Butterscotch Praline Cake - #100th Recipe Post

I am glad to inform you that it is my 100th recipe post..Thank you all my dear readers for your support and encouragement..Expecting same for my future recipe post too..I decided to share something sweet for this occassion..It is Butterscotch Praline Cake..I baked this cake a month ago for my younger sis birthday,who came to stay with me for few days...I saved this recipe mainly to post in this occasion..My mom and sis love this cake very much..Its much better than store bought one..
Coming to the recipe,this is a rich and delicious cake with the flavour of caramel and lots of caramalised nuts ( praline)..I got the recipe from various sources, combine here and there and made by own sauce and frosting..This step may involve lots of steps,but its a worth..It involves making vanilla cake which is sandwiched with caramel sauce,covered with frosting and decorated with crushed praline (caramalised nuts)..Do make the mentioned ingredients earlier and assemble later..So you won't feel its a heavy task :P...I feel when I try to decorate the top of cake with whipped cream, it is little messed up,I feel dissappointed :(..Never mind, it tastes really delicious..Do try this cake and give feedback :)

     Ingredients

        For Vanilla Sponge Cake

• All purpose flour - 1 1/2 Cup
• Baking powder  -  1 tsp
• Baking soda  -  1/4 tsp
• Eggs  -  3 no.s  (keep at room temperature for 30 mins)
• Canola or any veg oil - 1/2 cup
• Superfine white sugar ( powdered sugar) - 1 cup
• Milk - 3/4 cup  ( keep at room temperature for 30 mins)
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

      For Caramel Sauce

• Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup
• Brown sugar - 1 cup
• Heavy cream ( whipping cream) - 3/4 cup
• Corn flour - 2 tsp

      For Praline

• Butter - 1 tsp
• White sugar - 1 cup
• Any mixed  nuts of your choice - 1 cup ( I used cashew nuts, peanuts and almonds)

      For Butterscotch frosting

• Whipping Cream - 250 ml ( I used low fat whipping cream)
• Icing sugar  - 2 tbsp
• Brown sugar - 1/2 cup

      Method

         For Vanilla sponge cake

• Preheat the oven to 180 degree C..Grease the cake tin with butter and flour and tap the excess flour or you can use parchment paper ( butter paper)..

• Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl thoroughly and keep aside..

• In another large bowl,add eggs and salt and beat at high speed till creamy..

• Add vanilla essence and sugar and beat again..

• Add flour mixture and milk little by little three times and fold alternately..

• Pour the cake batter in a greased cake tin and tap at the sides to prevent air bubbles..

• Bake for about 35 to 40 mins depending upon your oven,till the fork or knife insert in the center of the cake comes out clean..

• When it cools down, keep the cake on a wire rack to cool completely..Meanwhile make caramel sauce,frosting and praline as mentioned below..

                                                                         

Preparation of Vanilla Cake

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

         For Butterscotch Frosting

• Beat the cold whipping cream and other mentioned ingredients till thick and stiff peaks forms..Refrigerate it..

Preparation of Butterscotch Frosting

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

         For caramel sauce

• Heat the sauce pan..Add butter and melt in a very low flame..Take care it should not change colour, otherwise it will burn..

• Add brown sugar and stir till it dissolves completely..

• Turn the flame to lowest and add heavy cream and stir..Do not boil at high flame as cream will curdle, slightly boil when added cream..Off the flame and let it cool slightly..

• Add corn flour and mix well without any lumps..When it cools completely, refrigerate it..Sauce will thickens when refrigerated..

Preparation of Caramel Sauce

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

          For praline ( Caramalised Nut )

• Grease the aluminium foil with a oil and set aside...

• In a pan, add butter, white sugar and nuts..heat in a medium flame till it changes brown colour..Immediately turn the flame to low and stir well for few seconds..Off the flame..

• Pour this mixture immediately in a greased aluminium foil and let it cool completely..

• When it cools completely,it turns to solid form..Take out from the foil carefully and break into small pieces..

