Strawberry cupcakes with white chocolate ganache filling and strawberry whipped cream frosting

The strawberry cupcakes are from here:

http://www.divinetaste.com/archives/eggless-strawberry-cupcakes-with-strawberry-buttercream-frosting/

Ingredients:

200 gm (1 1/2 cup) plain flour
1 1/2  tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
100 gm (3/4 cup) milk powder
150 gm (3/4 cup packed powdered sugar or fine sugar
100 gm (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup strawberry preserve diluted with a little water
250 ml (1 cup) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Line the tin with cupcake liners.

Clean and slice the strawberries. Mix in the lemon juice and the sugar and keep aside for about 15 minutes to half an hour. This helps to bring out the flavour of the strawberries.

Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and the vanilla with a hand blender or with a wire whisk, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the sugar and the milk powder and beat until soft. Stir in half the flour, add half the milk and beat until soft, for about 2 minutes. Put in the remaining flour and milk and beat again until soft for 2 minutes. Mix in the strawberries with their juices. Pour the batter into cup cake liners and bake at (160C/325F/Gas Mark 3) for 25 to 30 minutes or till done (until a skewer comes clean).

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, ice them with the frosting or eat them as they are.  Make sure that the cakes are completely cool before icing them. If the cakes are warm, you run the risk of melting the icing.

White chocolate ganache:

120g white chocolate

60 ml cream (Amul is fine)

Chop chocolate fine and evenly in a glass bowl.

Heat the cream till bubbles form all over

Pour the heated cream over the chocolate to melt.

Leave to cool - refrigerate if required.

Whipped strawberry cream frosting from here:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/WhippedCreamFrosting.html#ixzz2nnrb1LRX

Whipped Cream Frosting:

1 cup (240 ml)cold heavy whipping cream  (35-40% butterfat content)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons (15-25 grams) granulated white sugar, or to taste

Strawberry Whipped Cream:

Make theWhipped Cream Frosting and

Add:1/3 cup (80 ml) chilledstrawberry pureeor strawberry jam

Place your mixing bowl and wire whisk in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes. Then place all the ingredients in the cold bowl and beat just until stiff peaks form. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups (480 ml) whipped cream.

 Make the whipped cream frosting but beat only until very soft peaks form. Then add the strawberry pureeor jam, and beat just until stiff peaks form. Taste andfoldin more sugar or puree, as needed. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups (480 ml) whipped cream.

Cupcakes should look like this:

My piping should have made a bigger circle and one more swirl on top.. requires practice.
the cupcakes were ok but they should have been softer.  May be using butter in an eggless cakes can only make cakes so soft.  Should try with oil or try with whipped cream in the recipe to see if it makes it softer.
Also i should add more ganache.  Up to one tablespoon ganache should be ok.  Otherwise the height of this cupcake was quite appealing compared to my flatter ones.  Should get cupcake liners in this size.
Also the strawberry preserves don't add enough flavour.  I should have added more essence or gone with full 1/4 cup preserve instead of half preserve diluted with half water as i did here.

Caramel Flavored Rosette cake

Also another important lesson - the caramel filling did not really taste too caramelly.
Better would have been to use dulce de leche and whip it with some cream.
Would have been easier as well.

Also caramel as a flavour goes better with chocolate rather than vanilla.  Next time should make this with chocolate flavoured cake.
Especially salted caramel if the person is feeling a little adventurous.

Updated to add picture of the cake:

Eggless vanilla cake with caramel whipped cream filling and whipped cream frosting.
Idea is to make the cake look like this:

caramel whipped cream

1/4 cup sugar - granular
1 tablespoon water
1 cup heavy cream - 250 ml

Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Cook sugar, water, and salt in saucepan over medium heat, stirring once, until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, until sugar turns golden amber. Remove pan from heat; slowly pour cream down sides of pan in a slow, steady stream (it will spatter). Return pan to medium heat, and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
STEP 2
Transfer caramel cream to a mixing bowl set in ice bath; let sit until very cold, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mixture can be refrigerated overnight. Before serving, whip the caramel cream until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.

whipped cream frosting

Whipped cream tends to water out slightly after beating so to keep this from happening I use a small amount cornstarch which does not affect the texture.

It will not hold up well at room temperature but in the refrigerator will stay well on the cake for 24 hours! Many people have reported that this recipes has saved their lives!

For 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, use 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (if your cream is very low in butterfat use 1 1/2 teaspoons), and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
Refrigerate the mixing bowl and (preferably whisk) beater for at least 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan place the powdered sugar and cornstarch and gradually stir in 1/4 cup of the cream.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for just a few seconds (until the liquid is thickened). Scrape into a small bowl and cool completely to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla.
Beat the remaining 3/4 cup cream just until traces of beater marks begin to show distinctly.

