Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake - Going C agian for Christmas

So Christmas is finally here..Merry Christmas to all my family, relatives back home and my friends, my blog viewers and readers across the globe. May the joy and peace of Christmas fill your hearts and overflow abundantly. Though we miss a full white Christmas here in Toronto we are happy that we have clear roads to drive back and forth for Church services...

Being Christmas, I'm still continuing the sugar rush here on my blog. As promised, here is the Chocolate Chip cake which was made by default by using chocolate chips as excuse for raisins or other dried fruits...To my surprise the day i was baking i ran out of raisins in my pantry. Then suddenly i remembered that i had this small packet of semi sweet chocolate chips lying in one of the shelves for a long time..I actually bought them to bake some chocolate chip cookies for my kids who just luv them. But when we get PC's chocolate chip cookies for just $1.99, its easier to pick them up and treat kids rather invest my precious time on baking them. So this unused pkt of choco chips came to my rescue that day, also making me create a cake which i had never baked before.

I also noticed that my kids never do like raisins added in cakes, cookies or bread..they prefer to eat them just like that. So when i declared to them that i was baking chocolate chip cake, they were overjoyed so much that they even wanted to be a part of the picture I wanted to click to post here.

So going beyond the idea of using chocolate chips in cookies and muffins, this chocolate chip pound cake is born.

Ingredients250 gms butter(softened)
1 cup white or brown sugar
3-4 eggs
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup all-purpose flour or use whole wheat flour for healthier choice
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nut meg powder
1/4 cup Cocoa powder if you want color and cocoa flavour(I used very sparlingly, cause i had only unsweetened one)
A pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen juice of ur choice( I used orange and passion fruit)
1/2 cup Evaporated milk to adjust the consistency of the cake batter.

Procedure:
Cut the portion of butter required and place it out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour your desired cake pan.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready,

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl until they turn creamy. Add eggs one by one and beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, nutmeg, baking powder cocoa powder(if using)and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with orange juice and evaporated milk to the batter mixture. Keep mixing while adding. add the milk only if necessary.

Mix half of the chocolate chips with a little flour and add to the cake mixture. Gently mix..Do not to over-mix.

Pour into Prepared greased pan/pans.

Add a layer of chocolate chips on the top

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes

As the cake rises fully and gets its shape, remove from the oven and add the last layer of chips. Return to the oven.

Once the cake gets a golden brown color, cover it with foil, shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely

Mini Cashew Coconut Rum Cup Cakes with a hint of Cream Cheese - Going "C" for Christmas

Somehow this year I didn't marinate/soak any dried fruits for the traditional Christmas cake. So was not in a mood to bake at all. Then, last weekend when holidays started for kids, thought of making it special for them and suddenly I got a sprout for baking..after all it is not right for me to deprive kids of their childhood baking memories with mamma.

Since I did no planning for this cake baking...and didn't want to drive to pickup any stuff from the store too..I had to be creative to whip up with the ingredients at hand in my pantry and fridge.

So baked Cashew Coconut Rum Cake, in a loaf and in cake cups to make it kids friendly. Also baked a Chocolate Chip Cake which I will post next.
Cashew Coconut Rum Cake with Cream Cheese Incorporated :
Addition of cream cheese gives a dense texture to this cake. To keep the spirit of traditional Christmas cake, I thought of adding rum. Since i had open Malibu Coconut flavour I used the same. You can experiment with any flavour of choice. Since this rum is too sweet, I reduced the amount of sugar to adjust the sweetness.

Ingredients :
250 gms butter(softened)
1/2 cup Cream Cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

Flour & Powders:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice (optional)
1 pinch salt

Liquids
1 tbsp Vanilla extract or Coconut Essence
2 tbsp lime juice
1 cup Malibu Rum Coconut flavour
Milk or cream if necessary

Nuts:
1/4 cup Cashew nuts broken

Garnish:
Broken Cashew pieces



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a loaf pan or which ever shaped pan using. Insert paper cup covers into tray of cup cake moulds.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready, Take butter out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl till blended and then add cream cheese and beat again till it is incorporated into the butter sugar mixture.

