Time Flies!! It feels just like yesterday I started my blog, but 5 years have gone by! From a hobby turned into full-time, knowing nobody in the food industry to working with famous Food Bloggers, collaborating and sponsorships with renowned brands, and hundreds of recipes behind… it has been truly an exciting journey!

2020 was a tough year for many, but we were lucky enough to welcome a new much-awaited member into our family; our cutie pie Ishaan! Being pregnant in the middle of COVID wasn’t easy either but we survived, bought a house with my dream kitchen, cooked a lot, delivered a baby, and got to spend 5 months with my mom who flew all the way from India to meet her new grandson. Amidst all this and being MIA from blogging and social media for an extended period, I am immensely grateful to each one of you for all the love and support throughout. Thank you all for the likes, comments, shares, and of course the re-creations from Pepper Delight.

To celebrate my half a decade of blogging, I am sharing a special recipe which I’ve been planning for a long time; a 3-tier Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting, a Dark Chocolate Ganache drip and Meringue Kisses! This dessert is truly a chocolate haven, there are a lot of elements going on in the cake and it tastes absolutely delicious! The Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting is incredibly light n buttery with a glossy texture, and melts right away in your mouth.

So, what is Swiss Meringue?

Swiss Meringue is a common type of frosting which uses egg whites (cooked) along with the usual buttercream frosting ingredients. So why is it special? It’s glossy silky texture with the perfect balance of sweetness is what makes it stand out. Swiss Meringue is also much stable when compared to Italian or French Meringue and is good to pipe and decorate cakes and cupcakes.

Since its preparation calls for cooking egg whites in a double boiler, the steps can be a little tricky and error prone. But whatever goes wrong with the frosting, you can easily fix it with some handy tricks. Mistakes are bound to happen when making a Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the first time, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. First of all, use a clean bowl and whisker to prepare your frosting.
2. Ensure your ingredients (eggs and butter) are at room temperature (70 degree F). This is super critical, else your frosting can go either way depending upon the temperature.
3. While stirring egg whites and sugar over a water bath, make sure that the sugar dissolves completely in the egg whites. Otherwise, your frosting can end up with a grainy texture.
4. Slice the butter in advance for better time management and to keep up with the pace of the bake.
5. If your buttercream looks curdled, it’s coz it went cold. Heat it up in the water bath and whisk to get the right consistency.
6. If the buttercream looks thin or loose, then it’s too warm. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes and whisk away.
7. Once the frosting is ready, apply it at the earliest. If left idle for long at room temperature, it will lose its consistency.

Enjoy, Happy Baking…!

Don’t forget to check out my previous years’ Blog Anniversary Special Cakes:

• 2017– Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache 
• 2018– Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake
• 2020 – Key Lime Pie

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Chocolate Meringue Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chocolate cake, meringue, swiss meringue

Prep Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For three 6 - inch chocolate cakes

• 1½ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1½ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
• 3 tsp milk
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

• 4 egg whites (at room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1¼ cup butter (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate (melted and cooled)

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

For the Chocolate Meringue Kisses

• 3 egg whites (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup fine sugar
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

Instructions

For making three 6-inch chocolate cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• Line three 6-inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to grease the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract and milk.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well.
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites and sugar, whisk lightly until well combined.
• Set the bowl over a water bath (a saucepan of simmering water), whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves and the batter reaches a temperature of 160-degree F.
• Transfer the bowl back to the stand mixer and beat on high speed for 2 minutes using the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks form and the bowl is cooled.
• Add sliced butter one tablespoon at a time while beating on high until smooth and creamy. Add the next slice only after the previous is completely blended.
• Once you are done with adding butter, beat for a few more minutes to get a smooth glossy frosting.
• Next, melt the chocolate in a microwave at 10 second intervals and whisking it until it is silky smooth (you can also use a double boiler for melting). Allow it to cool down for another 10 minutes (whisk continuously during this time).
• Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract to the bowl of buttercream frosting, and beat on medium speed until smooth.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until the frosting is well combined and reaches a spreadable consistency.

Assembling the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable/cake stand.
• Apply a little frosting on the center of the cake base and spread. This helps the cake to stay tight and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides, if any.
• Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the third cake. Using a spatula, level the top and the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake to form a thin and evenly covered crumb coating.
• Refrigerate the cake 30 minutes for the crumb coating to set properly.
• Now apply the final coat of frosting on top and around the cake, starting from the bottom to the top. Scrape down the excess frosting using a scraper. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes before pouring the chocolate ganache.

For the Chocolate Ganache

• Combine chocolate chips with heavy cream.
• Temper the chocolate mix by either setting the bowl over a pan of simmering water, or microwave at a 30 second interval and stirring continuously until it completely melts.
• Ensure not to overheat or burn the mix as it will split and become unusable. Once melted, keep stirring to bring its temperature down until smooth and silky before pouring over the cake.

