Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cakes have become a favorite throughout Male. If I say I am the first person to introduce Red Velvet cakes decorated as birthday cakes in Maldives I don’t think it would be a lie, not only red velvet Tiramisu, Milk cake, Chocolate Mousse Cake. after I started making these cakes for birthdays slowly these cakes started existing on dessert showcases of Bakeries, pastry shops and cafes. Even decorated cookies, This is the truth some won't accept. Red Velvet Cake is just a chocolate cake with red food coloring. Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting is one of the most delicious dessert anyone could ever taste. Bake these cupcakes and prepare to get smoochy!

For the cupcakes:

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 large eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tsp red food color ( will recommend paste color)

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoon corn flour

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon white vinegar

For the frosting:

125 grms cream cheese, at room temperature

50 grms unsalted butter

2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Make the cupcakes:

1_Preheat the oven to 160 C. Line a cupcake pan with 12  liners.

2_In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, , vanilla extract and red food coloring until the mixture is well combined.

3_In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, corn flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, 1/2 a cup at a time, mixing between each addition to avoid any lumps in the batter and last at vinegar and mix well. 

4_ Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full with batter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely while you make the frosting.

Make the frosting:

5_In the bowl of a stand mixer, or hand mixer beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Shift icing sugar into the bowl, beating to combine, then add the vanilla extract. Scrape down any cream cheese from the sides of the bowl, and then mix well until frosting gets a nice shine. You can frost your cupcakes right away but this frosting won’t hold it’s shape right after mixing so it needs to be chilled for 4 hour’s before frosting to hold it’s shape.

How to make buttermilk

Mix 1/2 tsp vinegar or 1 tsp lime juice to 1/2 cup full cream milk and leave 5 minutes. It's ready to use after five minutes. 

Tuna Pan Loaf Pizza

I made this in my cooking class using a chicken version and it tasted so yummy, the taste of egg toast gives the loaf an extra deliciousness, so I thought I will give a try using a tuna pizza filling. I made this for the third day iftar and my son loved it.

Ingredients: A

1 can tuna (I used in oil)

1 medium onion (chopped)

Chilly (githeyomirus)

1 spring curry leaves

2 garlic (crushed & chopped)

Salt

5 tbs vegetable oil

Ingredients: B

For the sauce

1/3 cup Chilly & garlic sauce

1/3 cup tomato sauce

Or

You can use your favorite pizza sauce

Ingredients: C

10 eggs

½ of a medium onion chopped

1/2 tsp pepper powder

Salt

Ingredient: D

10 to 12 slice of Bread (upper hard layer removed)

3 tbs vegetable oil

3 slices of slice cheese

Mozzarella cheese (optional as much you like)

And

You will need about 81/2 inch pan with a lid

Method:

In sauce pan heat 5 tbs oil, fry onion, chilly, garlic and curry leaves until onions are soft. Into this add tuna and salt, cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add the sauce and mix for another 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a bowl mix all ingredients C and set aside. Oil the pan generously and dip both sides of each slice of bread into the egg mixture coat well and arrange bread slices in the pan covering the entire bottom & sides. To cover small areas just tier the bread in to small pieces and dip in egg mixture. 

When the entire pan is covered with egg dipped bread slices pour the tuna mixture and spread evenly. Arrange the cheese slices both, slice cheese & mozzarella cheese.

(You can grate the cheese for an even layer, I am too lazy to do that) 

Again cover the tuna & cheese mixture by layering bread slices dipped in egg mixture covering totally, pour rest of the remaining egg mixture on top of the pan loaf.

Put the lid on and on the lowest heat of your stove cook the pan loaf pizza until the bottom is slightly brown & toasted, it will take about 5 to 10 minutes.

Keep on checking as the loaf may burn easily. Now take the lid off & flip the bottom of the pan loaf on the inside of the lid, again flip the pan loaf pizza upside down into the pan and now don't put the lid on, just bake until the bottom is nicely brown. When the bottom of pan loaf gets brown you can smell bread toasting. This is how I know my pan loaf pizza side is done. When both sides are baked slice & serve with a salad ........ enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake

Hi my readers, Ramadan Mubarak to all the lovely people of Maldives & all around the world. I know a lot of people are waiting impatiently for a new recipe from me so here I go and the first recipe of Ramadan starts with Chocolate.  

This is how cake should look when baked

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

100 grams dark chocolate (melted using a double boiler)

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup butter milk (1 cup full cream milk + 1 tsp vinegar or 2 tsp lime juice mix & keep for 10 minutes)

1 large egg

For the poured syrup

½ cup heavy cream or whipping cream

1/3 cup condensed milk

½ cup cocoa powder (Sieved cocoa powder)

Method:

Prepare an 8 inch baking tray by greasing the bottom & sides with vegetable oil or margarine, set aside. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 160 c. Mix all the syrup ingredients well until all the cocoa is dissolved set aside.

In a bowl using your hand mixture or a stand mixture mix all the cake ingredients. It will be easy to mix if sugar is finely ground. Pour cake mixture into baking tray. Bake the cake for 10 minutes just until the sides are set. Below is a picture.

Take the cake out from oven and pour the chocolate syrup on the middle of the cake, using a knife or the tip of a rubber spatula, gently swirl the cake batter together so they're mixed, but not completely blended.

Bake until a pick inserted about 1 inch from the edge comes out gooey, but not liquid, 40 to 45 min, don't over bake. The top will be puffed and slightly cracked ... enjoy!

Chocolate Lava Muffins

 

After long time again I am posting a new recipe. Just too busy at home & baking, but as the Ramadan is getting near I am getting ready with some delicious recipes to upload and next month I am conducting three classes especially for Ramadan that's my Cheesecakes Class, my Cooking Class & I love Chocolate class, all my readers if you want to join any of my classes feel free to contact me or mail me or for more information you can always check my face book page “Cheesecakes” .

These Muffins I made yesterday for my daughter's request. Since last December she is staying at Colombo for her higher studies. She came for few days & this morning again she left. My kid's love the chocolate lava cakes sold at the pizza hut or Mac Donald's at Sri Lanka from these two places I don't remember much from where. I was able to make four muffins from this batter. That's normal ramekins size. These muffins are so delicious, give a try just so simple & you don't have to use a beater too, if you don't have ramekins you can make a one big Muffin in a 6inch tray or even oven safe cups can be used.

Ingredients

1/2cup unsalted butter

200grms dark chocolate

1/2cup sugar

3tbs flour

1/4tsp salt

4eggs

Butter & cocoa enough to coat your muffin cups or ramekins

Method

Pre heat your oven to 160c, in a sauce pan melt chocolate & butter, set aside to cool.

Generously butter your ramekins, keep in fridge until the batter is ready. When the chocolate mixture is cool add sugar, flour & salt mix well until no lumps. Now add the eggs, beat until everything is incorporated. Take out your ramekins, put a teaspoon of cocoa powder into each ramekin & turn to coat the inside and sides well.

Divide the batter in to four ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in a flat baking tray & bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until sides are baked & the center is soft. Run a small knife inside around the ramekin to release the muffin & turn the ramekin upside down on to a serving plate & tap the bottom little, take the ramekin, serve the Chocolate Lava Muffin with Vanilla Ice Cream, I loved it plain........ Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake…………. Busy manmage favorite …that’s me

You wouldn't believe how moist, Choco balanced & finger licking this cake can be! This is one of my favorite cakes. I have frosted this cake with Milk Chocolate Mousse , sometimes when I make for orders I use Milk and White chocolate mousse for a three layer cake. This cake will be a hit with some vanilla ice cream too.

Make the chocolate mousse one day ahead so that the chocolate mousse will be nicely set to a spreadable consistency and frost the cake with chocolate mousse just half hour before serving the cake. You don't have to frost as a profession cake decorator, just spread chocolate mousse using back of a spoon. Why not let your kids do the fun part.

l always use parchment or baking paper when I bake my cakes because I don't like my cakes to get stuck on the baking tray, but if you don't have just generously grease the baking tray with oil or butter and sprinkle little flour and turn the tray to coat inside and bottom of the baking tray completely. I used 8inch three baking trays to make this cake because it was a three layer cake. You can use a 9x13 inch cake tray.

Ingredients A

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Ingredients B

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla essence

2 table spoon white vinegar

2 eggs

Ingredient C

2 cups cold water

Method:

Pre heat oven to 160C, Mix all the Ingredients A, Pour all the ingredients B in to ingredients A, mix little bit & pour ingredient C mix using a hand Wisk or a hand mixer until well blended. Pour into prepared trays and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting,  I did level the cakes using a cake leveler but this is not necessary

 ……………………………………………………….enjoy!!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pudding Cake

Am I getting crazy about cream cheese & pudding, This Ramadan mostly my sweet tooth craves for puddings, anything with cream cheese and only desserts?  I made this pudding yesterday and it was so awesomely delicious, today I am thinking to go for some luscious chocolate cake with a mousse filling and a shiny creamy chocolate frosting....

Ingredients:

300g cream cheese

4egg whites

4egg yolks

1cup sugar

1/3cup flour

2tbs corn flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2cup milk

2cups Blueberry pie filling

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C, Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 inch round cake tray. Line the bottom of tray with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper. Prepare a hot water bath set aside.