Crack eggs into this one by one beating in between . After adding all the eggs beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, allspice baking powder, soda and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients. Keep mixing. Add enough milk if the batter is too thick to arrive at the right consistency for baking.

Add half of the cashew pieces to the blended mixture.

Pour into Prepared greased pan and cups tray.

Garnish with remaining broken cashew pieces.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes for the loaf and 20 - 30 mins for the cup cakes.

Tip : Once the cake rises and gets the shape and is browning on the top, then remove from the oven and cover it with foil, shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Remove the cup cakes from the tray and store separately.

Count down to Christmas with Banana walnut cake

With chill winds blowing, snow flakes coming down, carols sounding, decorations all around it sure is a season for Christmas..so much so is the reason for baking yummy treats..watch those holiday cals!!!

Ripe bananas always tempt me to bake a banana cake..and since I'm fond of nuts too,so incorporated walnuts which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. A bit of health throw in..kind off!!! So Banana Walnut cake is a perfect combo for flavour and crunch.

Sorry no cake left after slicing to take pictures of slices..

Ingredients
400 gms butter(softened)
2 cups sugar
5 eggs

Flour & Powders:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice (optional)
1 pinch salt

Liquids:
1 tbsp Banana extract
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 - 1 cup Evaporated milk

Fruit & Nut:
1/2 - 1 cup Walnuts (chopped)
1 or 2 Bananas



Directions:

Chop Walnuts

Mash Bananas into smooth paste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour your desired cake pans. I used a loaf pan and a square pan.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready, Take butter out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl until they turn creamy Add in eggs. Beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, allspice(if adding, baking powder, soda and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients except milk. Keep mixing

Add Mashed Banana. Add milk if necessary according to the consistency of the batter. Keep mixing while adding. Add chopped walnuts. Gently mix to combine.

Pour into Prepared greased pan/pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 - 60minutes, usually banana cake longer time to bake.

Tip : During the baking process, when the cake rises and gets the shape and is browning on the top, then remove from the oven and cover it with foil, shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Cherry Almond cake

No doubt desserts are packed with calories..but its not just the cals that count but the effects of them on our bodies. If we can't give up them at least find out ways to make these desserts as much diet friendly..

Wiki says Almonds are a rich source of vitamin E. They are also rich in monounsaturated fat, one of the two "good" fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol.

Claimed health benefits of almonds include improved complexion, improved movement of food through the colon and the prevention of cancer.
Almond is considered a nutritive for the brain and nervous system. It is said to induce high intellectual level and longevity.

Due to its low-carbohydrate ratio and its good dietary fibre almond flour is very desirable for use in cake, cookies and bread recipes by people on carbohydrate-restricted diets and patients suffering from diabetes.

This said I got an opportunity to make use of my stocked up almonds. To add a little color and fruit I choose to go with sweetened juicy cherries which where in my fridge for a long time. These cherries remind me of my childhood days when my granny use to(very rarely) buy them and treat us. There was this big jar of sweetened red juicy cherries in one of the most popular sweet shop in the city I lived back home. I used to drool at that jar of cherries when ever I visited the sweet stall. Since they were expensive, elders at home used to buy them only when we baked cake at home. So the moments with these cherries were precious.

Now here we go with the most nutritious almonds and treasured cherries to bake one sumptuous cake.

Ingredients
400 gms butter(softened)
1 -3/4 cups sugar
5-6 eggs

Flour & Powders:
1-1/2cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice (optional)
1 pinch salt

Liquids:
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tbsp Cherry extract
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 - 1 cup Evaporated milk

Fruit & Nut:
1/2 cup cherries in syrup (assorted, sliced)
1/2 cup Almonds made into Almond Paste or use store bought

For Almond Paste :
1/2 cup ground almonds
4 Tsp of milk
a pinch of rose water
2 Tbsp Sugar or Honey

Garnish:
5-7 Cherries sliced
5-7 Almonds chopped

Directions:

Blanch Almonds by adding them to boiled water and peel off skin. Dry them fully.

Grind Almonds to make powder.

