Plum Upside-Down Cake OR 'Tatin' !!

Here i'm with yet another Temptation, call it an Upside-Down cake or TATIN or even CLAFOUTIS (baked french dessert)...this recipe is just one of the greatest inventions ever, crazy simple to make, yet so exotic.


There is no doubt that if you make this cake right, you will drool in it!! I have wanted to make this recipe ever since I saw Ina make it on "Barefoot Contessa", and today I bit the bullet. I've never tried to make a tatin until today and I'm so glad that it came out so well.
It ended up being super easy to make and the cake popped out with no problems. This was my first ever attempt at caramelizing sugar too,and it went well--though I don't have a candy thermometer. 


Good thing about this cake is that you really can use any fruit you'd like, substitute whatever fruit or fruits look yummy for the season and this dessert always tastes delicious! I went for red big plums this time but next time i'm going to try apples and peaches. Berries, cherries or even sliced bananas would be great if you want to  try the tatin.

Sour cream keeps the cake moist. It is kind of juicy, but I love the juice and caramel that have soaked into the cake; it's a yummy, squishy, comforting dish of AWESOME! Its a great dessert if you want decadence but not super heavy. All in all, this cake is gorgeous and impressive visually, but more importantly, it's completely divine and delicious!

Here's the recipe:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time : 1 Hour

You will Need:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish 

10 purple or red "prune" plums, cut in half and pitted

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9-inch glass pie dish and arrange the plums in the dish, cut side down.

Combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until it turns a warm amber color, about 360 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Swirl the pan but don't stir. Pour evenly over the plums.

Meanwhile, cream the 6 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. Mix only until combined.

Pour the cake batter evenly over the plums and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. If a plum sticks, ease it out and replace it in the design on top of the cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Quick Notes:

Go light on the lemon zest - Its nice to have it but it can easily overwhelm the cake.

I ended up slicing the plums and drying them with a papertowel, then after caramel was almost hardened I noticed quite a bit of juice on the top so I was able to pour off the excess prior to adding the cake.  It was not only delicious but the presentation was gorgeous!

Let the top get nicely brown and when you pull it out of the oven, hold it above your head and make sure that all the bottom surface of the pan is bubbly and juicy.

Be ready to pour the sugar mixture over the fruit as soon as it's ready. It can go from just right to burned in a matter of seconds!

Once the cake is baked and turned out on the platter, sprinkle it with cinnamon if you don't want confectioner sugar. Telling you again, you'd just drool over a piece of this cake, its so luscious. It will be a hit dessert for any kind of party.

Here goes the final click and the last piece!! Enjoy.

Hope you had fun reading the making of this tatin. 

Do write to me if you have any queries.

Adios for now. Will come back soon with another interesting Temptation shortly.

Chocolate Chile Cake (CCC)!!

I'm back again with a Temptation which is called C3, CHOCOLATE CHILE CAKE . If you are a chocolate person, this is the cake for you bcoz it is the GOD of chocolate!! I happened to watch the first episode of Daisy Martinez on food network by accident and knew right away once she stated that there was NO FLOUR in this cake that I had to make it right then for no occasion and no reason at all.

I followed the recipe and could hardly wait to see what it looked like the next morning. I would have loved to serve this cake with the cinnamon ice cream but last minute did not find any so I got a mint ice-cream instead and served with raspberries. Thanks to the FN for a great tasting flavorful cake.

The reason why this cake is so special is.........Easy to make. Looks beautiful. Incredibly rich. No flour needed. Strong coffee flavor and a small slice is plenty. This cake turned out perfect on the first try and it tasted like something out of a gourmet chocolate shop, in other words just EXQUISITE . The espresso really brings out intense flavors in the chocolate, while the cayenne pepper creates a subtle warmth in the back of the throat giving a new level of complexity. Adding chili to cake may seem counter-intuitive, but it actually adds a subtle depth of flavor. But do not worry bcoz the ice cream cools everything down.

This moist layer cake offers a nice twist on an old classic. It needs the ice cream to cut down the "oh so richness" of the cake. It's a wonderful finish to a special meal. Make it for a dinner party or get-together event and i bet ya they are gone before you know it! Your guests cannot stop raving about it. I will make this cake again and again and again....boy, I'm so gonna get fat!

