Teddy Bear Cake

      For celebrating that "Special Day", the First Birthday of Our Lil Sweetheart, I wanted something so cute and innocent looking just as our lil one....And that's why I came up with the idea of a Teddy Bear Cake...(I love Teddy Bears...they,re so cuddly and lovable...) But I didn't have that Teddy Bear Cake Pan with me. I also didn't want to spend money on something rarely used. (Who is gonna make a teddy bear cake often...maybe professional bakers...and I'm not )
     So I decided to carve the Teddy Bear out of a simple home baked cake. I baked a 8" round cake and and a 1/4 sheet cake (!2"x 8"). And my advice for any home baker is that if you want to make a fancy  cake for any event there is no need of wasting money on pans that may be used only once. You can decide the design and make plans how to convert a simple piece of cake to a 3D image. Of course the pan makes the creative part easy, but the creation of the cake through your own hand is something fun and enjoyable, even though it tedious.
      The cake I baked was a simple Victorian Sponge Cake. This particular cake was created by one of the ladies-in-waiting of Queen Victoria, the Duchess of Bedford as a teatime snack. The cake is usually served as a kind of sandwich. I sandwiched the cake with whipped cream and strawberry spread. And decorated it with butter cream icing.

 

INGREDIENTS
  For Cake
Butter                                                              - 1 Cup (2 Sticks) at room temperature
Castor Sugar*                                                 - 1 Cup
Self-raising flour**                                          - 1 Cup
Eggs                                                               - 5, at room temperature
Milk                                                               - 1-2 tsp Tbsp, as needed

For Sandwiching
Strawberry Spread                                         - 1 Cup, at room temperature
Whipping Cream                                            - 300 ml

For Butter cream icing
Butter                                                             - 1 Cup (2 sticks) at room temperature
Powdered Sugar/Confectioner's Sugar            - 4 Cups
Vanilla Essence                                              - 2 tsp
Milk/cream                                                    - 2 Tbsp (or as required)
Food Colors - Peach or Orange, Brown, Black, Light brown (You can substitute with any of your favorite color)

METHOD
   Preparing the Cake
         Place the racks to the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350 F (180 C). Prepare*** a 8" round and 1/4 sheet pan (12" x 8") . Keep aside.
          In a mixing bowl sift together the self-raising flour and baking powder. Set aside
          In another bowl beat the butter until smooth and creamy. This may take about a minute. Add the sugar little by little while beating, so that the sugar is incorporated into the butter. When all the sugar is added gently add the eggs, one at a time. Beat and mix together till each of the egg is absorbed into the butter-sugar mixture. Add flour mixture into the egg mixture 1/3rd at a time and gently fold them together. Make sure the whole flour mixture is mixed well without any lumps. The batter must be smooth and thick but pourable. If the mixture is too thick add 1 or 2 Tbsp of milk to loosen it a bit. Add 1/2 Tbsp of milk at a time to make sure the batter is not made too loose. Also make sure that the batter is not over mixed.
         Now pour the batter into the prepared pans. Gently level the batter with a rubber spatula. Tap the pans with the batter so as to remove any air bubble. Bake the cake for about 20-25 minutes or till the cakes get a golden brown color. Insert a toothpick at the center and if it emerges clean the cake is done. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then gently loosen the sides with a spatula or knife and transfer them onto a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely before icing.

  Preparing Butter cream Icing
          Place the butter in a bowl and beat to cream it. Slowly add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix till the entire batch is absorbed by the butter. After the whole sugar is added mix in the vanilla essence. If the icing looks too thick, add milk/cream 1 Tbsp at a time so as to make it little more soft. Do not make the icing too watery. If it goes watery add a little bit powdered sugar, mix and leave in the fridge for about 10 minutes to thicken it. Take some cream and mix with the required colors. While mixing the orange color mix a little at a time so that you can stop when the required color consistency is reached.  Use only a small portion of the icing to make the desired colors, so that even if you need more of a particular color you can come back to the original batch and whip up the required color.
            Put each colored icing into separate piping bags fitted with tips. For the peach or light orange color and the brown color use star tips. You can spread the light brown color with a spatula or a butter knife and use a straight tip or outline tip for the black color.

