Layered Chocolate cake with Whipped Strawberry cream

Family birthdays are super special and we love to celebrate the special day with homemade cakes. Homemade cakes are the most delicious of all cakes, isn't it? You can choose and control which and how much of the ingredients you want to add to make the cake your very own. I love to experiment and play around with different proportions and ratios of the ingredients and observe the effects on the resulting textures (That's the scientist in me talking😁) I also feel, baking and cooking are very therapeutic for my mind and brain that is racing at 100 miles/hour usually 😜. So here is the latest baking therapy from this week. Baked a small chocolate cake in bread load pan and then layered it with fresh strawberry whipped cream. Strawberries and chocolate go so well together and love the stark contrast in the layering pattern of dark brown and pink colors.

• Cake:

1 cup All purpose flour
3/4 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Yogurt (whole milk)
1/3 cup Water
1/3 cup Unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/4 cup Unsalted butter
1 Egg
1 tsp Bru instant coffee powder
3/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 pinch salt

• Strawberry whipped cream:

1. 5 cups heavy whipping cream chilled
1/2 cup Strawberry puree ( Puree cooked with 3-4 sugar and till thick, strained and chilled)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2-3 drops pink food color (optional)
Whip the cream till soft creams form with electric mixer. Add strawberry puree and powdered sugar and whip till firm peaks form. Keep refrigerated till ready to use.

• Chocolate ganache drizzle: (Prepare at the time when needed)

4-5 Lindt dark chocolate squares, 2tsp heavy cream. Microwave for 20-25 sec till melted and smooth enough to drizzle.

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Layer bread loaf pan with parchment paper on the bottom.
2) Beat butter, egg, salt and sugar till light and fluffy. Add yogurt, water and rest of the ingredients. Beat till well mixed. Do not over mix!
3) Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45-50 mins. Check with toothpick. It should come out clean.
4) Let the cake cool completely. Slice into 3 layers with large sharp knife.

5) Layer with strawberry whipped cream on the bottom layer. Place the cake layer and repeat for all layers.

6) Top the uppermost layer with whipped cream and drizzle with ganache on the sides

7) Decorate with whipped cream and fresh cut strawberries
8) Keep the cake chilled in refrigerator

9) Enjoy with your loved ones😍

Refreshing 'Spa' Water!

Since the past few trips that we took, it has become customary (and I love it!), that 'M' takes care of the kids and I visit the Spa in the resort we are staying in! I feel guilty at times, that I get pampered, but love the occasional indulgence!

This time, in Puerto Rico, I visited this "Bali' influenced Spa named 'Mandara'. After the Spa treatment, they offered this cool refreshing drink.... Simple cold water that had Lemon slices,Cucumber slices and strawberries soaking in it ....It was SO simple yet..SO Refreshing....I drank like 4 glasses of it.....literally:)

How to make it:

Fill a glass jug with cold water. Add few cucumber slices, 1-2 cut up strawberries and 2-3 lemon slices. Just squeeze a few drops of lemon juice in the water as well and let it chill and soak up all the good flavors!!!

 You will love to sip on this refreshing water and feel rejuvenated in minutes!

 

Vanilla and Chocolate "Checkerboard" Cake with Strawberry cream filling

It was 'M's birthday and like every year I do, I was going to bake a special cake for him!! Last year it was "Zebra Cake" (http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2012/04/pat-cake-zebra-cake-with-chocolate.html) and this year, I wanted to try something 'new'...not just 'any' cake...something new...some new technique.This one seemed to be exciting and involved some 'thinking' and planning-which type of cake to bake..soft textured or sturdier/denser cake and a bit of geometry too:)
Here is how you make it-

Basically you need 2 types/ colored cakes.I baked a vanilla and other dark chocolate. If your cake it too moist or spongy, you will have hard time cutting and lifting the cake circles. This cake modified from this recipe (http://www.azcookbook.com/zebra-cake/) is a denser cake and did hold the cutting and lifting pretty well.