Here's the recipe you are waiting for:

Prep Time :10 min

Inactive Prep Time :6-8hrs

Cook Time :1 hr 20 mins

Servings : 12-16

You will Need:

1 cup espresso

1 packed cup dark brown sugar

1-3 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed

12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate

4 ounces (4 Squares) unsweetened chocolate

6 large eggs, beaten

Ice cream and raspberries, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan: Cut a circle of parchment the size of the removable bottom of the pan. Fit the parchment circle into the bottom of the pan. Tear off an 18-inch length of aluminum foil. Center the pan over the sheet of foil and crumple and crimp the foil all around the sides of the pan. (The foil will prevent water from seeping into the pan during baking.) Set the pan aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the espresso, brown sugar and the cinnamon sticks to a simmer over very low heat.

Simmer until the syrup is very fragrant, about 20 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted, and then stir in the cayenne pepper. Set aside.

Pulse the chocolate in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a deep bowl.

Pour in the warm coffee syrup and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the beaten eggs until completely blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in a large, deep, oven-proof skillet or a roasting pan and set on the oven rack.

Pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until center is set and barely wiggles when you shake the pan gently, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool the cake to room temperature. Remove the foil and chill the cake in the pan at least 8 hours.

Run a wet knife around the sides of the pan then pop the spring to release. Place a platter on top of the cake and flip over.

Remove the bottom of the pan, and peel off the parchment. Serve with ice cream of your choice and raspberries.

Quick Notes:

1) Make sure that the pan is crumpled properly with the aluminium foil, preferably a thicker one bcoz even a small leak can spoil the whole cake.

2) You can use white sugar instead of brown sugar but y go for a plain one when you can get wonderful molasses and caramel notes with this brown sugar. And i like to go for dark brown instead of a light brown b'coz it really packs in the flavor and it has got nice spongy tackiness.

3) Cinnamon ice-cream goes well with this cake, but you can also try flavours like mango, coconut, mint and even vanilla.

4) For those concerned about the chile heat,be aware that not all cayenne is created equal. It can be either standard or hot with the "glow" level dependent on what kind and where it was produced.

To lower the heat but keep the chile flavor, try using ancho chile powder.

You can also try this cake without using cayenne but i like that little kick in my cake.

This cake would be perfect for a birthday party bcoz children would go gaga. So y not you try it next time and make everyone happy.

Hope you had fun watching the slide show and the pics.

Write to me.

See you next time.

Until then, ADIOS!!!

Zebra-Striped cake!!

I’ve seen this cake online for a while now, on various blogs and in various forms, but haven’t actually gotten around to trying it myself until now. Visually, I believe that this Zebra-Striped Cake is one of the most impressive looking cakes.

I like looking at Zebra cake more that eating it even though it is incredibly delicious. This cake is very popular in Eastern Europe.The recipe that i have for you is almost similar to a Marble Cake (link) which I made some time back except for the change in patterns.

This pattern looks very intricate, but it is actually very easy to create. It starts with one vanilla batter that is divided in half and has semi-sweet chocolate added to a portion. The batters are alternately spooned into the center of a prepared baking pan to form a bulls-eye design. The trick to getting the design is all in how you lay the batters. Put a spoonful of vanilla batter (about 3 tbsp, for this particular cake) into the center of the pan and let it spread slightly on its own. Put a spoonful of chocolate in the center of the vanilla. It will push out the other batter and, as it sits for a moment, will spread itself.

Alternating spoonfuls of the two batters, you simply repeat the technique until all the batter has been used up. You can tap the pan on the counter gently to help it spread and eliminate air bubbles, but the batter really must be allowed to spread on its own. This is a fairly plain cake and, while it does have a good chocolate and vanilla flavor to it, it isn’t too sweet. The cake is also very moist due to the butter or oil added!

So i did some mix n match and came out with this recipe. Pls try the below recipe with confidence. Its been tested and tried by me and i guarantee you amazing results.

You will need:

2 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon brewed coffee or espresso
2 cups cake flour (i use All-Purpose bleached, pre-sifted flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk

PS: Instead of semi-sweet chocolate and brewed coffee, you may also use 2 tsps dark cocoa powder, make sure it is not very bitter. Dutch processed cocoa powder is the best.

