Really Dark Chocolate Cake

I am a dark chocolate fan. I was craving for a good dark chocolate cake for too long. I finally thought what the heck I am gonna make one. I was browsing for recipes when I came across one at Hershey's site. You can refer the original recipe here. I replaced the eggs with curdled milk and made it. Well let me tell you it was rich, dark and amazing. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For the cake:

·         2 cups sugar

·         1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

·         3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa

·         1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         2 eggs – for eggless replace with 1 cup milk with a few drops of vinegar

·         1 cup milk

·         1/2 cup vegetable oil

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 175°C or 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.  Note:  the temperature and the heat varies with the type of oven. You should know your oven. If using a regular oven, preheat both top and bottom elements. For a microwave convection oven, just preheat the oven.
• Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans or fill cups about 2/3 full with batter.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes 12 servings
• For the frosting: melt butter, Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. This makes about 2 cups frosting which is enough for the cake.
• Spread the frosting evenly on one cake.
• Carefully place the second cake on top and then spread the frosting again. 

NOTE:  The baking time varies depending on the temperature in your oven and the size of your pan. Also note that the temperature varies from oven to oven. So you should know your oven properly and the cake is cooked when the tooth pick comes out clean. You should not open the oven repeatedly to check the cake as that may not result in a good cake. 

PS: the pics turned out to be hazy so could uplaod only one. 

Rawa Dhokla or Idra

This is one of my favourite dishes for breakfast or snack. Its quick and easy to make. Moreover , it healthy as it has very little oil. This recipe is the courtesy of my room mate who is from Gujrat.  It can be cooked easily and with minimal ingedients.

Preparation time : 20 mins 

Cooking time: 15 mins.

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For the dhokla: 

• 1½ cup  rawa or semolina or sooji. 

• 1 cup curd 

• 1½ cup water

• 1½ tsp fruit salt or eno

• salt to taste

For the tempering: 

• 1 tbsp oil 

• 1 tsp black mustard seeds or rai

• 1 medium sized green chilli - finely chopped

• Finely chopped coriander for garnishing.

• ½ tbsp lemon juice

• ½ tsp sugar

• 6-7 curry leaves. 

Instructions: 

• Mix the rawa, curd and water and set aside for 20  mins. 
• Mix the fruit salt and salt nicely. 
• Pour a ladleful of batter immediately into a greased 175 mm. (7") diameter thali and shake the thali clockwise to spread it to make an even layer.
• Sprinkle a pinch of black pepper powder evenly over it and steam for 7 to 8 minutes or till the dhoklas are cooked.
• While the dhoklas are steaming, prepare the tadka. Heat the oil. 
• Add the mustard seeds. Once the seed start to pop, add the curry leaves and the green chilli. 
• One cooked add two tbsp of water, sugar and lemon juice. Let the water reduce. 
• Add coriander to this. 
• Once the dhoklas are steamed spread the tadka mix evenly on top. 
• Slice the dhoklas and serve hot with mint or coriander chutney

Banana Walnut Cake - Egg less

Well this is my first post on my blog!!!! I have been asked by my friends to do so for a long time now... I finally decided to give it a try... 

Since it’s my first post I thought of sharing a sweet dish, a banana walnut cake. For all those health conscious people, this is a whole wheat and egg less recipe. You should know that Bananas are versatile and are used for so many desserts be it Indian or any other country. But if you are already higher on calories then you should avoid or consume less of bananas.

The cake goes well with tea or coffee. Its light, soft and moist cake made without eggs.

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 2½ cup banana puree - can be made from four medium to large ripe bananas. I prefer over ripe bananas. 
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour/atta
• ½ cup organic sugar or regular sugar or brown sugar. 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
• ⅔ cup any neutral flavored oil/ butter/ nutralite - i used nutralite. 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 10 halved walnuts. You can use or any dry fruits of your choice but walnuts and bananas are a great combination(optional)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven at 180 degrees C/350 degrees F.                                          Note:  the temperature and the heat varies with the type of oven. You should know your oven. If using a regular oven, preheat both top and bottom elements. For a microwave convection oven, just preheat the oven.
• Blend banana pieces into a puree and add sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Mix them properly till the sugar dissolves.
• In another vessel sieve whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder.
• Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in 3 batches and fold them very well. 
• Next add the nuts and fold once. 
• Grease a loaf pan (7 inches * 4 inches) or any other cake pan - i used of 7-8 inches in size.  I also use butter paper with butter. The cake comes of easily
• Pour the mixture into the pan and make sure it fills only ⅔ of the capacity
• Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees for 40 -45 mins or till tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean. 
• The cake tastes best when served cold with tea or coffee. 

NOTE:  The baking time varies depending on the temperature in your oven and the size of your pan. Also note that the temperature varies from oven to oven. So you should know your oven properly and the cake is cooked when the tooth pick comes out clean. You should not open the oven repeatedly to check the cake as that may not result in a good cake.