Orange Caraway seeds Bundt Cake

One of the first baking books I ever got for myself was,Thankam Philip's Book of Baking.It is a small 100 page book,published sometime in 1994,full of simple recipes for cakes,cookies and cupcakes.Most of the recipes call for basic items in your pantry and gets done quick,without any complicated steps.Even without a single picture in it,it remains one of my favorite books ever!

I was very excited when a dear friend gave me two photocopied books,which were published in 1979!Australian Family Circle-Favourite Cake recipes and Cakes and Cake decorating by Rosemary Wadey.After trying a few recipes from the books,I should say the books are a real treasure.Do you have such favourite books too..I'd love to know!

I'm a little apprehensive when the recipe calls for dividing the eggs first and folding the whites slowly etc.Somehow,I always feel I might mess up and spoil the final product.But let me tell you,it is that method which gives this cake a light and airy texture with a great crumb as well.Adding Caraway seeds was something new to me,I've never tasted any cakes with caraway seeds.A bite of the cake,however reminded me of those light sponge cakes we used to relish during childhood,the ones bought off the shelf from our nearby bakery.

I have to warn you though about the batter.Follow the steps carefully and do not panic if you feel the batter looks firm,almost like a cookie dough.It will lighten up once you fold in the egg whites and rise up beautifully once it bakes.I poured some ganache glaze on top because we love the orange-chocolate pairing and it goes so well together.You can skip the glaze or add a simple icing sugar+orange juice glaze.

Orange Caraway seeds Bundt Cake

Ingredients

Unsalted butter – 1/2 cup / 100 gms
Light brown sugar – 2 1/2 tablespoons
Granulated white sugar – 6 tablespoons
Eggs – 2, separated
Grated rind of one medium sized orange
Orange juice – 3 tablespoons
All-purpose flour – 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder – 1 1/2 teaspoons
Caraway seeds – 1 teaspoon

For glaze

Icing sugar – 1/2 cup
Orange juice – 1 tablespoon

OR

Chocolate ganache - 1/2 cup
 
Method

Pre-heat oven to 175 degree C. Butter and flour an 8 inch bundt pan if you have one, else line an 8 inch round or square cake tin with butter paper and butter it.

Mix together both the sugars and rub in orange zest into it till the sugar becomes moist and fragrant.

Beat together butter and the sugars till creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat well after each addition.

Sift flour and baking powder. Add caraway seeds and mix well.

Add half of the flour mixture into the creamy batter and beat just until combined. Do not over beat.
Now add the orange juice and beat just until incorporated. Add the last batch of flour mixture and beat again just until incorporated. Do not overbeat because it will lead to tougher texture of the cake.

Beat the egg whites till frothy and until you get soft peaks. Fold the egg whites carefully into the batter. It might look tough in the beginning but the whites neatly blend in the batter. It will lighten up. Do not over fold here again. Fold just until the whites are incorporated.

Transfer the batter into the prepared tin and smoothen the top. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is well risen, golden and a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Mix together the glaze ingredients, place cake on serving plate /board and pour on top of the cake .

Focaccia Caprese-Focaccia Bread topped with Tomato,Mozarella&Basil~We Knead to Bake#13

I love a good Focaccia.With a crisp crust and the deep flavours of olive oil and garlic in every bite.I have tried a few recipes for Focaccia myself and loved it.Moreover Focaccia recipes are pretty forgiving,there are no hassles involved and you can personalize the toppings according to your taste.

Focaccia is a type of flatbread from Italy,thought to have originated in ancient Greece but now associated with the north eastern part of Italy. Today however, it is a flatbread that is found all over Italy and baked in a variety of ways.The name Focaccia originates from the ancient Roman "Panis Focacius" which was originally a flatbread that was baked on the hearth.

