baking with fruits Archives - The White Ramekins

Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes

January 26, 2017 by TheWhiteRamekins

It took me a while to get back to the business or should I say that I feared that I had almost lost my mojo to be back here. It was the start of new year and how strangely I was almost out of inspiration to bake or to photograph again. But the sense of losing it was there and I could easily see things getting out of my hand. I just wanted to end that state soon and hence started feeling a bit relentless within. Good thing is that the realization happened soon and it was as close as snapping my finger to come out of it….

Strawberry Cornmeal Crumb Cake

February 20, 2014 by TheWhiteRamekins

Coming from north of India and that too being a Punjabi, cornmeal has been a quintessential flour of our diet. Especially during the chilly winter days, we start eating flat breads made of yellow cornmeal slathered with homemade butter and gently cooked mustard greens, more famously known as Makki ki roti and Sarso ka saag, which I think is synonymous to every Punjabi.

And my mother, she’s really sentimental about this one dish. But you must be thinking of why am I going so much gung ho about the cornmeal flat breads and the cultural values it has in a north Indian meal, while the title of the post says something else. Actually, when I saw this recipe in Smitten Kitchen’s cookbook for the very first time, I was taken aback, thinking how could one make a dessert out of something which I have been thinking all these years could only be used in savories.

This made me thinking on other notes too, of surprising my mother. That yes, you could bake a cake out of the cornmeal as well. Though I had presumptions too, thinking of the “Oh God! What has happened to my boy” look she would be giving out to me.

But I still wanted to surprise her by baking this cake. I am already a great fan of Smitten Kitchen’s. Her recipes haven’t failed me ever, so I was confident. Only thing I was doing different was using strawberries as opposed to blueberries in the original recipe.

Knowing that strawberries have more water content and through the learning of previous failures with these juicy red berries, I cooked them with cornflour before adding them to the cake. And that did work.

The cake came out to be bright yellow colored with a red contrasting berries in the middle. Texture wise, it’s a hearty yet flavorful cake, which we all enjoyed to the fullest!

Ingredients

Cake

100 gm butter, at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup sour cream

Filling

1 1/2 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped
3 tbsp cornflour

Streusel

1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornmeal
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

For the filling, in a non-reactive saucepan, add the strawberries and corn flour and simmer for 10 minutes, until berries are thick and cooked. Set aside to let cool completely.
Preheat the oven at 180 degree C and butter and flour an 8 inch springform pan and keep aside.
For the cake, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a bowl, until pale and fluffy, around 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, after each addition. Add the vanilla and zest.
Fold in half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the sour cream, followed by another half of flour mixture and sour cream.
Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan. Spread the strawberry filling on the cake batter in pan.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for streusel with a fork, until it resembles a coarse sand like mixture. Scatter the topping over the strawberry filling.
Bake the cake for about 50-60 minutes, or until top is golden brown and the tester into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in pan for 5 minutes and then loosen the sides of the pan and let cake cool on a wire rack completely.

Lemon Rosemary Ricotta Olive Oil Cake…To My Sister

August 21, 2013 by TheWhiteRamekins

For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands.

I have known her for 30 years now. And she’s been a constant of my life. However tough the times may have been and however difficult the paths may have been. It’s a bonding which we share, that’s getting stronger and stronger as the days pass by. And everything else is just secondary to that.

No matter how many arguments we had since childhood, she has always loved me from her heart and that love has have the strength of keeping us near, not by the distance, but by the hearts. She’s the one joy, dear God has gifted and I know this blessing will stay for ever.

She’s my best friend, who has helped me through my difficult times. Her comforting words have been my strength and I know, those words were meant to be nothing but the power to battle the tough times. And not just the strength to fight the world, those advises and caring words have filled my life with beautiful and sweetest of memories and those memories will always be eternal.

And when it comes to expressing my silliest of feelings or confessing my blunders or goof-ups, I know she’s the one I don’t have to think twice. Because she’ll keep my secrets and still be there to help me with a smile and no frowning. Almost like a cool shade of a big tree.

Having a sister is like having a best friend for life.

And this Raksha Bandhan festival, I am dedicating this post to my best friend for life, my constant support in life, My Sister! For those who are not aware, what Raksha Bandhan is, it is a festival which celebrates the relationship of brothers and sisters. This pious Indian festival is marked by the tying of a Rakhi, or holy thread, which comes in many colors, by the sister on the wrist of her brother. And brother vows to protect his sister from all the evils and odds in her life.

My sister enjoys a lot of my baking, so I baked her this wonderful moist and light Lemon Rosemary Ricotta Olive Oil cake. Another marvel from Smitten Kitchen. That got my sister completely smitten too! And this made me feel happier that she liked it to the last bit. This airy and light bake got pretty fragrant from the Meyer Lemons and fresh rosemary I got….some special ingredients for the most special person of my life…..happy happy I am!

I added some almonds flakes in addition to Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, which accentuated the flavors of lemon and rosemary and made the cake look all the more prettier! The only sad thing I did was, I halved the recipe. Now I wish I would have made the full recipe. And I know, this cake will definitely be a keeper in our family!

Recipe adapted minimally from Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

1/2 cup full fat fresh ricotta
40 ml olive oil
100 gm sugar
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 large egg
100 gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup almond flakes
Confectioner sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degree C and butter an 8 inch spring form pan.
In a bowl, whisk together ricotta, olive oil, sugar, lemon zest and rosemary to make smooth paste.
Beat in egg and combine well.
Sift the salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour right over the wet ingredients and mix with a spoon until just combined.
Pour the batter into prepared pan. Top with almond flakes and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes and then loosen the sides of the pan and let cake cool completely on a wire rack with base of pan intact. Dust with confectioner sugar when ready to serve.