Chocolate beet cake

1 1/3 cups self rising flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cups sugar

9 oz beets cooked and pureed

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup oil

icing

1/4 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp beet juice

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, then stir the sugar.

Puree the cooked beets in a blender and remove the juices with a strainer. Leave the juice aside for the icing. Add the beet pulp, eggs, vanilla, oil and blend in a blender till it doubles in volume. Pour the beet mixture to the dry ingredients by gently folding with a spatula.

Pour the batter into an oiled and lined 9" baking pan and bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much on the edges cover the top with an aluminum foil by making a large hole in the centre to let the steam out.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes in the pan. Then leave the cake in a rack to cool completely before putting icing.

Make a thick icing and spread it over the cake by letting it to drizzle down the sides of the cake.

This soft delicious cake recipe is adapted from the book Bake and decorate and goes to the New u event, ABC series dessert and cooking concept chocolate fest.

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Dinosaur birthday cake

This birthday cake is made for my little guy.

One recipe of chocolate cake baked in a heart shape pan. Cut the heart shape from the middle into two, put some icing in between and attach it together. Place the cake over the cake board by putting some icing on the board. I used a homemade cake board.

For the chocolate cake:

I used the same recipe as the butter cake but instead of 1 1/2 cups flour I used,

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

One recipe butter cake baked in a circle shape pan.

I carved each shape of the dinosaur with a knife. I made stencils by drawing the shapes on paper first. This way there is no waste and I used up all the cake.

To cover the body I used chocolate buttercream and dusted with cocoa powder. I added some sprinkles to add some friendliness and colour to the dinosaur body.

For the eyes, I used chocolate fudge with a little bit of royal icing and peppercorn.

Oreo cookies for the mouth and the rest was dusted on the cake board.

For the claws I dipped one side of the cashew nuts in melted chocolate.

For the spikes I cut marshmallow into triangles then dipped in melted chocolate.

The cake board is decorated with green tinted desiccated coconut and crushed oreos. To finish up I made this decorative tree.

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I am excited to have been visited by the fairy hobmother on this special day to receive a gift card. Check out the Induction technology cooking appliance. It saves money in the long run and uses magnetic fields to heat the base and sides of compatible induction pans. The hob itself is cool to the touch for safety reasons, it is easy to clean and has a child lock. There is a video on the site that explains it well. Dear friends who are following Torviewtoronto, Hobmother will visit one of you soon :)

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Flower decorated cake

3/4 cup margarine or butter *

1 cup sugar vanilla flavoured *

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Beat margarine or butter with sugar until smooth. Then add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Mix the flour with baking powder separately and add it to the mixture, alternating with the milk.

Pour the cake mixture into a buttered lined 8" pan.

Bake at 350F in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the pan and leave it to cool.

* I use margarine often as it is cheaper, if you use butter for healthy reasons then it is the same amount. If the butter is salted don't add salt, if it is unsalted add 1/4 tsp salt.

* I use sugar that is infused with vanilla; by leaving vanilla beans inside a jar of sugar; over time it will have a perfume of vanilla.

I do not use vanilla essence, if you are using regular sugar add 1 tsp vanilla essence.

The recipe for the cake is from a friend; it is easy and delicious to make. I made 2 cakes in a 10" pan and layered it as I wanted some height.

The flowers are made with royal icing. I used buttercream icing to cover and decorate the border of the cake.

This cake goes to bakefest.

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Nutella cupcakes

1/2 cup Nutella

5 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

Mix all the ingredients till smooth. Put 3/4 full in a lined muffin pan.

Bake at 350F in a preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Don't over bake these cupcakes as it will become dry.

Remove from the pan and cool in a rack.

This recipe makes 5 regular sized cupcakes. I have decorated it with buttercream icing using tip 1M. Recipe is adapted from here and goes to Bizzy bakes and festive food.

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Strawberry muffins

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup vanilla flavoured sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup yogurt

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup strawberries sliced

Beat butter or margarine with sugar then beat in the eggs. Add the yogurt and orange juice. Combine flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt then add it to the wet mixture and mix well. Add the strawberries and mix.

Put the mixture onto a baking tray, baking mould or muffin tray and bake at 350F for approximately 25 minutes, time will vary depending on the type of tray used.

Instead of vanilla flavoured sugar use sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. As I don't use vanilla essence I scent my sugar with vanilla beans.

