Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Whole Wheat Carrot & Pineapple Cake




A good carrot cake is meant to be eaten throughout the year, seasons are just an added excuse!  Or so thinks yours truly!

The last of the bits and pieces of Ottolenghi's Carrot Cake stashed away in the freezer were devoured long ago. Winter came and went, I almost could taste and smell the cake whenever I saw carrots. Coconut, nuts, carrots and spices, irresistible! But life has been a tad busy of late and I did not get a chance to bake that cake again. Thank God for fresh carrots all year round, I finally got some to bake a cake. Only this time around it had to be a healthier, easier version I could bake more often.
 
The 100% whole wheat carrot cake page in the King Arthur Whole Grain Book has been thumbed often enough, so I really wasn't searching for a recipe. And when the cake promises to be one which is hard to tell as whole wheat, I have no second thoughts! Delivering what it promises, it indeed is a delightful cake with a surprisingly tender crumb. Succulent pineapple bits make a lovely addition. Very soft and so good warm, I had to remind hubby and son that I still had to take some pictures. The advantage of baking a cake in a square tin, you can actually taste the cake before you take the mandatory pictures!  

What's even better is, it's a simple and easy cake to bake.
I like these cakes plain, dress it up with cream cheese frosting if you wish!  


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For best results, do not make any changes to the recipe. Use the right tools, pan size and ingredients. 
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Ingredients :

Eggs - 2 large / 100 grams (without shell)
Vegetable oil - 3/4 cup / 180 ml
Grated orange zest - 1 teaspoon
Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 3/4 cup / 150 grams, powdered (weigh and then process). Use 1/2 cup/100 grams for a just about sweet cake
Brown sugar - 1/4 cup / 50 grams
Whole wheat flour - 112 grams
Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
Baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon
Salt - a pinch
Ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
Ground cloves - 1/4 teaspoon
Finely grated carrots - 1 1/4 cup approximately / 122 grams
Pecans or walnuts or cashew nuts, chopped and toasted - 1/2 cup (or more)
Unsweetened shredded coconut - 1/2 cup / 40 grams
Pineapple bits ( I used canned) - generous 1/2 to 1 cup

Cream cheese Frosting ( Optional )

Unsalted butter, at room temperature - 3 tablespoons /
Cream cheese, at room temperature - 4 oz 
Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
Confectioner's sugar - 2 cups/ 225 grams, sifted
Chopped nuts - 1/2 cup, optional
Milk - 1-2 tablespoons

Method:
  • Pre-heat  oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line an 8'' square tin with baking parchment, grease lightly. You could alternatively use a 9'' or 8'' round tin or a 9x13 pan for double the recipe. The baking time will vary.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
  • In a medium sized bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the eggs on the lowest speed for about 30 seconds. Add the oil, vanilla and orange zest, beat 30 seconds again.
  • Tip in the sugar, beat again just to incorporate, about 30 seconds.  Add the flour, beat 30 seconds on low speed till smooth. Using a spatula, mix in the carrots, pineapple bits, coconut and nuts.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Cooling it for a few hours should give you neater slices. 

  • Dust with confectioner's sugar or frost with cream cheese, both entirely optional.
Cream cheese frosting

Combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat them together till light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating well. Stir in the nuts, then the milk, a little at a time, till the frosting is of a spreadable consistency. 


Please note

Spices : The recommended amount of spices is 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. I used lesser(above) and used cloves in place of the nutmeg. I may add about 1/8 teaspoon more cinnamon next time.

You can use 1 cup raisins in place of  half of 8 oz can pineapple bits, but the cake will not be as moist.

Baking time :  8'' round - 30-35 minutes
9'' round - 35-40 minutes
Sheet cake - 45-50 minutes.


This tasty cake, I know will be made regularly to feed the sweet tooth of the foodie son and the fruit-cake loving hubby.  Now, we can't really deprive the baker of her slice. Right?

Forgive me for me being irregular, hope to be around more often! So, what's baking in your home to feed the exam fervor?

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Thursday, February 5, 2015

My First Ever Video! How To Use A Convection Microwave - Courtesy Videogyan







This is my first ever video and am really excited to put it up on You Tube! Since ages, I had been wanting to make one on How To Use A Convection Microwave, the most popular post on my blog. So when Videogyan , one of the leading makers of kids animation videos in the world, gave me the much needed push and support, I had to make it! It all happened so quickly and we shot with barely any time to plan. I was a bundle of nerves as the video will tell you!  But it was great fun and I loved every moment of it. It also made me realize the kind of time and effort that goes into the making of videos. I look at movie makers with more respect now! 

My sincere thanks to Ranga Rao Tatti, Vishal Tatti and the rest of Team Videogyan for all the help and support. Hopefully this will pave the way to the beginning of a series. Fingers crossed as of now! I hope you will watch the video and let me know your thoughts on it. Despite the awkwardness and the cat-dragged-me-in look, I hope you will find the video helpful.  

Thanks to each of you for being part of my blogging journey, hope to continue to get the same love and support as always!




Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Separating Eggs, How To Whip Egg Whites




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In continuation of my previous post
Eggy Snippets, comes this post on separating eggs and whipping egg whites. As we know, egg whites whipped right (and folded in right) can make a great deal of  difference to the texture of bakes like chiffon cakes, angel food cakes, French macarons and meringue cookies. In order to whip egg whites properly, separating eggs neatly would be the first step.

Separating eggs means separating the yolks from the whites. When we separate eggs for whipping them, we need to be sure the whites do not have even a trace of yolk in them. Yolk is grease and it will prevent the whites from whipping up to their full volume and stiffness. 

Do not attempt beating egg whites on a humid day !

Cold eggs separate more easily.  If separating eggs for the first time, separate when cold. You can bring the whites to room temperature and then whip as they whip better at room temperature. If you are in a hurry, place the bowl of whites in a larger bowl of warm (not hot) water, careful not to get water into the whites. It is OK if the whites are warm.
 

Weight : One large egg white weighs 30 grams. If you recipe calls for 4 whites, have at least 6 - 8 eggs on hand. 


Getting ready to separate eggs : If this is for whipping egg whites, you need to be doubly sure that everything you use to store, weigh or scrape them with are free of grease. This includes your work surface, the weighing bowl, the spatula,  bowls, spoons, the blades of your hand mixer, your dish cloth, the bowl you will whip them in and of course your hands! A non-plastic bowl is good, copper is supposed to be the best, you could use glass too. I use steel. Wash all of the above obsessively and dry them well with a clean dish cloth. Washing them with vinegar is supposed to work well to help remove any traces of grease.

Have one smaller bowl to drop the yolks in. 2 more squeaky clean ones to drop the whites in. Spread a clean newspaper on the table or counter. 


Cracking the eggs neatly is the first step. If you insist on cracking them on the counter or any available surface, you may need to have omelets for the next meal. Hold the egg in one hand, use a spoon to gently crack the egg in the middle. Break it apart gently but decisively. Hopefully there should be a whole neat yolk sitting in one half of the shell.


Now drop the whites in the other half into a clean bowl. Cup your right hand, pour the egg yolk into it, let any whites flow down into the clean bowl. Gently drop the egg yolk into the designated bowl. Repeat. If you would be separating a large number of eggs, it would be a good idea to drop the whites of each egg into a bowl first, be sure its clear and then pour it into the rest of the whites. Otherwise even if one of the egg whites is muddled with some yolk, you will end up repeating the whole exercise with more eggs! Practice this when you make omelets!

How do I get rid of that bit of yolk? Use a piece of egg shell to remove that tiny bit of yolk in the otherwise clear whites. Once you have separated the approximate number of whites, weigh them and proceed.  

Cream of tartar : This whitish powder helps whip eggs to a good volume and helps avoid over whipping. The ideal proportion according to Rose Levy Beranbaum is 1/8 teaspoon for each white. If you do not have cream of tartar, try using fresh lime juice in the same quantity.

Tool for beating : A hand mixer is works well, but am sure a stand mixer will be even better. I have never attempted with a wire whisk, but it won't be as quick or easy for sure!






Now to beat the egg whites : Please watch this video (after 4 minutes into the video) of Rose Beranbaum to get a better idea. Take the whites in a wide clean bowl. Start with your hand mixer on low speed. When it starts turning foamy, add the cream of tartar. If you add it beforehand, the whites will not foam. Once you add the cream of tartar or lemon juice, continue to beat gradually increasing the speed to medium high. When the beater marks show distinctly and soft peaks form, add the  sugar you have reserved (the quantity will be mentioned in the recipe). 

You could add the sugar beforehand, but whites whip faster to soft peaks without the sugar. Continue beating for a minute more till the whites form stiff peaks. To check, stop your mixer, slowly lift the beaters from the whites, you should be able to see peaks which stand straight. If they droop right away and fall back, you have to beat a little more. Be careful here, stop and check after a minute or so, as you do not want to beat the egg whites till they dry out. If they dry out, it will not easy to incorporate into the batter and your cake will not be light. Once the whites are whipped to the stage specified, use as directed in the recipe. 


Again, speeds on different blenders may vary, so go by what you see! 
  
Tools for folding in whites : Use a large silicon spatula or a slotted skimmer or a balloon whisk, whatever works best for you.

More bits : Some recipes direct you to add the sugar slowly, it is important to add it slowly taking the time specified. If you rush it, your meringue may not be as light.

In some recipes like meringue cookies, part of the sugar is meant to remain undissolved. So it is folded in towards the end. This apparently produces tender meringue as opposed to hard ones.
In most recipes, the whipped whites are dumped on top of the rest of the batter and folded in.  If you did the other way round, the whites will deflate a lot more. While making French macarons, the dry ingredients (sugar and nut mixture) are dumped on top of the meringue. Please follow the recipe instructions. 




 Please do read the previous post to get a clearer picture. Whipped egg whites open up so many more possibilities in baking and desserts.  Have fun with meringue, try these Orange Glow Chiffon Cake, Queen Of Sheba, Flourless Coffee Almond Cookies .