Tag Archives: Cake

Carrot Cake

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Photography Serge Oryan – IG @sergeoryan_photography

Are friendships like recipes?

Imagine friendship as a thoughtfully crafted recipe. There are moments when I want to sprinkle in extra spices to infuse excitement, and other times, a dash of sugar to sweeten the bond. For depth, a pinch of salt is added, and for nourishment, a touch of aroma is introduced. I’d prepare it on high heat for a profound connection or simmer it slowly for a more leisurely pace. Casual friendship resembles a comforting cup of tea on chilly days, providing warmth and solace, while long-lasting friendships are akin to a glass of wine on challenging days, offering both tranquility and a touch of sparkle.

I am not only blessed with the most amazing family, but I am also surrounded by numerous friends whom I love and trust, whether it’s a day of joy or a day of difficulty. I know you are many, and you know who you are. Let’s continue to enrich our friendship, making it enduring and meaningful.

Back to the kitchen where baking lifts my spirits when I’m in a good mood, and even when I’m not, it has a way of brightening my day. Yesterday’s choice landed on carrot cake, a household favorite, possibly inspired by the fall season or the Halloween decorations adorning my house.

There are different variations, but I’ve been loyal to this recipe for years now. I wonder why I never thought of posting it before. It contains shreds of carrots, walnuts and raisins for added texture and flavor. The use of carrots in cake recipes can be traced back to a time when sweeteners like sugar were scarce or expensive. Carrots provided natural sweetness and moisture to cakes. However, the carrot cake we know today, can be quite high in sugar and calories, particularly with the cream cheese frosting.

This cake is appreciated for its sweet, moist, and subtly spiced flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup brown sugar

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded carrots

  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 can / 227g crushed pineapple in juice

  • ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

  • ½ cup raisins

Preparation:

  1. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan (or a 7-inch/18cm round pan).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. Add shreds of carrots and coconut and beat until combined.
  4. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  5. Stir into the egg mixture. Stir in pineapple chunks with the juice, chopped walnuts, and raisins.
  6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  7. Let it cool in the pan on a rack.

If desired, you can spread cream cheese frosting on the top, and this is how you make it:

Ingredients: • 227g / 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature • 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 cups icing sugar, sifted • A pinch of salt

Preparation: Whisk together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined.

Pink Easter Pancakes

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Pimk Pancakes

This recipe is super festive, kids will love it. Serve the pancakes stacked up, melt white chocolate and pour it on the top layer and decorate with your favorite sprinkles and then cut it into pieces!
Pink Easter Pancakes
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
INGREDIENTS
-1 beet, cooked
-1 cup milk
-1 egg
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 tablespoons sugar
-1 tablespoon oil
-1 cup flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-¼ teaspoon salt

PREPARATION
1. In a blender, place beet and milk and blend until smooth.
2.Add egg, vanilla, sugar and oil. Blend to combine.
3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt Pulse a few times to combine.
4. Transfer batter to bowl.
5. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Grease with butter and laddle 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, same as you cook pancakes. Repeat to finish all batter.
6. Pile the pancakes up to form a cake and decorate with icing sugar, fruits, sprinkles, … or serve separately like you do regularly. Bon Appétit!

Blood Orange Upside Down Cake

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Orange Cake

Ingredients

  • 150g butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tbsp orange zest -2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp limoncello
  • 1 blood orange sliced
  • 1 orange sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180° C.

2. Using a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add eggs, zest, flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Combine milk and lemoncello and add to batter.

4. Align sliced oranges in the bottom of a greased round pan. Pour the batter in the cake pan.

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack before reversing on a serving dish.

Carob Molasses Vegan Cake

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Carob Molasses Vegan Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp ground aniseed
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups carob molasses (Dibs el kharrub)
1 cup water
½ cup slivered almonds (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and aniseed. Add oil and stir to make a paste.
In a separate bowl, combine molasses and water. Add gradually to the flour paste and mix.
Grease a cake mold and pour batter. Make sure it’s flat and even. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before transferring to a plate.

APPLE CRANBERRY CAKE WITH CINNAMON FROSTING

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APPLE CRANBERRY CAKEApple – Cranberry – Clementine – Cinnamon… These are the necessary key words to make you want to bake this elegant Christmas cake.

