Mango Football Cake

This was a cake I made for my Husband on his Birthday.When i was browsing the cake decoration online found some baseball, basketball shaped cakes, So I got an idea to bake a football shaped cake since my hubby is a big fan of Football(US). There is lot of football theme cake pans acvailable in the market but I didnt wanted to buy them for 1 time use. So thought of baking a cake and cutting it to the desired shape, which was much more cost effective.

I had some mango pulp sitting in my refrigerator for quite a while which needed some immediate attention. So I remembered a friend (Chhaya) who had baked this vegan cake at her son's birthday party and I liked it a lot. So I gave it a try and it turned out wonderful. Since I was taking this Wilton cake decoration classes, wanted to do some experiment with my new creation. I was very happy that it turned out great and didn't disappoint me.

I baked the cake in a loaf pan and cut it into football shape with a knife, then used brown color icing to make stars(using Tip 16) all over and with white color(since i made my icing with butter flavor shortening, it is cream in color) icing to make lines(using Tip 3). Since it was a small cake it did not take much time to make stars all over but if its a big cake u can use the 3 star tip available, which makes icing the cake faster.

To make the Mango Cake:(I used half the proportion, since it was a small cake)

Ingredients:

2 cups All purpose flour
2 tsp corn starch
2½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup margarine/canola oil
1 cup of sugar
¾ cup of mango puree
1 ½ cup milk

Method:

Preheat the oven for 350* F.Mix all the dry and wet ingredients together with a hand mixer and pour it into the greased tray/loaf pan. Bake for 30-40 mins . Cool it completely for about 30-40 mins and then cut it into desired shape.

Carrot-cinnamon-nut Bread "Happy Thanksgiving"

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Its the holiday season and I am coming across so many new recipes to enjoy this season. So I was in hunt for new kind of bread for our afternoon snack. I found this recipe in Betty Crocker "Fall Baking" book.I liked it as it was simple and wanted to try out something new instead of the banana bread which i usually bake. The main recipe was with ginger instead of cinnamon, my family is not a big fan of ginger especially when its a bite size so I substituted it. It was good but since i made it vegan it felt a little dry and needed some more moisture in it. So I guess we can add a 1/4 cup of water/orange juice to it. I even used wheat flour instead of All purpose flour, so it made the bread a little bitter. I recently came to know that if orange juice is used when baking with wheat flour reduces the bitter flavour, so i shall try it next time. But over all it was good and new way to enjoy Thanks giving.

Ingredients:

2 eggs(i used 1/2 cup applesauce)
1.5 cup brown sugar
1/3cup Oil
1/2cup Milk
1tsp vanilla extract
2cups All-purpose flour(I used wheat flour)
2tsp Baking powder
1tsp ground ginger(i used cinnamon)
1/2tsp salt
1cup shredded carrots(about 2 medium sized)
1/2cup chopped nuts

Method:

Heat the oven to 350*F and grease a loaf pan and keep aside. In a food processor add applesauce, brown sugar until creamy. Now add oil,milk, vanilla essence. Now add Flour,baking powder, cinnamon, salt.Stir in carrots and nuts and pour it into greased loaf pan.Bake for 60 minutes. cool completely for 2 hours and then cut them into slices and enjoy them with butter.

Cup Cakes

In our 3rd class of Wilton Decoration we had a choice of either a 8inch cake or 6-8 cup cakes. I choose to take cup cakes to the class. 3rd class is a relaxing class as we don't learn much in this except few simple decorations like a bear, faces, apple, heart, grapes,swirl flowers. They r very simple but when did on cake looks very decorative and hard. Among all these i loved making clowns which was the simplest and fastest. I felt clown on a cup cake was too big, it looks better on a cake. Since it was just a practice class it was fine, but will try out sometime soon on a cake.

Rainbow Cake

Its been quite a long time that I posted something on my blog that's b'coz I was busy taking a cake Decoration Class. The class demands a little attention as you need to bake a cake and prepare the icing from home. With out regular cooking, house hold work this was an addition, so I couldn't make time for blogging but was trying to check all my friends blog regularly.

Its a great class to take up, if any one interested in cake decoration should definitely try one course. Its usually offered in Hobby lobby, Michael's and Joann stores. This course is of 4 classes and the Course I teaches basics like baking the cake, making the Butter cream icing and using the tips. I enjoyed the class as I got to learn some new things and got to explore with Icing. I have registered for Course II as well which starts in Dec, so till my next course I shall show my cakes in my blog. So expect the next few blogs just on cake decoration.

I shall not go in depth with the course but show u the cake i decorated. I made a store bought cake mix as I had lot of things to do so I didn't wanted to make a cake from scratch. As it was my first cake its not a perfect one but was happy that I could do it so well on my first cake.My confidence level was boosted for sure.

Instant Mango Pickle (Bisi Uppinakai)

This is a simple and instant way of preparing pickles.It doesn't last for months but holds good for couple of weeks, if refrigerated well.

Ingredients:

3-4 Small Mangoes or 1 Big
11/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1tsp Mustard and Fenugreek seeds
salt to taste

For Tempering
2tsp Oil
1tsp Mustard
Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing

Method:

Wash and cut the mango to small cubes with the skin discarding the seed. Now make the tempering in a pan with oil and mustard seeds and hing, switch off the flame and add cut mango pieces, Chilli powder and Mustard-Methi Powder. Mix well. Allow it to cool in the pan so mangoes become soft and the dry powders are well blended. Mango pickle is ready to serve.

Note:If u want extra tempering u can add it in the end but don't boil the pickle after u put all the masala's as Mangoes will become very soft and mushy. While serving every time keep in mind the spoon is not wet otherwise the pickle gets spoiled.

Pav Bhaji

A good friend of mine wanted Pav Bhaji recipe from me, so here you go Darshana, hope u like my version.

Ingredients:

1pack Pav/Dinner Rolls(I usually buy Sara Lee brand)
1tbsp Butter
2/3 Lemon slices

For Bhaji
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1cup Mixed Vegetables (Cauliflower,peas,Carrot,Beans, capsicum/bell peppers, tomato, potato)
1/2cup Finely chopped Red Onions
1-2tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Method:

Pressure cook the vegetables for 1 whistle.In a pan add 1 tsp butter/oil and add 1/2 the onions and saute it well,now add Pav bhaji masala and saute for few more seconds till the oil separates. Add the cooked vegetables(Mash it well before adding) and salt and mix well and let it boil once, add a little water if required(let the bhaji bee a little on a thicker consistency).

Toast the pav/dinner rolls by cutting it into half, with a little butter and keep it on a serving plate with bhaji on one side and a little chopped onions on the top with butter and cilantro.Serve hot.

[Note: You can add any vegetable of your taste with potato as standard ,it makes the bhaji thick]

Badam Burfi

Happy Deepavali to all the blogger out there.
Ingredients:
1cup Almonds
1cup Sugar
1tsp Ghee
1/4cup or less Milk

Method:

Soak the Almonds for 30 minutes in warm water and peel the skin.Now blend it with sugar and milk. Now put a spoon of ghee in a nonstick pan and keep it on Medium heat and pour the mixture and keep stirring for about 20 mins or so. Till all the paste leaves the edges and forms like a ball. Now grease a plate with a little ghee and pour the mixture and cool completely and cut it to desired shape.

Note: To know when its ready to pour it on a plate is the burfi starts to get dry.