Stuffed Parathas ( Indian Bread)

Last year, this time, I was in Delhi and all my North Indian friends from college would not stop talking about  these little food stalls in Delhi where they have separate streets for parathas and chole bhatura. I had to go and check those places out. Boy, did I eat! I was wowed. I ate like I have never eaten before and no, I was not guilty.


 Delhi is my most favorite place to go to. Ever. Since then, I have been eating stuffed parathas. I order them when I go to restaurants and  they are so good. With melting butter on top. I know, I can eat it! However, eating parathas is directly proportionate to increasing waistline. They are a bit indulgent, but I am eating healthy and I have substitutes to make it healthier. On really good days, I do indulge in buttery parathas and once you know how to make them, they are irresistible.I make them at least twice or thrice a week. They are a big hit.


In this blog, I am giving you the recipe for making the dough (which is very important thing to know, in  Indian cuisine, especially.), couple of stuffings - a potato( aloo) stuffing and a cauliflower (gobi) stuffing. Parathas are very versatile, you can do any stuffing if you just know the basic idea of it, I have friends who tell me about cheese parathas ( I can't wait to try that one out), peas parathas, mixed vegetable paratha and mooli (raddish) parathas. The options are endless.

                                                           




                                                                 DOUGH


Ingredients:
2 cups of  whole wheat flour ( atta )
water as needed
salt (optional)

Method:

• In a big bowl/ plate/ kitchen top. Mix all the ingredients and knead till it makes a nice smooth ball. 
• Add the water gradually, as required. If the dough is too dry, add water. If it is too wet, add flour. This dough is very forgiving that way. 
• Knead for at least 5 minutes. I call it the massage for the dough. 
• Variations: - You can use all purpose flour - you can add a tsp of oil to the dough if you want it smoother or 2 tbsp fresh curd. However :  It does not matter, really. I do not use any oil or curd, but the dough is still smooth and beautiful.
• This is a multi purpose dough,   you can just make small balls, roll it out and toast them on a tava (skillet) for minute on each side till they have small brown spots on them and they puff up a little.
• You can add a little butter/ oil on each side when they are toasting. You can also make stuffed parathas with them.

                                                     Stuffing 

                                                  Cauliflower stuffing ( Gobi) 

Ingredients:

• 1 small cauliflower - finely grated
• 1 small onion – finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 1/2tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 3 tbsp butter/ oil (of any choice)  I use olive oil, but feel free to use anything.
• 
  
• To make the stuffing:
•     In a  kadai (pan ). Add the cumin seeds (jeera) wait till it splutters and the chopped onion and allow it brown just a little.
•          Now add the grated cauliflower and all the spices.
•        Allow it to cook for about 10-12 minutes. It should turn brown.
•         It is okay if it is a little under done, because it gets cooked when the parathas are cooking too.
•          You can turn the stove off when it is about 95% cooked and allow it to cool.

                                          Potato Stuffing (Aloo)     

Ingredients :          

• 3 big potatoes- boiled and mashed
• salt as needed
• 2 tsps chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 small chilli finely chopped
•  2-3 tbsp Butter/ oil 

Method:   

•       Same as the Cauliflower stuffing, but it does not take more than 5-8 minutes because the potatoes have been boiled and mashed. 
• Just cook till all the masalas are incorporated into the potato.  Allow it cool. 

                                       Stuffed Parathas             

Method :

• Take lemon sized balls from the dough and roll it and note that, you need to flour the surface while you are rolling , because it sticks otherwise.
• Take a teaspoon sized stuffing and place it in the middle.
• Fold the dough into a package and sealing it completely. If not sealed, the stuffing will come out and makes it difficult to roll it out.
• Do not worry about sealing it, remember : roll the dough out into a small circle, add the stuffing, and close the stuffing with the dough from all the sides. Like dumpling or momo, we find.
• Now, roll it gently, if rolled too fast, stuffing will come out. Roll it as thin as possible, so the stuffing spreads to all the corners and there is no doughy bits left.
• In a hot pan/ kadai, add a tsp of butter or oil and toast on both sides. It takes about 3-4 minutes on each sides. They have to have these nice brown spots evenly on them.( If there are no even brown spots, it is okay. Do not break a  sweat over it. It still tastes delicious)