Nothing beats a smoothly frosted cake semi-naked look, I promise you it’s so easy to prepare anyone should give it a chance.

I couldn’t resist, but taking photos from different angles and post them on all of my social medias accounts.

I have tried many recipes for the festive season. I hope I’ll get the chance to share them all, since all of my spare time lately has been spent on Christmas shopping hearing Georges Michael and Mariah Carrey songs on repeat.

APPLE CRANBERRY CAKE WITH CINNAMON FROSTING FLAVOR

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 200g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups flour, sifted
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup Clementine juice
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • 1-2 red apples, cored and sliced (skin on)
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1tbsp limoncello

Preparation

  1. To make the frosting, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the whipping cream and whisk on high speed for 3 minutes or until fluffy. Refrigerate.
  2. Preheat oven to 175° C. Butter and flour a cake pan.
  3. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  4. Pour Clementine juice gradually while mixing and scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Turn off the mixer and fold in the cranberries.
  5. Pour the batter in the cake pan and decorate with the apple slices arranging them close together and overlapping on top of the batter.
  6. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle this over the apples. Drizzle with limoncello liqueur (or lemon juice).
  7. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.
  9. Frost the cake with your chilled cinnamon icing. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Decorate with cinnamon sticks, kumquat and fresh cranberries, if desired.

Blueberry Cake

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Bueberry Cake.jpg

Hello hungry people:) I have good news for you, this cake recipe is so simple that even the most amateur cook may bake it. And with the almond crumble that tops it, you will end up with a celebratory treat to serve on ceremonial occasions like Christmas.

What makes this cake looks fabulous is the Bundt pan and the glaze. So if you are tempted to try this recipe please don’t skip these two steps, especially the topping.

Happy Baking!

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup / 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose-flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen (and thawed) blueberries

For the topping

  • 3 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons oats
  • 2 tablespoons almonds, broken or sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 185 degrees C. Grease and flour a 12-cup pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
  3. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add gradually to butter mixture. Beat until well mixed, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
  4. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries and transfer to pan.
  5. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least ten minutes before trying to remove it from the pan.
  7. To make the topping, combine flour, sugar, oat and almonds. Add the butter and rub the mixture with your fingers to make small clumps. Spread the mixture on a baking tray and cook in oven for 7-10 minutes. Let cool. To make the glaze, whisk together icing sugar and lemon juice. To finish, drizzle the glaze over the cake and immediately sprinkle with the almond mixture and wait for the glaze to dry before serving.

 

Black Treacle Cake

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Photography Serge Oryan

Photography Serge Oryan

This is one of those recipes that just came together in my head in 3 minutes.

1. I wanted to bake a cake.

2. I didn’t want it to contain eggs, milk or butter.

3. A cake that uses black treacle.

You may wonder, what’s the occasion? I have friends visiting me tomorrow.

Why no eggs – no milk – no butter? Because during Lent many friends abstain from eating meat and dairy, therefore my guests will have no reason to say no to my cake.

Why black treacle? Well for the simple reason that I still have a bottle since Christmas and I want to finish it;-)

The resulting DELICIOUS cake had a dark color, strong flavor and viscous consistency. The combination of treacle and aniseed is the secret to this succulent cake. There’s something flavorful about this blend that lights up my mood even on bad days. For some the taste of treacle, might be very strong and for those who love this taste, close to licorice if I may say, will fall in love with this recipe.

You can always use milk instead of water or if desired, use half milk and half water. You may also substitute the black treacle with date molasses. And if you decide to use all-purpose-flour then I suggest you add 2 teaspoons of baking flower. Many options can be explored but my one-advise is not to skip the aniseed addition!

Black Treacle Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups self-rising flour
  • 2 tbsp ground aniseed
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups black treacle
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup slivered almonds

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix flour and aniseed. Add oil and stir to make a paste.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine treacle and water. Add gradually to the flour paste and mix.
  3. Grease a cake mold and pour batter. Make sure it’s flat and even. Sprinkle with almonds.
  4. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before transferring to a plate.

My Valentine Red Velvet Cake

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Valentine Red Velvet Cake

Kids had few days off school as part of their winter break and instead of taking them to a ski vacation we flew to sunny Dubai and stayed at one of our favorite resort Atlantis the Palm, where kids had an amazing time on the beach with mommy (myself hihihi)  and friends. We’re lucky to have so many friends living in Dubai, which always makes of our vacation an unforgettable one.

