One Bowl Fruit Cake - my way!

Let's start with the disclaimer first. This is not your traditional, fully loaded fruit cake. This recipe does not involve rum, soaking, a few more time consuming steps and is not too rich either. It can be put together in one bowl in a few simple steps, tastes absolutely fabulous and looks festive with all the holiday colors. For those of my readers that have had similar growing-up experiences as I have, this cake will surely remind you of the plain old tutti-frutti cake from the local bakery that we so enjoyed. I always thought making this cake must require a complex process and machines that only factories have. So we never even tried to make it at home. Plus the fact that ovens are not a common fixture in most kitchens in India. A part of the 'factory machines' and 'complex process' in that the tutti-frutti must require some specialized machines. But the fact that they sell the tutti-frutti mix ready-made in the stores makes this cake a very easy do. A simple twist to the basic vanilla sponge to give it a holiday twist. A fun variation to the traditional cake recipe that is so popular in my family.

Read more »

The Best Ever Carrot Cake!

If you have never had carrot cake and the thought of carrots and cake does not paint a very appetizing picture in your mind, think again. For those of you who know and like 'gajar ka halwa', you kinda got the idea already. I was a skeptic once, a long time ago, and then like with everything else food, I had to try it for myself.
This carrot cake is such that once you make it, every single person who has tasted it (including you) will ask you when you are making it again. This cake has branding value. Yes, you might be known by this cake - you know when they say so and so's carrot cake - and you will be begged for the recipe, LOL. Its really that good!
The cake is fluffy and yet has that moist texture from the carrots. The carrots blend their identity into the overall taste and texture of the cake and together with the spices like ginger and nutmeg, give this cake its unique and unmistakable flavor. The hide and seek from the pieces of nuts definitely adds an interesting play as well.

Read more »

Fruit and Nut Dark Chocolate Bark

alentine's day is still a few days but I couldn't help it when I saw this simply fabulous chocolate recipe. I kid you not, this was the EASIEST and most AMAZING chocolaty sweet treat I made ever! Decadent dark chocolate topped with crunchy roasted nuts, bits of crystallized ginger, along with sweet tart dried cranberries, cherries and finished with a sprinkle of sea salt. The salty, sweet chocolaty combination is totally addictive and exotic and it looks oh sooo pretty!  Oh and did I mention it’s also kinda healthy full of antioxidants and there’s no baking required. Now I am a chocolate nut (no pun intended) so you can take what I say with a grain of salt (no pun again... lol) but when hubs, who - to remind you - is not the biggest chocolate lover, goes "hmm... this stuff is really good" and asks for seconds, that you gotta believe.

Read more »