TIPS

• Knead the dough previous night and use it when needed.
• Stuffing can be kept in the fridge for a day or two, but I would suggest for you to use it the same day, as it is healthy and fresh.
• Do not worry if the first few are not perfect, you ace it by practice. 
• You need not  use the exact same masalas that I have mentioned, you can add spices for your taste. Like I said, these are very versatile and it is your taste and preference that  matters.
• For peas parathas, you need to grind your peas for the stuffing. For the raddish stuffing, it  has high water content, so add salt towards the end and drain them before stuffing inside the dough.

                                           

In

Wholewheat Pancakes with caramelized pineapples.

I have made a list of things of all the place I'd like to go...to eat/ restaurants to visit/ cities I would love to visit, like a food tour of sorts. This is  a big list, trust me. The one that takes the first prize is a diner. My love  for diners started when I started watching  Seinfeld when I was little. You know, meeting people for breakfast, being a regular or there is a chance  that I watch way too much TV for my own good. I know this sounds very out there, but it is true. I  love the idea of a diner,   meeting people for breakfast. Two of my favorite things to do, eat and talk to people. Who in their right mind will complain about fresh pancakes drained with  maple syrup, eggs and what not, sounds delish! And, their selection of pies and everything sweet. Yum!

 Few years back, I made pancakes and I admit, it was not that great. I thought it was, but nope tasted like rubber and it was  burnt.  But now, I know where I had gone wrong. Anyway,  my famous food craving hit me out of the blue and let me tell you something about my food cravings: I do not crave for food (generally), but when I do, I go great lengths to eat what I want. I am quite annoying that way.

 So, when I wanted to eat pancakes, I knew I was going to do justice to it this time around  and since I am "eating better" ( my fancy way of saying, I am on a diet. Yes, me, on a diet, I know) I wanted to make it healthy and wholesome  and I just found the right recipe for it. I wanted to make strawberry coulis to go with it, and yet again, this city disappoints me and I could not find it in the stores near my place. But, when I do find them, I am going to share  this amazing  accompaniment to pancakes, cakes, biscuits and ice creams: strawberry sauce/ coulis.

This is my recipe. Enjoy it . May I add, the caramelized pineapples were just....mmmm...out-of-this-freakin'-world.

Pancakes : 

makes 4- medium

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of wholewheat flour*
• 1 cup skimmed milk*
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2-3 tablespoons sugar (Go easy on the sugar, because the caramelized pineapples are quite sweet)
• splash of vanilla
• a pinch of nutmeg ( I think, this is the secret ingredient)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil * 
• 2 tablespoon butter; melted*(for the batter)
• Butter/ vegetable oil/ cooking spray to make the pancakes

Method:

1. It is important to sieve the flour because it removes any lumps or dirt that might be there in the flour. Mix all the dry ingredients together and mix it well.
2. Heat a skillet and the added butter and melt it. Add it to the dry ingredients and add the rest of the ingredients with the dry mixture and mix it well. Batter should be smooth, lumps-free, and it should not be too thick or too loose. 
3. Heat a pan and add oil to it. Ladle 1/4th of the batter, on a medium- high heat. It takes 3-4 minutes for each side to cook( this depends on how heavy/ large the pancakes are). Flip them when bubbles start forming around the pancake . Do not fret if the first one does not turn out properly. 
4. The other side takes 1-2 minutes to cook. They tend to rise a little when they are  cooking, they are not like crepes, they are not as flat as them. 
5. Serve hot with fresh fruits, maple syrup. You can add your own variations to this; add chocolate chips, add berries. Before flipping them, you can add bananas for delicious banana pancakes.  Or you can try caramelized pineapples or bananas to go with them. 

CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLES: 

There is nothing as easy as this. It literally takes minutes to make them. All you need is fresh pineapples, brown sugar. That is all. Heat a skillet, add fresh pineapples, cut, of course. Pineapples give their juices out, generously add brown sugar on top and allow it to cook down, for 8-10 minutes. You know  they are done, when they have shrunk and have turned a nice golden brown. Save the syrup, it makes for a very good sauce and has a beautiful glaze and sweetness which compensates for the less sugar  in the pancakes.

*This recipe is so versatile; you can use all-purpose flour instead of wholewheat flour. You can use 2% milk or full-fat milk for richness. Also, it is important to use, vegetable oil or sunflower oil for the pancake batter because other oils tend to over power the taste, which you would not want in your pancakes. 

Enjoy! 

Chole Masala

Since I always bake and post about it, I thought I would switch things up and cook for a change. I made Dutch apple cake .  I wanted to cook something very Indian. My biggest obstacle still is Sambar and Rasam, which I will face head-on, but not immediately. This time, I decided to head the North Indian way instead.

My mom was a very good cook. To this day, I listen to stories about what a wonderful cook she was and how her chole was to die for; I remember her making us chole and pulav for our birthdays. That the highlight of our birthday (apart from the brilliant birthday parties my sister and me had) my dad could talk about her cooking for hours. I think passion for cooking is inherited. It is a legacy.  My grandmother was such a brilliant cook and I believe my mom inherited that from her. My sister and me, we try.

When I found an old diary of my grandmother’s with her handwritten recipes. I wanted that. I spent a whole day going through recipes, which she had collected over the years from TV shows, magazines, some given to her from family and some her own. I was thrilled! This is exactly what I love about cooking- handing down recipes, sharing and leaving something for the younger generation. Other day, when I was watching Nigella Lawson’s show, she was talking about how close she was to her grandmother and how she cannot wait to be one, I could relate to her. I want to that kind of grandmother.

I saw the recipe for Chole and I had to make it! Here is the recipe, from the recipe book of P.K. LAKSHMI.

CHOLE:



Paati's Recipe



Ingredients:

For masala:

·         2 onions (3, if they are small. Chopped roughly)

·         7 cloves of garlic (you can use 5, if you do not like the taste of garlic so much)

·         1inch piece of ginger

·         Some boiled channa.

For tomato juice:

·         3-4 tomatoes blanched and pureed. It is okay if it is pulpy.

Other ingredients:

·         200 grams channa (soaked overnight, pressure cooked up to 8-10 whistles. Save the water in which the channa is cooked, makes for good stock for the masala. I used red channa, you can use white channa, if you want. )

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         2 cloves

·         1 bay leaf

·         2 cardamom pods

·         1 tsp jeera

·         3 tablespoons oil

·         1 onion chopped, finely

·         2 green chillies, split.

·         Tamarind ( size of lemon or you can use tamarind paste instead- I used about a tablespoon)

·         1 tsp chilli powder

·         A pinch of turmeric

·         1 tsp  coriander powder

·         1 tsp garam masala

·         ½ tsp mango powder

·         A generous bunch of  coriander leaves

·          2 tablespoons butter

·         ½ cup cashew nuts (ground to paste with little water)

Method:

1.      Grind all the ingredients for the masala and keep aside. Do the same for tomato juice.

2.      In a kadai, add the oil, while the oil is heating up, add jeera and allow it splutter. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Sautee the onions and green chillies till they turn golden brown

3.      At this point, add the masala and cook until the masala is cooked and the raw smell is gone.  To this mixture, add the tomato juice and allow it to boil for couple of minutes.  Mix the tamarind juice to masala.

4.      Start adding all the spices except for garam masala.  Add salt to taste.  

5.      Add the water in which the channa was cooked, at this stage. Turn the heat down and allow it cook for 10 minutes.

6.      Add the garam masala and mix it thoroughly. Chop some pudina and coriander leaves; it adds flavour to the chole.

7.      Before switching off the stove, add the cashew nut and mix thoroughly. Cut pieces of butter, drop it into the sabzee, and allow it to melt on top.

8.      Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti or steamed rice.

 Things to remember:

·        Try not to overcook the channa, as it will turn mushy.