Instead of 1/2 cup butter, you may use 1 cup vegetable oil.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick spray, the cake pan.

In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the semisweet chocolate with the coffee. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add beaten eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream.

With the mixer on low speed alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

After preparing the batter, pour half of the batter into a separate bowl. Stir the melted chocolate into one half of the batter, mixing well.

The most important part is assembling the cake batter in a baking pan. This is what you do. Scoop 3 tablespoons of plain batter into the middle of the baking pan. Then scoop 3 tablespoons of cocoa batter and pour it in the center on top of the plain batter.

IMPORTANT! Do not stop and wait until the previous batter spreads - KEEP GOING! Do not spread the batter or tilt the pan to distribute the mixture. It will spread by itself and fill the pan gradually. Continue alternating the batters until you finish them.

Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. Do not open the oven door at least the first 30 minutes or the cake will shrink and will not rise. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean when ready. Remove from the oven. Immediately run a small thin knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert the cake onto a cooking rack. Turn the cake back over and let cool.

This Zebra cake goes perfectly well with a cup of strong tea.

You can sprinkle the top of the cake with some powdered (confectioner’s) sugar or leave it plain.

Few more clicks!

Hope you enjoyed the making of this cake!

Wanted to share some of my awards too but this post is long already.....will do it in the next post!

That's all for the week....adios!

My 50th Post.....A quick recap!!

Yeah i know most people celebrate their 100th post and 50 isn’t a huge number but screw all that! I'm proud that I have made it to my 50th post... so wat if i'm a bit late!

It seemed just yesterday that I started this blog…sorry not yesterday, 5months to be more precise but I must admit i wouldn’t have been here without your support , so thanks to all of you.... you are so special to me!!

I also feel so elated that my blog is being liked and followed by many fellow bloggers, i am very glad i could make a place in your heart through Temptations. I hope this bond continues for ever. Your love n encouragement means a lot to me.

I figured since it is my 50th post I would quickly run through some of my interesting temptations . Sorry, there isn’t any new recipe in this particular post. But I promise I will make it up to you in my next post!

So here are some of my best dishes.

Click on the name for the recipe details.

Carrot Halwa

Carrot kheer

Kaja- South Indian Sweet

Chocolate cake

Mysore-Pak : South-Indian fudge

Pista Kulfi

Jalebi- North Indian dessert

Marble cake

Molten Chocolate cake

Sour cream Coffee cake

Cheesy cupcakes

Chocolate Wafers

Apple Jam recipe

Peanut Sugar drop Cookies

Mango ice-cream

And there we have it....My 50th post.

I hope it wasn't too lame or boring for you.

As per my promise i will come with an interesting temptation soon.

Till then Adios.

Black-Bottom Cheesy CupCakes!!

Black Bottom Cheesy Cupcakes are hard to resist for they taste as good as they look. The combination of a rich and chocolately cupcake filled with a lovely soft cheesecake center is reminiscent of a cheesecake brownie. I wanted to make this recipe for a long time and today i could take out some time to bake this delicious temptation.

We start these cupcakes with a cake batter. It is true that this cake has a nice chocolate color and flavor with a moist and tender crumb. This color and flavor come from using unsweetened cocoa powder. Popular brand of unsweetened natural cocoa powder is Hershey's...you can also look for Ghirardelli, Pernigotti, and Scharffen Berger.

What I like about this batter is no mixer is needed. The dry ingredients are placed in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. The two are mixed together and you are done. Once the chocolate batter is made it is divided amongst the muffin cups, and then a generous tablespoon of cheesecake filling is placed into the center of each.

As the cupcakes bake the chocolate batter becomes a shell for the cheesecake filling. Wonderful hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Here is the recipe for you

For Cream Cheese Filling: You will Need:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Chocolate Cupcakes: You will Need:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, or generously butter or spray each cup with a non stick vegetable spray.

Cream Cheese Filling: In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.

Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth.

Set aside while you make the Chocolate Cupcake batter.

Chocolate Cupcakes: First, in a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until nice and smooth.

Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Then spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling is a little brown and the cupcakes feel springy to the touch (a toothpick inserted into the chocolate part of the cupcake will come out clean).

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

These cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 - 4 days.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Hope you liked this Temptation.

Adios for now.

See you next week!