  Arranging the Cake
           Beat the whipping cream in a bowl and beat till it forms soft peaks. Take the Sheet Cake and draw an outline of the teddy bear's head and stomach with a tooth pick. You can also draw the outline on a piece of paper and keep it on top of the cake. Cut the shape of the bear on the cake. Now with round cookie cutters (small, medium & large) cut a pair of round shapes of each size. The small one for ear, medium and large for the front and hind paws.
           Now keep the ear piece over the head portion and cut the side of the head so as to insert the curve of the ear. Do it on both sides. Do the same with the front and hind paws. Cut the whole cake (The body piece, ear and paws) horizontally into two equal halves so as to make two layers of the cake.

            Assemble one layer of all the pieces on a cake plate or cardboard piece  in the shape of the teddy bear. Glue each piece onto the plate with a small amount of the icing mix. Now on top the whole layer spread the strawberry preserves or jelly to half inch thickness. On top of the jelly spread the whipping cream, also to half inch thickness. Now place the other layers of the cake on top over the corresponding pieces. Spread the light brown icing on the inside portion of the ear, paws & tummy. Now apply the brown icing on the ears and paws as well as their sides. Using the orange cream ice the head and body portion along with the respective sides, leaving a portion for the eyes as well as the mouth. Using the black color draw the eyes, mouth and claws of the teddy bear. Keep the cake covered at room temperature or in the fridge till ready to use. If kept in fridge allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving it.


* Castor Sugar - This is a sugar that is much finer than the regular granulated sugar, but not as fine as the powdered sugar. If you don't have castor sugar. powder the granulated sugar using a coffee grinder and then measure to 1 cup.

** Self raising flour - This flour does not require any leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder as they are already mixed into it. If you do not have this flour in handy you can substitute with all purpose flour. Sift together 1 Cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/3 tsp Baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt into a bowl. Sift it one more time. Now measure this mixture into 1 Cup and use as self-raising flour.

*** Preparing a baking pan - Either apply non stick spray or butter to your pan. Add 2 Tbsp of flour into it, preferably the same flour as used in the recipe. Swirl the pan and make sure the entire pan is coated with the flour and butter. Dust the extra flour into the sink. Instead of flouring the pan you can also use parchment paper to line the pan. Cut the parchment paper to the size as the bottom of the pan. Once the cake is baked and transferred to the cooling rack you can simply remove the paper.

 Yesterday was a wonderful day....It was our son's 5 B'Day... 5 years...!!!!! Can't believe...!!!! Still remember the day when we first took him in ours arms....cuddle him close to our heart...He has grown from a new born to an infant to a toddler to a boy...How fast time goes...We feel like re-living each of those moments again and again....All those memories...ahh....I can't explain how I feel right now....I'm out of words....
         I wanted to make each of his B'day even more special and memorable. I make cakes each year for him...I remember the cake that I made for his First Birthday - A Teddy Bear Cake....I treasure those moments...(and which mother doesn't....????) This year I made cupcakes and also party cake all by myself...Cupcakes so that he could share some fun with his friends and teachers...And those are the first cupcakes that I ever made.. :-) We also had fun with his Best Friend and Mom in the afternoon, with a small kiddy party...
         Will be soon posting all those party special recipes for you my friends...So Stay Tuned...  ;-)

Coconut Bonbons

  I was thinking of making a special snack for this Christmas and I stumbled upon this book "Christmas Cookies" by Better Homes & Garden (2007 issue) in the Library. This recipe doesn't ask for any fancy ingredient and was so easy that I thought of giving it a try. So can you.....

 INGREDIENTS
Powdered Sugar                                               - 3 cups
Flaked coconut                                                 - 1 1/2 Cups
Sweetened Condensed milk                              - 3/4 cup
Almond Extract                                                - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Coconut flavoring                                             - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Bittersweet/ Premium dark baking chocolate     - 10 oz., chopped
Butter                                                               - 2 tsp
Toasted flaked coconut (optional)