For the Meringue Kisses

• Preheat oven to 200-degree F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites using the whisk attachment until foamy. Start by beating on low and increase the speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Add cream of tartar and continue beating while adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Once the sugar has been completely added, beat for an additional 5 minutes until it reaches a glossy smooth finishing. Fold in sifted cocoa powder.
• Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with your desired tips and pipe your kisses on to the parchment paper.
• Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and allow it to sit in the oven for an additional 1 hour to cool down.
• You can store meringues in an air tight container up to 2 weeks.

Notes

• If your cake feels dry or crumbly after baking, brush some simple sugar syrup over the cake to retain it moistness and texture.
• Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
• Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
• Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
• Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting from the sides of the cake.
• Refrigerate the crumb coated and fully frosted stages of cake to set properly. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
• Finally, ensure the cake is brought back to a room temperature before serving.

The post Chocolate Meringue Cake – Celebrating 5 years of Pepper Delight appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Celebrating 4 years of blogging @PepperDelight with a Sweet Treat!! And this year I’ve decided not to do a cake and instead I present to you one of my favorite desserts of all time – a Key Lime Pie!!

I was initially hesitant to publish this recipe post as it wasn’t the right time of the year for Key lime pies, nor did I happen to recently live or visit Florida where Key lime pie is the official pie of the state. But it’s my blog anniversary and I don’t need a better excuse to share one of my favorite desserts! Right?

2019 at a glimpse

2019 was indeed a special year for Pepper Delight; a lot of authentic Kerala recipes and a big step into photography as a business! The exposure & reach, sponsored posts work & photography kit upgrades, are a few to name among the year’s highlights… and on top of that I was able to stay true to my roots by publishing many authentic Kerala recipes too.

Indian food and its culture are so diverse. The endless varieties, especially vegetarian is something majority of the rest of the world is not even aware of. Its not just Butter Chicken, Naan or Chicken Tikka, each and every State and Union Territory of India has hundreds of dishes of their own, many of which we haven’t even heard about. I just hope to be able to continue doing my part of sharing as many authentic dishes from my small State Kerala, and a huge Thank You to all my wonderful followers who follow, appreciate, and inspire me to go on. Lots of love…!

Now Let’s talk about Key Lime Pie

It’s a delight! Sweet, Tangy, Light, and a pretty easy dessert which is equally refreshing to your taste buds. Key lime pie is a dish I crave and order often at restaurants. It’s equally sweet & tangy flavors are a reminiscent of my blog’s 4-year journey, the initial struggles to all the fun & excitement till date.

Key lime pie is considered as the official pie of Florida, primarily due to its main ingredient Key lime being grown in the state. This pie is the combination of a crunchy graham cracker crust with a luscious creamy tangy filling. And to complement the taste, it’s topped with some whipped cream – a balanced mix of three different textures & flavors! The traditional recipe is a no-bake dessert made with condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice, but nowadays since consuming raw eggs is considered as a major health risk, we bake this pie to cook it through and also speed up the thickening process of its filling.

This recipe calls for a lot of Key limes as the lime juice extracted from them is the core ingredient of this pie. Unlike regular limes, Key limes are smaller, slightly yellow colored, aromatic, and is difficult to find in your daily grocery stores. But don’t worry, you can use bottled lime juice (Nellie & Joes Original Famous Key West Lime Juice is an excellent option) or even regular limes for this recipe.

This classic recipe is super simple and is creamy smooth, just perfect for any occasions. I am pretty sure from the first bite; you will be closing your eyes and humming “yummmmm” as it all melts inside!

Enjoy, Happy Baking…!

Don’t forget to check out my previous years Blog Anniversary special cakes:

• 2017 – Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Key Lime Pie

Buttery Graham Cracker Crust with a Sweet n Tangy Luscious Filling… this Classic Key Lime Pie is a Simple yet Flavorful Dessert, Perfect for any Occasions…!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword dessert, key lime pie, pie

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 47 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter (melted)

For the filling

• 2 cans of 14oz. sweetened condensed milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup key lime juice (from 10 limes)
• Zest of one key lime

Garnish

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• Lime slices (garnish)
• Mint leaves (optional, garnish)
• Grated lime zest (garnish)

Instructions

For the crust

• Preheat oven to 350-degree F.
• In a large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Make sure all the crumbs are mixed well and moistened.
• Transfer the mix to a 9-inch pie plate and firmly press on it with the back of a spoon or a measuring cup over the base as well as around the edges to form an even layer of crumb base.
• Place the pie plate in the oven and bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, make sure not to brown or burn the crust. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

For the filling

• In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice, and grated lime zest.
• Pour the mix slowly onto the pie plate and allow it to spread and evenly cover the crust. Place the pie plate in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes until the center is set yet wobbly. Remove the plate from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
• Once cooled, refrigerate for 3-4 hrs. for the pie to set properly.

Garnish

• In a large bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together to make the frosting. Transfer it to a piping bag and decorate the pie as desired.
• Other optional garnishes are mint leaves, grated lime zest, and lime slices.

Notes

1. If graham cracker crumbs are not readily available, you can instead buy graham crackers and give it a quick blend in a food processor to make the crumbs.
2. Key limes are hard to get especially when off season, and an alternative would be to buy bottled key lime juice; Nellie & Joes Original Famous Key West Lime Juice is an excellent product for this recipe.
3. When baking the pie along with the filling, keep an eye not to overdo it otherwise you will start to see the filling curdle around the edges.
4. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 2-3 days.

