Eggless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

For the final day of Bakeathon, I decided to save this double dose of chocolate cake, which was really a mix in the pan types, you need not worry about using too many vessels. After making it I know this is one of those cakes that I will be doing again. It was really very crumbly and had just the right sweetness, with the ganache, it made all the difference!

I actually loved the fact that this cake is that "mix in the pan", you simply mix in the dry and wet ingredients right in the pan before being baked. There are couple of things I loved about this cake, one being eggless and the other using lemon juice. We don't use so much of lemon juice, still you will have a slight taste of it when you are eating this. The final best part is using ganache for frosting. I have always been wanting to make ganache myself, never found the apt time. I enjoyed making it and would be doing a separate post.

The recipe is adapted from Joy of baking.

Chocolate "Mix in the pan" Cake

All purpose flour / Maida - 1 1/4 cups
Sugar, granulated - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt a pinch
Unsalted butter, melted - 1/4 cup
Warm water - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Chocolate Ganache for frosting - 1 cup

How to make the Eggless Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 185 * C

In an ungreased 8 inch (20 cm) cake pan, stir together the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the melted butter, water, lemon juice. With a fork, mix all the ingredients together until well blended.

Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes. The cake is done, if a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

For Frosting:  Once the ganache is ready, with a spatula or knife spread the ganache over the cooked cake.

The cake had that delicious look and feel of the truffle cake that's normally sold over cake shops. Unfortunately I haven't actually tasted a truffle cake because of the eggs. And I have never really bothered to make it myself.

With the new year ringing in, I think it makes sense to plan out those recipes that I would surely want to make.

It's been a great month, with me baking so many dishes. Though I know I settled for easy ones, with mostly muffins and cookies, I really enjoyed myself. I would like to thank Champa for challenging us again and giving a schedule that was easy for me to follow. I would mostly surely try my hand at complex things going forward.

Here's a toast for the coming year and wish you see you again sharing the joy that food, invariably brings in.

I once again wish my readers a great year ahead!

Check out the bloggers doing the Bakeathon: Champa, Sumana Deepak, Priya Suresh, Veena Krishnakumar, Preeti Deo and Jayasri Ravi

Eggless Christmas Fruit Cake 3 ~ How to make Eggless Fruit Cake

Merry Christmas to all my readers!

I am so glad that I have a perfect eggless Christmas cake to share.

I was supposed to post on the Christmas eve, however as things would always be, I was procrastinating baking this cake. I have been thinking I must bake a fruit cake again this time as I have been doing since couple of years. I was debating whether I should use condensed milk or simply make do with fruits and butter. Since this cake has to be dense, you really don't have to bother about how fluffy the cake raises. I started very late in the morning, along with my regular cooking. So I had completed majority of cooking done, before setting out to make this cake.

Thinking I could make use of my multitasking skill to hilt, I went ahead melting the sugar along with the nuts. As the Tomato Kurma or the Methi Dal was getting done, I had a quick glance at the pan that had sugar and dry fruits mix cooling. To my horror, the sugar simply got struck to the bottom along with the fruits. Well there are certain things you should really give full attention! I decided to melt it along with butter. This recipe is something that I did as I was making it. It's a mix of what I thought could put together. I was elated with Amma said this was the best cake she has tasted till date. What more can I ask!

Christmas Cakes from previous years

• Eggless Fruit Cake 1
• Eggless Butterless Rum Fruit Cake 2 
• Microwave Eggless Chocolate Cake
• Carrot Cake | Eggless Carrot Cake Recipe

 

Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients Needed:

Flour - 1 & 1/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Cooking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup
Granulated Sugar - 1/2 cup
Orange Juice - 1/2 cup
Warm water - 2 tbsp
Butter - 1/2 cup
Mixed Fruit Jam - 1 tbsp full
Salt a small pinch

Dry Fruits and Nuts


Tutti Fruity - 2 tbsp
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Almonds - 10 nos
Cashew nut - 5 whole
Cranberry - 1 tbsp
Pistachio - 2 tsp

Spice Mix
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp

Melt the brown sugar and granulated sugar over slow flame, add the chopped nuts and dried fruits, cook for 10 mins in simmer. Then add butter and cook for 5 mins.