·        If you add salt to the channa while pressure cooking it, do not salt the masala too much

·        Cashew nut paste was just to add richness to the dish it is an optional.

·        Take the bay leaf and cinnamon stick before serving

·        Tomato puree need not be pulp-free.

P.S- Sorry, I could not make an entry with step-by- step pictures. One, the kitchen looked too dirty for the world to see it. Two, too  many processes to document. I knew I would be bored by the 5th step.

P.P.S- I am not much of a cook, but I must admit, this tasted phenominal! *patting my back* 

The good, the bad and THE ugly.

When I started blogging, I promised myself- I would write about the good, the bad and the ugly. I have written about the good, the bad and now, it is time for the ugly. The ugly truth about the failed  attempt to make doughnuts, that is. I am just keeping my word and writing about this.

The idea of baking doughnuts thrilled me beyond words, why would I not be thrilled. I was reading  this when I was looking at the recipe for carrot soup. Since, baking with yeast takes a long time because it needs time to rise and all,  I bookmarked it for a rainy day – where I can bake for the family and indulge in a sweet treat myself.  Pakoras and sweet treats with a big mug of chai is quintessential and especially during monsoon.

I admit, things did not go as I planned. Nevertheless, on a rainy day like today, I found a silver lining-I finally figured out how to make good quality dough.  Usually, my dough becomes too sticky or too dry- it never was perfect. Because,  I have made pies and breads, and my dough was never the way I wanted it to be, it always ended up  dry , it formed a dry layer around the dough making it crack.

I never did stop baking because few things went wrong. I remember the times when two or three cakes failed like nobody’s business.  There was once a time when I considered chocolate cake as my nemesis. It always managed to sink in the middle. Anyway, I got the day off and I figured I‘d bake the doughnuts.  The idea of dunking them in melted butter and dusting them with cinnamon sugar was beginning to make my day.  Sigh. The yeast had other plans.

Things started brilliantly, the dough came together, and it cooled off great. However, the damn thing did not rise. I had two options, a. Throw the whole dough into the bin, b. Make them anyway. The idea of throwing perfectly done dough was never an option. I went ahead and made them, anyway.

Confession: It should have been soft and fluffy rather I ended up with flat and crispy piece of pastry.

However, this I can tell you, when dipped in hot melted butter and cinnamon sugar- it tasted delicious. The smell of scented cinnamon with glorious butter can never go wrong. Can it?  

I hope that the next time, I will write about something that went right and (hopefully) I will have a recipe which I will want to share and not a recipe for disaster.

Carrot Soup and Vegetable Stock.

I have always wanted to make soups, like forever. I am not much of a soup person, to be honest. I do not like anything too watery or runny or anything that can drip on clothes. I mean, that is too much work and good food shouldn't be so fussy. It is safe to say, soup is not my comfort food. But, why this soup, you ask?

 This soup- Carrot Soup is an adaptation from 101 cookbooks by Hilary Swanson. I got around to read her blog for hours the other day and I must say, I was quite impressed. The choice of soups do not just limit to tomato or cream of mushroom or the typical soups we get in our hotels.It was about time I drop inhibtions and finally make soup.  I am planning to make my own pot of soup once a week. It is simple. A pot of soup makes for the best dinner. Saying that, simple things are the hardest things in life. Simplicity is highly underrated.
This soup is a basic soup,  packed with flavor. If you are a carrot lover- this soup is for you. Before which, I have to mention, you need to make your own stock which is quite important. I mean, you can buy those vegetable stock cubes, but I can tell you -- once you get around to make your own, you will not go back to the concentrated stuff.

Vegetable Stock:
makes: 4+ cups
(you can add or subtract vegetables,  based on their availability)
this is what I added for my vegetable stock. A basic stock contains celery, which I could not find in the nearest super market. If you find it, you might want to add to it.
 1 potato, quartered
 2 onions, unpeeled, quartered
10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and crushed
1 red raddish, cut into big chunks
1 white raddish, cut into big chunks
3 medium sized carrots, cut into big chunks.
a tablespoon of pepper corns
sea salt ( to taste)
2 bay leaves
1+ liter water
2 tablespoons oil
Method:
In a pan, add oil, sautee the raddish, onion and poatoes for about 5 minutes- this addes a nice flavor to your otherwise bland stock.
In a soup pot or a heavy based cooking vessel, add the water, and the vegetables. Let it simmer for 2 hours.
I will let you in on something, the smell of a big pot of stock brewing is just divine. After 2 hours, strain the stock and store it in a jar. It stays for 4-5 days, it adds tons of flavor to your sauces, soups and curries.

