I wanted to bake this cake right away when i saw it on Taste Spotting. But then because of my GD i kept on thinking and thinking and i didnt have cream cheese at home. So finally today i decided i cannot stand it any more and baked it. This came out really nice and soft and i’ll make this again and again after my lil one arrives.. insha allah less than 8 weeks to go now!

I halved the recipe and also i used only 1/2 cup sugar for the halved recipe. I didn’t want my sugar levels to go up! LOL! Also as i didnt have raspberries i did it with only with blueberries.  I wanted to do do the lemon glaze but my daughter was very impatient to eat the cake so i thought ok next time!

Here is the original recipe.

2 sticks (225g) unsalted butter, softened, but not quite room temperature
1 8 ounce (225g) package of cream cheese, softened slightly
1 1/2 (285g) cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (250g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 ounces raspberries
6 ounces fresh blueberries
lemon glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (165 degrees celsius). Spray four mini loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray, and place on a cookie sheet.

2. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese. Pour in sugar and mix until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well until each is incorporated.

3. While ingredients are mixing, whisk together four, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

4. Divided batter into two bowls. Fold raspberries into one, and the blueberries into the other. (Or you can skip dividing the batter and just fold both kinds of berries into one batter).

4. Distribute batter evenly among the four pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-50 minutes.  Drizzle with lemon glaze and let cool completely. Wrap any extras tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month.

Lemon Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Add more juice or cream as necessary to achieve desired consistency.

2 pairs of anxious hands waiting to finish the cake!

“the yummiest and most softest (she meant moist) chocolate cake i ever had” : According to my 6 yr old!

“me too!” : my almost 4 yr old backing his sis!

and it was finished in 15mts time. DH was saying thank god i came early today other wise i would have never seen this! LOL! This is one of my favorite cakes now. I halved the recipe as i was doing it for the first time, but next time i’ll do the full recipe.

Here is the recipe.

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with “PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE” CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

“PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE” CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine2/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa3 cups powdered sugar1/3 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extractMelt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

School holidays sure make you busy! No matter what kids demand a lot of things to eat or should i say they eat a lot of unhealthy snacks at this time. So i opt to make healthier versions at home.  these Big and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies is adapted from Farenheit 350 i made a few changes in the recipe to make it more healthier because i have been baking a lot during the holidays so i didn’t want my kids to eat more sugar and plain flour.

Hot from the oven the first batch i didnt even get to see them lined up properly!! Both of them finished it with in minutes!

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup honey
Cream together until smooth

Add:
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Whip together until light and fluffy

Stir in:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup  wheat germ
1/2 cup ground flax seeds

½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Drop spoonfuls or half spoonfuls as you want and bake for 7-9 mts at 180 C

If you are making crispy cookies bake longer. My kids like chewy ones so i dont bake them longer.  Also if you are making big ones you might need to bake longer.

The first batch i made was chewy ones the second batch crispy which got burned a bit after baking longer! All the crispy ones are left now and i cant even find a chewy one to eat!

Some recipes strike on me instantly. Especially when i see those which has the ingredients ready at home and which has a new flavor i just want to make it right away! I saw this recipe in A Charmed Life at 2 pm by tea time i was having this cake hot and fresh from the oven!

Here goes the recipe.

French Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Combine yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla in large bowl; whisk until well blended. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients. Using rubber spatula, fold in oil. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Place pan on baking sheet.

Place cake on baking sheet in oven and bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack. Turn cake upright on rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.)

I wouldn’t say this is the best cake ever but if you have no time and want something instant for your kids who keep on demanding something or the other during their holidays this is for you! Both of them liked it but didn’t ask for more like they would do if i have baked a cake. LOL! This is a easy breezy tea time/milk time snack for your kids

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp sugar

1 egg

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp chocolate chips

• Grease the mug well with oil.
• Combine all the dry ingredients.
• Add the wet ingredients one by one to it.
• Mix well. There should be no lumps.
• Microwave at high for 3 mts. The time can be less in ur microwave so depending on it adjust the timing.
• Enjoy!

I have been thinking to bake brownies for a long long time. But really didnt get th eperfect easy recipe or sometimes i’ll be short of some ingredient.. then i was thiking why not just try Hershey’s kitchens And yes i got the perfect recipe there.

These brownies are soft and like a chocolate cake when you taste them straight from oven but are really really moist and a real brownie when they are cold. I liked them more the next day. I doubles the recipe as i was taking this to a friends house. And i really lost count how much my dear son ate out of those! This is a must try i strongly recommend!

I made only the brownie did’nt try the frosting as i was afraid it might run by the time i reach my friends place.

You’ll need

If anyone asks me what will i cook for myself the answer anytime would be cakes! or something baked. i reallly love the smell spreading in my kitchen. When i saw this first in Smitten Kitchen i wanted to make it right away. I love raspberries the sour taste mixed with the sweetness of the cake. But unfortunately all berries are very expensive in Singapore  I used frozen this time but i think next time i’ll try it with fresh. I made this cake only for me but rest of my family finished it! LOL! A real hit and i think i’ll make this more often.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

1 large (57 grams) egg

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk**

1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz) (i used frozen and thawed it to room temp.)

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter (see Note) raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

** Make your own buttermilk:  Add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

My post goes to Cooking for Yourself Event

Today morning when R woke up she asked me what i was making special today. As kids grow up almost everyday is going to be special and everyday they demand something special or some kind of goodies!

Here you go sweeties.. Double chocolate chip cookies for my dear daughter who loves any form of chocolate and blueberry muffins for my dear son who think boys should eat everything ‘blue’. I wonder from where he got the idea! LOL! And what all things he will learn like this when he goes to school next year!

To Die For Blueberry Muffins!!

These muffins came our soft and moist and it really tasted good. i didnt think it would be this good with frozen thawed berries but it is yummmm!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup melted butter

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup frozen thawed blueberries

For the topping:

1/4 cup plus 1 tblsp white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

How to make :

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In another bowl combine butter,egg and milk  and mix well. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill 3/4th of the  muffin cups and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

This cookie recipe was given to me by my friend Jen. But as R wanted double chocolate i added cocoa powder to it. Still it came out so soft and moist!

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup semi-sweet chips

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Cream butter & sugars.  Beat in vanilla, egg & yolk until light and creamy.  Gradually mix in dry ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough onto greased cookie sheets. (Mine was around a tbsp) Bake for about 10-15 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes on the sheets, then finish cooling on wire rack.

My childrens day recipes go for the Kids Delight Event hosted at Spice Your Life!

Chocolate chip cookies are my kids favorite. They can eat up to 4-5 cookies in one shot.. LOL!  I make them often but before i can take a pic of these they will be finished! My daughter doesn’t even wait for them to cool down she loves them when its warm and the choco chip are meting! (Girls!)

So today a cozy saturday morning everyone are asleep i woke up early and decided to make some of these to surprise them. I could luciky make a batch before all of them woke up and finally take a pic of it!

This recipe is again form my favorite All Recipes And here is the recipe for the Chocolate chip cookies

The changes i made are – I added only 1 cup chocolate chips instead of 2. And i did not melt the chip. I added them straight away. This is a fool proof recipe. I really enjoyed making those.