MARBLE CAKE

Ingredients

1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb sugar
1/2 lb flour
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1 tsp strawberry essence/rose essence
1/4 tsp almond essence
Green, Pink & Yellow coloring[ i used blue coz i ran out of pink coloring and it was 11pm in the night while i was baking this]

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/Mark 4 
• Have a 8" round or square tin ready.
• Cream butter and sugar in a processor or hand held beater.
• Add eggs one by one.
• Sieve the flour and baking powder.
• Fold in the flour .
• Then divide the mixture evenly into 3 containers. 

1. Add vanilla and yellow coloring in the first mix.
2. Pink and strawberry/rose essence in the second mix.
3. Green and almond essence in the third mix.

Chennai had its showers lately and on a lovely afternoon i was tempted to make cupcakes/muffins. Cupcakes are a favourite for people both young and old i followed the recipe from here.  Hunting for the muffin paper was a bit tiresome but i managed to get a friends help to get this . There was no need for the icing coz the batches of cupcake just disappeared............the recipe was so simple and very tasty.

Ingredients

7 oz flour
3 oz sugar
3 oz butter
1 small egg
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 pkt cherries

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar together until soft and light
2. Add the egg and beat for about 5 mins.
3. Fold the flour and mix well into a soft dough.
4. Add Vanilla.
5. Grease two flat baking trays and pipe the cookies.
6. Press a cherry on each cookie and bake in a moderate oven until top is slightly brown for about 10-12 mins in 350 degree F.

The Barbie doll cake which I made for my daughter's Birthday

One of my favourite cake which i loved and cherished as a kid was the Date Cake and i would eat all the crumps in a day. Now my kids also love this cake and they are a hit with their friends and I feel so happy and rewarded when all the little folks come and say a big thanks for the cake sent to school.

Well here goes the recipe.

DATES CAKE

Ingredients.

• 1 lb Dates
  
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 tsp soda[level tsp]
  

Mince dates and soak overnight with water & soda

• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 lb sugar
• 6 oz butter
• 1/2 lb flour
• 4 eggs
• 4 oz chopped cashewnuts
• 1 tsp all spice [ cardomon, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg]
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp almond essence
  

Method

Cream butter and Sugar.

Add eggs one at a time and beat mixture well.

Fold in the flour gradually which has been sifted with baking powder.

Add essence, date mixture, and cashew nuts.

Bake in a moderate oven for 40 mins. ie 180 C or 350 F.

bon appetit :)