The post Key Lime Pie – Celebrating 4 years of Pepper Delight appeared first on Pepper Delight.

2019 brought me a lot of new experiences, happiness, learning, and delightful memories of cooking some great dishes! And I couldn’t have enjoyed the year without the support of my followers who believed in me and motivated me to do better every day. Thank you all for your love, comments, appreciations, and trying out my recipes and sharing those beautiful recipe remake pictures!

Also, don’t miss to Check out the popular recipes from the previous years.

• Top 10 recipes of 2018
• Top 10 recipes of 2017
• Top 10 recipes of 2016

So here you go, a recap of the top 10 popular recipes from 2019:

10. Paneer Sandwich with Cilantro Sesame Sauce 

9. Cabbage Carrot Thoran / Stir Fry

8. Orange Crush

7. Idichakka Thoran/Tender Jackfruit Stir fry

6. Healthy Nut Bars with Chocolate Drizzle

5. Navratan Korma

4. Lemon Dates Pickle

3. Neapolitan Cake

2. Varutharacha Kadala Curry/ Roasted Coconut Chickpeas Curry

1. Kerala Style Mutton Stew

The post Top 10 Recipes of 2019 appeared first on Pepper Delight.

It’s Onam, and I’m here with my roundup of tasty Sadya recipes from Pepper Delight, for you to Cook, Enjoy, & Celebrate with your Family and Friends.

Please note: I do not have all the Sadya recipes here, but plenty enough to give you a head start and keep your tastebuds tingling!

This page will be updated as and when I upload more, so bookmark it and come back for next Onam, Vishu, any celebrations, or just stop by when your body craves for those yummilicious Sadya dishes.  

അച്ചാർ / Pickles

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തോരൻ / Stir fry

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Side Dishes

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പച്ചടി – കിച്ചടി / Side dishes with Yogurt

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ഒഴിച്ചു കറി / Curry

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പായസം / Desserts

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The post Kerala Sadya Recipes appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Did a year just go by in the blink of an eye? It sure did for me indeed, time flies so fast! Three years back when I started this blog, it was all about turning my passion into a hobby. Never did I imagine the amount of support and motivation I’d receive from my friends, family and the blogging community, and that Pepper Delight would become my full-time job. The whole thought of it seriously amazes me and being a self-taught cook and baker, I’m so darn proud of myself looking back at all these years.

This beautiful space has gifted me so many achievements and of course some good relationships too. I am fortunate enough to find many talented and inspiring people through the online world; those who follow my social media, read my blog, message me about my photos, recognize me at stores and stop by to talk about food n recipes… those are surreal moments and truly the most rewarding…!! So, I take this opportunity to thank all my dear friends and followers for the unconditional love.

I would also like to take a moment to give a big shout out to my dear friend Makos from The Hungry Bites who has been a constant support and guide throughout my whole journey. If you love Mediterranean food, then you must definitely check out his blog.

I am so excited to see what 2019 has in store for Pepper Delight. Thank you all for supporting and following…Cheers to many more years of Yummilicious Food…!!

Coming back to the highlight of today’s celebration – the Cake!

An Ombre cake had been on my to-do list for a long time, but I was a bit intimidated on how the whole thing would turn out. You know, all of my usual confusions before trying out any new cake style! But I am so glad that I tried it, coz it did turn out pretty well…!!

So, what’s a Neapolitan cake? Well, I am not going to dig into its history at the moment, but visually it’s a tri-colored 3 tier cake with each layer being a different flavour; strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. Even before I got to know about Neapolitan cakes, I have been inspired to do a multi colored cake and that arose from my love for Cassata ice-cream which we used to get in India; a 3-tier vanilla, strawberry and pistachio ice-cream layered over a sponge cake with candied fruits n nuts. In those days, a cassata slice was the ultimatum…I was in heaven!!

So, I guess the first question on your mind after seeing the cake pics and the recipe would be, “this is a lot of work, three sets of batter & frosting?” Well, not exactly. The three different flavors are incorporated using a single bowl of batter. First, you have to make a base vanilla cake batter and pour it equally into three cake pans. Leave one pan as is for the original vanilla cake, mix into the second pan the cocoa powder for making the chocolate cake, and into the third the strawberry jam with few drops of food color for a pretty pink strawberry cake. Fresh strawberry puree also works. Bake… and your cakes are ready!

Happy Cooking…!

