Brownie Butter Cake

I've been baking quite a bit in the last few days.Some for baking orders(Yes,I'm doing a bit of baking for orders these days,just a tiny bit),some for friends and some for my pudding ;) He loves it when I bake and waits eagerly in front of the oven and most of the times can't wait till the baked goodie is cold enough to eat,mamma's boy there,completely :)

I had bookmarked this recipe from Rasa Malaysia since ages and kept meaning to bake it but as always something or the other pops up and it gets forgotten.Last week,I decided to bake it finally.I was slightly apprehensive with the method and after reading the comments on the post,more so.The recipe calls for baking a brownie first and then pour the cake batter on top of the hot brownie.I followed the recipe mostly,but did a few changes{notes at the end of the recipe}

If you like the combination of chocolate and vanilla,this one's a dream come true.Fudgy Brownie topped with a buttery vanilla cake,it just can't get any better!My friends with whom I shared the cake with were awed and completely bowled over.Make it as a tea-time treat and get ready for jaw-dropping reactions while you cut the cake :)

Brownie Butter Cake
Recipe Source - Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients

Brownie

Dark chocolate - 140 gms/5oz (broken into pieces)
Unsalted butter - 50gms/1/4 cup
Brown sugar - 50 gms/1/4 cup
Egg - 1
All-purpose flour - 35 gms/1/4 cup

Butter cake

Unsalted butter - 120 gms/1/2 cup
Sugar - 100gms/1/2 cup
Eggs - 2
Vanilla - 1 tsp
All-purpose flour - 120 gms/1 cup
Baking powder - 2 gms/1/4 tsp
Fresh milk - 50 ml/3 1/2 tbsp

Method

Grease and line a 10cm x 20cm (4×8-in) loaf pan with aluminium foil.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

To make brownie, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Remove and leave to cool slightly. 

Stir in brown sugar until blended.Add in egg, mix well.

Fold in flour, mix until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. 

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove.

To make butter cake, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Mix in vanilla.

Fold in sifted flour and baking powder, alternately add in fresh milk, mix to form batter.

Spread the butter cake batter over brownie, bake in oven at 160C/320F for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. 

Insert a cake tester in the middle to check doneness.

Notes

• I was apprehensive to add the cake batter on top of the hot brownie.So I waited till the brownie was outside the oven and then started with preparation of the cake batter.
• The cooking time mentioned for the brownie was not enough for me,my brownie remained gooey after 15 minutes,I baked for a further 10 minutes than specified in the recipe.
• The original recipe does not call for vanilla,I added it as I was afraid if not the cake may smell eggy.
• It is easier to cut the cake when it is completely cooled.You may even refrigerate before cutting to get neat slices.

Mushroom Matar Masala | North Indian Gravy Recipes

We love gobbling up Rotis,be it for lunch or dinner.More so if paired with a delicious curry,in fact I look forward to eating the left over chapathi and curry for the next morning breakfast,yeah no doubts about our chapathi obsession there,right?I find kneading the chapathi dough therapeutic too :)

These days,I finish all cooking when Li'l Arjun is asleep.So mostly by 4 in the evening my chapathi dough is kneaded and ready so is the curry/sabzi.It also helps that I get to cook/photograph the same and hopefully it appears here,sooner or later.

Mushroom Matar Masala is without doubt a delicious combination of the two in a creamy tomato gravy.It goes perfectly well with hot chapathi as well as some lightly spiced rice with a simple raita by the side.

Mushroom Matar Masala
Recipe source - Veg Recipes of India

Ingredients

Mushrooms - 200 gms,cleaned and quartered
Matar/Peas - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2 large
Cashews - 12-15
Onion - 1 medium
Ginger - 1' piece
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Haldi/turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf/Tej Patta - 1
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method

Soak cashews in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

In a kadai heat 1 tbsp oil and add the chopped mushrooms and saute till the mushrooms release water and turn golden brown.Remove and keep aside.
Cook the peas and keep aside.

Make a paste of onion,ginger and garlic using 1 tbsp water,reserve.

Drain the soaked cashews and make a paste with tomatoes till smooth and creamy,there shouldn't be any cashew bits or tomato pieces.

In the same kadai,add the butter and tej patta/bay leaf.
Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and saute till it dries up and becomes golden brown in colour.

Then add the tomato-cashew paste and saute till oil leaves the side of the paste.
Add the spice powders-haldi,red chilly,coriander and garam masala.

Stir and saute for 2-3 minutes,then add the water,salt and sugar.

Mix in the mushroom and matar  and let the curry come to a boil.Simmer and cook for another 2-3 minutes and then add crushed kasuri methi.

Switch off the pan and serve hot.