23 Şubat 2013 Cumartesi

Low Carb Desserts

Diabetes is a serious health ailment that requires strict lifestyle changes. Since diabetes is result of high blood sugar levels, it is necessary that a diabetic person should consume foods that are low in sugar and low in carbohydrates. It is necessary that a diabetic person follows a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and consumption of low fat low carb diet. A diabetic diet consists of foods high in proteins, fibers and low in cholesterol, carbohydrates and fats. Avoiding sugary foods is depriving oneself from the heavenly tastes of several dessert recipes. But there are many low calorie desserts that are specially designed for diabetic patients. So, if you are looking for such desserts, then here are some recipes for you.Recipes for Low Carbohydrate DessertsLow Carb BrownieIngredients
Wheat gluten flour – ½ cup
Granular sugar substitute – ¾ cup
Unsweetened baking chocolate – 2 squares (2 ounces)
Vanilla – 1 teaspoon
Eggs – 3
Butter – 6 tablespoons
Procedure
First preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Take an eight by eight inches baking pan and grease it with cooking spray. In a microwave bowl combine chocolate and butter and melt them for 2 minutes on high settings. Stir the mixture to melt the chocolate completely. Then, add sugar substitute to the chocolate mixture and stir the mixture to combine the ingredients properly. Now, add vanilla extract and eggs to the mixture. Put in flour and blend all the ingredients properly. Pour this mixture into the greased baking pan and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven. Your low carb brownies are ready to serve.Low Carb Carrot PuffIngredients
Ground nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon
Sliced carrots (cooked) – 2 cups
Ground cardamom – ½ teaspoon
Ground cinnamon – ½ teaspoon
Reduced-fat sour cream – 1 cup
Chopped walnuts – 2 tablespoons
Eggs – 2 large
Melted margarine- 2 tablespoons
Salt – ¼ teaspoon
Artificial sweetener (granular) – ¾ cup
Procedure
In food processor, grind the carrots to form smooth texture. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine carrots and all other ingredients. Do not add walnuts. Grease 6 Souffle dishes with cooking spray and pour the carrot mixture to distribute evenly. Place the dishes in preheated oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes.Low Carb Pear CrispIngredients
Light butter – ¼ cup
Cinnamon – 1½ teaspoons
Graham crackers – 3
Water – 3 tablespoons
Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon
Flour – 4 tablespoons
Bartlett pears (peeled and sliced) – 3 cups
Granular artificial sweetener – ½ cup
Procedure
Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit and then grease an eight by eight inches baking dish with cooking spray. To prepare the topping, take a medium-sized mixing bowl and add ¼ cup granular artificial sweetener, graham crackers, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons flour and butter. Pour this mixture into the bowl of food processor and blend the mixture to attain crumbly texture. In another bowl add, sliced pears, 2 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, lemon juice, ¼ granular artificial sweetener and water. Mix all these ingredients properly and pour the mixture into the greased baking pan. Then cover the mixture with the topping mixture. Bake this mixture in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
So, these were some easy recipes for preparing low carb desserts. Now, when you know how to prepare sugar-free desserts, rush to your kitchen and prepare these luscious recipes. Happy Cooking!