In your electric mixture or using hand mixture whip the egg whites with 2tbs of sugar until soft peaks or until it holds its shape. Whip the egg yolks with the rest of sugar until pale yellow. Add the milk into the egg yolks give a stir, mix flour, corn flour and baking powder using a spatula fold this into the egg yolk mixture (folding & mixing is different, if you mix the air which was incorporated while yolks and whites were whipped may deflate) so just fold gently and into this fold the egg whites just the same way. Now in another bowl cream the cream cheese until no lumps, again fold the creamed cream cheese mixture into the egg & flour mixture. Take 11/2cup batter into another bowl and add one cup of blueberry pie filling and blend well.

Pour the rest of batter into the prepared baking tray. Now drizzle heaping teaspoons of the blueberry mixture over the batter in the tray. Use a skewer to swirl the blueberry mixture in short strokes to drag it down through the plain batter without mixing it in. This will give a nice marble effect.

Put the tray into the water bath and bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs. Take the cake pan out from water bath on to a wire rack & cool completely, the cake will shrink little bit, remove cake from the tray, peel off the paper and transfer the cake on to the serving plate or dish. Refrigerate overnight or at least four hours, before serving spread the remaining cup of blueberry pie filling on the cake generously.........................................enjoy!!

Note: You may think 8inch tray is too small for this pudding, but trust me it wont be as this cake does not rise much.

Another Gerikiru Boakibaa or Sweetened Condensed Milk Cake

Here is another condensed milk cake recipe. I tested this recipe some days back and cake came out soft & so yummy. I must say better than my first condensed milk cake recipe.

Ingredients:

1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs

120g all purpose flour

½ tablespoon baking powder

50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF generously butter a 22cm (9in) ring cake pan.

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat well until all ingredients are mixed well. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before removing from the cake pan.  Dust with icing sugar before serving........................enjoy!!

Custard and fruit cocktail cake

This is such an easy cake to make, it reminds me of Eid because I have used custard & fruit cocktail in this cake. Very moist just melt in your mouth, I served this cake with cream cheese frosting but only the cake itself will win your guests heart. I have baked this cake three times in three different ways and this way it came out best, so thought of sharing with all my readers who enjoys sweet care free pleasure.  

 Ingredients:

1cup custard powder

1cup fruit cocktail (syrup drained only the fruits)

1/2cup flour

3eggs

1/2cup vegetable oil

1cup condensed milk

1tsp baking soda

Method:

Sieve flour, custard powder & baking soda, set aside. Preheat your oven to 140c, line an 8inch baking tray with parchment paper or baking paper, apply a good generous amount of vegetable oil on the parchment & around the tray, set aside. In a bowl or in your electric mixer add condensed milk, vegetable oil and eggs beat to mix well. Now add the flour & custard powder mixture mix well. Add the fruit cocktail give a stir with a spoon and pour the mixture in to the baking tray and bake until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with tea or coffee……………………………………enjoy!

Githeyo Boakibaa (Ghee Cake)

Ghee is not an ingredient which I like at all to use in my cooking, but this ghee cake is heaven in mouth, this is the only food I like with ghee. This cake we eat when we have tea, mostly afternoon tea or sometimes even morning for breakfast if we eat “Hedhika” means short eats. Cake will be sliced or cut in to bite size pieces. 

I don't know why this cake is named ghee cake as not much ghee is used while cooking the batter, just only the nuts and onions are fried in ghee and only to apply inside the baking tray good amount of ghee is used.

Ingredients:

1cup rice flour  

11/2cup sugar

21/2cup thick coconut milk

1/2cup pandan flavored water (cook 11/2cup water with some pandan leaves unti water reduces to 1/2cup) (11/2jodu fenan raanbaa fai alhai gen 1/2jodu fenan vanden kahkaa lavaa)

1/2cup maafen (jasmine flower infused water or 2tsp rose water)

2tbs cinnamon & cardamom powder

2medium onion sliced

1/3cup Sea Almond (Kanamadu)(each cut in to half)

1/2cup Ghee or Githeyo

Method:

In a sauce pan heat about 4tbs ghee, fry the onion until golden brown, take fried onions on to a plate, leave aside, fry the Sea Almonds in the same pan until slightly darker in color, if more ghee is needed add enough ghee, set aside.

Now preheat your oven to 160C, apply a good coating of ghee inside a 7 to 8inch baking round tray, set aside. In another sauce pan mix powdered rice, coconut milk & sugar start cooking on low flame stirring constantly. When the rice mixture gets thick enough to coat back of a spoon, add cinnamon & cardamom powder, jasmine water or rose water & pandan flavored water. Again stir until the mixture comes to same thickness, add 1/2 of the fried Sea almond & 1/2 of fried onions give a stir , take away from flame and pour mixture in to the prepared baking tray, sprinkle rest of fried onions & sea almonds on top.

Bake for about 1hour or until cake turns light brown color. Serve with a cup of tea or coffee………………….enjoy!