Focaccia Caprese is a basic focaccia dough topped Caprese style."Caprese" refers to something that comes from or is in the style of Capri, an island off the Italian coast near Naples. Capri is famous mostly for its villas, grottos and jutting limestone towers, and also for the salad named after it – “Insalata Caprese” whose signature is fresh tomatoes, basil and fresh buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di Buffala).This means that the topping of the Focaccia Caprese is sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, in addition to the usual olive oil and herbs that are typically used in this flatbread.

I halved the recipe and added some wheat flour/atta to the dough.The bread was still very soft and chewy,with a deep flavor from the herb oil.My basil plant is still in growing stages,so I had to make do with dried basil.I didn't add too many tomato slices as that's how we prefer and the cheese melted so much that the slices started to slide down the bread:)

It's been a joyous one year since my first WKtB post,time sure flies.Though I have skipped a couple of breads in the group,the ones which I tried were spectacular,my favorite has to be the Hokkaido bread,the softest and best bread I've baked so far(aside from 'the' cinnamon rolls!)This year,we have some new entrants to the group and I am so happy to continue my bread baking journey.

Focaccia Caprese - Focaccia Bread topped with Tomato,Mozarella & Basil
Recipe source - The Kitchen Whisperer;Adapted from Aparna

Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

3 1/2 cups bread flour*

1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil (preferably olive oil)
1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water

A little more olive oil for brushing dough

For the Topping:

4-5 larg-ish tomatoes, sliced thin
1 6-7” round piece of fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into1/4” slices**
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

For the Herbed Oil:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp finely minced garlic/ paste
Salt to taste 

Fresh basil leaves for garnishing 

Note:

* If you cannot find bread flour, you can add 1 tbsp of Vital Wheat Gluten to 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and mix together well. Otherwise just use 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.

**I don’t get fresh buffalo mozzarella where I live. So used Amul Mozarella cheese instead and it worked out fine.

Method:

First make the herbed oil
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Keep aside till required.

Then make the dough.
The dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand or machine. Put the yeast, sugar flour, salt and oil in the bowl of the processor and pulse a couple of times to mix well. Then add 1 cup of warm water (and as much more as you need) and knead until you have a soft elastic dough that is just short of sticky.

Remove the dough from the processor bowl, shape into a round and place in a well oiled bowl turning the dough around so it is coated. Cover and let it rise till almost double in volume. This should take about an hour.

You can make this as 2 medium sized Focaccia or 4 smaller ones. For the rectangular Focaccia, take two rectangular pans/ jelly or Swiss roll pans (I used an 11" by 7" tin) and oil them well. Then divide the dough into two equal portions and lightly roll them (or press out) out into approximately 11” by 7”. If making 4 Focaccia, then divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion out (or press out) evenly into approximately 5” by 7”. It alright if it’s an odd shape because Focaccia is really a “rustic” bread.

Transfer the dough to the baking tins. The dough will shrink a little. Use your fingers and push it out a bit making sure it’s evenly thick throughout. Let it rise for 20 minutes. Lightly oil your finger tips and press into the dough creating evenly spaced “dimples” in it. Generously brush the surface with oil

Bake at 210C (410F) for about 18 to 20 minutes till it is almost done and is beginning to turn golden brown. Take the Focaccia out and turn up the heat of your oven to 230C (450F).

Lightly drizzle some of the Herbed Oil over the Focaccia and then evenly arrange some slices of mozzarella over the bread, leaving very little space between them. Arrange the tomato slices over this and a little sprinkle the chopped basil over this. The topping should cover most of the surface of the bread.

Drizzle some more Herbed Oil over the topping and return the bread to the oven. Bake the Focaccia for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese has just melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Yeastspotted
Cut the Focaccia into slices and serve while it is still hot. This recipe should serve 4 if served alone or 6 if served with a side.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls Recipe;No-Knead & Eggless!

Many a times,I've come across some recipes which I felt I could never try on my own,but it never stopped me from checking out the recipe every now and then,just to ensure myself of the same;)PW's Cinnamon rolls is one of them.I mean,how could one handle so much of bread dough,how can someone bake so many of these,it always left me wondering.Going through the recipe every single time,I kept saying to myself that maybe one day I will try it!

