This cake recipe is that of one I have experimented the most since baking with Pepper Delight.  Had been searching for a simple coffee cake recipe since a long time and that’s when I stumbled upon this jam filled delight on “#thebakefeed” and I’ve absolutely loved it ever since. The cake reminds me of honey cake from Iyengar bakery in its looks and style where it is topped with jam, whereas here the jam is a filling and that excited me more.

I have tweaked the recipe to compensate for some ingredients which I had ran out in my pantry and also to suit the likings of our palette (my husband is not a big fan of too much cinnamon in crumb topping). And boy! The cake came out so delicious with the jam filling in the center being the perfect match for the crumb topping. I’ve baked it so many times by now; each time adjusting the ingredients, covering the cake with foil and without, varying bake times, etc… lost count by now and ended up with this kickass cake! Trust me… it is definitely a FOOLPROOF recipe.

The cake is soft and tender with the perfect balance of sweetness from the jam, nutty flavors of the almonds, and the aromas of cinnamon & nutmeg, making it a perfect pair to enjoy with tea/coffee and family-n-friends.

Why it is called coffee cake but has no coffee?

This is a very common misconception many have and most of us don’t bother to check the recipe and think that coffee is an ingredient.

Well, the answer is pretty simple; Coffee cake is a cake which pairs up well with and can be relished with a cup of coffee or tea.

Few points to consider while baking this cake:

1. It is best to pipe the batter into the pan using a piping bag or ziplock bag, to create a well into which the jam filling can be poured and spread properly.
2. Ensure not to spread the jam to the edges as it will caramelize and stick to the pan, making it difficult to remove the cake.
3. You can use any berry jam of your choice, be it seedless or with seeds. They all work with this recipe.
4. Need a quick buttermilk recipe? Mix ½ cup whole milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes until you start seeing curdling, its then ready.

Enjoy, Happy Baking…!

Interested in other cake recipes? Check these out:

1. Steamed Wheat Cake / Gothambu Kinnathappam
2. Pear Loaf Cake
3. Pear Upside Down Cake
4. Chocolate Cake with Dulce de leche
5. Apricot Upside-Down Cake

This recipe is partially adapted from @thebakefeed.

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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Coffee Cake with Jam Filling

A simple one pan Coffee Cake with Jam Filling and an Almond Crumb Topping! The perfect companion for your evening cup of Coffee!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword coffee cake, jam cake, tea cake

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 9 inch cake

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter (at room temp.)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs at room temp.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup whole buttermilk recipe above
• ½ cup berry jam of your choice whisked

For the almond crumb topping

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¾ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt. Keep aside.
• Prepare wet ingredients: 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, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well.
• Prepare jam filling: Whisk the jam with a fork until it is slightly loose and spreadable. Keep it ready.
• Pour half the batter into the prepared baking pan and level it with a spatula. Pipe a portion of the remaining batter on top of it along the edge of the pan to create a well. Pour and spread the raspberry jam in the center.
• Pipe or pour the remaining batter on top of it to cover the jam, and smoothen with a spatula.
• Crumb topping: Whisk all the ingredients listed under crumb toppings, in a bowl. Sprinkle on top of the batter.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan, slice it and enjoy with a cup of coffee/tea.

Notes

1. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for 3 to 4 days.
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. Make sure to use butter, eggs and buttermilk which are at room temperature.
4. Do not open the oven in the middle of the baking process. This allows cool air to enter which affects the temperature and the baking.

The post Coffee Cake with Jam Filling appeared first on Pepper Delight.

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.

December is here! The month of Christmas… the time of the year that we bake the most! I too had a lot of fun the previous years, baking some of my favorite Xmas desserts; Non-Alcoholic Christmas Cake, Alcoholic Christmas Cake, and Gingerbread Cookies. Although I do bake quite often, over the years I’ve started to grow a liking towards spicy flavors and took that as my inspiration for this Christmas. So here you go, a cupcake recipe from my pantry but with a twist of spicy gingerbread cookie flavors.

As I said before, these cupcakes are so different from the regular ones because they are spiced. The addition of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice gives it an aromatic flavor which reminds you of Christmas and the holidays. When you pull them out of the oven, your whole house literally starts to fill with the warmth and aroma of these spices, it’s pure bliss… I’m short of words to describe how good that feels!!

And to take the flavors of this beautiful dessert to another level, I have topped them up with Cream Cheese Frosting… a match made in heaven! A combo which keeps you craving for more…

Now if you want to impress your guests with some fun-filled theme-based presentation, top the frosted cupcakes with cute little gingerbread man icing decorations and Christmas sprinkles. The ones I’ve used were bought from Michael’s but you can also find them at Amazon here.

If you are in search for a good Gingerbread Cookies recipe, check out my Gingerbread Cookies post, it is a winner recipe and a definite crowd pleaser!

Merry Christmas & 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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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Kick off this year’s Christmas Party and Impress your Holiday Guests with these Spicy Tender Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cupcake, gingerbread, gingerbread cupcakes

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cupcakes

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1½ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• ½ cup milk (at room temperature)

For the cream cheese frosting

• 1 block (8oz) cream cheese (softened)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Gingerbread man icing decorations (optional)
• Christmas sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

For the cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl. Keep aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and beat until combined.
• Add the egg and beat, followed by adding molasses.
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with milk and beat until they combine well and the batter turns out smooth. The consistency of the batter is thick.
• Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them a little over half way full.
• Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool completely before frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until smooth.
• Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes as desired.
• You may store any leftover frosting in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before using it again.
• Decorate with gingerbread man and Christmas sprinkles as desired (optional).

The post Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Pepper Delight.

This post is sponsored by Florida Crystals® and is also my entry to the Florida Crystals® “Pure Joy Blogger Recipe Challenge”. Although I have received samples of their products, all the opinions in this post are entirely my own.

A few more days to go for Thanksgiving and I’m already excited to shop, celebrate, & enjoy! So how are your preparations coming along? Is your menu for the big dinner ready? This year I’ve decided to team up with Florida Crystals® and present you a twist to the usual classic desserts, with a 3 layered surprise. An orange cake, in a creamy orange buttercream frosting, glazed with a cranberry drip, and topped with sugared cranberries! It’s an absolute delight of holiday flavors; moist, tangy, fruity and tarty…!

The base orange cake has Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar as one of its main ingredients, which makes a great substitute to regular granulated sugar. Its fine golden crystals with a delicious hint of molasses, make it ideal for all baking recipes. The orange cake alone without the frosting is itself a delight to savor.

For the buttercream frosting I have used Florida Crystals® Organic Powdered Raw Cane Sugar, which is perfect for frostings, icings, sugar cookies and no-bake cheesecakes. I’ve also used both of Florida Crystals® sugars in the cranberry drip, which is the highlight of this recipe. The tarty glaze complements all the other flavors and keeps you asking for more with each bite.

The sugar-coated cranberries are an optional element, but it surely adds to the beauty of the cake with a winter outlook. This cake is perfect for any occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving or Christmas Holidays.

Florida Crystals® are the only certified organic raw cane sugar grown and harvested in the US. You can check out their products online and order through your retail shops by visiting their Products page here.

You can also order through Amazon here.

Follow Florida Crystals for more recipe ideas and other updates on Facebook, Instagram, & Pinterest.

Happy Baking & Happy Thanksgiving…!

Interested in more Cake recipes? Check out my Cakes & Desserts Archives here.

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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Orange Cake with Cranberry Drip

Layers of Moist Orange Deliciousness with a Creamy Buttercream Frosting, Balanced in a Cranberry Glaze … The Holiday Cake of your Dreams …!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apricot cake, cranberry, orange cake, thanksgiving

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the orange cake

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup softened unsalted butter
• 1½ cup Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup orange juice
• Zest of one large orange

For the orange buttercream filling and crumb coat

• 1½ cup softened unsalted butter
• 1½ cup Florida Crystals® Organic Powdered Raw Cane Sugar sifted
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp orange juice

For the cranberry drip

• 1 cup cranberry
• ½ cup Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup Florida Crystals® Organic Powdered Raw Cane Sugar sifted + more

For the sugar coated cranberries

• 1 cup cranberries
• 2 tbsp + ¼ cup Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar
• 2 tbsp water

Decoration

• Orange swirls
• Freshly sliced oranges
• Sugar coated cranberries

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 and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract and zest of one orange.
• Add the dry ingredients in 2 sets alternating with milk and beat until they combine well.
• Add orange juice and give the batter a one last beat on low or until mixed well. The cake batter will be slightly dense.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15-20 mins.
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

For the filling and crumb coat

• Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and 1 tbsp orange juice, beat until it turns out smooth.
• Add 1 tsp or more orange juice 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.
• For the sugar coated cranberries
• In a saucepan, combine 2 tbsp sugar with water and cook on a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the cranberries into the saucepan and stir to coat them well in the sugar syrup.
• Transfer the cranberries onto a wire rack and allow them to cool for 30- 45 minutes.
• In a small bowl, take the remaining ¼ cup sugar and roll the cooled sticky cranberries in it until they are sugar coated properly. You can also do this in batches to carefully coat each one of them.

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.
• 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 cranberry drip.

For the cranberry drip

• In a medium saucepan, cook cranberries with cane sugar, lemon juice and water.
• Cook until the cranberries pop open, and then lightly mash them so that it turns into a thick sauce. Switch off the flame, strain the sauce and keep aside.
• In a separate bowl, add the powdered sugar and mix the strained sauce 1 tbsp at a time and whisk well. Repeat until it forms a thick pourable glaze. If the glaze turns out thick, add the leftover sauce if any or water to thin it out. And if thin, add more powdered sugar to thicken the glaze.
• Pour the glaze over the cake and allow it to fall through the edges to create that drip effect.
• Decorate the cake with sugar coated cranberries, orange swirls, orange slices if desired.

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.

The post Orange Cake with Cranberry Drip appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Goodbye Summer! It’s the first week of Fall 2019 and here I am with a treat for you guys, a Pear Upside-Down Cake !!

Although it is officially the Fall season, the weather doesn’t seem to be ready yet to let go of summer. It’s still pretty hot outside and the leaves are all green. But nevertheless, I am kick starting my fall baking with this delicious pear cake.