Don’t forget to check out my previous years Blog Anniversary special cakes:

• 2017 – Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache 
• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Neapolitan Cake

A Neapolitan Ombre Cake with an absolute delight of flavors – Chocolate, Vanilla & Strawberry Cakes in a Pink Buttercream Ombre!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword blog anniversary, cake, neapolitan cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup softened butter (at room temperature)
• 1¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder (sifted)
• ¼ cup strawberry jam (pref. seedless)
• 5-7 drops red food color (optional)

For the filling and crumb coat

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp milk cream
• 3 drops of red food color

For the outer ombre frosting

• ¾ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp milk cream (or more if needed)
• 6-7 drops of red food color
• Fresh flowers (for decoration)

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350-degree F.
• Line three 6-inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with milk and beat until they combine well. The batter will be thick, creamy and smooth.
• Pour the batter equally into three prepared pans (approx. 3 ladle batter per pan).
• Add the sifted cocoa powder to one pan for making the chocolate cake and mix well using a fork or a spatula. Keep aside.
• Whisk strawberry jam until it is completely smooth. You can microwave it for 15 seconds if thick, and whisk it for a smoother texture. Add it along with 6-7 drops of red food color to the third pan for making the strawberry cake, and mix well using a fork or spatula.
• 10. Place all the three pans in the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. The cooking times may vary per cake, for me the vanilla and chocolate cakes took 30 minutes and the strawberry cake took 35 minutes to bake.

For the filling and crumb coat

• Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until it turns out smooth.
• Add red food color and milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken.

Assembling the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable / cake stand.
• Apply a little frosting on the center of the cake base and spread. This helps the cake to stay tight and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides, if any.
• Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the third cake. Using a spatula, level the top and the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake to form a thin and evenly covered crumb coating.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes for the crumb coating and filling to set properly.

For the outer ombre frosting

• Once the crumb coat is set, you can prepare the frosting for the outer ombre coat.
• Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until it turns out smooth. Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable. If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken.
• Divide the prepared frosting into 4 pans; the 1st for the flat top surface coat in white, 2nd for the side top coat in white, 3rd for the side center coat in pink, and the 4th for the side bottom coat in dark pink.
• To the 3rd and 4th pans add the red food color as desired and whisk to make the pink and dark pink colored frostings respectively.
• Using a spatula, start applying the dark pink coat from the 4th pan on the side bottom of the cake. Using a scraper, scrape off excess frosting.
• Now move on the center side coat from the 3rd pan. Repeat applying coat & scraping, and continue to the top side and top flat coats using pans 2 and 1 respectively.
• Once your ombre coating is complete, refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes for the frosting to set.
• Decorate as desired with flowers, your cake is ready to serve!!

Notes

1. If your cake feels dry or crumbly after baking, brush some simple sugar syrup over the cake to retain it moistness and texture.

2. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.

3. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.

4. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.

5. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting from the sides of the cake.

6. Refrigerate the crumb coated and fully frosted stages of cake to set properly. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.

7. Finally, ensure the cake is brought back to a room temperature before serving.

The post Neapolitan Ombre Cake – Celebrating 3 years of Blogging appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Every year of Pepper Delight is a new milestone, and 2018 wasn’t any exception either. A year filled with a lot of delicious recipes and achievements in my blogging career; from new heights in photography with being recognized as “Top 30 Indian Food Photographers – 2018”, doing outdoor shoots & product photography, to taking up cake orders (mann, something I never dreamt of in my life) & finally wrapping up this month with offers of product samples, reviews & giveaways…What an amazing ride…!

Behind all this is the incredible support each and everyone of you have given me, and I take this opportunity to Thank You All from the bottom of my heart!

So, let’s find out which delicious delights topped the chart, and here you go – The Popular Recipes of 2018 from Pepper Delight!

Did your favorite dish makes it to the top list? Do drop a comment and I would love to hear about it. Happy New Year…!

And don’t miss to check out the popular recipes from 2017 and 2016.

10. Berry Oatmeal Crumb Bars

9. Madhura Curry

8. Kashmiri Pulao

7. Chia Breakfast Pudding

6. Vegetable Kurma

5. Fish Biriyani

4. Easy No-Cook Eggless Tiramisu

3. Kootu Curry

2. Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip

1. Fish Molly/Molee/Kerala Style Fish Stew

The post Top 10 Recipes of 2018 appeared first on Pepper Delight.

My blog turned 2… Happy Birthday Pepper Delight…!!

Two years of blogging, My My! Who would have thought about this twist in my journey into the world of blogs? There was never a moment in these two years I ever thought about quitting; in fact, it was one of the best decisions in my career. Life has been so beautiful with this blog on my side, a heavenly space where I can share my passion for cooking n photography, and opened for me a new world of knowledge; both food and styling, and of course an amazing pack of friends! So, Thank You my family, friends and my dear readers for the huge support you have showered me with… !

Every year for my blog anniversary, I bake something special to celebrate the big day, and an excuse to eat cake, right? Baking a matcha cake was on my list for a long time, but I was waiting for that perfect day. Last year for my blog’s first anniversary, I baked a Chocolate Hazelnut Cake which became the most popular recipe of 2017, and gifted me with so many features and shoutouts! Fingers crossed, let this matcha cake be another great beginning…

So, what is matcha? Matcha is the new sensational ingredient in the food industry; it’s powdered green tea leaves! The recipes with matcha are not limited to tea, but range from a wide variety of smoothies, cakes, to bread recipes. This green powder is a hot topic, the caffeine content of matcha is just half of that in a cup of black coffee and so makes it more favorable. Matcha is considered as a powerhouse of antioxidants, helps in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and also calms your body and mind.