When I came across the scaled down version of the recipe I thought my prayers were finally answered.I don't necessarily have to make a big batch.The quartered recipe works out just fine.In fact,now that I've tried it I really cannot wait to try the several different variations of sweet rolls recipe she has on her blog.

Making the dough is a breeze actually.No kneading required,just mix everything in a pan and let the yeast work its magic.The first time I tried,I made the dough the previous night and let it rise in the fridge for about 8 hours.It is easier to work with when it was chilled.When I made this batch however,I kept the dough in the fridge for an hour or so.So either way works.

Both the times,I filled the rolls with more than just cinnamon and sugar.I'd read that usually raisins are added into the filling,going by that idea,I added some black currants and chocolate chunks[not much though!]into the rolls and even if I say so myself,the combo was just awesome.I love dried fruits in my breads,remember Cranberry-Orange Pull-apart bread?

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls Recipe;No Knead & Eggless

Recipe source - The Pioneer Woman;Scaled down recipe by Happy Home Baking

Ingredients

Milk - 1 cup/250 ml

Sugar - 1/4 cup/50gms

Oil - 1/4 cup/62.5 ml

Instant Yeast - 1 tsp{or 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast}

Flour - 2 cups[250 gms] + 1/4 cup[30 gms]

Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

Baking soda - scant 1/4 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

For the filling

Melted Butter - 1/4 cup/50 gms

Sugar/Brown sugar - 1/4 cup/50 gms

Cinnamon powder - 1 tbsp

Black currants - 3-4 tbsp

Chocolate chunks - 3-4 tbsp

For the glaze

Icing sugar - 1/2 cup

Milk - 3 tbsp

Vanilla - 1/4 tsp

Method

In a saucepan mix together milk,sugar and oil.Bring to boil and then switch off the flame.Let cool down to luke warm.It will take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour.If it has turned cold,heat for a few seconds and then let it get lukewarm.If the milk is very hot, or at room temperature  yeast might not start reacting.So ensure the milk is lukewarm.

Add yeast and 2 cups of flour and mix well with a wooden spoon until everything is mixed well. It will be a sticky dough. Cover with a towel or cling wrap and place it in a moderately warm place and let it rest to double in size for about an hour or an hour and a half.

Once the dough has doubled in volume,add the 1/4 cup of flour,baking powder,baking soda,salt and mix well until the flour has been incorporated.

You can now refrigerate the dough until it firms up a bit, for an hour or so. Or you can also refrigerate overnight.

Dust the work surface freely with flour. Dust the top and bottom of dough with flour.

Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape. Then roll out as thin as possible. Dust the dough and work surface with flour when necessary.

Brush the rolled out dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the surface.Add the black currants and chopped chocolate.
Start from the opposite end of the dough, roll the dough neatly in a line towards you. Roll as tightly as possible. Dust fingers with flour if the dough feels sticky. Pinch the seams to seal.

Cut into 16 even slices and arrange on baking pan lined with parchment paper (or greased with butter). Place the rolls close together so that they are almost touching.
Cover and leave to rise for 30mins  or until the rolls double in size. (Note: the rolls can be left to chill in the fridge over night and bake them the next morning. If rolls have doubled in size, bake them right away. Otherwise leave to sit on counter until double in size before baking.) During the last 10 minutes of this proving, pre-heat oven to 175 degree C. Then bake in oven for about 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Mix all of the ingredients mentioned on the glaze and pour it over the cinnamon rolls while they are still in the pan. Give the glaze some time to set.

*This recipe makes 16 rolls,so if you have a big square/rectangular tin,you can use that.Or else use two pans.This batch I made,I baked in 2 foil pans(6 in the big one and 4 in the small)and the rest I baked in my cupcake tray.