Shift the flour with baking powder and cooking soda, salt. Add the melted sugar and dry fruit mix. Blend everything together, add the jam and orange juice.

Check the consistency, if it's not of dropping consistency, add the warm water by spoon.

Pre heat the oven at 185 C, pour the batter in a grease cake pan and bake at 185 C for 35 Mins.

Note:

I first baked for 15 mins, increased by 10 mins interval. You can easily bake first for 25 mins, depending on the done ness you can increase. Since this has more moisture, you will end up baking for more mins.

This cake is not your typical dry fruit cake, rather it's rich and crumbly. Since the sugar got caramelized more than expected, it was little bit chewy but that again added to the whole fun.


Check out the bloggers doing the Bakeathon: Champa, Sumana Deepak, Priya Suresh, Preeti Deo and Jayasri Ravi

Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Fudge

Today was the last day of exam for the boys. They were so trilled at getting ten days off. It almost looks like as if going to school is such a core. Anyway we are getting ourselves ready to plan and see what best can be done to keep them occupied. Their vacation in their aunt's place got cancelled so they will have to find their own games at home. 

The third cake that I baked was the brownie with Chocolate fudge, and the best part was the batter was mix of wheat flour and all purpose flour. I adapted this from this recipe and even made chocolate fudge to make it look more attractive for the kids. 

 

Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients Needed

Whole Wheat Flour  -   1/2 cup
All purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Sugar, powdered - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt a pinch
Butter - 1 tbsp
Chocolate Fudge

How to bake:

Preheat oven to 185*C and grease a baking baking tray.

In a bowl, take both the flours, salt, baking powder, cocoa powder and mix it well with a fork.

Next add the milk, oil and add powdered sugar in it. Whisk all the ingredients well with a fork.

Finally add the butter and gently blend everything together. Make sure the batter is dropping consistency.

Pour the batter onto the greased baking tray . Tap down gently for the batter to settle down well.

Bake at 185 C for 15 - 17 mins, check if the cake is down with knife.

Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Once the brownie is done, you can pour the fudge over the cake.

Check out the bloggers doing the Bakeathon: Champa, Sumana, Priya Suresh, Preeti and Jayasri

Eggless Dates Walnut Bundt Cake ~ Step by Step

When you are baking with two or three different recipes in mind, it is always better to bake them as the same time. So when I decide to bake cookies, I check and collect at least three varieties and same goes to the cakes as well. The only problem is, I get so tired and blogged down, that I ultimately give up on presenting the recipes in the best light. So you will see the same table cloth or napkin in posts that follow back to back. 

And any time of the day, the one spot that always works out best is the dining table. So I guess many of you are so familiar with my spot. So unless I happen to get another spot, this would continue for many more. As I was saying, I bake about three different cakes this sunday and everything turned out so well. Amma loved all the three, while Pineapple and the other one was my favorite. Amma liked this Dates cake the best of all three. Hubby dear was licking the pineapple clean.

Deciding on the baking tray was another thing. I finally decided on this bundt tray and I think this batter is best suited for this mold. It really turned out so good.

Eggless Dates Walnut Bundt Cake

Ingredients Needed:

All purpose flour - 1 & 1/4 cup
Dates, seedless puree - 20
Milk - 1/2 cup
Condensed Milk - 1/2 tin
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Cooking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Walnuts - 1 tbsp

How to make the cake

In a pan, boil the milk along with dates. Allow to cool and make a puree.

In a bowl, take the dates puree and beat with condensed milk. Add the flour and finally the baking powder and soda. Mix in the chopped walnuts and pour into a prepared bundt tray.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 185 C for 15 - 17 mins or till a knife comes out clean when inserted.

Dust with icing sugar.

This stays good at room temperature for couple of days.

Serve warm.

Check out the bloggers doing the Bakeathon: Champa, Sumana Deepak, Priya Suresh, Veena Krishnakumar, Preeti Deo and Jayasri Ravi