Add the cornstarch mixture in a steady stream, beating constantly. Beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.

yellow cake

Eggless Basic Cake Recipe
Preparation: 10 mts, Baking: 35 mts
.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted from a height at least 3 times
1 cup thick curd/yogurt
3/4 cup sugar (you can use upto 1 cup)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsps baking pwd
1/2 cup refined oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 Preheat oven to 200 C for 10 mts. Grease and flour an 8″ inch baking pan.
2 Cream the sugar and yogurt until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add baking pwd and baking soda and combine. Leave aside for 3 mts. You will find that bubbles appear.
3 Add vegetable oil and vanilla essence and mix well. Now, slowly add little sifted flour/maida (about a tbsp) at a time and fold into the wet ingredients.
4 Bake in preheated oven at 200 degree C for 10 mts, reduce temperature to 175 and bake for 20-25 mts or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
5 Cool the cake for 20-30 mts and then overturn onto a plate.

Note: To give a chocolate flavor to the cake, combine 1/2 tbsp of cocoa pwd to 1/4 cup of the basic cake batter and combined well. While pouring batter into pan, pour a tbsp of cocoa batter towards the edge of the pan and next to it pour a tbsp of white batter, followed by the cocoa batter. Follow this pattern till the first layer is done. Over this layer, pour the remaining white cake batter.

If you want to frost the cake follow this vanilla butter icing recipe – Sieve 1 1/2 cups icing sugar and add to 1 1/4 cups white butter and beat until smooth using an electric beater. Add pinch of salt and 1 tsp vanilla essence and combine. Chill and and spread the icing all over the cake.

My Kitkat cake and brown butter cupcakes

Made a kitkat cake and brown butter cupcakes for my sister's son's bday

Recipe and methods used below:

Eggless vanilla cake - same as used in Bake Along 1
Frosted only on top with caramel buttercream
Stuck half kitkat fingers on sides and gems on top

Brown butter cupcakes from Baking bites - could have used more sugar
For the frosting, i just mixed some dulce de leche with buttercream.  This could have been better.

Browned Butter Cupcakes
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flaxseed powder in 3 tablespoon water

1/4 cup yoghurt

2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Continue to cook it over medium-high heat until it begins to brown and take on a golden color, about 4-5 minutes. The butter will cook quickly once it starts to brown. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, making sure to scrape all the brown bits out of the pan with a spatula.

Stir one tablespoon flaxseed meal into 3 tablespoons water, set aside for 5 minutes.Whisk when gelatinous and use as directed

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together the cooled browned butter and sugar until well-combined. Beat in yoghurt followed by flaxseed mixture, adding them one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
Stir one third of the flour mixture into the browned butter mixture, followed by half of the milk. Stir in another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Stir in remaining flour, mixing just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 15-19 minute, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs attached, and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 16 cupcakes.

Pictures below:

Bake Along 2: Dulce de leche brownies

This is the recipe i followed :

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed powder in 3 tablespoons of water, soaked for 5 minutes and then whisked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Walnuts – 1/2 cup, or any nuts of your choice. Its also optional,
• Dulce de leche – 1/4 cup ( Check this for the method of making DDL, Divya’s Cookbook – How to prepare dulce de leche )

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 175 degree C. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line up an 8 inch square cake pan with aluminium foil. Lining pan for brownies should be handled differently than a cake.  Here is how. Take a foil much larger than the size of the pan. Invert the pan upside down. Place the foil on top of the inverted pan and try to gently fold the sides of the foil upon the pan trying to give foil the shape of the pan. Now carefully lift the foil without changing its shape and put back the pan right side up. Now place the foil carefully inside the pan. Make sure you gently push it down and let the sides adhere to the pan and the 2 long sides have enough of tail outside, which would be useful to pull the brownies out of the pan once baked. Brush or apply some butter on the foil.

I could have used more dulce de leche but the texture of the brownies was excellent

Pictures below:

Pictures of the chocolate delight cakes

Just wanted to update pictures of my chocolate delight cakes.
The basic recipe for both cakes were the same, but one was topped with chocolate ganache and finished with chocolate chips while the other was not.
The birthday cake for Siddarth should have been taller.  Need to increase the cake batter that's made.

Chocolate Delight cake

This is an attempt to note down my chocolate delight cake - this is a dark moist egg less chocolate cake with a silky chocolate mousse filling; frosted with chocolate buttercream and topped with dark chocolate ganache and milk chocolate chips.

Recipe:

For the cake:
From: http://www.barbarabakes.com/2011/01/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-with-maraschino-cherry-filling/

• Ingredients
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar*
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I usedKA Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups hot water*
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules (I substituted 1 teaspoon chocolate extract)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º with rack in the center. Spray two 9x2 inch round cake pans with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.(Don't use a mixer.)
3. Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined, a few lumps are OK. Divide batter between pans, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool cakes on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them onto the rack.. Leave cakes upside down (this flattens domed cakes) to cool completely.
4. *I made the following high altitude adjustments: Decreased the sugar by 2 tablespoons, used 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 2 1/4 cup hot water.

