Eggless Chocolate Cake with Strawberry and Cream Filling

It's been a year since I started blogging and I made this Chocolate cake layered with strawberry and cream which I had bookmarked from here for my blog's First Anniversary.
I would like to thank everyone my followers,friends,relatives who have visited my space and encouraged me in this journey.Its your feedback that keeps me motivated.I halved the ingredients from the original recipe and made a small cake.I also made few changes to suit my taste.The cake came out so soft and moist and the strawberry and cream paired well with the chocolate cake.

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cake
All purpose flour	1 ½ cups
Powdered sugar	1 cup
Cocoa Powder(Natural Unsweetened)	¼ cup
Baking soda	1 tsp
Salt	½ tsp
Hot water	1 cup
White vinegar	1 tblsp
Oil(I used sunflower oil)	¼ cup+ 3 tblsp
Vanilla essence	½ tblsp
For the strawberry cream
Strawberries chopped	100 gms
Sugar	2 tblsp
Vanilla essence	½ tsp
Heavy whipping cream	150 ml
Icing sugar	2 tblsp
For the Chocolate ganache
Dark chocolate	100 gms
Heavy  cream	75 ml
Chocolate shavings	For decoration

Method:

• Sift Flour,Cocoa,baking Powder and salt and transfer to a bowl.Mix the sugar and keep aside.
• Preheat Oven to 180 º C.
• Mix Oil,vanilla essence,vinegar and hot water in a bowl.Add the wet ingredients to the dry Ingredients and mix till it is just combined.A few lumps are ok and don't over beat it.
• Transfer the mixture to a greased and floured cake pan and bake at 180 º C for about 40- 50 mins till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
• Remove the pan from the oven an let it cool for 10 mins.Gently remove the cake and keep it upside down on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For the Strawberry cream:

• Take a saucepan and add the strawberry pieces,sugar and let it simmer for few minutes till it reaches jam like consistency.Add the vanilla essence and cool completely.
• Whip the fresh cream and once it starts thickening add icing sugar and few drops of vanilla and beat till stiff peaks form.Now gently mix the cooled strawberry mixture to the whipped cream.
• Refrigerate till assembling the cake.

For the Chocolate ganache:

• Heat the cream in a sauce pan and once bubbles start appearing on the sides take it off the flame and add the chopped dark chocolate.
• After 2-3 mins, stir the chocolate with the cream till it becomes a thick mixture.You can add 1 tblsp butter for a shiny ganache.
• Refrigerate till it becomes thick enough to spread as icing.

Assembling the cake:

• Cut the cake into 3 layers horizontally using a long serrated knife.
• Prepare sugar syrup by taking 1/4 cup water and 2 tblsp sugar in a vessel.Stir till sugar dissolves completely and boil for few minutes.Cool completely.
• Place a layer of the cake and sprinkle little sugar syrup all over the top.Spread a thick layer of the prepared strawberry cream.Cover it with second layer of cake.Sprinkle sugar syrup over this layer and spread the remaining strawberry cream.Cover with the third layer.Wet this layer with sugar syrup.Finally spread the chocolate ganache on the top and sides of the entire cake.I added some chocolate shavings over the top.Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Note:

• The sugar syrup was not used in the original recipe but I have used it here to keep it moist.Don't add more syrup as it will make the cake soggy.

   

Dum Aloo

Dum aloo is a popular dish which is made by cooking the potatoes in a yogurt based gravy.It pairs well with Roti/Chapathi.

