Eggless Red velvet cupcakes

   Hi, friends!  With the shifting ahead, I completely lost track of my blogging.  And yes, we are  based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  My new home just got set and for the upcoming festive mode, I dedicate you my eggless version of Red velvet cupcakes with Cream cheese frosting.

Red velvet cupcakes are slightly cocoa flavoured and the mix of baking soda and vinegar are added to help the cake rise and retain the moist texture.  Since I didn't have vinegar at home, I replaced them with lime juice and it worked fine.  Super-moist cupcakes with a creamy, tangy frosting  were a total yum!   My family loved it.  Do try this and let us know your feedback.  

Cream cheese - from scratch

Cream cheese is a soft cheese made from full-fat milk.  The following recipe yields 130 grams of cream cheese with a balanced taste, ending on the tangy note.  They are used in making Cheesecakes, dip or spread, and cookies.  Cream cheese frosting goes very popular with Red Velvet Cake.  Though they can be easily spotted in Market, it is still better to make them at home, as it brings out the fresh flavour and is quite cheap as well.

Ingredients required

• 1/2 litre Full fat milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 11/2 tsp lime juice
• 11/2 tsp curd

Don't use normal milk,  Cream cheese is best made using full-fat milk.  

Method

Combine the milk with salt  and let it boil in a milk pan. 

As soon as it bubbles up and rises above, simmer the flame and add lime juice.  

Mix them well with a spoon, the milk will slowly start to curdle.  

Pour them over muslin cloth lined bowl and tie them up on the counter.  

Let it drain for 15 minutes.  

After 15 minutes, you will end up getting a soft cheese.

Add in the curd and fold them into the cheese using a spoon.

Let this mixture drain again for 10 minutes.  Store them in an air-tight container and use within a week's time.  

You can blend them if you want, and TA-DA , within an hour we have our super-cool Cream cheese ready!

Happy Baking :)  :)

Classic Cheesecake

 Cheesecake is  made of three or more layers.  They are supported with the crunchy crust of cookies and butter at the bottom.  The middle layer is soft  because of cream cheese and easily melts in your mouth.  Finally, they are topped with fruit compotes or any syrup/freshly cut fruits.  That said, it is an explosion of flavours and textures in one bite.     This is really a much-relished treat, for any season, though they are feasted a lot on summer.

They can be baked in an oven or can exist as non-baked as well.  Here, we are going to how they are baked, using a water-bath.  It's always best to use springform pan when making these, otherwise, they may get messy, when removing  from pan.

I topped them with strawberries and they were total yum.  Not only did they taste great, but also instantly melted in your mouth. This soft consistency comes from the lightness of cream cheese and also because of the fact that they are baked with a water-bath.   But, please opt if and only if you prefer a heavy dessert.  These are not for any light takers. 

On the whole, we had a hearty dessert, that completed our weekend.  Hope you tried the same and let us know :)

Red velvet cake with creamcheese icing

   November month is full of birthdays & anniversaries.  So, with lots to plan - I settled for this Red velvet cake with Cream cheese icing for his birthday.  Red velvet cake is known for its velvety texture is paired here with the tangy cream cheese frosting.

Carrot cake with cream,cheese icing - a birthday treat for my lovely daughter

August month is always exciting for me, yes, it has my cute pie's birthday.  From the first week itself, all the planning starts.  With tonnes of cake variety online, it gets only harder to settle for one.  Nonetheless, the carrot cake won my heart.  Not only known for its simplicity - it will impress any mother, who wants to load her child's tummy with vegetables.  So a win-win for both!
   

The day started with going to the temple, offering prayers.  Back at school, we arranged a cake cutting from a bakery nearby.   So, this carrot cake was reserved for her evening bash.  The best thing about carrot cake is that they are  made with oil, rendering their texture so soft even when consumed directly from the refrigerator.

Tangy cream cheese frosting went along well.  So, let's buckle up and enjoy the cake in making....

Ingredients required

For carrot cake

• Self-raising flour - 2 cups
• Powdered sugar - 11/2 cup
• Egg - 4
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 11/2 cup
• Shredded carrot - 3no or 21/2 cups

For cream cheese icing

• 125 gm of Cream cheese
• 125 gm of unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp powdered sugar

Method

Stir in salt to the flour.  Keep aside.  

In a separate vessel break four eggs, add powdered sugar and beat well till they are combined.

Add in oil, vanilla essence and beat again

Slowly fold in shredded carrots.

Finally,  add in flour mixture in three batches till they are well incorporated.

Pour them on a parchment paper lined 6-inch round baking pan and bake at preheated oven 180 -degree celsius till done. Cooling the cake can be done by inverting them over the wire rack for two hours.   I got four muffins and an entire cake made of 6-inch pan.  

Now prepare cream cheese icing, in a blender blend in cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Later on, add softened butter/melted butter and blend again till you get a fine paste.   This is our icing.

After the cake has been thoroughly cooled, cut into two and ice them on centre.

Close over the other half and ice the entire cake.

You can also make spiky patterns on a spoon's back.  Refrigerate them to set.  

On her Birthday, cake cutting was done and here we go, a yummy slice for you all!!  :)

HAPPY BAKING :) :)