• Add the praline pieces in a grinder and grind into coarse powder..Transfer it into plate and set aside..

Preparation of Praline

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

         For Assembling the cake

• Take out the caramel sauce and frosting from the refrigerator and set aside..

• Cut the top crust of the cake..Cut the cake into two halves carefully...

• Place bottom half of the cake in a cake stand or a plate and spread large dollop of caramel sauce on top..

• Sandwich it with other slice of cake and spread remaining caramel sauce on top and sides..

• Spread the whole cake with butterscotch frosting and level the top and edges with a spatula..

• Sprinkle crushed praline on top and sides as shown in the picture..

• Pipe the remaining frosting on top of cake according to your design and place a pinch of remaining crushed praline or nuts on top of it..

• Refrigerate the cake for 4 hours before serving..Serve cold..

 Assembling the cake

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

       Notes

• If you don't have brown sugar at home or in your place, don't worry..Grind powdered Jaggery ( sharkara/vellam) along with little white sugar in a grinder..

• In order to save time, bake the cake earlier and assemble the mentioned ingredients later..You can also make the mentioned ingredients like frosting,praline and caramel sauce earlier before baking cake,its up to you...Don't make everything together as it will feel a heavy task...

• Remaining whipped cream can be kept in a freezer and you can eat it as a ice cream..

• The cake tastes better next day..

Kashmiri Chicken Pulao

I am sharing a recipe of easy and tasty Kashmiri pulao, 'Chicken Pulao'...Kashmiri Pulao is generally yellow in colour due to the presence of saffron or turmeric powder and it is rich in dry fruits and milk...There is plain variety of rice too and also addition is also added like chicken,vegetable and mutton..Now I am sharing a this pulao with boneless chicken...Its easy to prepare and taste delicious..Let us go to the recipe :)

Recipe Courtesy : Adapted from my cookbook, 'Malabar Chef

       Ingredients

        For Rice

• Basmati Rice - 3 1/2 Cups ( Soak the rice for 10 mins and drain)
• Milk - 1/2 cup 
• Water - 4 cup
• Salt - required
• Saffron - one pinch
• Bay leaf - 1 no.
• Cloves - 6 no.s
• Cinnamon - 1 small piece
• Cardamom - 5 no.s
• Star Anise - 1 no.
• Onion sliced- 1 no.
• Veg Oil - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tbsp

       For Roasting

• Butter/Ghee - 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 2 tsp
• Almonds - 2 tsp
• Walnuts - 3 tsp
• Onion,thinly sliced - 1 large

      For Chicken Masala

• Boneless Chicken - 500 gm
• Onion sliced - 2 large no.s
• Ginger paste - 1 1/2 tsp for marination + 1 1/2 tsp for masala
• Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp for marination + 1 1/2 tsp for masala
• Green Chilli paste - 1 1/2 tsp for marination + 1 1/2 tsp for masala
• Salt - to taste
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Yogurt - 2 1/2 tbsp
• White Pepper powder - 2 tbsp

      Method

        For Chicken masala

• Wash and drain the chicken and keep aside..Marinate the chicken with 1 1/2 tsp ginger,garlic and green chilli paste and rest of the ingredients as mentioned in 'For Chicken Masala' and marinate for 20 mins.

• Heat a fry pan, add vegetable oil,when heated add sliced onion sprinkled with salt and saute till translucent and add remaining ginger,garlic and chilli paste and saute till raw smell disappears..

• Add marinated chicken and salt and mix well..Close the lid and cook in a low flame for 15 to 20 mins till water oozes out..Don't add extra water..Off the flame and set aside..

         For Rice

• Add one pinch saffron strand in 1/2 cup milk and set aside for few mins..

• In a medium size non stick wide pan,add ghee/butter, when heated add almonds,cashew nuts,walnuts and raisins and saute in a low flame till light brown..Drain and keep aside..

• In a same pan, add thinly sliced onion sprinkled with salt and saute till light brown..Drain and keep aside..

• Add 1 tsp veg oil,when heated, add all the whole spices mentioned from 'bay leaf' till 'star anise' and saute it..Add sliced onion and saute till translucent..