Ingredients:
Bakes two -8 or 9 inch cakes
4 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup canola oil
2tbsp butter at room temperature
1tsp tsp vanilla essence
1 +1/4 tbsp baking powder
1 tablespoons dark cocoa powder  (dark cocoa is necessary to get rich dark brown color for better contrast)
3tbsp grated dark chocolate bars- microwave for few seconds until soft.
1/4tsp salt

Strawberry cream filling
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream(cold)
1/4 cup fresh strawberry puree(chilled for 1 hour)
1tbsp sugar

Whipped cream icing
1 Cup heavy whipping cream(cold)
2tbsp sugar
1/2tsp vanilla essence

Decoration:
Mini chocolate chips
fresh sliced strawberries

Method:
1) Pre heat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 cake pans with shortening/non stick spray and dust with flour.
2) Sieve together all purpose flour, salt, baking powder.
3)Beat the eggs for 3mins with electric whisk. Add the butter and sugar and whisk till it is light color and fluffy.
4) Add the oil and milk and beat for few seconds.Add the vanilla extract.
5) Add the dry ingredients slowing and beat only till well blended.
6) Divide the batter in 2 parts. To one part add the dark cocoa powder and softened dark chocolate bar.Beat for few seconds till well blended.
7) Pour the vanilla and chocolate batters into 2 separate pans. Bake at 350F for 30-35 mins, until golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool completely for few hours before cutting and icing.
The cakes upside down for sturdier cutting.If your cake has a bulge cut and level it out:

Strawberry Whipped cream:
Beat the whipping cream on high speed with a electric mixer, till soft peaks are formed. Add the chilled strawberry puree and sugar and beat till stiff peaks are formed.Store in refrigerator.

Whipped cream icing
Beat on high speed the heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla till stiff peaks are formed.Store in refrigerator.

Assembling the cake:
1) With chart paper, make circular stencils or concentric circles, 1.5 to 2 inches thickness. Largest will have the diameter as your cake pan.
2) Place the stencils on the cake one at a time and carefully cut the concentric circles.Gently lift each circle and place on a platter.

3) Inserted a vanilla ring inside the chocolate outer ring.Alternate the rings and fit into each other.

4) Place the cake on the serving platter.On the bottom reassembled cake, spread the strawberry cream filling. Make sure to push it in the concentric gaps. This will help in better sticking of the 'checks'. You can also pipe the icing in between the concentric circles when you are fitting them into each other.

5) Place the other reassembled cake on top. Ice this layer and the entire cake with the whipped cream icing. Spread and smoothen from all sides. Decorate with strawberries and mini chocolate chips.
With icing tip, makes borders withe the whipped cream icing.
Chill in refrigerator till ready to cut!

6) Cut into wedges(like pie) to serve.Enjoy!!

 





 

Quick and Easy Homemade Strawberry icecream

It's strawberry season here....and the markets all full of these lovely red berries!! What's the next better thing than eating them fresh.....turn them into a creamy luscious pretty pink Strawberry ice cream!! Agree??
I love this Quick and easy recipe of using whipped cream and condensed milk to make ice cream.The ice cream comes out creamy, perfect texture every single time.
It took 4 mins to 'make' the ice cream mixture and then 5 hrs to set it in the freezer! There was no mixing every 1/2 hour, no tedious work involved, no ice crystals.....and the results were still luscious and heavenly!!
Using the same recipe...this is my favorite Mango ice cream..and I promise it will be yours too:)
Quick and Easy Mango Saffron ice cream

http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2011/08/sweet-treats-quick-easy-delicious.html

Ingredients:

This is all you need!
1) 12-14 fresh strawberries
2) Half of the 8 oz tub of Kraft Cool Whip
3) Half of the 14 oz can of Sweetened condensed milk
4) 2 tbsp milk
5) 2tbsp Strawberry syrup

Method:

1)  Thaw the cool whip in refrigerator for 1/2 hr till softens.

2)Wash and Cut off the strawberry leaves and stems.Put them in the blender along with 2tbsp milk.Puree them.

2) Mix the 1/2 container of cool whip, 1/2 container of sweetened condensed milk, strawberry puree and syrup.Mix gently till lumps are gone.

3)  Pour into a freezer safe container/ individual serving glasses( I like the 'bath' cups...they are perfect for single serving of ice cream)

4) Freeze for 5-6 hrs.Done!!!

Veggie Chickens!

Aren't they cute??? These 'Veggie Chickens' are cute, easy to make and tasty too!!
It was Easter Egg hunt party and these made up one of the many treats for the kids. The base is bread with veggie cream cheese, topped with streamed sweet corn, olives for eyes,tomato for nose, strawberry for the tuft and carrots for the feet!!!

