Orange cup cake with Orange cream frosting

 

Last week my niece was in town so, decided to make these orange cupcakes. Instead of baking a “typical” cup cake, thought of enhancing the cake by adding orange flavor to the cake as well to its frosting. 

The Orange cup cake turned out pretty good in terms of taste, soft and moist texture with mild flavor. This cake can be extended as a full size cake with fully coated frosting and topped with loads of orange pulp (juice vesicles) as an Orange fruit cake. 

Ingredients for the cake    –      1 cup of all purpose flour and remove 2 tbsp of flour   ;  2 tbsp of corn flour      ;    1 egg     ;    1/2 cup of sugar    ;      1/8 cup of milk     ;   ½ tsp of baking powder     ;       1/4 cup of orange juice & zest of orange    ;     60 gms of butter melted      ;      salt a pinch 

Ingredients for the Frosting     –     1 cup of heavy cream       ;       1 tsp of icing sugar          ;     orange zest     ;    ¼ cup of orange juice      ;    ½ tbsp of corn syrup   ;     ½ tsp of gelatin powder 

Procedure for Cupcakes: whisk together flour, corn flour, salt and baking powder set aside.   Mix milk, orange juice and melted butter keep aside.

In a medium bowl, beat egg and sugar till the sugar completely dissolve. Add flour mixture to the egg-sugar mixture and continue to beat. Keep adding the Milk-juice-butter mixture little by little and beat well until all combine to get a batter consistency.

Scope the batter into muffin tray (prepared with paper liners) Bake for 15-20 minutes in the 180 °c Preheat oven. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

For frosting, in a small bowl mix gelatin powder and water, keep aside. In saucepan heat the orange juice, corn syrup. Add the gelatin mixture into it and mix well. Continue on the low flame, until it become thick. Remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool.

Beat the heavy cream with icing sugar and orange zest until it forms soft peak. Add gelatin-juice mixture and continue to beat again till it become light and fluffy.

Using the piping bag frost the cupcake. (Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before piping the frosting)  

Rabri Ice Cream

Rabri (राबड़ी) or rabadi is a North Indian dessert, made with rich (milk) cream and nuts. This is the third “cool” recipe of this summer, to beat the heat. (Previous were Walnut Caramel Ice Cream and Dates Choco Bar)

Rabri can be presented as Popsicle, in the cone, cookie cup, etc. 

Ingredient’s :    1 ½ cup of cream     ;     1 ½ cup of whole milk      ;      ½ cup of heavy cream     ;   1/2 tsp of cardamom powder        ;       1/8 cup of chopped nuts (pistachios  & Almonds)  ;    1/8 cup of sugar     ;      ½ cup of heavy cream 

Boil the whole milk and cream in a wide & thick bottom pan. Reduce flame to medium to low and allow the milk to reduce, 1/3 of its original quantity.  {Thick milk layer (Milk skin or lactoderm) forms over the top, using the spatula give a gentle whisk and continue to simmer}.

Meanwhile, soak almonds and pistachios in hot water for about 10 – 15 minutes and then remove their skins and chop finely. 

Just before removing the milk pan from heat, Add sugar, cardamom powder, chopped nuts and stir well. Allow the milk to cool to room temperature 

In meantime, beat the heavy cream (using hand mixture) till it forms soft peaks consistency and keep it the fridge.

Once, the rabri come to room temperature, add the whipped heavy cream into it and fold well. Either pour into ice cream mold or Keep it in the freezer bowl and keep it in the fridge for 4 – 6 hour.

Walnut Caramel Ice Cream

Most of the so called ice cream manufactures are selling Frozen Dessert under the Ice cream label. Yes, it’s a Chilling Truth!  

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, (even FDA also claims almost the same definition) the definition of an ice cream means that the product is obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix, prepared from milk and /or other products derived from milk with or without the addition of nutritive sweetening agents, fruit and fruit products, eggs, etc. 

You name any brand, and read the ingredients label. You will find these chemicals in it for sure.      // Water, sugar, milk solids, edible vegetable oil, liquid glucose, vegetable protein, emulsifier - 471, stabilizers - 410, 412, 407 Acidity regulator - 330. Contains permitted synthetic food colors and added flavors. Nature identical and artificial milk and strawberry flavoring substances//

Why they need to use so much of so called edible chemicals? Just to keep the price low and for creamy texture.  One liter of heavy or whipped cream and two litters of “ice cream” are priced almost at the same price. How is that possible?  Two litters of  frozen dessert (labeled as “ice cream”) contains a less than 100 ml of heavy or whipped cream as milk solids rest is vegetable oil and edible chemicals.