I came up with this recipe as I wanted to use yogurt and berries. It was successful and soft, loaded with strawberries which can be substituted for other berries and increase the sugar depending on the taste of the berries.

This recipe goes to only baked event, celebrate sweets cake at Sonia's kitchen, d for dessert, kid's delight mini bites and veggie/fruit a month oranges at Savitha's kitchen.

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Chocolate cake to celebrate

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup or 6 tbsp boiling water

2/3 cup oil (sunflower or vegetable)

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

icing

3 tbsp melted chocolate

1 1/4 cups whipping or heavy cream

chocolate lace

2 oz chocolate (milk, dark or white)

Brush 2 pie or circle baking pans, line the base with circles of waxed paper and brush it with oil.

Mix the cocoa powder with the boiling water and make a smooth paste and leave it to cool.

Beat the oil, eggs, sugar then add cocoa paste, flour and balking powder and beat till smooth.

Divide the mixture into the two pans, and smooth the flat with the back of the spoon.

Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes until it has risen, browned and springs back when lightly pressed. Check with a skewer to make sure. Leave the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer into a wire rack. Remove the paper and cool completely before icing.

For the icing beat the whipping cream add the cooled melted chocolate and beat.

Make the chocolate lace, this is optional and decorative.

Melt the 2 oz chocolate over a double broiler and using a spoon drizzle onto a wax baking paper. Leave it in the fridge for 1/2 hour to harden.

To assemble the cake put a dap of icing on the cake pan, place one of the cakes then put icing and put the other piece of cake. Cover the cake all over with icing. Smooth the cake, I used a design to smoothen the cake. Leave the cake in the fridge for at least an hour before serving so the icing settles, I left it overnight. Decorate the cake with chocolate lace and chocolate.

This delicious cake was made to celebrate my daughter's birthday. Recipe is adapted from Kid's baking.

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Banana cake and food palette series brown winner

I am so excited to see so many wonderful looking dishes I wish I could give each one of the participants a gift, will post an award soon.

Please do continue to participate in the future food palette colours. Hope everyone checks out the dishes from other friends. I picked the winner randomly, congratulations to Kalyani the winner of the food palette series brown.

Banana cake with chocolate and nuts

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

3 eggs

1 cup ripe bananas

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon ground

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tbsp fudge melts, chocolate pieces or chocolate chips

2 tbsp nuts

Beat butter and sugar, then add eggs and beat. Add the mashed bananas and mix. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon into the wet ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix till all the ingredients are combined.

Put the mixture in a greased pan. Bake at 375F for 20 to 30 minutes depends on the type of dish used. Test with a skewer if it comes out clean it is done.
Baking time would be less if baked in muffin trays or a pyrex rectangle dish compared to a loaf pan.

Here is another version of banana chocolate cake.

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Strawberry shortcake

2 cups strawberries, hulled, halved or quartered

3 tbsp icing sugar

Mash 1/4 of the strawberries with a fork and toss all the strawberries with icing sugar and leave for 1 hour at room temperature.

shortcake

1 cup flour

3 oz caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt *

1 cup whipping cream

*Although the recipe says 1/2 tsp salt I always put 1/4 tsp salt for 1 cup flour.

Sift flour with 2 oz sugar, baking powder, salt and add cream slowly using a fork to toss lightly until the mixture forms a clump.

Gather the clumps, do not knead the dough.

Shape into a 6" log and cut 6 slices and place in a lightly greased baking tray. Sprinkle 1 oz sugar and bake until light golden brown at 400F for 15 minutes. Cool in a wire rack.

to serve

1 cup whipping cream whip till soft peaks form

Once cooled cut the

shortcake in half horizontally using a serrated knife.

Top each bottom half of the shortcake with whipped cream then layer some strawberries and place the tops. Can add some whipped cream on the tops as well.

This recipe is from the book cook's companion. And goes to A.W.E.D British at kaarasaaram and veggie/fruit a month strawberries. Kid's delight restaurant recreation at versatile kitchen, hearth and soul and best western dessert.

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Tiramisu

There is no alcohol or raw eggs in this recipe.

filling

Prepare 1 recipe of homemade mascarpone cheese.

1 cup whipping cream beaten with 1 to 2 tbsp icing sugar till it holds peaks.

Prepare 1 recipe of zabaglione.

