Strawberry Shortcake Cake

A very light lovely cake - made with fresh strawberries

For the Cake

1-1/2 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs at room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
fresh strawberries, halved, mixed with powdered sugar

For the Filling
2 cups cold heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 C

Lightly grease an 8 inch springform cake pan 

In a mixing bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder and salt until combined.

In a small saucepan heat milk and butter; bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and lemon juice.

In your mixer's bowl, combine eggs and sugar; beat until pale yellow, fluffy, and doubled in size.

With the mixer on, slowly pour in the milk mixture; mix until well incorporated.

Turn off mixer and gently fold in the flour mixture.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Remove from oven and set pan on a cooling rack.

Remove Cake from tin and cool completely

In the meantime, prepare the frosting.

In a mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.

When cake is completely cooled, cut into 3 layers. 

Spread half of the whipped frosting over 1 of the cake layers.

Sprinkle some of the strawberries on top.

Repeat with second layer

Top with the last cake layer.

Spread the rest of the whipped frosting over the cake.

Top with fresh strawberries.  Brush with some melted strawberry jam

Chill cake for 1 hour.

Serve.

Boston Cream Pie

A Pie which is not a pie but a cake.  A total misnomer but a delicious light cake.  Its actually a sponge cake filled with vanilla cream and then covered with a chocolate ganache. 

Recipe

Sponge cake

• 100 gms flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 120 gms sugar
• 4 eggs - separated
• vanilla extract

1. Sift the flour and baking powder and keep aside.
2. Grind the sugar to make powdered sugar.  Sift to ensure there are no lumps
3. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in the castor sugar, till you achieve stiff glossy peaks.
4. Add in the egg yolks and extract, beating well.
5. Fold in the flour, in three lots, taking care not to deflate the mixture.
6. Pour into a lined, dusted 9" dish and bake for 30 mins at 170 C or till skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.
7. Turn onto a wire rack and leave till cool

Pastry Cream

• 3 egg yolks
• 50 gms sugar
• 300 ml milk
• 20 gms cornflour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar till light and creamy
2. Add in the flour and stir to make a paste.
3. Bring the milk just to boil.
4. Pour milk into the egg, sugar, flour mix, whisking all the while to ensure egg does not curdle.
5. Put this mix back on the heat and cook on low till it becomes thick and coat the back of a spoon.
6. Remove and cool.  Add extract once it comes to room temperature.
7. Cover and keep in the refrigerator to cool.

Chocolate Ganache

• 100 gms chopped chocolate
• 100 gms cream
• 1 tbsp butter

1. Heat butter and cream together till warm and butter melts.
2. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir to mix all.
3. Keep to cool to room temperature.

Assembling.

1. Split the cooled cake into three layers.
2. Place the top layer on the bottom and spoon the center with some of the pastry cream
3. Cover with 2nd layer and repeat.
4. Cover with the 3rd layer and pour ganache on the top.  I just let it drip down the sides.

Since this is a sponge cake and is not soaked in any liquid, its best eaten fresh the same day.

Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake

Do you like Cheesecake ???  And do you like Nutella ?? If yes then this is an absolute gem of a dessert as it combines both.

What I liked about it was that it came together in a real short time with not much effort as its a no bake cheesecake and super easy.  

I should probably mention there’s lots of rum involved too.  

So forget the diet and grab a spoon!

This is a great cheesecake I want to make a fabulous quick dessert and don’t have time or energy for springform pans, water baths, ovens, etc.  You know what I mean?  

Layer your dish with cookie crumbs mixed with melted butter.  I used Digestive biscuits but you could use chocolate also.  If you use a flat dish you could just layer the base with oreo cookies.

For the Nutella Ganache, 

Using a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup [100 gms] cream [I used Amul] up to a boil and remove from heat.  Pour over 150 gms chopped chocolate and whisk till smooth. Stir in about 5 generous tablespoons of Nutella. 

Spoon 2 Tbsp. ganache in each parfait glass and refrigerate to set.

For the Cheesecake layer,  using a hand blender,  beat 200 gms cream cheese [I used Kwark from Flanders but Amul plain cheese spread works fine] and about 1/4 cup or 30 gms of  powdered sugar on medium speed till smooth. 

Add 170 gms of Nutella and continue mixing.

Stir in 200 gms mascarpone and mix till combined.

Mix in 1/4 cup of dark rum

Separately whip 1 cup cream [I used Riches], vanilla extract and 1/4 cup powdered sugar till stiff.

Gently fold into the cheesecake till everything is combined.

Fill parfait glasses with cheesecake filling and leave for 1/2 an hour to set.

Garnish with flaked Almonds

Banoffee Pie

This one was made quite some time back and I never got around to posting the recipe or pic. This is a simplified version of the original Banoffee Pie.

The term Banoffee is derived from a combination of Banana and Toffee and is an old English Dessert. The base is normally a shortbread pastry crust. a filling of Dulce de Leche which is a caramalised condensed milk, covered with Sliced Banana and then topped with whipped cream. The Dulce de Leche can be made at home by cooking a can of condensed milk this thick and golden

My version is quicker and easier. Also I like to make small portions as everyone at my home wants a new dessert daily hence this was made in individual pie dishes.