CARROT SOUP
makes: 4 servings
Here is the recipe to the actual carrot soup. This is an adaptation from 101 cookbooks.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

1. Cook the carrot till it is tender. Do not under or over cook it. If you over cook it, you will end up with a mush. If it is undercooked, well, you end with raw carrot in your soup.
2. Seasoning is very critical. Keep adding salt in pinches, keep tasting it. Add pepper (I added some chilli flakes for heat, but this is optional)
3. You can serve them with croutons( I toasted some whole wheat bread in some olive oil and fried cubed panner with the soup. Paneer is actually a very good accompliment to this soup.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds carrots
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or clarified butter)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cups+ vegetable stock or water
juice of 1/2 a lemon
fine grain sea salt (as much as you need)

METHOD:

• Take the tops off the carrots and wash them.  Cut them into 1-inch segments and set aside.
•  Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes or until the onions start to get translucent.
•  Add the stock and carrots and bring to a gentle boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender
• Puree with a hand blender,  stir in the lemon juice. Now salt to taste.
• Finish with a drizzle of great extra-virgin olive oil, one of the other drizzles I mention up above, or whatever twist you come up with.
• Serve Hot! Perfect Friday night supper!

Sugar Cookies

Sometimes, when life hands me lemons, I don't make lemonade, I add it(lemons) to the royal icing instead, seriously. I spent four hours baking and I am happy.Why wouldn't I be?  I have my radio on, the recipe in front of me and that is all I need.

I spent most of the afternoon deciding between a Bristol Cake and these cookies. The cookies won, obviously. I did feel a little out of place when I was making this one, because a. There is no chocolate in it, b.  Lemon in the icing?  I was starting to question it... a lot!

Since I am down with a bad wheezing attack, I am asked not to eat any baked good (and I kinda promised my dad that I would not sneak a cookie or two), so I did not taste this cookie. Can't wait till my friends give me a feedback, but I did taste the icing. Come on, why wouldn't I? The lemon in the icing intrigued me beyond words.

And this is my first blog with a picture backing up the whole process. I admit; taking photos, baking, my pet dog trying to come into the kitchen and trying to snatch a cookie, and my dad in the kitchen with me, trying to cook, too. Not a healthy combination.
 Lesson Learnt: Never bake when a man is in the house. They just don't get it.

Tips to remember:

·         The recipe for the icing says powdered sugar or icing powder; stick to icing sugar, because I used powdered sugar and it has a grainy texture when you bite into it.

·         Most of us are not used to the idea of lemon juice in icing- so it can take a while to get used to, but well worth the effort, because this tastes beautiful with a cup of tea.

·         Try and get the dough rolled out thin, so when it bakes it does not become gigantic, like, some of my cookies

·         The dough is quite sticky. Do not fret. Allow it to chill and have the work surface well floured so the dough does not stick to the rolling surface.

·         Store the icing in an air tight container

·         The recipe for the icing with meringue powder is given and I did not use that because I could not find any meringue powder in the market close to me-if you find meringue powder, you can use either icing.

Sugar Cookies: Makes: 36 adapted from Joyofbaking 3 cups (390 grams) all1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar 2 large eggs or 3 eggs if they are medium 2 teaspoon vanilla extract Royal Icing Using Egg Whites: 2 large (60 grams) egg whites 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder: 4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted 3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water Food Colouring (I used the powdered food colouring- you can use gel, liquid or anything else which is available)

For Sugar Cookies: 

·         In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

·         In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

                                                                   

·          Add the flour mixture and beat until you have smooth dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

                                    

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in centre of oven.

