here is a simple banana coffee cake recipe with chocolate chip streusel that takes only 1 hour and 5 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

– 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
– 2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
– 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I like to roast them a little before using)
– 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
– 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 3/4 cup sugar
– 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
– 1 large egg
– 1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large)
– 3 tablespoons buttermilk

Instructions:

– Preheat the oven to 350F.
– Grease an 8×8 inch cake pan and lightly dust the insides with a little flour.
– In a clean bowl, take the dark brown sugar, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon and mix well. Your streusel is ready.
– In a separate bowl, take the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix well.
– In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar to it. Blend well.
– Add the eggs and bananas to the mix and beat well using an electric mixer.
– Add the buttermilk and combine well.
– Stir in the vanilla.
– Add the flour mixture to the egg-buttermilk mixture, one spoon at a time, and mix well after each addition.
– Take the greased cake pan and pour half of the cake batter in the pan.
– Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter.
– Add another layer of cake batter and sprinkle the remaining streusel over it.
– Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for about 45-50 minutes.
– Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
– Cut the cake in little bars to serve.

Variation

The traditional streusel cake has only two layers but I make my own version with multiple layers. To do so, I use a silicone cake pan because they do not require any greasing.

Instructions:

– Layer a thin layer of cake batter at the bottom of the cake pan.
– Sprinkle some of the prepared streusel over it and then add another thin layer of cake batter.
– Repeat the steps until you get a nice layered cake.
– Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Pin It
Privacy Policy