Pear is one of my absolute favorite fall fruits and I love baking with it. Last year I did a Pear Loaf Cake which became a hit among my family and friends, and so this time I thought to tweak the recipe and try out a Pear Upside-Down Cake. It came out really well; the soft textured cake topped with cooked pear in a caramelized crust… a heavenly combination of fruit & cake which takes the flavors to a whole new level!  Cooked pear is nothing like the raw fruit, its aroma in itself is satisfying and the sweetness is perfectly balanced and toned down, even if you use ripe pears. But if you are a cake lover with a very sweet tooth, bump it up by adding an extra ¼ cup of granulated sugar along with the other dry ingredients.

This recipe calls for buttermilk and it was during my bake that I realized I did not have it in my pantry, so had to quickly prepare a homemade batch instead of my usual store bought one. In case you are interested in the recipe, here it is below:

Quick fix Homemade Buttermilk recipe instructions (½cup)

• Whisk 4 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp plain yogurt together in a bowl and allow it sit for 5-10 minutes. Your homemade buttermilk is ready.

Pro-tip: Since this is an upside-down cake, the base of the final dish will be the upper layer of the cake when coming out of the oven, which later would go to the bottom once inverted. As the cake rises in the oven, the top layer may not be flat creating an uneven surface once inverted and so the cake will not sit straight and may break apart and collapse. So, you will have to level off the top by trimming the bulges with a knife.

Enjoy this delicious cake along with a cup of tea or coffee, Happy Baking…!

Interested in another pear cake recipe? Then don’t forget to check out my Pear Loaf Cake recipe.

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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Pear Upside-Down Cake

Pear Upside-Down Cake…Loaded with the Goodness of Pear in a Caramelized Crust, the Perfect Tea Time Cake…!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pear cake, pear upside-down cake, upside down cake

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 pears (Bosc or Anjou pear)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)+ 3 tbsp (cubed, cold butter)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup buttermilk

Instructions

• Peel the pears carefully to remove the skin and slice into halves lengthwise along their stem. Scoop out the core and cut the stems.
• Preheat oven to 350-degree Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper extending it 2 inches above the rim through its sides. Brush with melted butter and keep aside.
• Into the pan, add brown sugar, cubed butter and place it in the oven for 5 minutes to allow the butter to melt. Remove from the oven and arrange the pear halves crosswise in the pan alternating their narrow ends with their cored side facing down flat. Keep it aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition, and continue beating. Add vanilla extract.
• Gradually add flour mix alternating with buttermilk, beating just until combined after each addition. Batter will be very thick.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool for 30-45 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan for the cake to loosen. Lift the parchment paper to take the cake out of the pan onto a flat surface.
• Before inverting the cake, ensure its top surface is flat otherwise it will not sit straight and may break apart and collapse. Level off the top by trimming of the bulges with a knife. Place a serving plate inverted on the top surface, and quickly n carefully invert the cake onto it.
• Remove the parchment paper and slice the cake through the pears and serve, Enjoy!

The post Pear Upside-Down Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

I chose to try out this recipe purely for its fruity flavors. Its rich in pineapple, banana, coconut, and crunchy toasted pecans, spiced with cinnamon and all spice, topped with a delicious whipped cream cheese frosting… Voila! the Best Comfort Cupcake you can dream off…

So, why the name? This cake has its origins from Jamaica, and is considered to be sweet as the nectar hummingbirds hunt for, which happens to be the national bird as well and reminiscent to the tropical flavors of the Caribbean Island. Did you know? This cake is also known as Doctor Bird Cake, a nickname for the red-billed streamer tail which belongs to the hummingbird family.

The recipe gives you incredibly warm, rich, moist and soft cupcakes, with a sticky crust from the caramelized sugars in the fruits, and tastes amazingly good. If you are a fan of banana cake, then I am sure you’re gonna love this one. It’s also a party favorite which is why is popular as the “cake that doesn’t last”.

I know my piping skills have not been top notch for the recipe photos. I was in a hurry to pipe it, but make sure you refrigerate the cream cheese frosting for 15 minutes at least before piping.

Pro tip: Use overripe banana and pineapple (with juices) for more flavor!!!

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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Hummingbird Cupcakes

A Spiced Cake filled with the flavors of Banana, Pineapple, Coconut and Pecans… The “Cake that doesn’t Last”! A Southern Classic, and it’s a Hummingbird Cupcakes...!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cakes, cupcakes, hummingbird cake

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cupcakes

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1½ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp all spice
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup canned crushed pineapple along with juices
• 2 bananas (mashed)
• ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
• ½ cup pecans/walnuts (toasted & chopped)

For the cream cheese frosting

• 1 package 8oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 5 tbsp butter (at room temperature)
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk (optional)

Instructions

For the cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Spread pecans onto a separate baking pan and toast in the oven for 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Chop them into fine pieces. Keep aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking salt, salt, ground cinnamon and all spice in a large bowl. Keep aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches and beat until they combine well.
• In the meantime, mix mashed bananas, pineapple and shredded coconut in a small bowl. Whisk well to mix properly.
• Add this mix to the flour mix and beat in low speed to combine well. Remove the paddle attachment and add chopped pecans and fold well by using a spatula. The batter will be thick.
• Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them a little over half way full.
• 1Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the crust turns golden brown.

For the cream cheese frosting

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate it for
  15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and decorate as desired.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The post Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting 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.

Have you ever tried baking a pear cake without poaching? If not, I would highly insist you do. Honestly, I was intrigued to bake without poaching and confused with the cooking time, ingredients required, if wine or anything else had to be added, to get the flavors right. But to my surprise the pears cooked perfectly! A plain vanilla cake with pears and its aroma is just amazing, I would say it’s perfect to pair with a cup of tea for the cozy evenings of this Fall.

Like any other loaf pan cake recipe, this one also requires more than an hour to cook and the cake does not become dry in spite of its browned crust and edges. The juices from the pears infuse with the batter resulting in an insanely moist and soft cake. And the pears themselves become so tender and melt in your mouth.

You can use Bosc, Forelle or Anjou Pears which are ripe, (but slightly firm when you touch) to make this cake. Make sure to level the bottom of the pears so that they stand straight in the pan while baking.

Also, I definitely recommend lining your pan with parchment paper, which I regret not doing. Unlike other regular loaf pan cakes which have a flat top on which you can place a wire rack and invert, this once has the pear heads with the stems sticking out, making it really hard to invert and remove. In addition too, the pears make the cake heavy and susceptible to breakage, so unless you get into some serious acrobats (which I unfortunately had to), pulling out the cake in one piece from the pan without parchment paper linings will be a challenge.

Enjoy this delicious cake along with some warm tea, Happy Cooking…!

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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A post shared by Akhila Shekhar (@pepperdelightblog) on Nov 4, 2020 at 6:37pm PST

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Pear Loaf Cake

Celebrate Fall with this Vanilla Pear Loaf Cake to fill your Holiday Dessert Menu! Simple, Easy & Non-Poached… This delightful Pear-Vanilla Combo is a must try if you’re a Pear Lover. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword fall dessert, pear, pear cake, pear loaf cake

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 3 pears (Bosc pears with stem)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)

Instructions

• Peel the pears carefully to remove its skin keeping the stem intact. Level their bottoms so that the pears stand straight with equal height.
• Preheat oven to 350-degree F. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper extending it 2 inches above the rim of the pan on all sides. Brush with melted butter and keep aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition, and continue beating. Add vanilla extract.
• Gradually add flour mix alternating with buttermilk, beating just until combined after each addition. The resulting batter will be very thick.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Insert the pears vertically / standing up, pushing them all the way down to the bottom of the pan until they rest on their levelled bottoms.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 1hr plus 10-15 minutes until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes. Lift the parchment paper to take the cake out of the pan onto a flat surface. Slice the cake through the pears and serve, Enjoy!

The post Pear Loaf Cake 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.

So, another eventful year is coming to an end with a lot of excitement over the time, and I am here writing my last recipe before the holidays; wrapping up on a sweet note with a Traditional, Old Fashioned Christmas Fruit Cake, aka Plum Cake. With a backdrop of my hometown, Plum cake races me back to my childhood days and memories, as it is a very famous dessert in Kerala, especially during Christmas. I do not know the history behind its origin, but I believe it was the Britishers who brought the original dried fruit variety of the cake to India. A common misunderstanding of the cake going by its name is it being made of the fruit Plum, but actually it refers to its plumped ingredients; the dry fruits which swell up over its soaking period. Funny, isn’t it?

The highlight of this cake is the aroma of the spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg), and the alcohol soaked fruits. The longer the fruits n nuts being soaked, the better it’s flavours. I recommend soaking them for a minimum of 2 days before baking the cake, so that the flavours sum up. This Christmas I started my preparations earlier, and hence got a chance to soak my fruits for a month. You can even keep them for up to 6 months; now that would be heavenly, right?

There is usually no icing on a traditional Christmas cake, but variations with Cream Cheese or Whipped Cream are also popular. The cake is intensely rich and moist and is a perfect balance of sweetness from the smoky caramel syrup and the dry fruits. This cake makes a great addition to your holiday table as a dessert, or as a Christmas gift for your family and friends.

And if you planned to go this year with a non-alcoholic version, check out my Non Alcoholic Christmas Fruit Cake recipe, Trust me…it’s the Best!

Here are a few ingredients options for you before you plan your bake, I highly recommend going through them:

• Dry Fruits varieties: Raisins / sultanas, apricots, dates (seedless), prunes, currants, figs, tutti fruit, glazed cherries, dried unsweetened cranberries.
• Nuts: Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios, Pecans.
• Soaking liquid (alcoholic): Rum, Brandy, Cognac, Amarula, Baileys Irish Cream.
• Soaking liquid (non-alcoholic): 100% grape juice, apple juice, orange juice, or water.
• Spices: Dry Ginger powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom.

Enjoy baking, Merry Christmas…!!!

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

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Christmas Fruit Cake/Kerala Plum Cake

Indulge yourself to a Holiday Treat, loaded with Fruits n Nuts soaked in Rum… an Old fashioned Christmas Fruit Cake aka Kerala Style Plum Cake…! Moist, Rich, and Luscious… just how you would have wished your perfect fruit cake to be…!

