Cakes for a cuppa
A
cake is so much more than just a sweet treat. From chocolate and
vanilla to the moist and rich red velvet, cakes have the power to make
even the most self-restrained adults go weak in the knees.
Keeping this in mind, the Westin Hyderabad Mindspace has launched the 'Cakes and More' festival. With prices beginning at Rs 1,250, one can either pick a cake from the nine different flavours on offer or choose a flavour of your choice. The cake festival ends on May 26.
Meanwhile, dessert-lovers who can’t make it to the festival should not feel disheartened. We bring you three recipes for easy tea-time cakes from three bakers from around the city.
These cakes are a nice way to pep up your tea-time rituals and what more? They are an instant hit with everyone at home.
Apple Cinnamon Cake
-- Naina S., Naina’s Soulful Bakes.
Ingredients:
2 peeled apples (1 cored and chopped, 1 sliced)
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour (all purpose)
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 unsalted butter
3/4 sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method:
Pre-heat the oven at 170°C, and prepare a cake tin lined with butter. Sieve flour, salt and baking powder. In a bowl, mix together chopped apples, raisins, half of the cinnamon powder, and 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence and the eggs one at a time and whisk until all the eggs are incorporated well and the mixture becomes creamy. Fold in the flour mixture. Then fold in the apple and raisin mixture. Pour the batter into the cake tin. Arrange the slices of apple on the top of the batter, sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Bake for 45 minutes. This can be enjoyed at breakfast too.
Carrot Cake
-- Reema Vohra, Pink Cupcakes Hyderabad.
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour / maida
1 tsp ground cinnamon (compulsory)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil (odourless)
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
1.5 cups peeled, shredded carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. In a medium bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients like flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Using a stand mixer or whisk (manually), the eggs, sugar, oil and milk well. Add the flour mix to the liquid egg mixture and combine. Fold in the carrots and walnuts gently. Pour the cake batter into a greased and floured baking tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool, slice and serve with a hot cup of tea. You can also use a cheese frosting for the cake.
Banana Caramel Cake
-- Prerna Marda, PI Cookies and More.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for an hour
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups milk (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1½ cups mashed bananas (around 2 to 3 medium bananas)
½ cup walnuts (crushed)
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and grease two cake pans. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat one by one until silky and light. Do not over beat. Whisk the milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas in a separate measuring cup and add to the eggs and butter mixture, alternating with the flour. Beat until smooth. Finally, add the crushed walnuts and swirl. Pour batter into the prepared pans. (Fill only half the pan). Bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cake pans on a rack and run a thin knife along the sides of the pans before removing the cakes.
Keeping this in mind, the Westin Hyderabad Mindspace has launched the 'Cakes and More' festival. With prices beginning at Rs 1,250, one can either pick a cake from the nine different flavours on offer or choose a flavour of your choice. The cake festival ends on May 26.
Meanwhile, dessert-lovers who can’t make it to the festival should not feel disheartened. We bring you three recipes for easy tea-time cakes from three bakers from around the city.
These cakes are a nice way to pep up your tea-time rituals and what more? They are an instant hit with everyone at home.
Apple Cinnamon Cake
-- Naina S., Naina’s Soulful Bakes.
Ingredients:
2 peeled apples (1 cored and chopped, 1 sliced)
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour (all purpose)
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 unsalted butter
3/4 sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method:
Pre-heat the oven at 170°C, and prepare a cake tin lined with butter. Sieve flour, salt and baking powder. In a bowl, mix together chopped apples, raisins, half of the cinnamon powder, and 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence and the eggs one at a time and whisk until all the eggs are incorporated well and the mixture becomes creamy. Fold in the flour mixture. Then fold in the apple and raisin mixture. Pour the batter into the cake tin. Arrange the slices of apple on the top of the batter, sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Bake for 45 minutes. This can be enjoyed at breakfast too.
Carrot Cake
-- Reema Vohra, Pink Cupcakes Hyderabad.
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour / maida
1 tsp ground cinnamon (compulsory)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil (odourless)
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
1.5 cups peeled, shredded carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. In a medium bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients like flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Using a stand mixer or whisk (manually), the eggs, sugar, oil and milk well. Add the flour mix to the liquid egg mixture and combine. Fold in the carrots and walnuts gently. Pour the cake batter into a greased and floured baking tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool, slice and serve with a hot cup of tea. You can also use a cheese frosting for the cake.
Banana Caramel Cake
-- Prerna Marda, PI Cookies and More.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for an hour
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups milk (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1½ cups mashed bananas (around 2 to 3 medium bananas)
½ cup walnuts (crushed)
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and grease two cake pans. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat one by one until silky and light. Do not over beat. Whisk the milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas in a separate measuring cup and add to the eggs and butter mixture, alternating with the flour. Beat until smooth. Finally, add the crushed walnuts and swirl. Pour batter into the prepared pans. (Fill only half the pan). Bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cake pans on a rack and run a thin knife along the sides of the pans before removing the cakes.