  METHOD
           Place the powdered sugar, flaked coconut, sweetened condensed milk, almond extract and coconut flavoring in a food processor. Cover and process until well combined. Anyway I didn't use the two extracts and the outcome was impressive. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl . Cover and chill in the refrigerator about 4 hours or until firm.
            Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Take out half of the mixture from the refrigerator and  make small bite sized balls. Repeat with the remaining half. Place them on the lined baking sheet and cover and freeze for 30 minutes or until very firm. You can also shape them as coins by flattening the balls into round shapes.
            In a microwave-safe bowl place the chopped chocolate and butter and microwave for about 2-3 minutes or until the mixture melts into a smooth paste. Stir and allow the chocolate to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Take half of the coconut balls/coins from the refrigerator and using two forks dip each of them into the chocolate and evenly cover the whole balls. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Repeat the same with the other half. Chill in the refrigerator for another 15-20 minutes or until set.
              Place the bonbons in a single layer in an airtight container. refrigerate up to a week or freeze up to 3 months. Let stand 30 minutes before serving. Serve it as a dessert or you can simply have it as a mood mender.

Plum Cake (Dried Fruits Cake)

        Christmas is a time of joy and celebrations....its also a time of baking. Back in Kerala, all the Christian families are so busy in the process of making different kinds of special snacks. They also are famous for making home-made wine. Friends & neighbors usually gift others with a bottle of their special home-made wine and a plum cake....those wonderful taste still linger in my mouth.
        This Christmas I decided to make a special plum cake along with a special sweet snack. Plum cakes are a kind of rich fruit cake. The richness comes from the fact that the fruits used in this cakes are dried fruits along with nuts. Some also include candied fruits in this cake. ( I didn't use them. You can get them from grocery stores or you can make them at home)

  INGREDIENTS
Black Raisins                                      - 1 1/2 cups
Golden Raisins                                    - 1 1/2 cups
Dates                                                  - 1 Cup
Dried figs                                            - 1 Cup (if available)
Dark Grape juice                                - as required
Cashew nuts                                       - 1 1/2 Cup
Pistachios                                           - 1/2 Cup
Silvered Almonds                               - 1 Cup
Finely shredded orange zest             - 2 Tbsp
Freshly squeezed orange juice             - 1/2 cup
All-purpose flour                                 - 3 Cups
Baking Powder                                    - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Butter                                                  - 1 1/2 stick
Eggs                                                    - 6
Sugar                                                   - 3 Cups + 1 Cup (for caramelizing)
Water                                                  - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon powder                                - 1 1/2 tsp
Cloves powder                                    - 1 1/2 tsp
Ginger powder                                     - 1 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence                                     - 2 tsp
Salt                                                      - 1 tsp

     METHOD
                 Take the raisins, dates & dried figs in a bowl and pour the grape juice over it to cover the entire fruits. If you are using candied fruits reduce the amount of raisins. Keep it closed airtight at room temperature for 2 weeks. You can also use wine or rum or brandy instead of the grape juice.
                  Coarsely chop the nuts except the almonds if they are too big and keep aside. Bring the butter and egg to room temperature before starting preparation.
                   In a pan take the 1 cup sugar and place in high heat. When the sugar starts melting pour 2-3 Tbsp of water into it. Do not stir. Gently swirl the pan as the sugar melts. Wait till all the sugar melts and you should get a light amber color. Adjust the heat if necessary. If the color gets too dark it will make the cake too bitter. Once caramelized add the 1/2 cup of water into it and stir the contents till dissolved.
                   Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
                   Drain the raisins, dates and figs  from the juice. Coat the nuts and the raisin mixture with some flour and set aside.
                   Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Line two 5"x 10" loaf pans with parchment paper or a 10" x 3" round cake pan and set aside.
                   In a mixing bowl beat the butter till soft. To it add the sugar little by little. Beat together after each addition. Once the sugar is added completely start adding the egg one by one. Beat after each egg is added until its incorporated into the butter mix. When all the eggs are added beat till you get a smooth creamy mixture. Now slowly add the caramelized sugar, the spices, salt and vanilla extract. Lightly mix after each addition. Add the flour mixture and fold it with a rubber spatula till the whole mixture becomes a smooth paste. To this add the orange juice and orange zest and combine together. The entire batter should be thick but pourable.
                    Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Fill only up to 3/4 of the pans. Tap the pan on the kitchen surface to let out air bubbles. Bake for about 1 hour. ( Check the cake in between) If a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean the cake is done. if not bake for another 5-10 minutes and check.
                     Let the cakes remain in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove them and place on cooling rack. Let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container. The cake can be kept in room temperature. If you need more shelf-life for the cake cover it with wax paper, wrap it with plastic film and then cover with aluminium paper and refrigerate. Before serving the refrigerated cake heat tyhe oven to 350 F and warm up the cake for 5-10 minutes.
                 