 

Yeastspotted

Notes

• Making the dough is the easiest step in the recipe.I made the dough in my non-stick kadai(which had a lid)so all the heating,mixing and proving the dough was done in a single pan.
• The dough is slightly sticky,so it is easier to work with when it is chilled.If you are short of time,refrigerate at least for 45 minutes to an hour or be ready for a stickier mass to handle :)
• Before you take out the dough from the fridge,prepare the pans,keep the filling ready and clean out your work surface for rolling the dough.
• As the rolls are getting baked,you can prepare the glaze.

 

Caramel-Almond topped Chocolate Cake

Wishing you all a (belated) Happy New Year.It's been almost a month since I last posted.For the last few months I've been very irregular with posts here and I apologize for that.As someone told me while discussing about this,"life happens!" which is so true in my case as well.Many things have been happening and sadly,blogging took a backstage.I hope to revive the blog by trying to post at least twice in a week,well that's the plan.

How can I not begin the first post of the year without a sweet.So a rich,sinful cake topped with caramel sauce it is,can it get any better?I recently joined a group on facebook[where else;)]where a recipe is posted every week and we try to recreate in our kitchen.Conceptualized by Subhashini of Fondbites,it mainly focusses on the idea of a cake,which the members can improvise using their ideas and tastebuds.Though it was started to help out newbie home bakers venturing out commercially,it also throws up tonnes of ideas for people who bake just for passion.

I missed a few bakes last year(though I did try them!)so I'm planning to keep up starting with this one.

The recipe is from Dorie's BFMHTY,in which it is termed as a Caramel-Peanut topped Brownie Cake.Subhashini felt it tastes like Snickers hence named it Snickers cake.I'm not a fan of Snickers as well as peanuts,so substituted with some toasted almond slivers.Reminded me of those Fudgy Caramel Tarts.A chocolate-ey caramel heaven,is how I would describe the cake,no less!

Caramel-Almond topped Chocolate Cake
Recipe source - Baking from my home to yours,Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

All-purpose flour – 1 cup
Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
Butter – 100 gms, chopped
Dark chocolate – 150 gms, chopped
Eggs – 3
Light brown sugar – 1/2 cup, tightly packed
Granulated white sugar – 1/4 cup
Light corn syrup/ Honey – 3 tablespoons, I used honey
Vanilla extract – 1/2 teaspoon

For Topping

Sugar – 1 cup
Water – 1/4 cup
Light corn syrup/honey/liquid glucose – 1 tablespoon, I used liquid glucose
Fresh cream – 1/3 cup
Butter – 1 tablespoon
Almond slivers – 1 cup, toasted

Method

Pre-heat oven to 160 degree C. Line up an 8 inch round cake pan with butter and butter paper.

Toast the almond slivers in a microwave - lay the almond slivers in a microwave safe plate evenly.Microwave on full power for 1 minute.Shake the plate well and again microwave in 1 minute intervals till it changes in colour slightly.It took me 4 minutes.

Double boil chopped chocolate and butter until both have melted and combined well. Let cool.

Sift together flour,baking soda and salt.Keep aside.

In another bowl, whisk eggs and both the sugars.

Add honey, vanilla extract and chocolate sauce into the egg mixture and whisk until mixed well.

Add the sifted flour into the batter and fold just until mixed well. Do not over beat. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in oven for 30 to 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

For topping

 

Add sugar and water in a saucepan and place on stove on high flame. Add liquid glucose/honey/ light corn syrup.Wait till it comes to a rolling boil. Stir it once and wait till the colour changes to amber. Lesser the colour, lighter the flavour. So wait till the colour changes nicely.

Switch off stove and stay away from the sauce pan, add the cream and it will start to bubble. Now add the butter and switch on the stove again.

Let it thicken up a bit for a minute and then add the almond slivers and mix well. Switch off stove immediately.

Assembly

Place the cake on the serving plate. Spread the caramelized almond slivers on top of the cake. Make sure to add the whole of the topping on top and let it drizzle to the sides by itself. I have used the entire portion and it just got enough to cover the top and slided to the sides making one whole decadent dessert.After cutting the slices,it oozed down to the middle of the cake as well making it taste like a caramel pudding cake.