And this cake? It’s the BEST!!! I know that I repeat this dialogue every time, but trust me guys…this cake is…OMG, seriously so delicious! The right balance of sweetness with a silky-smooth frosting, and a nutty white chocolate drip that just literally melts in your mouth. Don’t be intimidated by green tea, matcha not only gives the beautiful green color, the flavor too is amazing. This recipe is just perfect for any celebrations, birthdays, or anniversaries.

Don’t forget to check out my other Blog Anniversary special cakes:

• 2017 – Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake

Enjoy, Happy Baking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip

Super Soft & Moist Matcha / Green Tea Cake with a Velvety Smooth Vanilla Buttercream and White Chocolate Matcha Drip…!! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword cake, matcha, matcha cake, naked cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the Matcha Cake

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp matcha powder
• ½ cup + 3tbsp unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup milk (at room temperature)

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup +4tbsp unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp heavy cream (at room temperature)

For the White Chocolate Matcha Drip

• 2 tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 4 oz white chocolate

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line three 6-inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder salt and matcha powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with milk and beat until they combine well. The cake batter will be dense, but that’s completely ok.
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until it turns out smooth.
• Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.

Assembling the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable/cake stand.
• Apply a little frosting on the center of the cake base and spread. This helps the cake to stay tight and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides, if any.
• Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the third cake. Using a spatula, level the top and the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake to form a thin and evenly covered crumb coating.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes for the crumb coating to set properly.
• Now apply the final coat of frosting on top and around the cake, starting from the bottom to the top. Scrape down the excess frosting using a scraper. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes before pouring the matcha drip.

For the White Chocolate Matcha Drip

• Into a microwave safe bowl, sift the matcha powder and add 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream. Mix well until the powder is dissolved and there are no lumps.
• Pour the remaining heavy cream and mix well evenly.
• Now add the white chocolate to the cream-matcha mix and microwave for 30 seconds. The chocolate would have partially melted and using a spatula mix well till all the chocolate has dissolved and you get a thick sauce. If chocolate lumps exist, microwave at 10 second intervals and repeat till completely dissolved.
• Keep stirring till the sauce has cooled down, and then pour over the assembled cake. Refrigerate it to set for 15 mins.
• Decorate with fresh fruits or flowers.

Notes

• Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
• The vanilla buttercream frosting should be of the right consistency and spreadable. If it turn’s out to be loose, refrigerate for 15-30 mins to thicken. During winters, butter may turn cold and not stay at room temperature. In that case your frosting can become thick/buttery; either microwave the frosting for a few seconds, or try out the hair dryer method (worked out for me), and beat again till the perfect consistency.
• Hair Dryer method – While whisking your thickened frosting on a medium to high speed, point a hair dryer at high heat to the outer bottom of your bowl. You will see that butter starts melting and the frosting turn creamier. Turn off your dryer immediately (as the bowl will retain some heat), and continue whisking till you get the perfect consistency.  
• Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
• Assemble / decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
• Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting from the sides of the cake.
• Refrigerate the crumb coated and fully frosted stages of cake to set properly before topping with the white chocolate matcha drip. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
• Finally, ensure the cake is brought back to a room temperature before serving.

The post Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip – A Blog Anniversary appeared first on Pepper Delight.

The 2017 Culinary Journey with Pepper Delight has come to an end and I can’t believe that a year went by already… Time Flies! As I gear up for the New Year, sitting down to pen this post is my favorite and the most memorable way to sum up this year’s hard work. Going through the site stats, gathering the posts with the most visits/likes/shares, and reading through all the wonderful comments/feedbacks, is sooo satisfying and my morale booster n motivator to do even better in 2018.

Just like 2016, this was such an amazing year for Pepper Delight with lots of wonderful moments throughout my blog journey. Right from the Recipes to Food Photography, I have improved a lot when compared to my previous year (I started still photography too). A Zillion Thanks to all my readers for your incredible support… the comments, likes, feedbacks, emails, messages; they all made by day, every day, and kept me going…!

Wishing You all a Very Happy and Prosperous 2018…!

And don’t forget to check out popular recipes from 2016 too.

So let’s countdown The Top 10 Recipes of 2017, which you guys loved the most..!

10.  Vanilla Raspberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Caramel Drip

9. Chicken Cilantro Detox Soup

8. Tofu Fried Rice

7. Mediterranean Chicken Pita Wraps with Cilantro Tahini Sauce

6. Pepper Chicken

5. Kale Smoothie with Mango & Banana

4. Kerala Style Mango Pickle

3. Prawn Biriyani

2. Beef Ularthiyathu / Beef Dry Roast

And the top recipe of 2017 ->  Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

The post Top 10 Recipes of 2017 appeared first on Pepper Delight.

I am sure many of you may have wondered what a food blogger does all day. Well if you ever had that question in mind, then this post is just what you have been looking for. Let me walk you through all the fun, craziness and the yumminess behind the scenes of my blogging life.