Method:
1) Cut the bread into circles with cookie cutter.
2) Spread a spoonful of  veggie cream cheese on the bread slice
Veggie cream cheese Recipe:
(Adjust the quantity as per how many slices you want to make.(You will approximately need 1tsp cream cheese per slice)
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2012/06/appetizers-red-bell-pepper-and-broccoli.html

3) Spread steamed sweet corn kernels on top

4) Place the olive rings, strawberry cut into tufts and carrot slices cut like chicken feet on the slice.
Keep chilled till served.

Oh..what looks like a 'plant in the pot' next to the chicken is actually...a Basket full of  Eggs;) Kiwi slice makes the pot and carrot slices with cream cheese make the eggs!

Yogurt- Strawberry frozen bars

You decide to diet and eat 'healthy', but those sweet cravings aren't going anywhere are they??? And then the Lil' ones at home still need a weekend treat...right???
This was a perfect little bar...which wouldn't 'undo' all the exercise of the week, but still make the lil' ones jump with joy:)  'A' wouldn't even share a 'lick' of this bar with anyone!!!

Ingredients:
8-10 Fresh Strawberries
1 Cup fresh yogurt
4-5 tsp sugar (adjust according to the sweetness of the strawberries)
few drops of Vanilla essence

Method:
1) Wash the strawberries and cut of the leaves.
2) Blend together yogurt,strawberries, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3) Pour into 'kulfi' / Popsicle moulds and insert sticks

 4) Freeze for 5-6 hours until completely frozen.
5) Run the mould under warm water to remove the Yogurt-Strawberry bar!

 Enjoy!!

The Sizzle From a Guest Kitchen: (Shruti Sanas-Jadhav) ::Cheese Cake with Strawberry Sauce

A Sizzle From a Guest Kitchen:
A section in the blog wherein, I connect with my friends and fellow foodies through their recipes and their kitchen!
Today a dear friend - Shruti, who now lives far away, and I cannot visit her, shares her 'star' recipe with me. Like you would remember your moms kitchen with the amazing 'aromas',the special aromas of the 'weekend' meals,your grandmas 'spicy stuffed eggplants' ......I recollect a friend's kitchen with their certain 'special dishes'. I remember the aroma of  a Spicy Chicken Curry, The Best Chicken Biryani ever and many more from Shruti's Kitchen!!
Today she shares : Cheese Cake with Strawberry Sauce

 Here is the recipe Shruti send me:
Here is my version of cheese cake, as the normal cheese cake recipe needs almost 5 packs of cream cheese , I have tried with one pack. Sufficient for 3-4 people unless u r making for a party. :)) njoy.
Cheese cake with strawberry sauce
Ingredients:
Cream cheese - 1 (8ounce) pack
Egg - 1
Sour cream - 1/4 cup
All purpose flour - 2 tbsp
Graham Cracker - 10
Butter - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Vanilla - 1 tsp
sugar - 1 tbsp for crust
Salt - pinch
Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method :
Preheat the oven at 325 F
In a 7 inch spring form pan grease it with butter and put it aside. Now grind the graham cracker to form crumbs. mix in the melted butter and 1 tbsp sugar. Now put this mixture in the pan and press it with hand or bowl.
In a big bowl, take cream cheese and mix the sugar, beat it for 1 min. Now add the egg, sour cream, flour, vanilla, lemon juice, salt and mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
Pour this mixture in the pan and bake for 40 mins.
After baking the cheese cake will be slightly giggly in center and light brown on border. This is perfect. Cool the cake for 6 hours before serving. Pour the chilled strawberry sauce for added flavor n taste.
Strawberry sauce recipe:
Fresh strawberries - 500 gm
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Salt- pinch
Corn flour - 1 tbsp
Cut the strawberries in quarter.
Mix everything in a saucepan and heat this mixture for 10 minutes until sauce is juicy and thick. Cool it before chilling. And serve with any dessert of your choice.

