Banana Date Cake with Walnuts (Eggless)

       Dates are the main cultivated plant in Gulf countries. In Oman 75% of cultivation area dedicated to this date palm cultivation. This fruit is traditionally served with coffee when welcoming guests or served as a dessert. Dates are rich in fibre and contains 20 essential vitamins and minerals.

       Dates does not elevate the blood sugar level due to their low glycemic index. You wont feel hungry soon after having this wonderful fruit. About this recipe i have adapted this recipe given in Y magazine. They adapted from BBC good food's recipe and I have referred both recipes and modified according to my taste and needs.

       Once i go through the recipe in magazine they have added dates paste and banana puree so i thought it must be slightly fudgy cake. So adding eggs is not essential for this cake. And bananas are the good re placer for eggs. I am planning to make this cake for my kids snack box. So i have to make the cake much tastier, healthier as much i can. So i replaced eggs with yogurt and butter with oil. After making this cake i have to say a perfect cake can be made for Christmas.

INGREDIENTS:
Yogurt-1 cup (or) Eggs- 2 if you are making with eggs.
Butter/ Oil- 1/2 cup (100 grams)
All purpose Flour- 1 cup
Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda- 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar, powdered- 3/4 cup
Date paste- 3 tablespoons
Cinnamon- 1 teaspoon
Dates, Chopped- 10 nos
Bananas-2 big
Walnuts- 1/4 cup

For the Date Glaze:

Butter- 2 tablespoons
Dates paste- 2 tablespoons
Honey- 2 tablespoons
Walnuts- 1/4 cup

PROCEDURE:

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees for 10 minutes as it is a heavy cake.
• Grease the 20 cm pan or fancy cake pan like this with butter and dust with a tablespoon of flour and tap the pan to cover and stick to all over the pan; set aside.
• First we have to make dates paste for this recipe. Take 25 number of dates, deseed them and make a paste by adding little water using a blender. 

• Mash the bananas using fork and mix 3 tablespoons of the date paste prepared earlier; set aside.
• Remove the seeds and chop the dates. Roast the walnuts in a pan till crunchy by constant tossing for about 5 minutes; set aside.

• In a bowl add the yogurt and beat well using a electric mixer or whisk. Mix in oil or butter and again beat well. Now add the powdered sugar and beat well.

• Add the honey and cinnamon powder and beat well. Now add the banana dates puree and mix well till uniformly combined. 

• Sift/ sieve together all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda (to get a uniform mixture); Add half cup at a time and mix well without lumps.
• Add the chopped dates and the roughly broken half of the roasted walnuts and fold inside the batter.

• Transfer the cake batter inside the greased cake pan and level the surface.

• Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes till the skewer inserted at the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool down for 5-10 minutes and remove from the cake pan.

For Date Glaze:

• Add butter, dates paste, honey together and bring it to boil and allow to bubble for about a minute until it thickens. Do not allow much time it turns to jam like consistency.

• Stir the walnuts with this galze and remove from heat and allow to sit for minute.
• Pour over the glaze on top of the cake.

Notes:

• You could use Self raising Flour for this cake. If you use SRF do not add baking powder and baking soda.
• You can replace yogurt with 2 number of  Eggs if you are making with eggs.

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Orange Bundt Cake (Egg less)

       I was not a big fan of egg less cakes previously because my taste buds are used to the cakes with eggs. Once i prepare egg less cakes at home i started loving these guilt free soft and flavorful cakes. Egg less cakes makes the cake making process easy and also while eating if we take more than a piece we wont feel guilty and can able to enjoy the food.

       Some cakes like Orange or Lemon flavored cakes really does not require eggs as the juices of citrus fruits can able to make the cake more softer. The zest of these fruits makes the cakes more flavorful than other cakes. This cake was also a super soft and also tasty rich in orange flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

*All purpose Flour/ Self Raising Flour- 2 cups
Oil- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Salt- pinch
Thick yogurt/curd- 1/2 cup
Orange juice- from 1 orange
Orange zest- 1/2 orange
Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
*Baking Soda- 1/2 teaspoon
*Do not add Baking Soda if you are using Self Raising Flour.