Low Carb Desserts

Mexican Desserts for Kids

Think Mexican and color and adventure is all that comes to one’s mind. It is the same variety and color that is the essence of Mexican food. Mexicans make generous use of the various spices that are native to their land and add a variety of flavors to their dishes. However, it is not just the main course, but their desserts are just as tantalizing. It is the flavor, taste and the exotic look that has made Mexican cuisine popular all over the world. And kids just love the mouth-watering Mexican desserts. Here are some popular recipes of Mexican desserts for kids that are enjoyed by adults as well.Easy Mexican Desserts Recipes for KidsFlan
Here is one of the simplest traditional Mexican desserts. This recipe will take around 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and about an hour to cook the dessert.Ingredients
Sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz.
Evaporated milk, 26 oz.
Sugar, 1½ cups
Large eggs, 6
Vanilla, 1 teaspoon
Preparation
Heat a flan pan over medium heat and add 1 cup of sugar to it. Stir the sugar continuously as it heats over medium flame. Do this till the sugar crystals become brown (caramelized). Keep a couple of ramekins ready. As soon as the sugar gets caramelized, put 2-3 spoons of it in each pan. Tilt the pans so that sugar swirls and spreads all over, even to the sides. Blend all the eggs in a blender. Add the sweetened, condensed milk and the evaporated milk to it. Turn on the blender again. Now add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and vanilla to the blender and mix the ingredients well. Pour this custard in the ramekins. In case the caramel hardens by the time the custard mix is ready to be added, heat the ramekins once more.
Fill a large baking dish with hot water that reaches up to 1-2 inches. Place the ramekins in this bowl. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Now place the baking dish in the oven and bake the custard mix for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, put a knife through the center of the baked custard. If the knife comes out easily without getting stuck, then it means that you have baked the custard just fine! Take the baking dish out of the oven and let it cool. Then refrigerate the ramekins for 1 hour. Invert the ramekins over onto serving plates. Your tasty flan with the caramel sauce flowing over it is ready to be served.Arroz Con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding)
With Mexican rice pudding you will definitely score big with kids. Not only because it tastes great, but also because the dessert recipe is so simple that even kids can easily learn to make this.Ingredients
Rice, 1 cup
Whole milk, 1 quart
Sweetened, condensed milk
Sugar, ½ cup
Vanilla, 2 teaspoons
Cinnamon stick, 1
Grated nutmeg (fresh), ¼ teaspoon
Salt, ¼ teaspoon
Preparation
Take a medium-sized pan and heat milk over medium flame. Add cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg and bring the milk to a boil. Now add rice to the milk and simmer it for about half an hour till the rice grains become soft. Stir the mixture occasionally so that the rice grains do not stick together. Remove cinnamon stick and add condensed milk, sugar and salt. Simmer the mixture further till more of the liquid evaporates and the preparation has gained a pudding like consistency. Add vanilla now. Mix it well and let the mixture cool. Cover the surface of the pan with a plastic wrap so that a thick crust does not form on top of the pudding. Now refrigerate the pudding for 4-5 hours and serve cold.Cinnamon Tortilla Treat
Want to involve your kid in cooking? The Mexican cinnamon tortilla treat is just the right choice for that.Ingredients
Small tortilla, 8″ fajita style
Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
Sugar, 1 tablespoon
Butter
Preparation
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt butter and brush one side of tortilla with it. Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture on the buttered surface of the tortilla. Now roll up the tortilla. As you do so, smear butter on the other side of the tortilla as well. Sprinkle some more sugar and cinnamon on the rolled up tortillas. Preheat an oven at 375 degrees. Place the tortilla in a cookie sheet and put it in the preheated oven and cook for 5 minutes. The tortilla should become crispy and turn golden brown by this time. If not, then cook for a minute or two more. Serve this crispy tortilla with hot chocolate to make it all the more an irresistible kids’ Mexican dessert!
Mexican desserts make an excellent choice for any occasion. Not only do all of them taste good but as you must have already realized, some of these Mexican desserts for kids are for them to make as well!


Mexican Desserts for Kids

Treacle Tart Recipe

If you are a big fan of Harry Potter, then you must be knowing that treacle tart is his favorite dessert. This dessert has been mentioned as the most favorite dessert of this fictional character and he smells the wonderful aroma of this dessert when is in the presence of the most powerful love potion, Amortentia. Treacle tart, is basically a part of English cuisine and is very famous in UK and other European countries. Treacle tart is a filling of fruit made from golden syrup which is a by-product obtained during sugar refining. Lemon zest, eggs, cream and butter are other ingredients of treacle tart. Given below is an easy treacle tart recipe for you.Recipe for Treacle TartIngredients
Golden syrup – 16 ounces
White breadcrumbs – 3 ounces
Butter (melted) – 2 ounces
Ground ginger – ½ teaspoon
Egg yolks – 3 large
Double cream – 3 fluid ounces
Black treacle – ½ teaspoon
Unsalted butter (softened to room temperature) – ½ cup
Caster sugar – 6 tablespoons
Large egg – 1
Plain flour – 1 cup
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Procedure
To make this treacle tart, first combine sugar and butter in a food processor and blend them until they are just combined. Then, add egg to this mixture and blend for 30 seconds. Add flour to this mixture and whiz to form a dough. Make sure you do not whiz for much time, else the dough will become too tough. You can add small amount of cold water if you feel the dough is too dry. Knead the dough properly and prepare flat disc like shape on a floured surface. Further, wrap this dough into a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for half an hour. Your pastry for the treacle tart is ready.
Now, remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll it out on a flat surface which is lightly floured. Spread the pastry to form a thickness of a 3 mm. Place this rolled out pastry on a round shaped shallow tart tin that has a removable base. While lining the pastry on the tart tin, leave a bit excess pastry around the edges. Place the tart tin in the refrigerator for half an hour and leave it to set. Then, preheat the oven to 374 degree Fahrenheit. Take a pastry case and line it with baking paper and bake it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cut off the excess pastry and level it with rim of the tart tin. Then, lower the temperature of the oven to 284 degree Fahrenheit.
To prepare the filling, pour water in a pot and bring it to boil. Then, remove the pot from heat and place the golden syrup bottle in this hot water for few minutes. Meanwhile, take a large bowl and combine lemon zest, ground ginger and breadcrumbs in it. Mix the ingredients and make a well at the center of the mixture. Then, pour in the warm golden syrup, butter, egg yolks, treacle, lemon juice and cream, in the well. Combine all the ingredients properly and pour this filling on the pastry case. Bake this assembly in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Leave the treacle tart to cool and serve it with cream.
So, what are you waiting for? Rush to your kitchen, prepare this yummy treacle tart, and boast to your friends that you can prepare Harry Potter’s favorite dessert. Happy Cooking!