Boil sugar with just a little water to soft ball consistency and add all the other ingredients under almond paste. Once the paste leaves the vessel remove from heat and pour into a small bowl for later use.

Alternatively you can use store bought Almond paste too.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour your desired cake pans. I usually use a loaf pan and a square pan.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready, Take butter out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl until they turn creamy Add in eggs. Beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, allspice(if adding, baking powder, soda and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients except milk. Keep mixing

Add almond paste, mix. Add milk according to the consistency of the batter. Keep mixing while adding. Add sliced cherries. Gently mix to combine.

Pour into Prepared greased pan/pans.

Garnish with sliced cherries and chopped almonds

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes

Once the cake rises and gets the shape and is browning on the top, then remove from the oven and cover it with foil, shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Raisin Walnut Coconut Cake

Ingredients
To Beat
400 gms butter(softened)
2 cups white sugar
5-6 eggs
To Combine
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 pinch salt
To Add
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tbsp lime juice
Add some color to get a marble effect if desired.

Dried Fruit and Nut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Sweetened Crated Coconut

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour your desired cake pans.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready, Take
butter out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl until they turn creamy Add in eggs. Beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, allspice, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients to be added to the batter mixture. Keep mixing while adding.

Add half of the raisins,walnuts and coconut. Do not to over-mix.

Pour into Prepared greased pan/pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes

Once the cake rises and gets the shape then remove from the oven and add the remaining raisins,walnuts and coconut on the top, cover it with foil,
shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Caribbean Fruit and Nut Cake - My Version

This is a Caribbean style Fruit and Nut Cake with Spices. The variation is that the fruit is marinated/soaked in Red Wine/Rum/Brandy and ground corsely into a paste and added into the batter apart from adding the dry fruits & nuts.

For my cake I soaked the dried fruits in Red wine and ground them along with some fruit punch and molasses and preserved it for a year. Yes, I did this last christmas and used that fruit mixture for this year's christmas cake.

The result was obvious...Though I and hubby identified some minors corrections, this tasted good.
Soaking the fruit for a few weeks and baking this cake any where from 2 weeks to 2 months before the occasion and moistening it regularly with a coat of wine, rum etc would do justice for this dark cake.

My cake may not have the exact carribbean recipe, but the concept is very much borrowed(grinding the fruit). Tailored to my taste buds.....hence this is my version of the Dark fruit and Nut cake
Here are the digital steps...


Ingredients:
To Beat
2 cups butter(softened)
2 cups white sugar
6 eggs(Increase to 8 if desired)
To Combine
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
To Add
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tbsp lime juice
1 grated zest of that lime
1/4 cup white rum (optional)
1 cup red wine
1/2- 1 cup dark molasses
Dried Fruits and Nuts
1 cup dried fruit(raisins, currants, Sultanas) 1 cup Cake fruits + Cherries
1 cup Nuts(Almonds, Walnuts, Cashew, Pecan)

1/2 cup chopped Dates To Grind
1 cup Dried fruits raisins, currants, Sultanas)
1/2 cup chopped Dates
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup frozen Fruit punch

Procedure:
Soak the ingredients to be ground a week before or alteast overnight and grind them coarse add a little fruit punch.
This mixture can be frozen or even just refridgerated well in advance(1 day to 1 year) In my case I had prepared this last christmas. For best results, fruits should be soaked in wine for at least 3 weeks, or boiled in the wine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 - 9 inch cake pans.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready, Take
butter out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl until they turn creamy Add in eggs. Beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients to be added
to the batter mixture. Keep mixing while adding.

Add the ground mixture so fruits and wine. Do not to over-mix. Add all the dried fruits and nuts.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 80 to 90 minutes

Once the cake rises and gets the shape and is almost hard, cover it with foil,
shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Additional wine or rum can be brushed onto cake as needed to keep moist.

This is my entry for
Think Spice - Cinnamon, created and hosted by Sunitha of Sunitha's world.
A Fruit a Month (AFAM) Event started by Maheshwari of Beyond the Usual, this month.
AFAM - Dried Fruits is hosted by Lathaji of The Yum Blog
Click - Nuts created and hosted by Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi.
Did you check for the Galore of christmas Trees here