Recipe Ideation & Development
One of the common questions my friends put out to me is what type of recipes I prefer to post and where do I get my recipe ideas from. Ideas are there everywhere; sometimes it’s from a casual talk with friends/family, or an inspiration after trying out a new dish at a restaurant, or books, magazines, cookery shows, etc. My husband and me are ardent foodies with no boundaries; we love to try new cuisines, understand the flavour and spices, and recreate the memories in our own style at the comfort of our kitchen.

With Pepper Delight I try to focus on recipes with seasonal produce, seafood, meat, chicken, drinks, cakes and desserts. Healthy recipes are one of my main targets for this year and I look forward to include more salads, soups, & smoothies, and of course traditional variants of Indian/Kerala recipes from my hometown. I also prefer to have recipes with a cooking time of 30 minutes or less, keeping it simple and delicious.

To finalize a dish for an upcoming post, a lot of factors play in. It may be a dish I recently tried at a restaurant, or one for an upcoming festival, or even from the many ideas which come across you. Once that’s figured out, we start searching for the best restaurant nearby to try it out, especially if it’s a dish we haven’t tasted at all. At times I even do try the same dish at multiple restaurants, to cross reference the taste and ensure that I get to try an authentic version of it unlike the local customized ones.

Once my dish is finalized, comes the recipe preparation. At this point, it would be more of a draft version as I would be looking to get the basic dish, portions, and the recipe right, giving it my own variations & style.

Now let’s move to my favorite part of the recipe development, and that’s Shopping…! What I love about shopping is, being able to visit different authentic country stores in search of their local ingredients, and learn more about their produces, vegetables, food products, desserts, etc. Once back home from shopping, it’s time to put on my apron and head to the kitchen. If it’s a new dish I’m cooking, I usually start with a trial run and end up experimenting it a couple of times until it’s up to my satisfaction.

Food Styling and Photography
Once my dish is ready, the next critical phase is styling and the photo shoot. Food Styling & Food Photography are two areas where I cannot predict the time required as sometimes things work out pretty well and I get to wrap up quickly, but mostly it’s a time consuming process and at times it takes more than that required to cook the dish. Styling is usually a trial and error, it’s a combination of the right props, lighting, and how finally everything turns out to look like. I try different styles by arranging the props, sometimes I pen down my ideas a day before the shoot which helps me to stay planned and wrap up the shoot easily. I’ve had days where I used my entire plates and bowls for getting a single shoot right, but the real pain begins when you start cleaning them, I hate cleaning…!!!

Coming to the details of food styling, vinyl tiles and chart papers are the most common backdrops I use for my photos. I also love the depth and volume which parchment paper, kitchen towels, paper bags and wooden cutting boards give, to make a perfect picture.

Understanding your food and its details help you find the right props to compliment your photos, like the fillers/garnishes used depending on your meal time (for e.g. it’s ideal to use milk/coffee on the side for a breakfast shoot)

One of the best advises I received was from my photographer friend Arjun, who told me to “get inspiration from others and try creating your own style”. That’s true; I love to spend time on Instagram and Pinterest seeing the beautiful photos people post all around the world. Talking about my photography, I don’t have an elaborate kitchen or a studio to shoot, but I do live in a beautiful apartment with plenty of natural light. Shooting a photo usually takes more time than cooking, I click many different angles, taking tons of pictures a day, and at the end of it I am down to the best 3 to 5 photos.

Ingredient photography is one of my favorite, especially shooting with raw ingredients. They define the depth of your picture / dish, and take a viewer through the visual experience of the recipe and its preparation. I am still a novice at step-by-step recipe photos, so I try to make the best out of my ingredient photos giving it everything I have to make it memorable. And I must say I am pretty happy of the improvements I have been able to make over the year.

Post and Share
So now my pictures are ready and my recipe is written down, it’s time to pen the content and the story, edit the photos, and finally post. My post uploads on the blog and the shares across other social networks happen usually at midnight. I love to wake up and see the likes and comments the first thing next morning, and that makes my day…!!

Usually I utilize the day after my recipe post to review, approve and reply to comments, check emails, submit the post to Tastespotting, Foodgawker, Tastologie, etc. As a blogger it is also important to encourage and promote your fellow mates of the Food Blogger’s community; I do spend time on Instagram, Pinterest, and feeds on similar media, pinning, liking, commenting, and giving back to the community.

So that’s it, A peek into the life of a food blogger….!!! Happy Blogging…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare.

The post Behind the Scenes of Food Blogging appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Two years back if someone had asked me what a food blog is, all I could say were the names of a few blogs out of which I seldom visited any. Never did I even think in my dreams that one day I would have a food related website of my own. Life changed so much during this one year and I must say I couldn’t be happier. As days went by I kept on falling in love with my blog and an even more desire to work towards it. It’s all you dear readers and my followers who have made me feel so special throughout this journey, and I thank you everyone for the huge support you have given me.

When I started this blog, people often asked me the reason behind doing a food blog, my recipe sources, ideas, and many more. So, I thought to sit down and pen my first year experiences and the journey as a food blogger. Shortly I will be uploading my second part of this feature too, a “Behind the Scenes” episode! So stay tuned!!