Mix the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream together with a whisk or spatula. Add the cooled zabaglione and mix.

This mixture will be the filling for the tiramisu.

I have used zabaglione, an Italian custard cream instead of using raw eggs.

48 cookies savoiardi or lady's finger cookies (homemade or store bought)

To dip savoiardi

2 cup hot water

4 tbsp nescafe

2 to 3 tbsp granulated sugar (or vanilla flavoured sugar)

It is cheaper and easier to buy the cookies, thus I made mine with store bought cookies.

48 cookies will fit a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan, you can make it any preferred serving dish.

Mix the nescafe with the sugar in hot water to dissolve and leave it to cool a little so you can dip the cookies.

Dip the cookies quickly, it should be dipped just in and out or it will become soggy.

Place the dipped cookies horizontally in the dish.

Put a layer of filling then dust some cocoa powder if you like and place a 2nd layer of cookies vertically, in the opposite direction from before.

Put another layer of filling then sprinkle more cocoa powder or grated chocolate on the top.

Cover with a foil and leave it in the fridge for at least more than 1 hour or overnight which is better before serving it cold. Can serve with chocolate curls and fruits.

This recipe is adapted from many readings to make it easy, alcohol free and raw egg free. Hope you try this addictive delicious version of tiramisu I made to celebrate the birthday of my sweetheart :)

Note:

If you don't mind using raw eggs; instead of using 1 cup of whipped cream you can use the egg whites from the zabaglione and whip till it forms peaks then fold in the 1 tbsp of icing sugar and whip it. As I didn't want to use raw eggs I used whipped cream in place of egg whites in this recipe.

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Pineapple upside down cake

1 cup brown sugar

4 oz butter sliced

4 eggs

6 oz sugar

5 oz flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 can pineapple or 1 pineapple cut into rings core removed

This recipe makes two pie pans or one cake tin with a removable bottom or bake in a rectangle dish. The cake will double in amount when baking. If the dish is too small it will spill over.

Prepare the pan by layering the pineapple, if using cherry place it in the middle. Place pieces of sliced butter over the pineapple then sprinkle the brown sugar. The amount of brown sugar can be reduced according to taste.

Beat eggs till fluffy and creamy, add sugar and beat till it dissolves. Add vanilla and beat. Mix the flour with baking powder then add it to the mixture and beat. This is a sponge cake so don't over mix.

Bake at 375F in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes depending on the pan used. Aluminum or tin will take less time than a pyrex or glass baking dish. Skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean. If making half the recipe baking time is reduced to about 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to check on the cake so the top doesn't burn, if this is happening reduce the heat a little.

Cool in the pan then turn the cake on to a serving dish.

Cool completely, keep in the fridge and serve cool or serve warm with ice cream.

Can replace the brown sugar with jaggery. For this picture I made half the recipe.

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Log cake and candy cane

4 eggs separated

5 oz caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4 oz flour

icing

1 cup whipping cream

2 tbsp cocoa powder more or less to taste

4 tbsp icing sugar more or less to taste

Separate the eggs. Reserve 2 tbsp sugar to beat with egg whites. Beat egg yolks and sugar till pale and thick, then add vanilla.

In a copper or aluminum bowl without grease or water, beat egg whites till glossy and holds peak. Add 2 tablespoon sugar and beat; don't over beat just till it holds peaks when the beater is lifted.

Fold in half the flour into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in quarter of the egg whites and beat. Then add the rest of the flour to the mixture. Fold in the egg white mixture till it blends; don't over beat.

Spread evenly into a waxed, greased and floured rectangle baking dish or swiss roll tin 16" x 11". Bake in a preheated oven at 375F for 15 minutes.

Turn the baked roll onto a wax paper sprinkled with caster sugar. Roll up from the long side with the wax paper inside the cake while rolling and cool.

Whip the cream, cocoa powder and icing till it forms peaks and leave aside. Unroll the cake carefully and spread the icing evenly about 1/4" thick in the cooled cake. Then roll the cake up again. Discard the wax paper.
Cut off a piece for the branch and put it in the side of the trunk. Spread the remaining icing all over the cake, then with a fork make barks.

Add decorations, leave it in the fridge for a little and serve cold. This goes to MKMW Germany.

Candy cane

Twist two pieces of pipe cleaners and turn it into a candy cane.

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