Tres Leches Strawberry Cake

I know you are drooling over this one..just by looking at the pictures!!! Soft creamy whipped cream over a amazingly moist cake (almost custard like!) topped with fresh strawberries....I am with you! Love Love Love it!!!
I had never had or made "Tres Leches Cake"[ 'Tres' means Three and 'Leches' mean Milk....probably all must have come across these words...living in 'Spanish' translated America!] . I came across this one...on  a Facebook Foodie Community "Bon  Appetit'...One of the fellow members,Shalmali Thakur-Pradhan, had posted the cake recipe on her blog (Bakasoor.blogspot.com).Check the detail recipe here--
http://bakasoor.blogspot.com/2012/12/tres-leches-cake.html

It was a very pretty looking ....luscious...tempting cake..and I couldn't resist baking it! Since Christmas was right around the corner...we celebrated Christmas with this aweesomeely delicious 'Tres Leches Strawberry Cake'!!!

I pretty much followed the instructions on Shalmali's blog...with few modifications.

1) Bake a cake with "White Cake " Mix. I used 8inch round pan. I made 1- 8inch round cake and 6 cupcakes

After the cake bakes...let it cool for 1/2 hr or so...transfer to a disposable aluminum pie dish (which you can cut out after soaking the cake in 3 milks)
2) Poke the cake with fork all over and soak it in 3 milk mixture. Let it soak for 1 hour. Keep the cake in the refrigerator for that time.

 3) Cut out the sides of the aluminum plate and top with whipped cream and decorate with fresh cut Strawberries.Done!

Indulge into the rich, moist, milky, whipped creamy, strawberry goodness!!

" Nutritious and Delicious"- Watermelon and Strawberry Pops

Feeling Hot in Summer??? Want to cool off with a healthy treat???? I promise...you will love this one!!! I had invited 'G' and 'A' yesterday for dinner. I was thinking about dessert.Since 'G' loves 'healthier' foods...I thought about this Sweet...Juicy..Watermenoly....Berrilicious treat!! The sweet watermelon juice with the tart strawberries..is a wonderful combination and you will definitely go for one more without feeling guilty!!!

It is so simple to make...and you can make these with any Juicy fruits...like Peaches puree, Orange juice, Apple Juice, Kiwi Puree and add berries or other fruit pieces to it.....Freeze into Pops...DONE!!!
Kids love anything that is cold and on a stick!!! You won't feel guilty if they eat two of these at once!!

Ingredients:
2 cups watermelon pieces
1/2 cup sliced strawberries(you can add any berries)
1 tsp sugar(skip if the watermelon is sweet enough)
1/2tsp salt

Method:
1) Puree the watermelon in the blender along with salt and sugar.
2) In the Popsicle molds add the sliced strawberries.Try to press them on the sides of the mold...so that they look pretty.
3) Pour the watermelon juice in the mold
4) Insert Ice cream sticks/ mold inserts in the molds.
5) Freeze in the freezer for 4 hrs..ENJOY!1

"Sweet Treats"- Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

How pretty are they??? When you want to make something amazing.....that you can take to a party...or make for your own party...this one is the Winner!! Juicy Red Strawberries dipped in luscious chocolate.....they just win anyone over!!! Yes....it's pretty romantic too!! A good idea for a date night dessert too:)) Ohh....long gone are those days of date nights. 'M' and I hardly manage to eat our meals together...with 'E' and 'A' demanding our constant attention.Oh well....it's a prize of being a parent !

Ingredients:
10-14 Fresh juicy red Strawberries(large size)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate/ thin cookie icing for drizzle

Method:
1) Wash the strawberries and place on paper towel to dry. Dap them dry completely. Keep the strawberry leaves on.
2) Place small pot with water on the stove.(To make double boiler to melt the chocolate)
3) Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl  in microwave for 40 seconds. Stir.
4) Place the  bowl with chocolate chips on the pot of warm water. This will heat the chocolate mildly and keep it liquid for longer. Stir the chocolate till smooth. Do the same with white chocolate chips.
5) Dip the strawberry half way in the melted chocolate.Twist to remove excess chocolate.
6) Place the chocolate dipped strawberries on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper
7) Drizzle the melted white chocolate/ Cookie icing with a fork on the chocolate coated strawberries.
8) Place in the refrigerator for 30 mins for the chocolate to set.

 Bite into the strawberries....the chocolate cracks and melts in your mouth along with the Juicy Red Strawberries....DDDD licious!!!!