The Story
I don’t believe in luck coz it never favored me, and it was the unexpected which gave me positive results. There were a lot of ups and downs in my life and the one lesson I learnt is that the realities of life are always the same, but if you push yourself you can surely achieve your dreams… and Sky is the limit!!

Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

After I met my husband, I took my first year to enjoy life and be a good housewife. As months went by, I started getting bored and slowly the urge to do something more in life began to haunt me. And I think it gets even worse if you had been working or had a job in the past. Quickly things changed as we moved to the US for my husband’s work assignment, and once again I got engaged and busy with the new phase of life. But as you get further away from family n friends, and being unable to work on a dependent visa, boredom really kicks in. I started looking out for new hobbies, ideas, volunteering, and even thought about higher studies and getting an MS (like any other dependent Indian wife). But I wasn’t really interested in spending time again in a classroom, writing exams, or back to college life. In fact I wanted to do something which makes me happy, carefree, have a balanced work life, and gives me plenty of time to enjoy and be with family. And that’s how Pepper Delight started!!!

The Inspiration
I love cooking and experimenting with food but until recently, I used to confine myself to Indian recipes, in fact South Indian to be specific. Like as I had mentioned in the Inspiration page of my blog, it was after meeting a few friends did I get the courage to explore and cook international recipes beyond my comfort zone. And after moving to the US; the exposure to various global cuisines, the easy accessibility and availability of all ingredients in your nearby grocery stores, having a full sized conventional oven at your apartment/home (it opened the world of baking to me); all of these instilled my desire to start a food blog. Once I had that figured out, then came even bigger confusions; like I need a good website, need to learn photography n food styling, will I be able to write well, can I find time to blog and carry on my household chores, and so on. A millions questions kept on popping daily during my initial blog days, as if I opened a can of worms. So I started spending time to research, did a lot of reading about the experiences of other food bloggers, realized the importance of food styling and photography as the first big step to a good food blog, and as I started to cook, photograph, practice; the real fun began! In fact, if you compare the photos of my initial recipes vs the recent ones, you would get a picture of my learning phase and the journey so far.

Spaghetti with Garlic, Mushroom & Peas

My favorite question I get asked is, where do I get my recipe inspiration and how do I understand food styling? Inspiration is everywhere; it’s all about your priorities and looking out for it. For e.g., I used to tell my husband that only after I sat in the driver’s seat and started driving did I start noticing the sign boards and signals, although they have been there all the time. Same is the case with me after I started blogging; the food blogger’s community out there is my biggest inspiration! Instagram & Pinterest helped me in getting to know an amazing pack of friends who support you and share the same desires in this journey.

Green gram/Parippu Curry

Just like the inspiration, an equally important fact is the criticism. Though it’s been only a year of blogging, I consider myself lucky to not have had that much of a negative feedback. But there is this perception of this profession which some carry and I get asked when I tell people that I am a blogger; “Is that seriously a job?”, and I hate that!! Are white collar jobs that only matter?

People don’t understand the hard work we put before publishing a post. Sometimes it takes days to complete the whole work behind a post. Somedays you lack inspiration for a good recipe, or your dish doesn’t turn out well, otherwise your photos don’t, or being a cloudy day you do not have enough sunlight for photography, at times you struggle to get the right words to pen down your inspiration behind your recipe; there is a lot of effort and work which goes behind the scenes for each and every recipe post.

Red Fish Curry / Meen Mulakittathu

It was a bit stressful initially to hear such criticism, but now it’s my motivation to write even better. All I have to say is; do something in life which you enjoy and makes you happy! Money cannot buy happiness, but the satisfaction in doing something you love and being successful is priceless…

The Journey
Food blogging is a competitive career, and now it is my full time job. One year down the lane with 92 recipes …that’s a big baby step in my journey. Each recipe takes hours and hours of preparations before posting online. Starting with the recipe planning to the grocery shopping, food styling, photography, writing, and posting online, everything involves a lot of work & focus. And finally the least exiting part of it; cleaning up!!! After every post goes live (which usually happens at midnight), I look forward excitedly to wake up in the morning to view the likes, comments, & shares, and make my day bright and happy!

Strawberry Banana Chia Smoothie Bowl

The beautiful part of my journey is the learning phase in photography. And of course, the happiest moment for any food blogger is when someone tries your recipe and shares their wonderful feedback…

Future plans
Into my second year of blogging, I look forward to embrace “staying healthy” as my mantra. I will be focusing on clean eating, and introduce a lot of healthy recipes & detox recipes like smoothies, salads, soups, and so on.

Blueberry Virgin Mojito

Being a travel lover, I also wish to write travel posts (hope I get to travel a lot) focusing on the local and international cuisines/produce available at the places I visit. Collaborating with bloggers, inviting guest posts on my blog is another to-do item on my wish list. And of course, I would love to explore my photography skills and shoot for local restaurants and farms who wouldn’t mind amateurs like me.

So, Thank you all once again for all the love n support; Stay tuned for the second part of this feature, “Behind the Scenes”!!