I like to use caramel sauce instead of the Dulce de Leche as its faster to make.  Also I can them make a big batch and keep away to use with brownies, apple pies etc.

The recipe below serves 8 - 10 people so can be scaled down.  

Ingredients

250g digestive biscuits, crushed100g butter, melted
1 cup Dulce de Leche or 1 cup caramel sauce
4 small bananas
300 ml whipping cream, whipped


Method

Crush the biscuits in a ziplock bag and tip them into a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix well till it clumps. Line an 8" pie dish with the crumbs going up the sides also. Keep in the freezer to set

To make the Dulce De Leche

Empty the condensed milk into an oven-proof dish and tightly cover it with foil.

Make a water bath by placing the covered dish in a larger pan and filling it up with water to the 3/4 level. Bake at 220 C for 1-1.5 hours checking every 30 minutes on the water level and adding more as needed.

Dulce de leche is ready when the condensed milk it takes on a brown caramel-like appearance. Remove from the oven and whisk to smoothness. Let cool before storing.

To make the Caramel Sauce

60 gms sugar
20 ml water
30 gms water
35 gms cream

Place water and sugar in a heavy bottom pan and stir with a spatula over low heat till sugar dissolves

Add butter and stir to combine till butter has melted.

Let mix come to a boil and cook till a golden caramel colour

Remove from heat and add in cream. Mix will foam over. Using a whisk combine well

Return to low heat and cook for 10-15 min till creamy consistancy reached.

Assembling

• Spread the top of the frozen biscuit base with caramel or Dulce de Leche. 
• Then layer with sliced bananas
• Spoon the whipped cream on top covering the bananas.
• Decorate with grated chocolate or a slice of banana just before serving.

Oreo Cookie Mini Cheese Cake

I seem to have spent quite some time on the internet chatting with new found friends at CAL.  The inspiration to go into the kitchen again comes from all that talk of food and the inspiration for making mini cheesecakes came from the wonderful Norpro Mini Cheesecake Pan I saw and have to buy

Very soon Monish is going to throw me out of office as I dont seem to work - Hate to confess I am waiting for him to do that :)

My kids love Oreo and cheesecakes - so it had be a combination of both.

This can be made in a regular 9" springform pan also.

Ingredients

CRUST
10 oreo cookies
5 tablespoon butter(melted)

CHEESECAKE
2 cups heavy cream - I use Rich's
200 gms cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

5 Oreo Cookies, crushed

Directions:

BASE
Separate the cookies, remove the vanilla filling, and crush to a rough powder

Add melted butter and blend until combined.  Press into pan. Set aside.

FILLING  
Beat heavy cream until medium peaks form. Set aside.

Add Oreo cookie vanilla filling, cream cheese, sugar, salt, &, lemon juice to a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth (approximately 3-5 mins). 

Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and mix until incorporated.

Gently fold in crushed Oreo cookies.

Pour over the base and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set or overnight for best results.

Remove from refrigerator and smooth top to level with edges. Serve garnished with halved Oreos.

Rum and Raisin Cheesecake

What you need

1 1/2 cups chocolate biscuit crumbs

100g butter, melted

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup dark rum

500 gm Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup rum

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

300g sour cream

1/4 cup caster sugar

4 tbsp gelatin + 1/4 cup water

100 gms melted chocolate

To make it

COMBINE biscuit crumbs and butter then press into a greased 8" springform pan; chill.

Soak the raisins in the dark rum and keep aside.

BEAT the cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer until smooth. Add rum and vanilla beat until smooth. Mix in sour cream until well combined. 

Soak the gelatin in water and heat on low to melt. Mix into the cheese cream mixture.

Drain raisins and fold into mixture.

Separate the mix into 2 parts. Mix in the melted chocolate in one part, keeping the other white.

Pour the white mix over the biscuit base and keep to set for 10 min. Once slightly firm pour the choc mix over the white base.

Keep to set for at least 6 hours before serving.

Decorate as desired

MERINGUES

One of the toughest things to find in Gurgaon or Delhi – meringues or meringue shells.  Fortunately one of the easier things to make if you have the time and inclination.  Made well, they are light and airy and only need a couple of ingredients to make them - something that can be found in most homes.  

The following recipe quantity is a reduced down version and is fairly simple. 

Serves – 8

Time – 30 mins + baking time

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 55 gms castor sugar
• 55 gms icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 110c.  Line a baking tray with butter paper
2. Separate the eggs when cold and bring the egg whites to room temp.  This is very necessary for beating the eggs to the required volume.  Using an electric beat, beat the eggs till they are fluffy and resemble a cloudy mass and should hold a stiff peak when the beater is lifted.
3. Gradually add in castor sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating well for 3-4 minutes between each addition.  When all the castor sugar is incorporated the mixture should be nice, thick and glossy.
4. Sift one third of the icing sugar over the mixture and fold in with a spoon.  Continue to sift in the balance till all is incorporated.  DO NOT OVERMIX.
5. Using a wet spoon, scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture and drop it on the baking sheet in rough rounds.  Or, place meringue mixture in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe meringue onto parchment paper to form eight 3-in. cups
6. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until the meringues are crisp.
7. Leave to cool on a cooling rack
8. Serve sandwiched with sweetened whipped cream or crumbled over ice cream