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Recipe: The Benchmark – My Best Chocolate Cake

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My children are all grown up and all of them live away from me, so every time they come to visit, I always try to think of what they will enjoy eating during their stay. One of my sons loves chocolate cake, so this particular treat is the welcome home dish that I currently have in the oven, ahead of his next arrival. It looks so beautiful that I couldn’t resist picking up the camera – and subsequently came the idea of sharing the recipe with you too.

Before I began to bake, many years ago now, we would often order from a friend of ours who used to bake from her home in Chennai too. Hers was one of the most fantastic chocolate cakes we had ever tasted, and it remains the benchmark for us all. It served as my inspiration too, when I became a baker myself.

Creating this recipe of my own was the result of many trials, exploring recipes from across cookbooks and the Internet, tweaking them based on my taste and my experience. Eventually, I formed a chocolate cake recipe that hit the spot, and became a personal benchmark. While my almond cakes are the most popular among customers (hyperlink), it’s this chocolate cake that is my own family’s favourite.

When I think about the experiments that lead toward this recipe, and indeed many others, I feel grateful for my blogger and Instagram friends and the accounts I have followed over the years who inspired me – both in terms of food and in terms of photography.

But there are many things that I have been contemplating lately about the world of food blogging and how it is changing. Now that re:store’s own online presence is over seven years old, I am able to observe and comment on the vast shifts that have taken place in this time and I wonder about what is still to come. For instance – many of the people whose work I used to look forward to no longer post, or sometimes have even disappeared altogether. Even though new bloggers have come up, some equally fantastic, there was a sense of community in the past that is less experienced today. It all feels different now, both as a creator and as someone who enjoys the content. I wonder if you feel similarly, or if you have other thoughts?

Then, there is the dominance of reels. Food photography as a genre is dwindling, and to be honest I don’t see the kind of aesthetic that I used to love exploring online and which challenged me to keep growing as a photographer too. While I respect reels as their own format, they are not for me. Even as photography loses popularity, I pick up my camera time and again because it is an artform that I am passionate about, and because in certain ways I would define myself as being old school – especially in the sense that I believe that if the going is good, keep going.

The going is good, so to speak, when it comes to photography. I am just as enthused and as inspired as ever as a photographer, and some of you may know that my explorations in this medium go beyond shooting for this blog. I also work with still life and nature themes, and I’ve been fortunate to have received gallery support for the same, and I sometimes accept commercial commissions too.

I still approach every kind of shoot with my old and faithful Nikon and the lenses I’ve used all these years, and remain perfectly happy with the outcomes. I don’t intend to go in for an upgrade because I know I don’t need to. Although I love finding new appliances for the kitchen, somehow with photography the tried and tested just works for me. I like to think that my not constantly seeking out new technology helps reduce my personal impact on landfills. None of us is perfect and none of us is going to avoid creating waste, but being mindful about our consumer choices is something that is in our hands.

And when it comes to something that is literally in my hands – my camera – I really don’t want to let go of the instrument that has brought me so much creativity and joy. I will also say that I sometimes feel disturbed when people say, “Oh your photographs are so nice – you must have a good camera”. I do, but there is so much more to this artform than just the device. Even as trends move away from it, I continue to learn and to grow within it.

So yes: the world, and not just the world of food blogging, is always changing – but we can have some constants, too. A decadent chocolate cake will almost without fail please anyone, for instance. In that sense, this is a timeless dish, and I hope you’ll enjoy my version of it.

Chocolate Cake

(Serves 5-6)

2 cups sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon instant coffee
½ cup oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170°. Prepare two 8’ cake tins by greasing, lining and dusting the pans.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt – thus combining the dry ingredients. Add sugar.

Separately, add hot water to the coffee powder. Keep aside.

Using a hand blender, mix the eggs, vanilla extract, oil and buttermilk. You can make buttermilk at home by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of room temperature milk, and allowing it to sit for 15 minutes before usage.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well.

Add the hot coffee to this mixture now. The batter will be a little runny. Avoid over beating.

Pour this batter into the two tins equally and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. After the cakes sit for 15 minutes, turn them onto a tray and allow to cool completely. Decorate with chocolate icing.

If you’re new to all this and would like a little primer or refresher to the basics of baking, check out this citrus bundt recipe with lots of tips.

As I said earlier, this recipe is really the best one I know for the classic chocolate cake. I wonder how it will compare with ones you have made or tasted. I do hope you’ll enjoy it just as much as we do!

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Recipe: Strawberries, Cream & Cake – Simple Victoria Sponge Cake

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There are elaborate ways of making a Victoria sponge cake, but after various experiments, I came to realise that an easier method makes for a very satisfying dessert indeed. While it has a fancy name (it is called this because it was the favourite dessert of the British Queen Victoria), in truth the Victoria sponge cake is itself actually one of the simpler variations of the sponge cake. It consists of two layers, between which cream and berries are sandwiched. It’s a lighter cake, ideal for the summer, and I’m delighted to share the recipe with you.