Course Dessert

Keyword christmas fruit cake, fruit cake, kerala plum cake, plum cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For soaked dry fruits

• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 6-8 apricots
• 5 dates (seedless)
• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup almonds
• 1 cup rum (or more)

For caramel syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water

For cake

• 2 cup flour + 2tbsp
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter (1 cup) (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• 4 eggs (at room temperature)
• zest of one orange
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• ½ tsp dry ginger powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp rum (from the soaked dry fruits)

Instructions

Preparation of fruits

• Chop dry fruits n nuts into bite size pieces, and transfer to a dry glass container. Pour the rum into the container and ensure that the contents are completely immersed in it. Place its lid and keep the container tightly closed.
• Soak the fruits for at least 2 days, you can even preserve them up to 6 months; I soaked mine for 4 weeks. Shake the jar every alternative day and keep refilling it with extra rum as the fruits start absorbing it.
• You can use 2 to 2 ½ cups of soaked fruits and nuts while baking a cake.
• For soaking instructions and other tips, refer the notes section below.

Preparation of caramel syrup

• Add the sugar and 1 tbsp water into a pan and heat on a medium flame.
• As the sugar melts, turns golden in color, and bubbles, lower the flame and give it a quick stir. When the color changes to dark brown, switch off the flame and take the pan off the heat.
• Now carefully add the rest of the water a tablespoon at a time and stir. Your dark colored caramel syrup is ready. Keep it aside to cool down, stir in between.

Preparation of cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 9 inch nonstick springform pan with parchment paper; on the bottom and and along the sides extending 2 inches above the rim of the pan. Butter the paper thoroughly and set aside.
• Drain the rum soaked fruits and keep the liquid aside for later use. To the drained fruits, add 2 tbsp flour and mix to coat the fruits; this helps preventing them from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking. Keep aside.
• Separate egg whites and yolks. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, set aside.
• Prepare the dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Keep aside.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, this helps to mix it evenly.
• Add egg yolks followed by grated orange zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, nutmeg and dry ginger powder. Beat well.
• Add the cooled caramel syrup, dry ingredients, and the beaten egg whites in two batches, beat lightly until well combined.
• Now add the flour coated dry fruits into the batter along with 2tbsp of the drained rum. Do not beat, instead fold in all the ingredients thoroughly with a spatula. The batter is ready, it will have a slightly thick consistency.
• Pour the batter carefully into the prepared baking pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• Gently run a knife around the edges of the pan and then unlock it. Move the cake to a wire rack keeping the lined parchment paper intact and let it cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar (optional).
• Once cooled you can remove the paper, and the cake is now ready to be served.
• To store, you can wrap the cake in an aluminum foil and keep in an air tight container at room temperature for a week. Refrigerate thereafter.

Notes

1. Soak dry fruits in alcohol to enhance the flavour. I recommend soaking for at least 48hrs but you may do so for days, weeks, or even up to 6 months. The more it soaks, the better it tastes.
2. Chop the fruits to be soaked into bite sized pieces. Use a clean air tight glass container to soak and store. Shake the jar or stir every alternate day as it helps to rehydrate the fruits and not dry out. Fill with extra rum as needed.
3. After draining the soaked dry fruits before baking the cake, coat them in a few spoons of flour. This helps the fruits to stick on to the batter while baking and prevents from setting down to the bottom.
4. Be cautious while preparing the caramel syrup, the melted sugar is very hot and will boil intensely when water is added. It can burn you if not carefully handled, also ensure to remove the pan from the flame when adding water.
5. After removing the baked cake from the pan, allow it sit on a wire rack to cool down at room temperature. Do not remove the parchment paper from the pan when the cake is hot, it might crumble.
6. Wrapping the cake in an aluminum foil helps it to retain moisture and prevent drying out.
7. You can keep the cake in an air tight container at room temperature for a week. Refrigerate thereafter.
8. If you want to make your cake boozy, you can brush the left over drained rum from the soaked fruits over the cake, once it is cooled from the oven. For those who prefer an aged/matured cake, you can bake it in advance and daily brush it with the remaining rum and wrap it back in the foil, until the day of serving / Christmas. 

The post Christmas Fruit Cake / Kerala Style Plum Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So that’s how I celebrated my weekend; with friends, family, a birthday, potluck, loads of fun, and this delicious cake! It was our friend’s birthday, a good friend of mine, my hubby’s colleague, and he also happens to be one of my critiques and taster of Pepper Delight recipes. Happy Birthday to you Apoorv!!

I baked this one pan Chocolate Cake for his birthday, which happens to also be one of the most requested recipes from my friends and followers. The cake is coated with a Chocolate Frosting and I topped it with slivered almonds for some crunchiness. And to finish it off, a drizzle of the delicious Dulce De Leche…!!

Dulce de leche is a popular Latin dessert which originated in Argentina and is made by caramelizing milk and sugar through a slow cooking process. It is amber colored, thick and a rich sauce similar in taste and consistency to that of caramel. If you like caramel, then you are definitely gonna love Dulce de leche, it’s a sauce to die for!

You can top it on cakes, cookies, toasts, or even in ice creams. Its preparation is a time consuming process but is surely worth it, you can make it at home or buy readymade from stores.

There are several ways to cook dulce de leche at home. The most common one is the stove top method, but oven cooking is also preferred. After doing some research I did understand that there are risks associated with stove top, especially if you are cooking unopened cans. As this is my first attempt I didn’t want to take any chances and so I chose the safest option which is the oven method. And I am happy that it turned out well.

The cake altogether is the right balance of flavours; the chocolaty from the cake, sweetness of the frosting, smoky caramelized dulce… it’s a Chocolate Lover’s Delight!

Enjoy, Happy Baking!!!

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Chocolate Cake with Dulce De Leche

Rich n Moist one pan Chocolate Cake… coated in Chocolate Frosting, Slivered Almonds, with a drizzle of Dulce De Leche…!!! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, dulce de leche

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 11

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup milk (at room temperature)
• ½ cup boiling water

For the Chocolate Frosting

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 2½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup milk (or more)

For the Dulce de leche

• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Toppings

• Slivered almonds

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 9 inch round baking pan with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, cocoa powder, 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, beat until combined.
• Beat in the egg, followed by adding vanilla extract and oil.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with milk and beat until they combine well.
• Pour the boiling water; beat on low speed for few seconds until it is mixed well.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-37 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

For the chocolate frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy.
• Add cocoa powder, 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.

For the Dulce de leche (oven method)

• Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
• Pour condensed milk into a baking pan. Cover it tightly with foil.
• Pick a roasting pan big enough to water bath the baking pan, and place the baking pan in it. Pour hot water into the roasting pan till it reaches halfway up the baking pan.
• Carefully place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for a total of 1½ hrs. Check every 30 minutes to ensure there is enough water in the roasting pan and add more water if necessary. Bake until the milk thickens and gets a deep caramel color.
• Once cooked and removed from the oven, whisk continuously to smoothen and remove any lumps from the sauce. It will start to thicken as it cools down.
• To store, pour it into a closed container and keep refrigerated.

Spread the Chocolate frosting over the cake. Sprinkle some slivered almonds and drizzle Dulce de leche. Enjoy!

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.

• Make sure to use butter, eggs and milk which should be brought at room temperature.

• Do not open oven in the middle of baking time. This allows bringing cool air inside oven which eventually affects baking process.

• While cooking the condensed milk, you may vary the cook time depending on how caramelized you want your sauce to be. Usually it takes 1½ hours to get a light brown color. I baked it for an extra 30 minutes to get a darker color.

• To reuse refrigerated/stored Dulce de leche, microwave it to loosen the sauce.

The post Chocolate Cake with Dulce De Leche appeared first on Pepper Delight.

The last few months were a baking frenzy for me, 8 cakes and that was a lot, don’t you think so? Well… I guess not for many of you but, for me it was quite different from my usual baking routine, which was no more than a cake a month. I usually bake when I have something to celebrate, and this time… YES, it was my Husband’s Birthday! And the best part about this birthday post was its photoshoot, he posed for my photos!! I couldn’t be happier… Unlike my usual style of photography which includes hand modelling at times, it was my longtime dream to try out something different and I’m glad he finally agreed.

To celebrate his birthday I baked this Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting (which is his favorite). Last year it was a Tiramisu Swiss Roll which was a big hit at our party and this year we kept it simple with a Vanilla cake and prettied it up with props and other decos.

The cake is unbelievably soft and moist, perhaps the best I’ve done so far. If you guys read my posts regularly, you would know that I repeat this sentence every time, but trust me…that’s the truth. I’m still an amateur at baking and each episode of baking is a learning in itself, the results amaze me… be it the texture, moistness and the sweetness. So for all the beginner and amateur bakers out there, just keep trying n experiment new flavors, and you will make wonders!

The frosting of this cake is thin between the layers and on its outer side. I preferred it to be thin so as to balance the extra sweetness of the caramel drip. But you can double the measurement of the frosting if you like; to give it a thicker coat, decorate with rosettes, or design other shapes & styles. Now talking about the caramel drip, this was my first time preparing a caramel sauce, and Sweet Lord… one finger lick of it and it took me back to my childhood memories; Alpenliebe, Parrys Caramel Candy, and all those caramel toffies just sprung back to my mind! Never realized it was so easy to make, I infact thought of buying some toffee wrappers and make a few homemade caramel candy. And the final topping to the cake was the fresh raspberries; Awwweee. I just loved it… perfect to balance the sweet tooth.

As you read through the ingredients and instructions, it may seem intimidating but just follow them as is. I’ve tried to explain the cake assembling, key points, and notes to my best possible. So if you have any questions, just let me know in the comment section.

Enjoy, Happy Baking!!!

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Vanilla Raspberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Caramel Drip

Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting, topped with a Silky Caramel Drip and Fresh Raspberries…!! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, caramel drip, naked cake, raspberry cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 18 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 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 whole milk (at room temperature)

For the buttercream frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ - 2 cup powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the caramel drip

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (cubed)
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

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 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, beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with whole 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 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.
• 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 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 caramel sauce.