Treacle Tart Recipe

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Nothing quite beats the fruity goodness of a pineapple upside down cake warm from the oven, does it? Not only is it a quick and easy dessert, it’s great to look at, and is one of everyone’s all time favorite cakes. The cake gets its name because it’s quite literally, made with pineapples and upturned onto a serving dish. Pineapple slices are arranged on a layer of creamed butter and sugar in a baking dish onto which the cake batter is poured. When inverted, the delicious caramelized pineapple slices are on top of a warm moist cake, flavored with a mixture of pineapple juice and caramel – simply fabulous. It’s best served warm with a dollop of crème fraiche. You can also place leftovers into a covered dish and refrigerate. All you need to do is reheat, before you eat it. If you’re looking for a simple but timeless recipe, that will get you rave reviews every single time, this one is for you. The following recipe serves 6 to 8 people.Pineapple Upside Down CakePreparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutesIngredientsFor the Topping:
Butter – 50g
Light brown sugar – 100g
Pineapple slices, drained – 1 can, reserve syrup
Maraschino cherries (optional)
For the Cake:
Butter – 100g
Castor Sugar – 100g
Self-raising Flour – 100g
Pinch of salt
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Eggs – 3 small
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
MethodPreheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas Mark 4). Sift the flour together with the baking powder and salt, and set aside.
To make the topping, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Spread this mixture onto a 9 inch round baking tray. Arrange the pineapple slices on top, placing them lightly onto the mixture, and place maraschino cherries, if using, in the center of each pineapple ring. If you have any to spare, cut pineapple slices in half and use them to line the sides of the cake tin.
Next make the cake batter. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and use an electric whisk to beat the mixture until creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence.
Fold in the flour and baking powder.
Add two tablespoons of the reserved pineapple syrup into the mixture.
Pour the cake batter onto the baking dish lined with the pineapple slices, adding any scrapings of batter to the sides, not the middle. Use the back of a spoon or a palate knife to smoothen the surface.
Bake in the center of the oven for 40 -45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, then leave to stand on a wire rack for a further 10 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert it carefully onto a serving plate.
Serve warm, with a dollop of crème fraiche or homemade whipped cream.
Variations
If you’d like to use fresh pineapple instead of canned for a healthier version, you can. Use a medium-sized pineapple that is peeled and cored, and cut it into slices approximately one-fourth of an inch thick. You can use pineapple juice instead of the syrup.
For a richer version of the cake, replace half the self-raising flour with ground almonds, you’ll get a cake with a delicious nutty flavor that’s fabulous with the pineapples.
Try serving the cake with vanilla ice cream for a slight variation.
Whether it’s a regular day or a special occasion, a pineapple upside down cake is a surefire winner. I hope you enjoy baking this classic cake and eating it too!


Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Yellow Cake Recipe from Scratch

Yellow cake is a spongy, moist cake, which is sure to make anyone’s mouth water! It is also one of the most basic cakes. So, anybody, who is learning to make cakes, should first start with a simple yellow cake. Once you learn to make this cake, you can proceed further by adding different flavors to the same cake! The following are some yellow cake recipes, the first being a classic one, followed by more contemporary ones.Moist Yellow Cake Recipe from ScratchIngredients
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract
2½ cups buttermilk
1 cup butter
2½ cups white sugar
2¼ tsp baking powder
Process
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, also anoint two, 9X13 inch pans. Take a big bowl and sift baking powder, flour and baking soda in it and set aside. In another large bowl, add butter, cream and sugar. Cream together until fluffy and then beat in eggs, one at a time. After the eggs are done, add in vanilla. Beat well and then add buttermilk mixture along with flour mixture, mix only until incorporated. Pour this batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out complete clean. Allow the cake to cool and then serve. This was one basic yellow cake recipe from scratch with butter.Yellow Cake with Strawberry Filling and Buttercream FrostingIngredientsFor Cake
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken
1 tsp salt
4 cups plus 2 tbsp cake flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp baking soda
For Strawberry Filling
About 2 cups of confectioners sugar
2 tbsp of softened butter
â…“ jar of strawberry jam
For Buttrcream Frosting
3 cups confectioner sugar
½ cup half and half
¾ cups cocoa powder
1 stick butter – room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
Process
First make the cake followed by the frosting and filling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and also grease two 9 inch round cake pans. Line those pans with parchment paper and butter the paper. Take a bowl and sift baking powder, flour, salt and baking soda in it. In another mixing bowl, add sugar and butter, blend it in a mixer at medium speed, until the mixture is fluffy and pale. Now add in vanilla along with egg, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. When all the eggs are added, pour buttermilk and blend at low speed only to combine. In the end, add flour mixture gradually, until the entire mixture is well incorporated. Spread this cake batter on the prepared pan. Drip the pan from two inches up to discard any bubbles. Bake for about 35 – 40 minutes, and then cool in a pan for at least ten minutes. After the cake has slightly cooled down, run a knife at the edge and invert the cake into a rack. Let cool for about 1 hour.
For buttercream frosting, beat butter in a bowl until fluffy, for about 2 minutes. When the butter gets soft, add vanilla and cocoa powder, mix to incorporate. Add confectioner’s sugar along with half and half, alternatively. Mix until desired consistency. Add in sugar as per as your requirement.
For strawberry filling, add butter and jam in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar and continue mixing until it becomes thick and spreadable. Now place the cake on a plate and slice the top of the cake with a knife, until the surface is completely flat. Spread lots of strawberry filling on the cake and then press down the removed layer on top of the strawberry filling and press down gently. Spread the buttercream frosting on the entire cake, including the sides. Let set for about 20 minutes and then serve.Yellow Orange Cake from ScratchIngredients
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments
Process
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Flour and anoint two 9 x 13 inch pans. Add mandarin oranges with juice, cake mix, oil and eggs in a large bow and beat until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes. For the topping, beat whipped topping, pineapple with juice and dry pudding in a large bowl and mix until blended. When the cake cools, spread this topping on the cake.
These were some of the easy yellow cake recipes. Do try all the above recipes and then decide the best recipe from scratch for yourself. You can also add any of your favorite flavor to the cake. However, remember to keep the base same. Bon Appetit!