For Orange Cream Frosting:
Cream (Thick cream/ Whipping cream)- 150 ml (1/2 cup)
Powdered sugar/ Icing sugar- 2 teaspoons
Orange Juice- 1/2
Orange zest- 1/4 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Preheat the oven to 180^oC  for 15 minutes.
• In a bowl add the oil and sugar and beat well using hand held electric beater  on medium speed or wire whisk.
• Whisk till the sugar almost dissolved and forms light creamy texture. Add the yogurt and again beat well till creamy.
• Add the orange juice and zest and salt beat well in low speed.

• Now add the baking powder and *baking soda (If you are using All Purpose Flour) with All purpose flour/Self raising Flour and sift the flour to combine evenly. 
• Add All purpose Flour/ Self Raising Flour half a cup at a time and beat well in low speed until combined or fold well using a spatula.

• Grease the Bundt pan with oil and dust the pan with flour and shake off the excess flour.
• Pour the batter by scrapping sides of the pan too inside the pan.

• Keep the tin inside the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

Frosting:

• Add the cream and powdered sugar together in a bowl and beat together for a minute. Now add the orange juice (tablespoon of juice at a time and mix well; add the juice until you get the slightly runny frosting) and zest and beat well.

• Take the frosting using a tablespoon and pour on top of the cake.
• Note: If you prepare this cake with eggs, replace yogurt with 2 eggs and follow the same recipe.

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Carrot Orange Zebra Cake

       I have previously posted two Zebra cakes Chocolate and Vanilla Zebra Cake and Red Velvet Zebra Cake using Natural colours. This inspired me to try another colour and flavour to this same concept. So I have chosen Carrots for Colour and Oranges for Flavour. Colourwise and tastes wise both compliment together. This is my new trial cake with Carrot and Orange combination in Zebra Pattern. I have to say this cake is amazing in taste and the texture. Super soft and moist cake and so orangy in flavour.

       Again i am preparing this cake for my sons snack box for Orange colour theme in his school. So healthy cake as it includes carrots in it and i have not added any eggs in it. You can add two eggs instead of yogurt if you wish to make this cake with eggs. Refer here if you are adding eggs. I have made this cake two times. First time when i made this cake i have done this zebra pattern by adding a tablespoon of batter in alternating manner. I could not able to differentiate the colour well in that cake while taking photos. Next time i have added two tablespoon of batter to show the colour band pattern clearly and succeeded.

INGREDIENTS:
Oil- ½ cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Yogurt- ½ cup
Baking Powder- 1 teaspoon
*Baking Soda- ½ teaspoon
*All Purpose Flour/ Self Raising Flour- 1 ½ cups
Carrot- 1 big
Orange, juice and zest- 1
*Do not add Baking Soda if you are using Self Raising Flour.

PROCEDURE:

• Combine All purpose flour/ Self raising flour with baking powder, *Baking Soda (Do not use if you are using Self Raising Flour); Mix well and sift if needed.
• In a bowl add oil and sugar and whisk using electric hand mixer or a wire whisk till the sugar is almost dissolved.
• Add yogurt and whisk till combined well.
• Add Orange Juice and zest; mix well.

• Immediately add the All Purpose Flour/ Self Raising Flour 1/2 a cup at a time and mix/ fold with a wooden ladle or hand mixer.

• Divide the dough into two equal parts.
• In one half add the carrot puree and mix well until uniformly combined. 
• To make the carrot puree, roughly chop the carrots and puree them finely in a blender with out adding any water (Add little orange juice if you need liquid to puree them). Add orange zest with this and mix well or pulse once more to combine.

• Transfer this puree in another bowl and add the half of the batter. Now this batter will be little loose (thinner than white batter) in consistency.

• Add little more orange juice to make the white batter little thin so that the batter drops from spoon easily.
• Preheat the oven to 180^oC.
• Take a 20 cm baking pan and line with wax paper or grease the pan with oil or butter and dust with flour and shake off the excess flour.
• At the centre of the pan add two tablespoons of white batter then add two tablespoons of carrot batter at the centre of white batter. Like wise repeat the same process in alternative manner till you finish the whole batter.