·           Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) 

                                    

·          Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill the dough that prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking.
                                                   
                                               

·         Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until the edges are just starting to brown. 

                                    

·         Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

·          Frost them with the royal icing, if desired. Be sure to let the royal icing dry completely before storing. (This may take several hours or overnight.)

                                    

·         Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store them between layers of parchment paper or wax paper.

Royal Icing with Egg Whites: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted sugar and beat on low speed until smooth. If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more sugar or water. Add food colouring, if desired. I transferred half of the icing in a separate bowl and added the food colouring.


This is the simple plain icing, add colouring to it, as desired.

                                      

 For Royal Icing with Meringue Powder: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand                    mixer), beat the sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium/high speed until glossy and stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more sugar that is powdered or water. Add food colouring, if desired. To cover the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.

Hope this helps. Enjoy! Happy Baking :)

Hershey's Black Magic Cake.

Most of my recipes are saved on my computer, and there are few which really deserve to be written down in a book and be cherished forever. This one is a keeper. I tried few chocolate cakes before and they have always sunk or tasted okay or they get burnt (yes, burnt!). But this one, was just beautiful. The secret to this one I think is the sour milk and the coffee. Coffee really does bring the flavor of the chocolate to life.  I had bookmarked this recipe for over two weeks and I finally got around to make this, today. Also, I used a butter paper( I do not get parchment paper here in Chennai, but if you find it, you could use that) and it made a world of difference. It eliminates the problem of the cake sticking to the bottom of the cake tin. But fear not, if you can't get either of them, just butter your cake tin really well, so the cake just pops out of the tin without any stress.

The idea was to make a double-layered caked with a vanilla icing in the middle, but my patience got the better  of me, I cut into the second cake and  ate it. I am shameless that way. This recipe makes two cakes. Ice the cake as you please. Here is the recipe, enjoy :)

Hershey’s Black Magic cake.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 160degree Celsius . Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
•  Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
• Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer (for about 2 minutes) 
•  Pour batter evenly into prepared pans
•  Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans until a wooden stick comes out clean 
•  Cool the cakes completely  before you frost the cake

                                       . 

* For sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup or 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1/3^rd cup milk
• 2/3^rd cup icing sugar
• ½  cup cocoa
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1  teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

Combine the ingredients together, beat well and allow it to chill. Use as needed on the cake.

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Lynn

4/29/2010 4:05:48 PM

Baking a cake and using a box mix? For a fluffier, lighter cake, let the eggs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and then beat eggs, oil, and water together until eggs are frothy. THEN add the mix and beat as instructed. It makes a light as air cake!

Candice

1/21/2010 6:37:21 PM

When baking cakes, I freeze them after they have cooled and then frost. This makes the frosting spread easier on the cake without picking up any crumbs in your frosting. Plus you can bake the cake a couple of weeks ahead of time and then frost when needed.

Hailey

11/16/2009 8:15:00 PM

Substitute buttermilk for regular milk in a cake recipe! It makes the cake much more moist without affecting the taste.

Penny

9/10/2009 1:22:43 AM

When making a Chocolate Town Special Cake, or any cake calling for Hershey's Cocoa dissolved in water, use leftover coffee instead. Intensifies the taste of the chocolate without adding a coffee flavor.

Vicky

7/8/2009 11:07:09 PM

To enhance any flavor cake mix, use flavored creamers. A plain white cake can be flavored with pumpkin spice creamer for the Holidays as an example. Use half creamer in place of the liquid.

Bakeware

Be sure to use the pan size called for in the recipe. To check the width of a pan, measure across the top from inside edge to inside edge.

Use shiny metal pans for baking cakes. They reflect heat away, producing a tender, lighter-colored crust.

Use caution when using dark nonstick baking pans or glass baking dishes. Read and follow the manufacturer's directions. Since these pans absorb more heat, results may be better if the baking temperature is reduced by 25 degrees F.

Baking

Bake cakes with the oven rack placed in the center of the oven, unless the recipe states differently. Bake only on one rack.