• Add saffron soaked milk and 4 cup water and wait till it comes to boil..

• Add desired salt and few drops of lemon juice ( to prevent sticking rice to each other) and mix well..

• Add drained rice and close the lid and cook the rice at medium flame..

• When the water is about to evaporate,add chicken masala and turn the rice slowly..

• Add chopped coriander,garnish few caramelized onion and nuts and cook in a low flame for about 10 mins..

• Mix the rice and transfer it into serving dish..Decorate remaining caramelized onion and nuts on top of it..

• Serve warm..Have it with a pickle, pappad or raita of your choice

       Note:

• If you don't have saffron, don't worry..You can add pinch of turmeric powder in a boiling water before adding rice..

    

Umm Ali - Egyptian Baked Dessert

I am sharing a recipe of easy and delicious Egyptian baked dessert, Umm Ali...It can be called Egyptian version of baked bread pudding..It is said that this dessert is invented by the lady 'Umm Ali' which means 'Mother of Ali' in Arabic..The story behind the invention of this dessert is quite interesting..Do read the article  here and here...
There are many methods of making Umm Ali..Baked puff sheet is commonly used as a base of this dessert..Some may also use phyllo sheet ( thin sheet used for making Arabic sweet like baklava) or croissant as a base of this pudding..It is combined with lots of whatever dry fruits or nuts available like raisins, pine nuts, pistachios or almonds and sometimes coconut flakes or desiccated coconut is also used in between..Finally milk with sugar and half of thick cream is combined together and poured on top..Then it is baked in the oven till top part turns brown colour..
I researched this recipe in google and I understood that there is no specific method...One can combine the ingredients according to their desire and bake it in oven till top part turns brown crust...I am sharing my version of this dessert..I made this 1 week ago for Friday's lunch..Everyone loved this dessert very much..I made this dessert previous night for serving next day's ( Friday) lunch..I served it cold.. I think this dessert tastes more delicious if served warm..Okay, Let us go to the recipe :)

      Ingredients

• Puff pastry - 8 to 10 squares ( thawed)
• Full fat milk - 2 1/2 cup
• Heavy cream ( Whipping cream) - 1 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp ( according to your sweetness)
• Any chopped nuts of your choice - as required ( I used pistachios,almonds and cashews)
• Raisins - as required ( optional)
• Desiccated coconut - as required for sprinkling
• Butter - needed for greasing

       Method

• Thaw the puff pastry at room temperature for 1/2 to 1 hr.

• Grease the baking dishing with butter and place the puff sheets on it and brush butter on top of puff sheet..Bake it according to the packet instruction for about 10 to 15 mins at preheated oven 200 degree C depending upon your oven..Bake till puff pastry turns brown in colour..

• When it cools down,take out the puff sheets and tear into pieces..

• Again grease the baking dish with butter and place torn puff sheets on bottom..

• Sprinkle nuts,raisins (optional) and desiccated coconut lavishly..Mix puff pastry and nuts together and keep aside..

• In a saucepan, heat milk and sugar in a medium flame till dissolved..Turn the flame to lowest,add heavy cream and heat till slightly boils..While adding heavy cream, do not heat at high flame and boil too much as cream will curdle...We want the milk-cream mixture to get boiled slightly..Taste and add little more sugar as needed..

• Pour the boiled milk-heavy cream mixture on top of puff pasty and sprinkle little desiccated coconut again on top.

• Preheat the oven to 200 degree C..Reduce the temperature to 180 degree C and bake for 20 to 25 mins till milk thickens and form brown on top..

• Set aside to cool slightly..Enjoy warm or cold as you wish..

       Note:

• Instead of puff pastry, you can use croissant or phyllo pastry..

• You can serve it with whipping cream on top..But, I like to have it plain..

• You can use the nuts and dry fruits whatever is available..Make sure to add lavishly..

• This recipe is suitable for those who have oven..I am not sure this dessert will get right consistency when cooked on stove top..