For the chocolate mousse filling:

First make a cup of chocolate ganache:

Makes 1 cup

128 g  Baking chocolate *I used Godiva bittersweet baking chocolate. You can also use semi sweet, dark or milk chocolate.

1/2 cup or 125 ml Heavy whipping cream *For vegan version, use coconut cream concentrate

1/2  tablespoon Unsalted butter *For vegan version use a neutral tasting oil

1/2  tablespoon Liqueur or 1/4  teaspoon of flavoring like vanilla  or 1 tablespoon of espresso *This is optional. For a child friendly version, do not use liqueur

Method

Make one cup ganache with ingredients above

To make chocolate mousse

• Soften 1 cup ganache by whisking with an electric mixer. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and mix well.
• Whip 1 cup whipping cream. Fold in whipped cream into the softened ganache. The bowl and the beater should be kept cold while whipping. Chocolate mousse is ready.
• Spoon it into serving glasses. Chill before serving and garnish with whatever you like, a cherry or raspberry.
• This mousse can be used as a filling for layered cakes.

To make chocolate buttercream:

200 g butter

400 g sugar

50 g dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Vanilla essence

Beat butter first until light in color and smooth.  Beat for 5 minutes.

Add sugar slowly and combine until soft peaks.

Add the melted dark chocolate as well as vanilla essence

Make 1/2 cup ganache for topping the cake and add 1/4 cup chocolate chips as well

My first Bake Along!

Edited to add my pic of the final cake for bake along 1:

I've just joined a FB group called the FondBites, Bake Along group.  Our aim is to bake and learn with each bake and share our experiences together to learn even more.

This week's bake is a Vanilla Fantasy - below are the recipes that I will be using - 
1. Filling inspired from Anushruti's custard cream: 
http://www.divinetaste.com/archives/cherry-stuffed-caramelized-peaches-with-custard-cream/
2. Frosting as suggested by Subhashini Ramsingh 
http://www.fondbites.com/
3. Cake from Sailu's food blog:
http://www.sailusfood.com/2010/06/15/basic-eggless-cake-using-curd/
4. Cake decoration from:
http://iambaker.net/candle-birthday-cake-surprise-inside-cake/

For the filling:

•       1 tbsp custard powder 
•          60 ml (1/4 cup water)
•          200 ml (3/4 cup) low fat cream (I used 25% fat)
•          60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
•          3 tbsp sugar
•          125 ml extra cream for lightening the custard cream once cooled

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix in the custard powder and the water into a smooth paste.
2. In a saucepan mix the cream, milk and sugar and bring to a boil on low heat.
3. Stir in the custard paste and mix well until thick and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Take off the heat.
4. For lighter pastry cream fold in 1/4 cup (60 ml) softly whipped cream to cooled pastry cream.

For the Frosting: (May need to double to crumb coat and frost)

Whipped White Ganache –

Ingredients:

• White chocolate – 200 gms
• Fresh cream – 400 gms

Method:

1.       Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Add 200 gms of cream into the bowl of chocolate and heat in a double boiler or microwave until completely melted. Let it rest in room temperature for 8 hours covered with cling film, or if you are in a hurry refrigerate for 30 mins to 1 hour.

2.       Transfer the white ganache to your bowl of your electric beater and start beating. Once it has broken down and whips up well, add chilled remaining 200 gms of cream and whip until stiff peaks form.

For the cake:

Ingredients:

•            1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted from a height at least 3 times
• ·         1 cup thick curd/yogurt
• ·         3/4 cup sugar (you can use upto 1 cup)
• ·         1/2 tsp baking soda
• ·         1 1/4 tsps baking pwd
• ·         1/2 cup refined oil
• ·         1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 200 C for 10 mts. Grease and flour 2 8″ inch baking pan
2. Cream the sugar and yogurt until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Add baking pwd and baking soda and combine. Leave aside for 3 mts. You will find that bubbles appear.
4. Add vegetable oil and vanilla essence and mix well.
5. Now, slowly add little sifted flour/maida (about a tbsp) at a time and fold into the wet ingredients.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 200 degree C for 10 mts, reduce temperature to 175 and bake for 15-20 mts or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean
7. Cool the cake for 20-30 mts and then overturn onto a plate.
8. 1½ cups APF can be replaced by 1½ APF + 3 tablespoons corn flour.
9. Sift several times and then use.

Cake Decoration:

For this cake I used a #32 tip from Wilton.  Simply hold the tip at the base of the cake, apply light pressure, and move up to the top.  Make sure to take the frosting all the way over the top edge of the cake.

For the top I used a #1M tip and just made little swirled dollops of frosting.