Cooling

Cakes should be cooled completely on wire racks. Cool round cakes in their pans 10 minutes, then loosen by running a thin knife between the cake and the edge of the pan and remove the cakes from pans to wire racks. Rectangular cakes (often in 13x9-inch baking pans) can be cooled completely in the pan or cooled 10 minutes in the pan and then removed to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

Frost cakes when they are completely cooled, or the frosting will melt or slide off the cake.

Making a Cake Recipe into Cupcakes

Follow cupcake preparation directions in the recipe, but if the recipe does not have specific instructions, be aware that most cake recipes can be made into cupcakes. Use the following guidelines.

Line cupcake pans with paper baking cups; fill cups 1/2 to 3/4 full with cake batter.

Bake cupcakes at the same temperature the cake called required and begin checking for doneness at 16 minutes.

Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Expect a yield of about 1-1/2 to 2 dozen cupcakes from a recipe calling for about 2-1/4 cups of flour.

Storage & Cutting

Follow cupcake preparation directions in the recipe, but if the recipe does not have specific instructions, be aware that most cake recipes can be made into cupcakes. Use the following guidelines.

Line cupcake pans with paper baking cups; fill cups 1/2 to 3/4 full with cake batter.

Bake cupcakes at the same temperature the cake called required and begin checking for doneness at 16 minutes.

Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Expect a yield of about 1-1/2 to 2 dozen cupcakes from a recipe calling for about 2-1/4 cups of flour.

Troubleshooting

Refer to this checklist to figure out why a cake did not turn out as expected.



If a homemade cake has a coarse texture, the following problems may have occurred:




Too much baking soda or baking powder may have been used.
Not enough liquid may have been used.
The butter and sugar may not have been beaten together long enough. If the recipe calls for creaming butter and sugar, or beating until light and fluffy, this should take at least three to four minutes of beating.
The oven temperature was too low.





If a homemade cake is too dry, the following problems may have occurred:




Too much flour or leavening (baking soda/baking powder) was used.

Flour was not measured properly (see measuring tips).

Not enough shortening or sugar was used.
The cake was over-baked - the oven temperature was too high and/or the baking time was too long.









If a homemade cake fell (the center of the cake sinks), the following problems may have occurred:




The cake was under-baked - the oven temperature was too low and/or the baking time was too short.
The liquid was over or under measured.
The pan was too small - the batter was too deep.
The cake was moved or jarred before it
was sufficiently baked.
Old or expired baking powder was used.
A wooden pick or cake tester was inserted into the cake before it was sufficiently set.




If a homemade cake has low volume or is too flat, the following problems may have occurred:




The liquid was over- or under-measured.
The batter was under-mixed or extremely over-mixed.
Too large a pan was used.
The oven temperature was too low or too high.




If a homemade cake has a peaked center, the following problems may have occurred:





The batter was over-mixed.
The oven temperature was too hot.




If a homemade cake shrinks excessively around the edges, the following problems may have occurred:




The baking pans were greased too heavily.
The baking pans were placed too close together in the oven.
There was too little batter in the baking pan.
The
batter was extremely over-mixed.
There was too little liquid in the batter.
The cake was over-baked - either too long a time or at too high a temperature.




If a homemade cake is soggy, the following problems may have occurred:




The cake was moved or jarred before it was sufficiently baked.
The cake was under-baked - the oven temperature was too low and/or the baking time was too short.
Old or expired baking powder was used.




If a homemade cake has a spotted crust, the batter was probably under-mixed.



If a homemade cake has a sticky top crust, the following problems may have occurred:




The cake was stored while still warm.
The liquid was over measured.
The cake was under-baked - the oven temperature was too low and/or the baking time was too short.
The air humidity was too high.




If a homemade cake has tunnels throughout the layer, the following problems may have occurred:




The oven temperature was too high.
The batter was under-mixed or extremely over-mixed.




If a homemade cake has uneven browning, the following problems may have occurred:




There was uneven heat circulation in the oven.
The baking pans were placed too close together in the oven.
If a homemade cake has uneven layers, the following problems may have occurred:
The oven rack was not level.
The cake pans were warped or bent.

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