For the caramel drip

• Make sure all your ingredients are ready before you start preparing the caramel sauce.
• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat sugar and water on medium heat until it completely dissolves and begins to brown. Swirl the pan while it starts boiling so that it melts evenly.
• Turn of the heat and while leaving the pan on the stove, add the cubed butter. Whisk until melted.
• Once the butter has completely melted, turn on the heat back to a low and add milk cream slowly by whisking it in parallel. Bring it to boil.
• When the mix start to thicken up, remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes before using. For a later use, transfer to air tight glass bottles and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
• This recipe measurement is enough for a semi naked /naked cake caramel drip. Once it cools down and thickens, pour slowly over the cake to create the drip effect.
• Decorate with fresh Raspberries.

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.
• 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 before topping with caramel. 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 Vanilla Raspberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Caramel Drip appeared first on Pepper Delight.

This is a Chocolate Celebration straight from Heaven! Trust me, you are gonna say the same if you have a slice… this is the Best Chocolate Cake ever..!!

So, you might be wondering, how come a sheet cake all of the sudden? Well that’s right, my blog has all round pan cakes (except for one on a loaf pan) and the whole idea to do this came from my husband’s request. He wanted to treat his colleagues with some cake delight, and I knew that he had a decently sized team working with him. I started going through my cake recipes and the number of pans I had to bake a few at a time, and that’s when I saw this brand new sheet pan, unused and lying there since a long time. Silly me, that’s perfect for a crowd and was what I have been looking for … so that’s it, a Sheet Cake! My husband loves anything with chocolate, and also is fond of pastries, so thinking all that through, the Texas sheet cake recipe turned out to be the right pick for my bake.

This cake has many Wows; its aroma, the looks, moistness, gooeness, ease of preparation, and of course its taste…! Right from taking it out of the oven, to the time you open the lid of its box to grab the last bite, the cake is soo aromatic! The cocoa flavor, cinnamon and the butter toasted pecans, together emanate such a wonderful aroma that everybody around you inhales a deep breath in pleasure! Every bite of it is moist and feels like a light version of a brownie, and the credit for that goes to the hot cocoa mix used in this recipe unlike the other chocolate cakes.

This cake is so easy to prepare and requires neither fancy equipment nor any special decorating skills. Just whisk the ingredients together in a bowl, bake, pour frosting and your delicious cake is ready!!!

Enjoy, Happy Baking!!!

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Recipe adapted from Texas Sheet Cake.

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Texas Sheet Cake

Classic Texas Sheet Cake topped with a Gooey Chocolate Frosting and Toasted Pecans…! Intensely Moist and Incredibly Delicious, a Perfect Crowd Puller...! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, texas sheet cake

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk

For the chocolate frosting

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp heavy cream
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1¾ cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 cup pecans (chopped and toasted)

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a 9x13 inch sheet cake pan with parchment paper extending it a few inches over the sides. Grease the pan properly with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
• Sift dry ingredients in a bowl; flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add granulated sugar into the mix and whisk together well. Keep aside.
• In a midsized saucepan, melt butter on a medium heat. Add cocoa powder and water; bring the mixture to a boil while whisking periodically. Turn off the flame and pour the mix over the flour mix and stir to combine.
• Add eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk; whisk well to mix everything to a smooth batter. The cake batter is smooth and loose.
• Pour the batter carefully into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the chocolate frosting

• Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa powder, milk cream, and bring the mix to boil by stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pan from the heat and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth without any lumps.
• Pour the prepared frosting over the warm cake, spreading it towards the edges using a spatula. Sprinkle pecans over the cake immediately so that it sets along with the frosting.
• Allow the cake to cool before serving.

Notes

Toasting pecans is optional, but I highly recommend it. Heat 1tbsp butter in a pan on a medium flame, add chopped pecans and toast it by stirring continuously for 4-5 minutes until it turns aromatic. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool. Make sure your nuts are ready before preparing the frosting.

The post Texas Sheet Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So officially summer is here, and so are the summer fruits! Cherries, Plums, Apricots, Peaches, Berries…and for me that’s the perfect time to bake yummy goodies with all the fresh fruits. If someone asks me what my favorite dry fruit is, I will say “Apricots”. I also love Apricot Jam, but my hubby hates it. In spite of our differences for this fruit, I managed to convince him to buy a big box of fresh apricots from Costco recently. He wasn’t going to eat any and I knew that I have to find a way to finish them before they rotten, or else he is going to kill me. For me, this would be the first time I taste fresh apricots and I hoped to try some new recipes with the rest.

Apricot belongs to the stone fruit family of Peaches, Cherries, and Plums. It tastes like a mix of sweet and tart, wrapped in a yellow-orange skin which is velvety, and strongly resembles peach.  So now since I have tasted it, the real question arises “What will I do with these beauties? “Pies, Galattes and Tarts were my initial thoughts and the easiest too. But my hubby suggested trying some sort of a fruit cake as I had already baked galattes a few times recently after my last strawberry picking trip. Now, an upside down cake was on to-do list from a long time but I kept on postponing it as I wasn’t keen on trying the very common pineapple version. So I finally heeded to his suggestion and baked this beautiful cake with apricots – my first ever upside down cake.  I was so excited to get to the nerve wracking step of flipping the cake and see the surprise beneath; thankfully it came out very well!!

What’s your favorite upside down cake? Let me know in the comment section below.

Enjoy, Happy Baking!!!

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Apricot Upside Down Cake

Celebrate the Summer with an Apricot Upside Down Cake… Moist and Tender, topped with Buttery Brown Sugar Sweetened Apricots! Perfect for the Holidays…!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apricot cake, apricot upside down cake, cake

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the fruit base

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 10-12 fresh apricots (pitted, sliced lengthwise)

For the cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1¼ cup flour
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup milk (at room temperature)

Instructions

For the fruit base

• Butter a 9 inch cake pan and keep aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. When it is completely melted and starts bubbling, add brown sugar. Switch off the flame and stir continuously until it turns into a smooth paste.
• Spread the paste onto the prepared cake pan. Layer the apricot slices over the paste and lightly press to sink in.

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, salt, and keep aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add granulated sugar and beat well.
• Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with milk, mix well until the batter is combined. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Pour the batter into the cake pan and layer over the apricot slices.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I baked mine for 50 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool completely for 15-20 minutes. Carefully flip the cake into a cake stand/plate or any flat surface. Enjoy!

Notes

• Keep your apricot slices ready before preparing the butter/sugar paste, so that you can layer them immediately once the paste is poured into the cake pan. This helps the slices to sink to the bottom of the pan before the paste thickens, and would look pretty once the finished cake is flipped upside down. It also helps the sugar to coat the slices better making it sweeter.
• If you find any fruit pieces stuck to the pan after flipping, don’t worry! Just place it back on the cake to create the beauty as like before – no one will ever know!!!
• Apricots usually tend to be less sweet and may not taste ideal for cakes. So adjust the sugar as needed while making the fruit base.
• I prefer not to remove the skin of apricots as it may turn mushy without skin while baking.

The post Apricot Upside Down Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

And finally Easter is around the corner…it’s time to save my appetite for some Easter goodies and I am all pumped up to get some baking done! As much as I love baking, so does my husband… in fact I feel he gets way more excited than me whenever I plan to bake a cake, he adjusts his schedule to be there in the kitchen and share all his wonderful tips and creative ideas. And he is a master at decorating too…Lucky Me…!!!

I have a lot of cupcake memories from my hometown and childhood days, but back then all the cakes were without any fancy frosting. I grew up in a small town and cupcakes were more of a delicacy, you would find them in bakeries more around the festival season and it was like a celebration dessert. Only two flavours were available; Vanilla or Chocolate. Me and my brother didn’t even know what the names meant back then but we loved them. All we would do is let our Amma (Mom) know that we want white or brown colored ones (or even both!!) and when she brought them home, it was the happiest moments. In the evening, she prepares tea and all of us sit down to enjoy our cupcakes with tea…… Aaaah, Good Old Days!!

Carrot cakes are one of my all-time favorites, and trust me, these cupcakes are the Best!!! Our friends love it, they are sweet and soft with the aroma of cinnamon and carrot, & the cream cheese frosting makes it even tastier. To give the fun Easter look, I decorated them with Cadburys Easter Eggs, but that’s purely optional.  I guarantee you that these Carrot Cupcakes will be the biggest hit for your Easter party…!!

Happy Easter…!!

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Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cupcakes topped with Classic Cream Cheese Frosting, Chopped Walnuts and Candied Eggs…!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, carrot cake, cupcake, easter egg

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For making cupcakes

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cup grated carrots
• Candied Easter eggs (optional)
• ½ cup walnuts (chopped)

For cream cheese frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 8 oz Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For making cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Grease them with oil or butter.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder. Keep aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and oil until well combined. Follow by adding granulated sugar and vanilla extract, and mix.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients in batches and mix well.
• Add the grated carrots; fold in the batter until well combined.
• Pour the batter into the muffin tins and fill up to 2/3rd of the liners.
• Bake for 20-22 mins until the muffins have risen and turned golden brown.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

For cream cheese frosting

• Beat butter and cream cheese until well combined.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, whisk well until it is smooth.
• Transfer to a piping bag and decorate according to your choice.
• Top with chopped walnuts and candied Easter eggs (optional).

Notes

1. If you do not prefer heavy frosting, you can cut down the measurements; cream cheese to 4oz, and powdered sugar to 2 cups.
2. Baking time vary from oven to oven, on a safer side check the muffins after 15 minutes of baking.

The post Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Pepper Delight.

The idea of making a whole wheat bread was on my to-do list for a while, but each time I ended up baking a cake instead for some occasion or the other. Though I would often have store bought wheat bread in my kitchen for our breakfast and sandwich needs, I have been longing to bake one on my own since I am now confident as I have been baking for almost two years. I have read how healthy you can make it by customizing the add-on ingredients which go along with the dough. So, it was on a beautiful spring evening and my husband came home from office with a few slices of a banana bread, baked by his colleague’s wife Jennifer, and it was Wow… Sweet, Super Moist, and Yummilicous!! And that’s how I moved banana bread to the top of my priority list and here it is for you…

What I love about this recipe is; it’s a no butter recipe substituted with coconut oil, and the sweetness is well balanced by the honey and the bananas thereby not requiring any raw sugar. And to top it off, it’s made with whole wheat flour! A perfect addition to my healthy recipes goal for this year…

The success of this recipe depends on how ripe your bananas are; make sure to use very very ripe bananas. And if they are not, here are a few tips to ripen them on time:

1. Place your bananas in a brown paper bag and cover it loosely. If you have any ripened fruits like mangoes or apples, place it along with it. Do not refrigerate, keep it at room temperature and it will ripe in 24 hrs. If you place it near any hot surfaces, that will also help fasten the ripening process.

OR

2. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a parchment paper on a baking tray and place the unpeeled bananas on it without touching each other. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30- 40 minutes or until the skin turns black. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool down completely before using it for any baking purposes.

OR

3. Take a fork and poke through the skin of the unpeeled bananas on all sides. Place the bananas in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. Check if the desired softness is met and if not, microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat this until you achieve your desired ripeness.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.

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Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Healthy, Moist and Nutritious… Banana Bread made with Whole Wheat, Honey, Bananas and some crunchy Pecans!! 

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword banana bread, banana cake, whole wheat bread

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 3 medium sized very ripe bananas (mashed)
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup honey
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup pecans (chopped)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and keep aside.
• Mash bananas in a small bowl and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk coconut oil and honey together until well combined.
• Add eggs, mix well followed by adding the mashed bananas and milk.
• Stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add the whole wheat flour, mix until well combined.
• the mix, fold in chopped pecans.
• Transfer the mixture to the greased loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow it cool on a wire rack before slicing.

The post Whole Wheat Banana Bread 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…!

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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.

Hello December…! Well, we are into the last month of the year and I’m already in a vacation mood. This whole month is going to be busy for me with shopping, vacation, visiting family, and of course Christmas recipes …!! This being my first Christmas since I’ve opened my blog, I have been planning over a month to finalize all my recipes, researching through some authentic Christmas dishes and even got some great ideas from my friends on dishes served at their homes in a pure traditional style. So stay tuned to Pepper Delight, Delicious lip-smacking recipes are on their way!

Going back to my beautiful memories of Christmas, I have a lot to cherish… especially about Cakes. This is the time of the year where plum cakes start filling the racks of every bakery in my hometown. I love Plum Cakes but my brother wasn’t fond of it. And like any other responsible sister, I had to share everything with him (which of course I didn’t like to, hehe), but when it comes to plum cakes I didn’t have to as he didn’t like it anyways and I get to have it whole, Waah! And the funny fact; to add to his misery, all our friends & family who visit us gift plum cakes only. What more do you need to piss him off, my poor little brother!!

Fruit cakes are made with dry fruits or chopped /candied fruits, soaked in an alcoholic liquid with nuts and spices. The sweetness of the fruits, sourness from the liquid, the crunchiness of the nuts, and the flavours of the all spice, makes it a well-balanced Christmas cake.

Another aspect of this recipe which I like is the variety and the options available for the ingredients of this cake. For all my non-alcoholic readers, in today’s recipe I have substituted the alcohol with orange juice. At first look, soaking fruits in orange juice and then adding more to the cake batter might seem a bit scary and a sweetness overload, but the nuts add the needed crunchiness & balance the sweetness. And if you wanted to try the alcoholic version, check out my Christmas Fruit Cake/Kerala Plum Cake. 

I highly recommend you to read the tips section below to find out the variations in dry fruits and nuts, and also the notes section for critical points to be considered while baking a fruit cake.

A few tips:

1. Dry Fruits varieties: Raisins/Sultanas, apricots, dates (seedless), prunes, currants, figs, tutti fruit, glazed cherries, dried unsweetened cranberries.
2. Nuts: Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts.
3. Soaking liquid (alcoholic): Rum, Brandy, Amarula, Baileys Irish Coffee.
4. Soaking liquid (non-alcoholic): 100% grape juice, apple juice, orange juice, or water.
5. Spices: Ground all spice; ½ tsp cinnamon powder+ ¼ tsp cloves

Thank You Beena Aunty for all your valuable tips for this recipe.

Enjoy baking, Merry Christmas…!!!

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

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Christmas Fruit Cake (Non Alcoholic)

Indulge your family & friends with this flavor packed, Fruity n Nutty, Sweet n Moist Cake…!! A Non-Alcoholic Christmas Fruit Cake. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword christmas fruit cake, fruit cake, kerala plum cake, plum cake

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For soaked dry fruits

• 1 cup raisins
• ½ cup apricots
• ½ cup dates (seedless)
• 1½ cup orange juice or more

For caramel syrup

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp + 4 tbsp water

For cake

• 1½ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1¾ cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs (at room temperature)
• Juice of one orange
• 1 orange zest
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• ½ cup cashews

Instructions

Preparation of fruits

• Chop dry fruits into bite size pieces. Place them into a dry glass container along with the soaking liquid. Ensure that the fruits are completely immersed in the soaking liquid.
• For soaking instructions and other tips, refer the notes section below.

Preparation of caramel syrup

• Add the sugar and 1 tbsp water into a pan and heat on a medium flame.
• As the sugar melts and starts turning golden brown, lower the flame and keep stirring till it turns a bit darker and thicker.
• Now add the remaining 4 tbsp of water, switch of the flame and keep stirring till the syrup cools down.

Preparation of cake

• Prepare the dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, allspice and salt in a bowl. Keep aside.
• Drain the soaked dry fruits in to a separate bowl and add 3-4 tbsp of the above prepared dry mixture. Mix to flour coat the fruits, this helps preventing them from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Line parchment paper on the bottom of a 9 inch nonstick springform pan and also along the sides extending 2 inches above the rim of the pan. Butter the paper throughout and set aside.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy.
• Add brown sugar and beat until light and mixed well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, which helps to mix it evenly.
• Add eggs one at a time followed by grated orange zest, and mix.
• Meanwhile prepare the caramel syrup as instructed above, and add the cooled syrup to the cake batter and mix.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with orange juice, and mix till blended well.
• Now fold in the flour coated dry fruits, and nuts (slivered almonds and cashews) into the batter. Optionally you can reserve some nuts to garnish later.
• Pour the batter carefully into the prepared pan and garnish on top with nuts (optional). Bake for 1 hour and 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with little or no moist crumbs.
• If the cake looks to be sticky, bake for another 5 minutes and repeat the skewer test. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool.
• Gently run a knife around the edges of the pan and then unlock it. Move the cake to a wire rack keeping the lined parchment paper intact and let it cool completely.
• Once cooled you can remove the paper, and the cake is now ready to be served.
• To store, you can wrap the cake in an aluminum foil and keep in an air tight container at room temperature for a week. Refrigerate thereafter.

Notes

• Soak dry fruits in either an alcohol or a non-alcoholic liquid to enhance the flavour. If using non-alcoholic, I recommend soaking for at least a day but you may do so for a few days up to a week. Refrigerate it after 24 hours. If using alcohol, you can soak it at room temperature for up to 6 months.
• The fruits to be soaked should be chopped into bite sized pieces. Use a clean air tight glass container to soak the fruits. Stirring it periodically or at least once a day helps it to rehydrate and not to dry out.
• After draining the soaked dry fruits, coat them in a few spoons of the dry flour mixture. This helps the fruits to stick on to the batter preventing it from setting down to the bottom of the pan while baking.
• While adding orange juice into the batter you might notice that it begins to curdle. This is absolutely fine and it happens due to the citrus nature of the orange.
• After removing the baked cake from the pan, allow it sit on a wire rack to cool down at room temperature. Do not remove the parchment paper from the pan when the cake is hot, it might crumble.
• Wrapping the cake in an aluminum foil helps it to retain moisture and prevent drying out.
• You can keep the cake in an air tight container at room temperature for a week. Refrigerate thereafter.

The post Christmas Fruit Cake (Non Alcoholic) appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Now that’s my first attempt with a cheesecake, and surprisingly YES, it turned out to be way better than I expected for a newbie, and a grand success. Cheesecake is one of those desserts I would prefer baking only on special occasions, and fortunately I was able to club this as a surprise for my friend’s birthday…!!

This 3 layered New York style cheesecake is actually not a cake, it’s basically a custard pie with tons and tons of cheese, baked on a crunchy graham cracker crust, topped with a layer of any fruit toppings. I have prepared a berry compote whose sweet and tangy flavour complements the sweet sour taste of the cheesecake perfectly.

Did you guys know that there is a National Cheesecake day? Well Yes; July 30 is celebrated as National Cheesecake Day, dedicated to America’s favourite dessert…

One of the most common issues while baking a cheese cake is the formation of cracks. A few pointers to be noted:

• Ensure all ingredients are brought to room temperature before preparation.
• Do not overmix the batter.
• Avoid opening the oven door unnecessarily in-between the bake, this brings in sudden temperature variations.

Enjoy baking, Happy Caking…!!!

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

Prep time: 30 minutes + 2 hr baking time + cooling time
Serves: 12-16

INGREDIENTS

For the crust

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter (melted) + to butter the pan
• 12 graham cracker crumbs or digestive biscuits
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp salt

For the filling

• 2½ pound (40 oz) cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup sour cream

For the berry compote

• 2 cups berries (I have used frozen blackberries, blueberries, & raspberries)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

For the crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Butter the sides of a 10-inch springform pan and keep aside.
3. To make the crust, grind the graham crackers in a food processor until finely powdered.
4. Add butter, sugar, and salt to the processor and grind it for a few seconds to combine it to a finely moistened mixture.
5. On to the buttered springform pan, transfer the mixture and press it down and up the sides (an inch high on the sides) firmly using the bottom of a measuring cup or anything with a flat surface.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the crust becomes dry at the bottom and a little golden on the edges. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling

1. To a mixer bowl add the cream cheese and sugar, beat on a medium speed using the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes, until its turns fluffy, scraping the sides using a spatula as needed.
2. Add the grated lemon zest and the lemon juice and beat for another 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined.
4. Finally add the sour cream and give it a last round of beating for another 2 minutes, until properly mixed.