Yellow Cake Recipe from Scratch

Disco Ball Cake

Disco ball birthday cakes are great for all ages, be it children, teenagers or adults. While adults may want to relive the Saturday Night Fever era, children would love to have their barbie-disco theme as their birthday party theme. Inviting friends to your dance floor at home is an interesting theme to many. Besides disco theme decorations like pictures of disco dancers on the wall, a rotating disco ball in the living room, music and fog machine, you could also extend your theme to the cake. A disco ball cake will bring that pleasant surprised look on the guest’s faces.Disco Ball Cake Recipe Ingredients
Sports ball cake mold
Cake mix
Fondant
Square cutter (smallest available)
Small peg of Vodka
Cornstarch
Fluffy paintbrush
Small paintbrush
Air brush
Silver luster dust
Preparation ProcedureStep 1: Baking the Cake
For the base cake, you can use any cake recipe you like or you could go for the cake mix available at the store. According to the instructions mentioned on the Sports ball cake mold, bake the cake. Once the cake has been baked, apply a coat of icing and smoothen it around. Then pierce the dowel rod into the cake in order to provide support to the cake. When the icing is set, your cake is ready to be decorated.Step 2: Cake Decorations
Using the square cutter, cut the fondant into small squares. Once you have enough squares ready (250 or more depending on the ball size), you can start pasting them onto the cake ball. Else, make fondant icing for your cake.Step 3: Sticking the Fondant Squares
Using the fluffy paintbrush, dust the fondant squares with cornstarch and then paste them onto the cake ball with the help of the vodka. Just dip the small paintbrush into the vodka and apply it at the bottom of the cake ball. Now, cut a small circle from your fondant, dust it with cornstarch and paste at the tip of your disco ball with the vodka. Also stick the cornstarch dusted, fondant square on this region.
Work in a straight column and keep sticking fondant squares one above the other till you reach midway position. Then, stop and begin another column from the bottom. Do this till the entire ball is covered in fondant till halfway up. The top half is slightly more cumbersome and requires more concentration. As you work upwards, maintaining the column line will be difficult. At several places you will have to cut off the edges to maintain the column line. Step 4: Coloring and Finishing
Once the entire ball is covered in fondant squares, allow it to sit overnight, so that the ball sets well. The next morning take the cake and air brush it using silver luster dust. Your disco ball cake is ready for the party. Disco Ball Cupcakes
Besides the standard disco ball cake, there are several other ideas that one can try out. One example is the disco ball cupcakes. These cupcakes are also great for disco themed parties. Chocolate and rum disco cake balls, styled with royal icing and individual silver fondant tiles adorned by edible glitter is simply wonderful. The little cupcakes can be prepared in silver foil liners and then decorated with the same fondant squares and silver luster dust. This way each guest gets his or her own disco ball cupcake!
You could also prepare the disco tiered cake or disco sheet cake for a disco theme party. The disco theme tier cake can have the disco ball at the top of the tier, with the rest two tiers covered with fondant silhouettes of bell bottomed dancers. How interesting you make your disco ball cake depends on your creativity.


Disco Ball Cake

How to Make a Cake From Scratch

Homemade cakes are better than ready-made and boxed cakes as they are healthy, curtail expenses and allow you to get the taste and texture you desire. Moreover, a homemade cake remarkably becomes part of your sweet memories.Cake Recipes from Scratch
Be it anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, parties or Christmas, cakes are a must for every occasion. Though there are varieties of different cakes available in the market, homemade cakes have a unique taste. If you are a beginner at baking and are wondering how to bake a cake, let me tell you, making a cake is not difficult at all, in fact it is a “cakewalk”. So if you are all geared up, let’s learn how to make the perfect homemade cakes from scratch.Plain Cake
The plain cake is the easiest cake you can bake at home. Children love to eat plain cakes, especially with a glass of warm milk.Ingredients
All-purpose flour, 1¼ cups
Sugar, 1 cup
Butter, 4 ounces
Eggs, 3
Milk, 1 tablespoon
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
Baking powder, ½ teaspoon
Making ProcessPreheat the oven to 355° F.
Anoint an 8-inch pan.
Take a medium bowl, and mix butter and sugar in it.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beat after each addition and then stir in the vanilla extract.
In another bowl, mix baking powder and flour.
Then add the flour mixture to the egg batter.
Stir the milk and mix well until it becomes smooth.
Pour the batter in the already prepared pan and bake it in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Eggless Cake
The eggless cake is customized especially for vegetarians who love cakes, but cannot eat it because of the presence of eggs.Ingredients
All-purpose flour, 2½ cups
Sweetened condensed milk, 1 can (14 ounces)
Melted butter, 1 cup
Orange juice, 1 cup
Vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons
Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
Baking soda, 1 teaspoon
Making ProcessPreheat the oven to 350° F.
Anoint a 9×13-inch pan.
Take a large bowl and sift baking soda, flour and baking powder in it.
Make a well-like structure in the center and pour orange juice and sweetened condensed milk.
Also add melted butter and vanilla extract to the batter.
Mix the contents well and pour into the anointed pan.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes in the preheated oven. You may also try the toothpick test (dig in a toothpick to see if it comes out clean) to see if the cake is ready.
Chocolate Cake
Once you are trained in making simple cakes, you can try the king of cakes – the chocolate cake! This recipe is very simple and can be made even by kids.Ingredients
Plain flour, 1â…“ cups
Castor sugar, 1 cup
Cocoa powder, â…“ cup
Butter (melted and cooled), 4 ounces
Eggs, 2
Buttermilk, 1 cup
Baking soda, 1 teaspoon
Vanilla essence, 1 teaspoon
Making ProcessPreheat the oven to 355° F.
Anoint a 20 cm round and a 6 cm deep cake pan.
Line the base of the pan with a baking paper.
Take a large bowl and sift flour, baking soda and cocoa powder in it.
Stir in the sugar and set it aside.
Mix eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter in a deep container.
Make a well-like structure in center of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk batter in it.
Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on low speed until it is combined well.
Then increase the speed to high and beat further for about 3-4 minutes until the consistency is creamy and thick.
Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-45 minutes.
Allow the mixture to cool in a pan for about 5 minutes then turn onto the wire racks for cooling completely.
For frosting, you will need icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter.
Sift icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl, add butter and 1 tablespoon boiling water, mix it well until it is smooth.
Spread the frosting on the cake and refrigerate until firm.
Strawberry Cake
Come summer and we start seeing strawberries everywhere. There is a legend who says that if one cuts a strawberry into two halves and gives one piece to his/her partner, they will fall in love with each other. Strawberries are also healthy and tasty. This is just one of the many reasons why we all love strawberries and the confectioneries made from it.Ingredients
Plain cake flour, 2 cups
Sugar, 2 cups
Butter, melted, 1 cup
Sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup
Strawberry puree, 1 cup
Whipped cream, 1 cup
Eggs, 3
Gelatin (strawberry flavor), 2 ounces
Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
Vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon
Making ProcessPreheat the oven to 350° F.
Anoint a 22 cm round cake pan.
In a baking bowl mix the batter of gelatin (strawberry flavor), sugar and butter.
Add the sifted flour, whipped cream, baking powder and eggs to the batter.
After the batter is blended into a creamy mixture, add vanilla extract and strawberry puree.
Now pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Allow it to cool on the wire rack before you keep it outside for cooling.
You may decorate the cake with strawberry slices.
Cheesecake
Cheesecake is one of the most popular cakes in the world. This confectionery is tasty to eat and easy to make. Here is a recipe of the homemade cheesecake.Ingredients
Cream cheese, 8 ounces
Eggs, 3
Graham cracker crumbs, 2 cups
Cinnamon grounded, 2 cups
Sour cream, 2 cups
Sugar, 1 cup
Sweetened condensed milk can, 1 cup
Unsalted butter, melted, ½ cup
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
Grated lemon, 1
Making ProcessFor preparing the crust of the cheesecake, add Graham cracker crumbs, unsalted butter and grounded cinnamon to a bowl.
Take a 22 centimeter wide baking pan and anoint it with butter on all the sides.
Pour the mixture in the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Take another bowl and prepare the filling by blending the cream cheese, sugar, grated lemon, vanilla extracts, sour cream and eggs.
Pour this perfectly smooth mixture in the previously prepared crust pan.
Now set the cheesecake pan in a roasting pan.
Add foil paper to its sides.
Pour hot water in the outer pan.
Preheat the oven to 325° F and bake the cheesecake pan for about 30-45 minutes.
Loosen the cheesecake.
Do not use the toothpick trick in this case.
Keep it in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours. You may then place it on a cake plate.
Tricks to Enhance Baking Skills
Check that all the ingredients are in accurate measurements.
To prevent the cake from sticking to the dish or plate do not forget to dust it lightly with confectioner’s sugar.
You can cut your cakes evenly by marking middle points of the cake with a toothpick and then cutting it based on these points.
In order to give a cake the right texture use ingredients that are at room temperature.
Utilize a serrated knife for getting fine cake pieces. Use a non-serrated knife for cutting softer cakes like cheesecakes.
Embellish your cakes with a variety of ingredients like strawberries, cherries, chocolate, etc.
Do not forget to grease the insides of the baking pan before setting the batter in the oven.
Make use of shiny nonstick pans for baking as they give the cakes a tender crust.
It is always better to cool the cakes on wire racks.
Before adding the icing to your cake, slip a wax paper under the cake so that the serving dish or plate will look clean and tidy.
Store cakes with whipped cream and frostings in the refrigerator.
You can also experiment with a variation in shapes, frostings, fillings and decorations. Do try all the five recipes one by one and then decide the best one for yourself.


How to Make a Cake From Scratch