Back to my kitchen and to my baking passion, an old recipe of a red velvet cake shouted at me across the room to urgently make it; I was so powerless over its lusciousness and didn’t hesitate for a second.

I usually prefer dry cakes without any frosting on, but this combination of red velvet cake and vanilla cream cheese frosting is gorgeous and I’m sure once you try it you will stay hooked.

I had fun writing words with my children to top each slice of the cake, we wrote much more than we needed as some of them got broken while peeling them off the paper, but no one minded eating an extra piece of chocolate, they clearly have a sweet tooth like mommy.

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tbsp red food coloring
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp baking soda

For the cream cheese frosting

  • 450g / 16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups icing sugar, sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100g dark chocolate to make the toppers (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 185°C. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.

Mix together cocoa powder and food coloring to form a paste and add it to the egg mixture.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture, gradually to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk, beat until well incorporated, making sure to scrape down the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.

Mix baking soda and vinegar together and add.

Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-40 minutes, until cake springs back when gently pressed with finger.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: Whisk together cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Add, sugar, vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until well combined.

To assemble, place one of the cakes top side-down on a cake stand or plate. Spread the cream cheese over the top. Top it with the second cake and now spread the remaining cream cheese to cover the cakes from all sides, and decorate if desired.

To make the toppers: Melt chocolate over a bain-marie and fill it in a squeeze bottle or a piping bag. Write words (like love, kisses, hugs, xoxo, valentine) on a wax paper and wait few minutes to cool. Once the chocolate is hard, peel it off the paper and insert it gently in the cream.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

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Brownie-MayaOryan

I asked my friend what do you love the most about your diet? And the answer came: The Cheating Day!

I love her thinking;-)

Open candy bar, ice cream, chocolate, caramel, jelly beans, … They are all fair game! Whatever you’re craving for; pizza, cheeseburger, doughnut… No food is off limits. It’s the day you honor your body’s food wishes and stop counting calories. Isn’t that a genius plan!

A well-justified treat for being such a saint all week and sticking to your diet, so what can be better excuse to dig intuitively in my decadent, fudgy, naughty brownie cake. They taste as great as they sound, they are so addictive, am sure you’ll want to make a second batch before the first is finished.

I agree with you that there must be some law to stops bloggers from uploading tempting pictures of sweets and have mercy on those who are dieting, but this is why cheating meals are designed for, no?

Come on, give your body a break those brownies have never looked so appetizing!

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

  • 150g unsalted butter, melted
  • 150g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 100g milk chocolate, chopped
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces (or chocolate nuggets)
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • ½ cup walnut (optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 9×9 inch square pan.
  2. Melt chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat and combine to butter. Cool 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in sugar, egg, zest, flour, chocolate pieces and milk.
  4. Spread mixture into pan and decorate with walnuts. Bake 25-30mn. Cover pan with foil bake for further 20 minutes. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, put back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the top has a shiny crust and sides are beginning to come away from the pan.
  5. Dust brownies with sifted cocoa powder if desired and cut into squares.

ITALIAN APPLE CAKE

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ItalianAppleCake-MayaOryan

It is said that we spend around the third of our life sleeping; I would love to know how much am I spending mine baking.

I love baking. Whether it’s sweet or savor, my pupils just grow larger in front of almost any kind of food coming out of the oven.

Yesterday I baked an apple cake and witnessed it coming out my kitchen triumphantly smelling like heaven.

I had my family over for my yearly Christmas party. I love our get-together, it’s warm and joyful. Kids were delighted with all the new gifts waiting for them under the Christmas tree and we, “grown-ups”, were happy drinking and eating merrily. A day to remember! Also was my cake☺

My daughters Kaia and Axel

My daughters Kaia and Axel

ITALIAN APPLE CAKE

Ingredients

  • 100g butter (at room temperature)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour, sifted
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 4tbsp milk
  • 3 sweet apples such as gala or golden, cored and sliced (skin on)
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1tbsp limoncello

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180° C. Butter and flour a 22cm round cake pan.

2. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Pour milk gradually while mixing and scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.

4. Pour the batter in the cake pan and decorate with the apple slices arranging them close together and overlapping on top of the batter.

5. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle this over the apples. Drizzle with limoncello (or lemon juice).

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.

6. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.