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes	15-20
Tomato	1
Yogurt	½ cup
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Red chilli powder	As needed
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Garam masala powder	¼ tsp
Oil	1 tblsp
Honey(optional)	1 tsp
Cloves	2
Cardamom	2
Cinnamon	1 small piece
Bayleaf	1
Coriander leaves chopped	For garnishing
To grind
Onion	1
Ginger	1 small piece
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Cashew nut	6

Method:

• Pressure cook baby potatoes.It should be cooked but firm.Peel off the skin and prick with a fork.
• Heat a fry pan with oil and roast the potatoes till they turn light golden colour.
• Blanch the tomato in water,remove the skin and puree it.
• Heat little oil in a fry pan,add the chopped onions and fry till they turn translucent.Allow to cool.
• Grind the fried onions with ginger,fennel and cumin seeds,cashewnuts to a fine paste.
• Heat a pan with 1 tblsp oil,add the cloves,cinnamon,cardamom and bayleaf and fry till they release the aroma.Add the onion paste and fry for 2- 3 mins in medium flame.Now add the tomato puree,salt and all the spice powders and cook well till the raw smell of the masala powders is gone.
• Now add the yogurt little by little stirring continuously to avoid curdling.Cook in medium flame for 2-3 mins.Add 2 cups of water,roasted poatatoes.Cover tightly with a lid and simmer in low flame for about 5 -7 mins.Add the honey and cook for a minute.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Note:

• You can deep fry the potatoes in oil but I just roasted them and added to the gravy.
• Use fresh Yogurt for this recipe and adjust the quantity according to your taste.
• If baby potatoes are not available,cut the regular potatoes into big cubes and proceed with the recipe.

Black Forest Trifle

I had some chocolate cake and wanted to make it interesting and made this Black forest trifle.It is a versatile dish,you can mix and match the ingredients and make your own trifle.Lets see how to make this easy and yummy dessert.

Ingredients:

 Chocolate cake cut into squares or rounds  -  10 slices (For 5 individual   servings)

 Heavy whipping cream- 200 ml

 Chocolate sauce or Chocolate Ganache -  as needed (You can use any store bought chocolate syrup like hershey's chocolate syrup)

 Glazed cherries cut into small pieces - as needed

 Cashewnut cut into small bits- as needed (optional)

Method:

• Take 1/4 cup of water and add 1 tblsp sugar and boil till sugar dissolves.Allow to cool.
• Whip the heavy cream and once soft peak forms add 2 - 3 tblsp Icing sugar and few drops of vanilla essence and whip further till stiff peaks form.keep aside.
• Take a serving glass/bowl and place a slice of chocolate cake.Sprinkle little sugar syrup over the cake.Top the cake with whipped cream and add some chocolate sauce followed by finely chopped cherries and nuts.
• Repeat with another layer of cake and finish with whipped cream layer.If you prefer you can add chocolate shavings on the topmost layer.Since I din't had chocolate,I just added some Chocolate sauce and made marble effect.I decorated it with fresh cherries(This is optional).
• Refrigerate for atleast 1 or 2 hours before serving.

Rava Dosa

Rava dosa is a popular south Indian tiffin which can be made instantly as there is no need for grinding or fermenting the batter.The consistency of the dosa batter is important to get crispy,lacy dosa.It pairs well with coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

Rice flour	1 cup
Rava	½ cup
Maida	¼ cup
Onion	1
Green chilli	1
Cumin seeds	½ tsp
Ginger finely chopped	1 tblsp
Coriander leaves finely chopped	As needed
Asafoetida	A pinch
Salt	As needed

Method:

• Chop onion to fine thin slices.Finely chop the green chilli too.
• Take a bowl and add Rice flour,Rava and Maida.Add salt and all the other ingredients.
• Add enough water and mix well.Batter should be thin like butter milk.
• Heat a tawa and when it is hot,Take a ladle of batter and start pouring the batter forming the outer circle first and filling the center.
• Add little oil over the dosa and keep the flame in medium low and cook till it turns golden.Now just flip to the other side and cook for few seconds and transfer to a plate.

Note:

• Always mix the batter well before making each dosa.
• The batter tends to thicken so add little water to get the right consistency.
• You can add pepper corns to the batter.
• Don't use the ladle to spread as we do for regular dosa.Just pour and it forms lacy pattern.