Red Velvet Cake

September 15, 2017

Red Velvet Cake #

A classic, rich and vibrant cake layered with smooth cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients #

Cake:

• Plain flour – 250g (sifted)
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
• Unsalted butter – 113g (room temperature)
• Granulated white sugar – 300g
• Eggs – 2 large
• Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
• Buttermilk – 240 ml (1 cup)
• Red food colouring (liquid) – 2 tbsp
• White distilled vinegar – 1 tsp
• Baking soda – 1 tsp

Cream Cheese Frosting:
(Use 2/3 or ½ quantity for a lighter frosting layer)

Butterscotch Cake

May 20, 2017

Butterscotch Cake #

A rich, flavour-packed cake with layers of caramel icing and creamy frosting, topped with pecans.

Ingredients #

Cake #

• Light brown sugar – 2 cups (about 240g)
• Butter – 200g
• Vanilla – 1 teaspoon
• Eggs (medium size) – 2
• Plain flour – 2 cups (about 300g)
• Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
• Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Buttermilk – 1 cup
  (To make buttermilk: add 1 spoon white vinegar to warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes to curdle)

Caramel Icing #

• Light brown sugar – 1½ cups (about 220g)
• Plain flour – 1 tablespoon
• Salted butter – 60g (divided in 2 parts)
• Milk – ¼ cup
• Vanilla – 1 teaspoon

Frosting #

• Unsalted butter – 300g
• Dark brown sugar – 2 cups (about 270g)
• Heavy cream – 1 cup
• Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Cream cheese – 300g
• Icing sugar – 2 cups (about 200g)

Garnish #

• Pecans (crushed) – 2 cups

Method #

Cake #

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake tins.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
3. Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time, beating gently until incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately into the batter, starting and ending with flour.
6. Pour the batter evenly into prepared tins and bake for 25–30 minutes.
7. Cool the cakes completely before icing.

Caramel Icing #

1. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients along with 30g of the butter.
2. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat, add the remaining 30g butter and stir until melted.
4. Let the mixture cool, stirring occasionally, until it thickens but is still spreadable.
5. Spread a thin layer over the cooled cake. Allow to set completely before adding frosting.

Frosting #

1. Beat butter and dark brown sugar until creamy.
2. Add cream cheese, icing sugar, and salt. Beat until thickened.
3. Add heavy cream and whip until fluffy and spreadable.
4. Frost the cake generously.
5. Pipe additional frosting as desired.
6. Press chopped pecans onto the sides and garnish the top with pecan halves.

Home | Cake

Kashmiri Czot

October 16, 2020

Also called Kasher Czot, Kashmiri Czot, or Kandur Czot, this humble bread is a quiet pillar of Kashmiri life.

A Kashmiri’s day is incomplete without czot — the warm, lightly chewy flatbread that graces every breakfast table, often with a simple spread of butter or jam. This medium-sized everyday bread is crafted by the kandur, the local baker, who prepares it fresh each morning in a tandoor (hot clay oven). With swift skill, he presses finger impressions into each round of dough before gently placing it against the inner walls of the glowing oven.

Sheermal

September 23, 2020

Sheermal is a fragrant, slightly sweet saffron milk bread — rich, golden, and soft — traditionally enjoyed with a cup of kehwa or served alongside kebabs. Infused with kewra and saffron, it’s a royal treat from Mughal kitchens to Kashmiri bakeries.

Ingredients #

• Plain flour – 500 g
• Salt – 10 g
• Butter – 65 g
• Caster sugar – 25 g
• Milk powder – 50 g
• Egg – 1
• Cream – 20 g
• Kewra water – 20 g
• Milk – 220 ml
• Saffron – a few strands soaked in 2 tbsp lukewarm water
• Yeast – 1 tsp

Method #

Use the Panasonic bread maker on Setting 22 to knead and rise the dough.
Shape and roll the dough to about 1 cm thickness.
Brush with milk or cream and bake until golden.
Enjoy warm with tea or as a festive side.

Cherry and Almond Cake

November 11, 2018

Cherry and Almond Cake is one of my all-time favourites — a dependable classic that never disappoints. It’s soft and moist on the inside, with a thin golden crust and a beautiful balance of sweet cherries and nutty almond flavour. Always a hit with family and friends!

Ingredients #

• Butter, softened – 175g (or 200g for extra richness)
• Golden caster sugar – 175g (or 200g if preferred sweeter)
• Eggs – 4
• Almond extract – ½ tsp
• Self-raising flour – 175g
• Baking powder – ½ tsp
• Ground almonds – 125g
• Milk – 100ml
• Glacé cherries – 300g
• Flaked almonds – 2 tbsp

Recipe #

1. Preheat oven to 140°C fan (160°C conventional).
2. Line the base of a 20cm deep round cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides with butter.
3. Rinse the glacé cherries thoroughly, pat dry, halve them, and toss them in a little flour to prevent sinking.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
5. Add almond extract.
6. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.
7. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and ground almonds.
8. Add half of the cherries to the batter at this stage (optional), and stir in the milk to loosen the mixture.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
10. Arrange the remaining cherries on top, then scatter over the flaked almonds.
11. Bake for 45 minutes, checking after 30–35 minutes. If needed, bake an additional 5–10 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
12. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with tea or coffee — or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream!