It’s my 6^th year of blogging with Pepper Delight! Also being the week of Valentine’s Day, I thought a delicious cake would be an apt dessert for the celebrations. So here I am, with a simple one pan chocolate cake which happened to be the one of most requested recipes from my readers.

Cakes are a desert unanimously loved by everyone. I already have a couple of cake recipes with chocolate on my blog, like for example my Chocolate Hazelnut Cake which is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or any party for that matter. Also check out my Texas Sheet Cake which is one of the easiest n tastiest sheet pan cakes you can serve a large crowd.

This cake is deliciously soft and tender with a creamy rich chocolate buttercream frosting, and it is perfect for small gatherings or to share with friends and family as a dessert. You can use a 9-inch square pan or an 8-inch round pan for this recipe and customize with your choice of frosting. I personally love chocolate buttercream frosting, but a chocolate ganache would also be a delicious alternative.

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
• 2021 – Chocolate Meringue Cake

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

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Chocolate Cake

A Simple One Pan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate cake

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 pieces

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup freshly brewed warm coffee

For the buttercream frosting

• ½ cup softened unsalted butter
• 1½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line an 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, apply butter to grease the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar and egg until combined, followed by adding vanilla extract and oil.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well. Add warm coffee and beat well for one last time, the batter will be loose/watery/runny.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Unmold the cake carefully to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.

For the buttercream frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Add sifted 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.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and style as desired.

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.

The post Chocolate Cake – Celebrating 6 years of Pepper Delight 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.

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.