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.