For the berry compote

1. Combine berries, sugar, lemon juice and water in a sauce pan and boil till it turns into a thick syrup.
2. Allow it to cool completely.

Preparation of the cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Boil enough water required for your water bath.
3. Place the cooled pan on a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the pan ensuring there is no gap. This is to ensure no water seeps in while we bake the cake in the water bath.
4. Pour the filling into the pan. It will fill above the crust, smooth out the surface using a spatula to make it flat.
5. To prepare the water bath, place the pan inside a large and shallow roasting pan. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
6. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check the cake after 80 minutes; it should be set but lightly jiggly in the center. Continue baking.
7. Once done, take the springform pan of the water bath and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edges of the pan and allow it to cool for another hour.
8. Place the pan in the refrigerator to cool overnight.
9. Once cooled, unlock the springform pan to remove the cake.
10. The cheesecake is now good to be served as is, or with fruits.
11. To top your cake with the berry compote, pour the cooled syrup on top of the cake and level it. Cool it in the refrigerator for another 30 mins to allow it to set, and serve.

Recipe heavily adapted from New York-Style Cheesecake.

The post Cheesecake with Berry Compote appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Red Velvet cake also known as Red Waldorf Cake is a layered cake with the flavour of cocoa powder in an attractive red color, and a classic cream cheese frosting. The cake is all about love and romance, and the romantic stories behind it go all the way back to the times of the civil war, where southern American ladies baked them to seduce and keep their husbands home and from going for the war. The origin of the Red Velvet Cake is known to be from America in the early 19^th Century. Though not popular initially, it was around the beginning of 1996 that the cake gained much attention and now it is the most famous dessert in America, and well known all over the world.

Red Velvet Cake is all about love and romance, and I really wanted to give justice to the cake by creating the same emotions in my photos, and with its preparation & flavour. To set the mood, how better can it get than a dark background with candle lights. Romance is incomplete without red roses, and an erotic novel by Sylvia Day to accompany it takes the whole frame to another level. Seduction and Champagne, hand in hand… and the beautiful glow of the candle light makes my fairytale romance complete…!!!

I have been planning for a while now to bake a red velvet cake and it was this second attempt where I was able to find success. The cake is moist and fluffy, with a perfect balance of sweetness which is not overpowered by the saltiness from the cream cheese. Though the recipe adds cocoa powder, you hardly notice the chocolate flavour.

I am happy to share this recipe as it turned out pretty well and the effort behind it was worth every bit. I have also included some tips for making the rosette, because I know how hard it is for a beginner. Be patient and practice, that’s the main advice I can give.

Tips for making Rosette:

1. I used a Wilton 1M/2D rose tip to decorate the roses.
2. It is ideal to chill your frosting for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before you pipe, so that your rosette stands firm.
3. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, add a few drops of milk and beat till you get the perfect consistency.
4. Make sure you have enough frosting to pipe the roses. Sometimes these roses take a lot of frosting, so be prepared for it. The measurements which I have provided here is enough for two 9inch round cakes as seen in my pictures.
5. I highly recommend you practice the roses on a flat surface first to avoid any mistakes before decorating the cake, especially if you are a newbie like me.
6. Always start decorating from the bottom of the cake. It is easier to clean up any mistakes or mess from the bottom. If your roses start to slide down, chill the frosting for another 15 minutes to set and redo.
7. To decorate the roses; gently pipe a center point, and start moving the tip in a circle, counter clockwise direction, and repeat the process. Pipe your roses tightly leaving no gaps between them. Fill the spaces in-between by piping a dot or a flower bud.
8. When you are done with decoration, chill your cake for another 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set completely.

Enjoy baking, Happy Caking…!!!

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

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Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Rosette

Red Velvet Cake with Classic Cream Cheese Rosettes...!! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, red velvet cake, rosette, valentines day

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Decoration 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For making cake

• 2⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup corn starch
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs (separated – at room temperature)
• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 3½ tbsp liquid red food color
• 1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature)

For making cream cheese frosting

• 16 oz + 8oz full fat cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
• 6 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• ½ cup + 4 tbsp unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk
• 4 tsp liquid red food color

Instructions

For making cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Apply butter on two 9 inch cake pans and set aside.
• In a small bowl, sift and mix dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy (1 min).
• Add granulated sugar, beat for another 2 mins to mix.
• Add oil and beat on high for 2 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
• While beating on high speed, add the vanilla extract and egg yolks. Beat well to mix properly.
• Add the red food color slowly along with vinegar, beat well to mix and give the batter a proper red color.
• Add the dry ingredient mix at this stage, slowly alternating with buttermilk and flour on a low speed. Do not over mix the batter.
• In the meantime, beat the egg whites in another bowl vigorously until soft peaks form (3 mins). The peaks should hold their shape when beaters are lifted.
• Fold in the cake batter using a rubber spatula. The batter will be smooth and thick.
• Pour the batter equally into the prepared pans, Bake for about 30 – 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Unmold the cakes by running a knife or a rubber spatula over the sides of the pan. Carefully flip them over.

For making cream cheese frosting for filling inside and covering around

• Beat cream cheese (8oz) and butter (4 tbsp) on a medium speed and until smooth.
• Beat in sugar (2 cups), vanilla extract (1 tbsp) and milk (1tbsp) on a high speed for another 3 minutes.
• Level the top surface of the bottom cake by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Apply a thick base coat of frosting evenly using a spatula on top of the shaved cake surface. Sandwich the second cake on top of it and apply the base coat on the top and sides of both cakes. Allow it to set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

For making cream cheese for rosettes

• Beat cream cheese (16oz) and butter (½ cup) on medium speed until smooth.
• Beat in sugar (4 cups), vanilla extract (1 tbsp) on a low speed, and slowly increase speed to medium, beat for 3 minutes.
• Add liquid red food color (4 tsp) at this stage; beat on low for another 1-2 minutes. This gives a bright pink color as seen in the picture. If you want to go for light pink shade, cut down the red food color to 2 tsp.
• Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This helps to pipe the roses nicely.

Notes

1. Make sure your eggs, butter, buttermilk and cream cheese are brought to a room temperature. Otherwise it will affect the texture of the cake.
2. When you mix oil with butter, it may not combine well but that’s completely okay. It will melt inside while baking.
3. Always use fresh eggs and while beating the egg whites, do so till soft peaks are properly formed and hold their shape when lifting the beater.
4. I used 4 tsp of liquid red food color to get a bright pink color for my frosting. If you prefer light pink, cut down to 2 tsp. If you do not want any color, make sure you thin the frosting by adding milk to get the right consistency.

The post Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Rosettes appeared first on Pepper Delight.

A cake for any special occasion? Of course YES, and that too when it is your hubby’s birthday around the corner, you definitely need to try something new to surprise him. He is my official taster for all my dishes, so I cannot get away that easily and will have to put a little more hard work. And that’s when I decided it was time to try my hand on a Swiss roll.

Tiramisu is an elegant Italian dessert made of lady finger biscuits dipped in an espresso coffee combined with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar mascarpone cheese, and Marsala wine. And this Swiss roll of Tiramisu is another version of the dessert without losing its authentic taste. The Swiss roll cake can be describes as “bakes quick and while hot; spread with cream, roll carefully as a log, wrap it in a cloth, and when cold cut into slices”.  There are many variations of Swiss roll in different countries, and nowadays the modern versions have cream replaced with jam roll, chocolate and many more. So, here we are skipping the use of lady fingers, and instead baking a sponge cake for the base which is then rolled and cooled, filled with mascarpone mix and again cooled and set, to make the beautiful roll of Tiramisu.

There are a number of steps in this recipe but do not freak out if you are preparing it for first time, all you need to do is be patient and follow the recipe. One of the main takeaways for me while preparing this cake was the importance of the eggs. When your recipe calls for soft peaks from egg whites, make sure you use freshly bought eggs and the separated whites contain no specs of yolk. The bowl which you use to beat should be free from oil. And just have a look at the important things to be considered when rolling a cake (esp if you are a newbie like me).

Tips while rolling a cake:

• Baking takes a maximum of 10-15 minutes, do not exceed more than 15 minutes. Roll the cake when it is really warm, which enables to roll it perfectly.
• Use the support of a parchment paper or a towel dusted generously with powdered sugar, it helps to roll it neatly.
• While filling cream, it’s ideal to leave a ½ inch border on all the sides.
• Starting from the long side nearest to you, roll up the cake leaving the seam side down on the baking sheet.

Also, Don’t forget to check out my Easy No-Cook Eggless Tiramisu which is a twist to the classic recipe, but taste damn delicious!!!

Enjoy baking, Happy Caking…!!!

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

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

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Tiramisu Swiss Roll

Classic Italian dessert Tiramisu with a twist… it’s a Tiramisu Swiss Roll Cake with the bold flavours of Espresso, Cocoa, Mascarpone cheese & Marsala, topped with flaky chocolate shavings…!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword swiss roll, tiramisu, tiramisu swiss roll

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For making cake

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs separated (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

For making Espresso Syrup

• ½ cup brewed espresso
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Marsala wine

For making filling

• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Marsala wine
• ½ cup chilled heavy cream
• Cocoa for dusting
• White & dark chocolate shavings (decoration)

Instructions

For making cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a cookie tray or a baking pan (30*40cm) with baking spray. Line a parchment paper with some baking spray and dust with flour. Shake off excess flour and set aside.
• In a bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat egg yolks, vanilla essence, and sugar at high speed until thick and pale yellow. Beat for about 10 minutes.
• Add half of the flour to yolk mixture and fold it gently. When it is properly mixed, add rest of the flour and fold it gently. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat salt, egg whites, and cream of tartar on a medium speed until soft peaks form. The peaks hold their shape when beaters are lifted.
• Add 2 tbsp sugar and continue beating until whites just hold soft peaks.
• Fold ¼ egg whites into yolk mixture, mix well and then fold remaining whites into yolk mix until it is thoroughly combined.
• In another bowl, pour melted butter and mix half of the prepared cake batter, fold it gently.
• Gently pour the mixture back to the bowl, fold altogether until it is thoroughly combined.
• Spread the batter evenly into the previously prepared pan. Rap the pan once to eliminate air bubbles.
• Bake for 13 - 15 minutes, until the cake is golden and crisp at the edges.
• Dust powdered sugar on to a clean kitchen towel.
• Carefully flip the cake on to kitchen towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Be careful with heat, use oven mitts.
• After peeling sheet, dust with more powdered sugar. Trim the edges. Using the towel, roll up the cake, and once rolled wrap it in the towel. Allow it to cool completely.