   Its been a while friends.......This year winter was bit harsh and lengthy...bringing with it cold and flu..,,and took a bit time to recover from its after effects, which kept me from blogging or trying out new recipes...Any way feeling some mood for blogging and I'm starting with my Christmas Specials for the year 2012...So keep visiting for those recipes...

Whole Wheat Pancakes

     Pancakes are thick or thin cake-like cereal food made on a hot griddle. They are mildly sweetened and are hence the favorites of kids. There is no complexity in its preparation; in fact its so easy to make. Usually all purpose flour is used for its preparation, but for a more healthier version I use whole wheat flour. And believe me there is no compromise in either taste or softness...!!!! My husband and son equally love them...

INGREDIENTS
Whole wheat flour (Atta) - 1 Cup
Butter                             - 4 Tbsp ,melted
Eggs                               - 3, separated into whites & yolks
Milk                               - 3/4-1 cup
Baking soda                   - 1/2 Tbsp
Salt                                - 1/4 tsp
Sugar                             - 2-3 Tbsp (according to taste)
Vanilla essence               - 1/2 tsp (optional)

METHOD
             Mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat the egg whites to form stiff white peaks.Do beat the egg whites separately so that the batter will be smooth, soft and fluffy, which enhances the taste. Beat the egg yolks separately with the vanilla essence, if using. Make a well on the flour mixture and pour in the melted butter. Slowly stir in. Now add the egg yolks and stir once. Add the milk 3/4 cup first and start mixing well. Add more milk, little at a time, so as to form a thick smooth batter. Make sure the batter has no lumps. If necessary beat the batter with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes. When it is well mixed gently fold in the beaten egg white till the whole whites are incorporated into the batter. Do not over mix. Also mix in the sugar.
              In a hot nonstick pan pour one ladle of batter, making sure not to spread the batter with the ladle. When small bubbles form on one side flip it. Make sure the heat is in medium low or else the pancake will get burned. Also when you flip the pancakes gently press the center of the pancake to the pan so that the center portion also gets cooked. When both the sides are golden brown remove from the pan. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. This recipe will yield about 14-15 pancakes.
                Serve it hot with butter or jam or maple syrup or any spread of your choice along with a cup of coffee or juice.

Aaloo Subzi ( Gujarati Style)

          Potato has a very important place in North Indian cuisine. Their everyday meal usually consists of at least one potato dish like potato curry, Aaloo paratha etc. Gujarati cuisine mainly consists of vegetarian food most of which exhibits a distinctive sweet, salty and spicy flavor. This is one such dish.

INGREDIENTS
Potato                                         - 3 Big, peeled,boiled with salt & diced
Oil (Preferably peanut oil)            - 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds                             - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds                                - 1 tsp
Chilli powder                               - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder                         - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder                       - 2 tsp
Dried Red Chillies                        - 2
Curry leaves                                - 1-2 twigs
Asafoetida                                   - 1/4 tsp
Amchoor (Dried mango powder) - 1 tsp
Garam Masala                             - 1/2 tsp
Sugar                                           - 1 tsp
Roasted peanut powder               - 2 Tbsp
Salt                                             - To taste
Cilantro                                       - 1/2 bunch, chopped roughly

METHOD
             Mix the boiled & diced potatoes with chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, sugar, amchoor, garam masala and peanut powder.
              In a nonstick pan heat the oil. When the oil is hot enough add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Red chillies and curry leaves one by one. When the spluttering subsides add the potato-spice mix and stir well so that the entire mix is coated with the oil. Sprinkle with some water so that the mixture won't go dry adjust the salt as needed. Stir intermittently till the whole mix gets a light golden brown color. Towards the finishing stage add the chopped cilantro and mix once. Remove from heat.
                This dish goes well with chapatis & parathas.