Here, I am posting a REAL Ice Cream as per the standards. Since, we are not using any edible chemicals and stabilizers; it cannot be served or consumed directly from freezer. It needs to be kept out (at room temperature) for about ten minutes before you serve to get the same creamy texture of Frozen Dessert.

Ingredient  :   1 ½  cup of heavy cream      ;      1 /2 cup of full fat milk      ;     1/2 cup of dark brown sugar       ;        60 gms of butter       ;    2 tbsp of cream    ;     a pinch of salt     ;     1/2 cup of  chopped walnut        ;      1 tsp of vanilla essence  

First let’s caramelize the brown sugar.  Heat the brown sugar and butter in a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring with a spoon once sugar starts to dissolve, Add 2 tbsp of cream and stir further until the sugar completely dissolved. (if require add few tbsp of cream) Remove the pan from the heat and add chopped walnuts, salt and vanilla Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt and vanilla. Cool the caramel mixture in to room temperature.

In a separate bowl the boil the cream and milk and pour it into caramel mixture and whisk to combine. Transfer it to frozen canister and spin until it become thick and creamy consistency. (You may use hand mixer as well) 

Transfer the frozen canister (with closed lid) into the freezer.

Chocolate roll cake

Last Mothers day, my mother was here with me. But, this year she is in Chennai, so I want to treat her, visually with this rich and lavish cake as mother’s day special. (Needless to mention, she is also sweet toothed like me) 

This is my very first attempt to make a rolled cake & chocolate rose with nail piping. The rose piped, separately by using Ateco 127 rose tip and placed on the cake. (It’s not that bad, isn’t ?)  

Ingredient for Chocolate cake  :     3 eggs       ;        ½ cup of sugar      ;      1/2 cup of all purpose flour        ;       ¼ cup of coco powder        ;           1 tbsp of hot water

Ingredient for Whipped Cream Filling:      ½ cup of heavy cream       ;     2 tsp of icing sugar        ;        1/2 tsp of vanilla essence

Ingredient for Chocolate Ganache  :     150 gms of dark chocolate        ;          100ml heavy cream

Ingredient for chocolate leaves and procedure from here  

Ingredient for chocolate rose, as same as Chocolate Ganache (as above) and procedure from here

In a bowl mix all purpose flour with coco powder keep aside. Add the eggs and sugar large bowl and beat (using electric hand mixer) till it became pale in color. Gradually add the flour into the egg mixture and beat well to get right consistence of the batter. If required add hot water mix.

Transfer the batter into greased shallow baking pan and spread the batter evenly and bake in 180° pre heated oven for about 15 – 20 minutes or until it done.

Remove the pan from the oven and loosen edges with a sharp knife. Sift the icing sugar over the top of cake layer and cover the top with towel and let stand for about 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto the towel and gently roll the cake up in the towel while it’s still hot (Don’t worry about the layer breaks) it should hold together when rolled.) Leave it for about 30 - 40 min

Meanwhile, let’s prepare the Whipped Cream Filling. Beat the heavy cream with vanilla essence & icing sugar until it becomes soft peaks consistency.

Unroll the cake and spread the cream all over and leaving about one inch border all around the edges. Roll the cake again and keep it in the fridge for 30 min.

Meanwhile, let’s prepare the chocolate Ganache. Microwaving the chocolate and cream until it melt and combine. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

Finally, remove the cake from the fridge and pour the ganache on the cake and keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, using offset spatula shape it to create the wooden log effect. Transfer to the fridge again and serve chill.

I dedicate this cake dessert to all, those who are celebrating their motherhood.

Dates Choco Bar

Scorching summer! Morning temperature itself is about 40°C. Ice creams are the most preferred choice of dessert in the summer. It’s the only way to beat the heat. This rich creamy Dates Choco bar will not disappoint your taste buds.

Ingredient’s   :   10 to 12 Dates       ;        2 cup of heavy cream        ;         150 gms of chocolate (60 % coco)      ;       1 tbsp of coconut oil

Procedure : Remove the seeds from dates and soak it in the water for 2 hours and then grind the dates  in to fine paste. On the thick bottom bowl, heat the heavy cream. Add the dates paste into the cream and stir well. Once, the cream date’s mixture started boiling remove from the heat and allows it to cool.  

Once the mixture it cooled to room temperature, pour it in an ice cream molds and keep it in the freezer for 5 to 6 hours.

Melt the chocolate in double boiler or in microwave then add coconut oil and mix well and then pour it in the wide mouthed mason jar. So that, it will be easy to dip the ice cream Popsicle into the melted chocolate. 

Once, the melted chocolate cooled just above to room temperature, Un-mold the ice cream Popsicle from the mold and dips it in the melted chocolate in one fast motion. Lay the Popsicle on parchment paper. The chocolate will harden almost immediately. Transfer the choco bars into freeze for an hour.