For making Espresso Syrup

• Combine espresso and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Then boil until the liquid reduced to ¼th cup.
• Remove from heat, stir in Marsala and let it cool in room temperature.

For making filling

• In a mixing bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, cinnamon powder and Marsala, beat until thoroughly combined.
• In another bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until combined well.

Assembly

• Unroll the cooled down cake gently back on to the towel. Brush the cake with espresso coffee all on the inside.
• Using a spatula, spread whipped cream filling evenly over the cake on the coffee brushed side leaving a ½ inch border all around.
• Starting from the long side nearest you, roll up the cake as you did previously but without the towel, leaving the seam side down on baking sheet.
• Dust with cocoa powder and decorate with white and dark chocolate shavings.
• Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Always use fresh eggs, and while beating the egg whites do so till soft peaks are properly formed and hold their shape when lifting the beater.
• Alternatives to Marsala wine are Frangelico, Brandy (Cognac) or dark rum.
• If you prefer non-alcoholic, substitute Marsala with watered down red grape juice or cranberry juice; but of course the taste wouldn’t be exactly the same.

The post Tiramisu Swiss Roll appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So, it’s a “Happy Birthday to me” …!!!

And I baked a cake for my birthday… Yaaay…!!!

Do you make your own birthday cake? I did it for the first time. It’s my first birthday since I started baking and blogging, and so I thought to prepare a cake with my favorite white chocolate. I believe there are two categories of people in this world – dark chocolate lovers and white chocolate lovers; I belong to the second category.

There are few crazy facts about my craving for white chocolate:

1. I love white chocolates so much that when I hear people talking about the benefits of dark chocolate over white chocolate, I usually turn my face away from them… hehe…
2. I just love to crash serious discussions / heated debates with my friends, by dropping the “dark or white chocolate” question and watch their perplexed and surprised faces.
3. White chocolate with cookies, Yummm.
4. I hardly have met any white chocolate lovers.

Anyways, so coming back to the cake, this is the best Vanilla cake I have ever baked and is super soft, rich and moist. One of my key tips to bake a perfect cake is to ensure that the ingredients, especially the refrigerated ones, are brought to the room temperature before preparation. The use of cold eggs, milk, or butter makes big air pockets which affects the texture of cake.

This recipe will make two 9 inch vanilla cakes. Cake frosting can be done in batches and refrigerated, to ensure that each coat sets properly before applying the next.

And finally, decorate with cherry sauce and fresh cherries.

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

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White Chocolate Cake with Cherry Sauce

Vanilla cake coated with white chocolate butter cream, topped with cherry sauce and fresh cherries. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, cherry sauce, white chocolate cake

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For making Cake

• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 stick unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk

For making Cherry Sauce

• 3 cup fresh cherries (pitted and halved)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp corn starch

For making White Chocolate Cream

• 2 stick unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 3 cup powdered sugar
• 4 oz white chocolate (melted)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• Fresh cherries (to decorate)

Instructions

Preparation of cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Apply butter to two 9-inch pan and keep it aside. 
• In a small bowl, swift and mix dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). 
• Add eggs one at a time; scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, beating well after each addition.  
• Mix with the vanilla extract and beat well.  
• Add the dry ingredient mix at this stage, slowly alternating with milk and flour. Batter will be smooth, thick and creamy. 
• Carefully spread batter equally into two pans. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. 
• Unmold the cakes by running a knife or a rubber spatula over the sides of the pan. Carefully flip them over. 

Preparation of Cherry Sauce

• Remove the stem and pit the cherries. 
• Bring a saucepan to medium heat with cherries, sugar, water, lemon juice and corn starch. Allow it to boil. 
• Stir occasionally and bring to low, stir for about another 4 minutes until it is thickened. 

Preparation of White Chocolate Cream

• In a medium bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. 
• Slowly add salt and vanilla extract, followed by adding powdered sugar. 
• Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for 30 second intervals. Stir between each interval, until it is completely melted. 
• Combine melted white chocolate into the mix, add milk cream as needed  for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.

To frost the cake

• Level the cake by placing on a cake turn table. Using a sharp knife, turn the table, and make a gentle cut to make it even. 
• Apply base coat frosting using a spatula on all the sides of the one cake. Sandwich the other cake and apply base coat to the same. Allow it to cool in fridge for about 30 minutes. 
• Apply second layer of frosting and set for another 30 minutes. 
• Top with cherry sauce and decorate with fresh cherries. 

The post White Chocolate Cake with Cherry Sauce appeared first on Pepper Delight.

One of the biggest surprises since I started my blog was a gift I received from my brother n sister in laws recently; a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer…!! Though I am a beginner and still exploring, it was such a beautiful piece of gift to my baking dreams…

The timing of the mixer was perfect as my friends anniversary was around the corner as I was still half minded on what to cook. And that answered my confusion; a Cake it is, with all Chocolate. Perfect to kindle the sweet memories for this lovely couple…

Chocolate cake is best known for its taste, and is unbeatable when combined with a chocolate frosting. It is super soft, moist, has the perfect balance of cake and frosting, and is light and creamy.

So here I am sharing my best chocolate cake recipe with a yummy delicious chocolate frosting. Try it out, and you will surely love it…

Prep time: 1 hr 30 mins
Serves: 6-7 servings

INGREDIENTS

For chocolate cake

• 2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For chocolate frosting

• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (tempered)
• 1½ cup butter
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup water
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation of cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and grease with butter using a brush.
3. To prepare the cake, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Keep aside.
4. In another bowl, beat butter until it is softened. Ensure that the butter is brought to room temperature before softening.
5. Beat granulated sugar and brown sugar into the butter, until blended well.
6. Add eggs one at a time to the butter and beat well. Add the vanilla extract too.
7. Slowly add the prepared dry ingredients to the bowl in portions, alternating with buttermilk, until the cake batter is mixed well without any lumps.
8. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and place in the oven. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes and until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Once the cakes are done, take them out of the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
10. Unmold the cakes by running a knife or a rubber spatula over the sides of the pan. Carefully flip them over.

Preparation of chocolate frosting

1. In a small bowl, whisk cocoa powder with water until smooth and keep it aside.
2. To temper the chocolates, place it in a double boiler, or in a metal bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
3. Stir it continuously using a rubber spatula while it melts and keep measuring the temperature. The mix should not be too runny and should melt uniformly. Ensure that the temperature does not exceed 120 degrees. Set aside.
4. In another large bowl, whisk butter until soft, followed by whisking and adding cocoa mix and salt. Stop the mixer and scrape down its sides.
5. Add powdered sugar, whisk well.
6. Turn mixer into medium and add tempered chocolate and half of the heavy whipping cream slowly, and beat well. Add the remaining mix until you have reached the desired consistency. It should be light and creamy and spreadable.
7. It can be stored in an airtight container, make sure to bring to room temperature before apply for frosting.

The post Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So here is my version of a sweet, moist, mixed berry pound cake with a lemon glaze, perfect to welcome this wonderful springtime…

Pound cake is originally made with equal proportion of flour, butter, eggs and sugar, and baked in a loaf pan or a bundt mold. Nowadays to make it lighter and fluffier we do add raising agents like baking powder or baking soda in various proportions. You can use any of the berries or all three berries together – blueberry, blackberry and strawberry.

This cake tastes so good and yummy in a way that you will just keep on eating. Do try it out and let me know…

Prep time: 15 – 20 minutes
Baking time: 65 minutes
Serves: 4 – 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
For Cake

• 2 cup Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mixed berries

For Lemon Glaze

• 1 ½ cup of powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS
Preparation of cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Apply butter to the pan and keep it aside.
3. In a small bowl, sift and mix dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In another bowl, using a hand mixer or an electric mixer, beat butter (melted at room temperature) until light and fluffy. Add sugar and grated lemon zest and beat well.
5. Add eggs one at a time alternating with the dry ingredient and eggs. After mixing it well, add vanilla essence and milk at this stage. I used 2% reduced fat milk in this recipe.
6. Fold in berries into the batter mix, and using a rubber spatula mix it evenly. Batter will be slightly dense. Make sure you do not over stir.
7. Pour this batter into a greased pan and bake for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool down for 15 minutes in the pan. Remove cake from the pan by flipping it and let it to cool for another 10 minutes. In the meantime prepare the lemon glaze.

Preparation of lemon glaze

1. In a bowl, mix lemon juice with powdered sugar. Whisk it slowly by adding the lemon juice till it turns into a smooth glaze which is perfect to coat the cake. Do not make it syrupy.
2. Place the cake over a wire rack and spoon the glaze over the cake. Allow the glaze to run down the sides of the cake.
3. Leave it to set for 30 minutes.

The post Mixed Berry Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Eggs can be prepared in different ways, and it’s super easy if you have an egg mold. In this recipe I did not use a mold and thought of trying out Easter eggs made with wine, cake, and chocolate. It’s soft, moist, chocolaty, and has a cheesy taste from the cream cheese filling.

Now if you do not prefer alcohol, you can use Sparkling Apple Cider although there is no wine substitute that tastes exactly the same.

Wish You All a Very Happy Easter and hope you enjoy this recipe…

Prep time       :  2 hours
Serves             :  6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For making cake
Flour                                : 1 cup
Baking powder             : ½ tbsp
Salt                                   : ½ tbsp
Eggs                                  : 2
Butter                               : ½ stick (4 tbsp – melted at room temp.)
Sugar                                : 2/3 cup
Vanilla extract               : 1 tbsp
Sparkling white wine  : ½ cup
Cream cheese                : 12 oz.

Decoration
White and dark chocolates
Edible food colors
Chocolate sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS

For making Wine cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9 inch baking pan with butter and keep side.
3. In a small bowl, whisk and mix the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, and salt. Keep aside.
4. In another bowl, using an electric mixer or a hand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating them after each addition with sugar and vanilla extract.
5. Mix in sparkling white wine, alternating with the dry mixture and combine well.
6. Pour into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and turn it upside down.