The post A Year as a Food Blogger appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Its celebration time… My blog turns 1 today…!! Wooohoooo……

That was pretty fast, it’s still unbelievable how a year went by. I still remember the many “firsts” during my blog journey, all as if they happened just yesterday; right from my blog going live, the first comment I received (I screamed with joy that day), being able to view my recipe in google search, Facebook, FoodGawker, Instagram and so on… Everything felt so special! Those were some of the best days of my life and I thank you everyone for your wonderful support! You guys are awesome, my inspiration to keep going with Pepper Delight and bring out the best of me…

As part of my blog’s anniversary celebrations, watch out for my “Behind the scenes” and “1 year as a blogger” posts to know all about my experiences and the fun I’ve had over the year. But for now, let’s celebrate with this beautiful cake which I have been planning for a long time, my chocolate hazelnut semi naked cake with chocolate ganache!

Semi-naked/Naked cake is one of the most preferred styles especially for celebrations, apart from the usual fondant cakes. These cakes are simple to bake and also have a finished surface but with a casual look unlike the fully frosted ones. Their highlight is being able to view the different cake layers through the finished cake, beautifully stacked on top of each other with the rich frosting in-between. And finishing off with the right ganache or toppings makes it even more elegant and party perfect! This is my first attempt with a semi naked style cake and, Boy am I happy with the outcome; It was damn delicious!!!

Mastering the art of baking a semi naked cake is quite easy as long as you keep an eye on the details. Here are a few valuable tips from my kitchen:

1. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
2. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
3. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
4. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting on the sides to create the semi naked effect.
5. Refrigerate the frosted cake to set properly before topping with ganache. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
6. And make sure to bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

This is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted. They are moist inside, and the layered frosting makes it so rich with flavour. The dark chocolate ganache levels out the sweetness of the frosting and balances well with the chocolate cake and hazelnut flavour. And the crunchy Ferrero Rocher makes it perfect for any party/celebrations or even as your dessert.

Enjoy baking, Happy Caking…!!!

Don’t forget to check out my other Blog Anniversary special cakes:

• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

Print

Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Hazelnut frosting in a semi naked style, topped with crunchy Ferrero Rocher and a dark chocolate ganache dripping around the edges.  

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, hazelnut cake, naked cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For three 6 inch chocolate cakes

• 1½ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1½ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
• 3 tsp milk
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

• 4 oz mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
• 1¼ stick unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
• 1-3 tbsp milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz dark chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

Decorations

• Ferrero Rocher chocolates

Instructions

For making chocolate cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F. 
• Line three 6 inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beat until combined. 
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract and milk. 
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well. 
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

• Beat butter until smooth and creamy. 
• Add the powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese and hazelnut spread, beat until it turns out smooth and creamy.
• Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure that the frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken. 

Chocolate Ganache

• Break the chocolate into small pieces and combine with heavy cream.
•  Temper the chocolate mix by either setting the bowl over a pan of simmering water, or microwave at a 30 second interval and stirring continuously until it completely melts. 
• Ensure not to overheat or burn the mix as it will split and become unusable. Once melted, keep stirring to bring its temperature down until smooth and silky.

Final Assembly of the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable/cake stand. 
• Apply little frosting on the center of the base and spread. This helps the cake to stick and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a generous amount of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake with a ¾ to 1 inch thickness.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides. Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and using a spatula spread the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake. 
• Now apply a very thin layer of frosting on top and around the cake, starting from the bottom to the top. Scrape down the excess frosting using a scraper to create the semi naked effect. Finish with a small coating on top. 
• Refrigerate it for 30 minutes to set properly. 
• Pour the ganache over the chilled frosted cake. Quickly spread the ganache to the sides to create a polish finish on the top and to create the drip effect. Avoid further spreading.
• Decorate with Ferrero Rocher.

Notes

1. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
2. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
3. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
4. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting on the sides to create the semi naked effect.
5. Refrigerate the frosted cake to set properly before topping with ganache. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
6. And make sure to bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

The post Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache appeared first on Pepper Delight.

This was the first year of my culinary journey and I must say, it was Amazing!! Had many recipe disasters & photography mishaps, but at the same time I also had a lot of first time experiences and memorable moments.

A huge Thank You to You All for staying with me thick & thin throughout this journey, and without you support & encouragement I would not have been able to get this far.

Wish You All a Wonderful 2017 and keep watching for a yummy delicious year ahead from Pepper Delight!!

Recapping the most popular 10 recipes of 2016:

10. Baked Potato Wedges with Creamy Tangy Ketchup

9. Tandoori Chicken Pizza

8. Dry Roasted Chicken/Nadan Chicken Ularthiyathu

7. Tennessee Honey Whiskey Cake

6. Creamy Mushroom Soup

5. Goat Curry

4. White Chocolate Cake with Cherry Sauce

3. Honey Soy Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

2. Spicy Slow Cooked Beef Curry

1. Chicken Pasta with White Sauce

The post Top 10 Recipes of 2016 appeared first on Pepper Delight.