Nutella Layered Cake

I discovered the sinful magic of Nutella only a few years ago. I very shamelessly sneak a spoon or two when no one is watching to indulge myself.

This recipe got me completely drooling when I saw it for the first time. I could almost inhale the aroma as I was reading about it. And I finally made it a few days back. 

You need:

• 1.5 cups of all purpose flour, more for dusting
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup heaped sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 8 tbsps Nutella

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160degrees C. Prepare a 9x5 inch loaf pan by brushing melted butter in the bottom of the pan and the sides well. Add flour and make sure all the sides of the pan are well coated. You can also layer the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter well for about 3 minutes till fluffy on a medium high speed.

• Then reduce the speed slightly and add an egg and beat till well incorporated. Add the remaining eggs in the same way.

• Add in the vanilla extract.

• Add the flour mixture in three batches. Beat the mixture on a low speed with well combined before you add the next batch of flour. Finally beat for about 30 seconds.

• Pour 1/3rd of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
• Add 4 tbsps of the Nutella over the cake batter and spread it evenly.

• Then add another 1/3rd of the cake batter and spread it evenly over the Nutella.
• Add the remaining Nutella over the cake batter and top off with the remaining cake batter.
• Make a slight cut with a butter knife. Do not over mix.

• Bake the cake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Check by inserting a tooth pick in the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
• Let it cool for 15 minutes. Then invert the cake on a wire rack and turn it right side up. Give it two hours to cool completely.

• Cut the cake into slices and serve.

My daughter loved the cake. My friend's son polished off a few pieces and told me it was superb :) M, your son made my day !!!

Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand / Saffron and Cardamom flavored Sweetened Yogurt

As a child I was an extremely picky eater. My house rules with regard to food were very strict. We had to eat what was cooked by mom. And we had to finish what was on our plates, even if it meant spending an hour plus at the dining table. We also had to deal with scary stories that if we wasted food, Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, would not bless us. And that instilled a lot of fear in us. Who did not want money !!!

My love story with food began only in the last fifteen years or so. When I started to earn, I also started visiting restaurants and slowly ventured into tasting new dishes and cuisines. 

Shrikhand is one such dish that I, for some strange reason, never ever ate as a child. I also do not remember when and where I first tasted it. It is usually eaten with puris and Shrikhand - Puri is a great combination.

Living away from India has many minuses. I miss being able to buy fresh Shrikhand. Thus came about the urge to make it at home to satisfy the craving. I also realized it is very easy to make and also stays fresh in the refrigerator for a few days if stored in an airtight container.

You need:

• 2 cups hung yogurt
• 3/4 to 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
• 2 pinches saffron - crushed and soaked in 1 tsp milk

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk the yogurt with the sugar till well blended for about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the cardamom powder and the saffron milk to the sweetened yogurt and whisk well.
• Check for desired sweetness and add more sugar if desired.
• Refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled.

Notes:

• To make hung yogurt, pour the yogurt into a thin muslin cloth and tie it up tight. Place a heavy container over the muslin and keep it on a perforated vessel with a larger vessel below it to collect the whey. Place it in the refrigerator overnight for perfectly thick hung yogurt.
• The whey can be used while making gravies or for kneading your dough to make phulkas.
• Add 1/2 cup of puréed mango pulp to make Amrakhand. You will need to add lesser sugar as the mango pulp will already be sweet.
• You can also garnish with finely chopped pistachios and almonds.

Quick-Fix Rasmalai

Rasmalai is one of the Indian sweets I really love. This is a quick-fix recipe and it gets made in less than 30 mins.

You need:

• 1 tin readymade rasgullas
• 750 ml full fat milk
• 3 tsp Everest Milk Masala
• A big pinch safforn
• 6 tbsp Sugar - add more if required (I personally don't like my desserts too sweet)
• Slivered Almonds and Pistachios for decoration

Steps:

• In a thick bottom pan bring the milk to a boil.
• Add required sugar and the milk masala powder and let it boil for 15 mins on a low flame.
• Squeeze the excess syrup out of the rasgullas and arrange them in your serving bowl.
• Add the crushed saffron to the milk after taking it off the heat.
• Let it cool for a while and then pour it over the rasgullas while still slightly warm.
• Decorate with slivered almonds and pistachios.
• After it cools, refrigerate for a few hours.
• Serve chilled.

Notes:

• I used Haldiram's 1kg tin which had 14 rasgullas in them.
• In case you don't have the Everest Milk Masala, you can powder almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios (after toasting them slightly) with cardamom seeds and a bit of saffron to make about 3 tsp of powder.