For making eggs

1. Crumble the cake using hands or using a blender. Avoid the edges of the cake as it is hard and may cause difficulty when molding the cake mix.
2. Mix in cream cheese, and mash it and mix well till it becomes doughy.
3. Make small balls from the mix and mold it to an egg shape using your hands. Place the molds on a parchment paper.
4. Keep in the refrigerator and allow it to cool and set for half an hour.
5. Chop dark chocolate into pieces. To temper the chocolates place it in a double boiler, or a metal bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
6. Stir it continuously using a rubber spatula while it melts uniformly and keep measuring the temperature. The mix should not be too runny but should melt uniformly. Ensure that the temperature does not exceed 120 degrees.
7. Dip each egg in that chocolate mix using a spoon and fork. Allow them to rest on a wire rack to remove excess chocolate drippings. Transfer to a baking tray with parchment paper. Allow it to air dry for about half an hour.
8. Temper white chocolate similarly ensuring that it doesn’t exceed 105 degrees.
9. After melting white chocolate, pour few drops of edible color liquid and stir fast to mix it. You can vary the color according to your choice; I preferred 4-5 drops to create the light blue and green effect.
10. Dip each egg immediately in the colored mix and allow it to stand in a wire rack to drip excess liquid and then air dry.
11. Decorate with sprinkles.

The post Easter Eggs with Sparkling Wine appeared first on Pepper Delight.

As mentioned in my previous posts, I started baking very recently and am still a beginner. I love cupcakes and knew I would be trying one very soon, but my biggest confusion was to pick a flavor, as both vanilla & chocolate were my favorites. That’s when my hubby proposed a half-n-half cake, and we loved the end result. The cupcakes when topped with butterscotch frosting, made my day…!!

The preparation was fun, as pouring the batter of the two flavors together into the pans was a bit tricky. The vanilla is much denser and displaces the chocolate batter as it rests. To make a proper half-n-half, there was this fine line of filling and baking which we had to trial and error. My hubby and I took a batter each and filled them simultaneously, and I must say that with his help it turned out pretty well.  You can do it on your own too, either by using separate piping bags and filling, or buy pouring them together if you can multitask well.

As the preparation of the batter for both flavors are different, I have provided their recipes separately. You can either use only one flavour, or try out a half-n-half like I did, and if you would like to go a step further make a marble cake style by giving it a swirl.

To make your cake super soft, light and moist, do not overbake them.    Once the cake cools down, you can top them for decoration in many ways, I did a butterscotch frosting with chocolate sprinkles and it tasted good. I used a readymade butterscotch frosting this time, will surely attempt my own recipe and post it soon.

Prep time        : 50 minutes
Serves              : 24 cupcakes

 INGREDIENTS

For Vanilla Cupcake :

Flour                              : 1 ½ cup
Baking powder            : 1 ½ teaspoon
Salt                                  : ¼ teaspoon
Eggs                                : 2 (cooled at room temp.)
Sugar                              : 2/3 cup
Butter                             : 6 oz (melted at room temp.)
Milk                                : ½ cup
Vanilla extract              : 2 teaspoon

For Chocolate Cupcake :

Flour                                               : ¾ cup
Cocoa powder (unsweetened) : ½ cup
Baking powder                            : ½ teaspoon
Baking soda                                  : ¾ teaspoon
Salt                                                  : ¼ teaspoon
Eggs                                                 : 2
Granulated sugar                         : ½ cup
Brown sugar                                  : ½ cup
Oil                                                     : 1/3 cup
Vanilla extract                               : 2 teaspoon
Buttermilk                                      : ½ cup

Cupcake liners
Chocolate sprinkles
Butterscotch icing

INSTRUCTIONS

For Vanilla Cupcake :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the baking pan with the cupcake liners.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, and salt. Keep aside.
4. In another bowl, add sugar and eggs (cooled at room temperature) and beat till it becomes light and foamy.
5. Mix the butter and vanilla extract and whisk.
6. Add the dry ingredients into this mixture in portions, alternating with milk and stir. Do not overmix the batter.
7. To ensure equal sized cupcakes, fill each liner in the pan to the same level, at about half way to avoid spilling when baking. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, or till a toothpick when inserted in the center of a cake, comes out clean.
8. Cool the cupcake in a rack for 10 minutes.

For Chocolate Cupcake :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the baking pan with the cupcake liners.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the dry ingredients; cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Keep aside.
4. In another bowl, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs (one at a time). Add oil and mix well.
5. Add the dry ingredients into this mixture in portions, alternating with buttermilk and stir. Do not overmix the batter.
6. To ensure equal sized cupcakes, fill each liner in the pan to the same level, at about half way to avoid spilling when baking. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, or till a toothpick when inserted in the center of a cake, comes out clean.
7. Cool the cupcake in a rack for 10 minutes.

 Chocolate cup cake recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Preparation of  a Half-n-Half Vanilla Chocolate cupcake :

1. Follow the instructions of both vanilla and chocolate cupcake batter preparation till the 5^th step.
6. The only difference here is how you pour both batters together. You can either take someone’s assistance in adding one of the batters while you add the other simultaneously. Or if you can manage on your own, fill the two batters in different piping bags and pipe them together into the liner. Also, if you prefer a marble cake style, add the batters one after the other and give it one swirl.
7. Follow the remaining steps as instructed earlier.

Decorate with butterscotch frosting and chocolate sprinkles.

The post Half-n-Half Vanilla Chocolate Cupcake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Black forest cake is a German dessert named Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte; refers to a set of chocolate sponge cakes sandwiched between cherry and whipped cream. There are different ways to make it, like for example the use of alcohols varying from rum or whiskey, and also like the use of kirschwasser spirit in Germany which is made from sour cherries and used while layering the cake.

The cherries used for layering and topping the cake can either be fresh ones which you will have to soak in rum, or the readily available canned cherries which come in a syrup solution. In this recipe, I have used whole pitted dark sweet cherries. Also to add flavor and give a slight tint to the cream, you can mix a small portion of the left over syrup while preparing the whipped cream.

So, the whole idea to make this cake came while I was planning to gift my dear friend on her birthday, and that’s when she talked about her favorite cake…..

INGREDIENTS

For Cake:
Flour                                    : 2 cup
Cocoa powder                   : ¾ cup
Granulated sugar             : 1 cup
Salt                                       : 1 teaspoon
Baking powder                  : 1 teaspoon
Baking soda                       : 2 teaspoon
Butter                                   : ¾ cup
Brown sugar                      : 1 cup
Vanilla extract                   : 2 tbsp
Eggs                                      : 3
Buttermilk                          : 1 ½ cup

For whipped cream :
Heavy whipping cream  : 2 ½ cup
Powdered sugar                : 5 tbsp
Cherry syrup                     : 1 tbsp

For decoration :
Cherries                               : as required
Chocolate sprinkles         : a small box

 INSTRUCTIONS

For Cake :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare the cake, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl by sifting flour, baking powder, baking salt, cocoa powder and salt. Keep aside.
3. In another bowl, beat butter until it is softened. Ensure that the butter is brought to room temperature before softening.
4. Beat granulated sugar and brown sugar into the butter, until blended well.
5. Add eggs one at a time to the butter and beat well. Add the vanilla extract too.
6. Slowly add the prepared dry ingredients to the bowl in portions, alternating with buttermilk, until the cake batter is mixed well without any lumps.
7. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and grease with butter using a brush. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and place in the oven. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes and inspect with a toothpick.
8. Once the cakes are done, take them out of the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
9. Unmold the cakes by running a knife or a rubber spatula over the sides of the pan. Carefully flip them over.

For whipped cream :

1. Chill cream for 15 minutes.
2. Whip cream into soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and beat well using a beater.
3. To give a cherry flavor and a slight tint on the cream, add a teaspoon of the cherry syrup to it and mix well.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

1. Cut the cakes horizontally into equal halves. Lay the cut halves on a flat surface with the cut sides facing upwards. Brush off any crumbs on top of the cut sides.
2. Out of the 4 halves, both the bottom halves and one of the top halves will be used for layering. Powder the other top half in a blender, and keep aside. We will use this later for decoration.
3. To begin layering, first take one of the bottom halves. Using a rubber spatula, apply a layer of whipped cream evenly on top of the cake.
4. Spread cherries on top of the cake.
5. Now carefully lift the second bottom half and place it on top of the first layer so that its cut side faces up. Repeat steps 3 and 4.
6. Place the third layer; the remaining top half, upside down so that it’s cut side faces the bottom. With this, the layering is done and now it’s time to decorate the cake.
7. Using the spatula, spread frosting evenly on top and on the sides covering cracks and holes on the cake if any.
8. Carefully fill half of a piping bag with the whipped cream.
9. Start piping to make floral designs on the top of the cake.
10. Decorate the cherries on each cream floral pattern.
11. Decorate the center with powdered cake.
12. Decorate the sides and top with chocolate sprinkles.

The post Black Forest Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Here is the recipe I have tried out (adapted from Rachel Ray), and the cake goes well with Vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

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Tennessee Honey Whiskey Cake

The Ultimate Whiskey Cake with Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Tennessee Honey Whiskey Cake, whiskey cake

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 4 oz butter (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey
• 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl, and keep aside.
• In a separate bowl beat the butter at a medium high speed using a stand mixer. Once creamy, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue till properly mixed.
• To the above mixture add 3 eggs, one at a time after mixed well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition of eggs.
• Add the dry ingredients which are already mixed to this butter mixture one third at a time alternating with the addition of milk.
• Followed by adding molasses on a low speed, and whisk with stand mixer for 50 seconds until smooth.
• Add the star ingredient whiskey finally and beat well for another 30 seconds more.
• Add chopped pecans and stir to the mixture.
• Line a butter greased parchment paper on a 10 inch baking tray. Pour the mixture to the pan and bake for 30 – 35 minutes.
• Serve with Vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce drizzle.

Notes

For those who don’t prefer using Whiskey, you can substitute it with water (3 tablespoons), and vanilla extract (2 teaspoons).

The post Tennessee Honey Whiskey Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.