• When you add the whole batter in this manner it spread and reach the whole tin in thin layer. Once you bake the cake it raises and gives zebra appearance.

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Mango Cake

       Mango cake is a real tasty one. I have made mango sponge cake and put together with whipped cream frosting and topped with Mango jelly and fresh fruits. As the mango season has started we can get mangoes in cheaper rates and it the perfect time to make this cake.

      Mango flavour dominates this cake and the cake is so moist. You could use fresh mangoes, tinned frozen mango puree also to make this cake. Adjust the sugar level according to the mangoes you use to make this cake. Top this cake with the fruits of your choice. I have made here egg less version. If you are planning to add eggs replace the yogurt with 2 eggs and proceed with the same instructions.

INGREDIENTS:

Mango Sponge Cake:

*All purpose Four/ Self raising Flour- 1 ½ cups
Butter, melted- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Yogurt- 1/2 cup (For egg less version) (or) Eggs-2
Mango Puree- 1/2 cup(fresh mangoes/tinned)(I used Alphonso variety)
Baking Powder- 1 teaspoon
*Baking Soda- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt- pinch
*Do not add Baking Soda if you are using Self raising flour.

Frosting/ Icing:
Whipping cream- 250 ml (1 cup)
Sugar- 2-3 teaspoons

Mango Jelly:
Mango puree- 1/4 cup
Sugar- 1 teaspoon
Gelatin/ China grass- 1 teaspoon
Water- 1/4 cup

PROCEDURE:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Grease and flour the pans or line with wax paper.
• In blender puree the mangoes.
• In another bowl add melted butter and sugar and beat using a electric beater till the sugar dissolves.
• Now add the yogurt and beat till it forms lightly creamy.

• Add the mango puree and mix till combined.
• Now add the baking powder, baking soda and flour half a cup at a time and mix/ fold well until the the whole flour mix finishes.
• If you feel the batter is thick sprinkle little milk and mix well.

• Transfer the batter inside the prepared 18-20 cm two baking trays and level the top.
• Bake inside the preheated oven for about 30 -40 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out clean.

• Unmould one of the cake and keep another cake inside the cake mould to set the mango jelly on top over the cake(set the jelly immediately inside the freezer as it may seeps down the cake) or spread a layer of icing on top and pour the jelly.

• For Jelly:
• Puree mango with sugar in a blender as a fine paste.
• Sprinkle gelatin over quarter cup of water in a thin layer till it finishes and allow to bloom inside the water.

• Once it double its volume melt this gelatin inside the oven till it dissolves around 30 seconds or cook on top of stove till dissolved.
• Add the gelatin mixture with mango puree and mix well with spoon and pour over on top of the one of the cakes inside the cake tin.

• You can also use by soaking china grass in water above mentioned and cook the china grass till dissolved and set the jelly.
• Now you will have a plain mango cake left with out jelly going to be used as the base or bottom layer of the cake.

Icing:

• Chill the whisk, bowl and the whipping cream for about 15 minutes.
• Whip the cream by adding 2 teaspoons of sugar till you get the stiff peaks.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate till you use it.

Assembling the cake:

• Take a hard board and draw 20 cm diameter line and cut the board and cover with aluminium foil and cut the foil to approximately 22 cm diameter. Fold the excess 2 cm on opposite side and stick with a tape.
• Using pastry brush crumbs sticking over the cake.
• Keep a teaspoon of frosting on the cake board and keep the first cake.
• Apply 2-3 tablespoons of frosting and spread evenly on top of the cake. Keep the second cake and slightly press with hand.

• Keep the cake with mango jelly on top and finish the sides of the cake with the frosting.
• First apply a thin layer and chill for about 15 minutes and apply a thick layer.
• Garnish top of the cake with cut fruits of your choice mango pieces, kiwi, cherries ..etc as per you wish.

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