It certainly wasn’t only Queen Victoria’s favourite. I think my mother enjoyed baking it too, as much as I enjoyed eating it, and it was often the special treat when we came home on some days, like birthdays. I can’t help but repeat myself, as I have so many times over the years, but my mom was my first teacher in the realm of the kitchen and my inspiration in all my culinary adventures – whether that’s cooking, exploring cuisines, food studies, eating mindfully or crafting this blog. She has been gone for a few years now, and nowadays I think often about how we as children both little and grown-up take our moms for granted. All those times when they call and we say, “Sorry, I don’t have time” – and all the regrets, later on… If your mother is still in your life, do try and spend more time with her. Take it from me, as someone who misses hers a lot.

Missing my mom also means reminiscing about all the food she made for us over the years, and returning to those experiences in my own kitchen. This Victoria sponge cake is obviously one such experience for me, for the scent in particular brings her to mind vividly. My mother’s handwritten cookbook contained a recipe for Victoria sponge cake. To me, the cookbook even smelled of this cake, so I have a strong association between it and my memories both of my childhood and of my mother herself.

Perhaps my kids will also associate certain dishes and their aromas with me. On Sundays, when they’re visiting, they invariably ask me what I plan to bake for them that day. During the week, they will claim to be on diets and refuse the many goodies that pop into my oven on a daily basis, especially as I’m always baking for customers. But come Sunday, come the demands for baked deliciousness. This Sunday, I’ve already anticipated this request. Guess what I’ll be preparing for them?

I said earlier that one of the key components of a Victoria sponge cake is the use of berries. Seasonal ones are ideal. For mine, I have used a strawberry jam that a dear friend makes at home every year from fruit grown in her backyard. It’s the only strawberry jam we consume. It really is the best there is, and we are lucky to have it.

Simple Victoria Sponge Cake

(Serves: 6-8)

150 grams self-raising flour

150 grams unsalted butter

150 grams powdered sugar

3 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons strawberry jam

½ cup butter cream

 

Preheat the oven to 170°. Prepare two 8-inch tins by greasing the edges and dusting with flour. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well each time. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.

Sieve the flour and add it to the mixture. Fold the mixture and divide the batter into the two tins equally. Each of these will be one layer of the Victoria sponge cake.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake layers turns golden. Then, remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

To assemble the Victoria sponge cake, apply strawberry jam generously on top of one layer. Over this, apply butter cream generously as well. Now, gently place the other layer on top of the first. Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top.

Your Victoria sponge cake is now ready to be eaten. Slice and enjoy the delicious flavours of berries, cream and cake coming together. The cake can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed over a few days – or shared immediately with the whole family, the way I love to do.

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Recipe: ‘Tis The Season – All-Spice Cake

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The celebrations of Diwali are soon followed by the celebrations of Christmas, and when I was growing up this meant that we enjoyed a couple of months of ongoing festivities. My most cherished childhood association of Christmas has to do with a large Anglo-Indian family we knew. They were wonderfully warm and welcoming, and Christmas day for us was all about visiting them and sharing in the cheery mood in their home. Until they came into our lives, the festival was something I had only encountered in books, so to actually experience it was thrilling. I will never forget the first time I saw a Christmas tree, all decked out in their home. Under it, there were always such lovely gifts for us friends of the family, and I looked forward to these each year. Of course, there was also the spread of delectable festive goodies. These special memories are on my mind this month, which is why they have inspired my sharing of this all-spice cake recipe.

Fast forward to today, and Christmas now for me is all about absolutely delicious plum cakes, received from many friends. As you may know, plum cakes last for between six months to a year depending on how they are made. This means that I am at liberty to enjoy them for a nice long stretch. Just a slice at tea now and then makes the perfect accompaniment. After re:store cakes, of course!

I’ve never attempted at baking a plum cake myself as I know it’s a laborious process, both in technicalities and in love. Besides which, there is such sweetness in receiving them from dear friends. Nowadays, there are vegan and vegetarian and alcohol-free options out there, but there’s nothing like a good old rum plum cake. So while I’ve never gotten down to experimenting with it as a baker, I have really enjoyed making the next best thing.

This all-spice cake, made with a readymade all-spice mix that is full of the goodness of cardamom, cloves and more, has come out so moist and delicious. Maybe it will be one of my own seasonal traditions in future – and perhaps even yours.

This time of year is full of activity for me – visiting friends, special occasions, events, art shows and so on that I am really enjoying every single day. I am also kept busy with fulfilling re:store orders that bring delight into many people’s homes. So much so that it’s almost a struggle to keep up with regular posts on this blog, but I made a promise to myself that I’ll continue sharing my love of cooking with everyone I can reach.

So here I am with a recipe that you can learn to bake ahead of your Christmas feasting, or at any time of year. This will be followed by a cookie post, so do keep an eye out for that as well.

All-Spice Cake

(Yield: One loaf)

200 grams maida

175 grams sugar

60 grams milk

60 grams boiling water

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon all-spice

75 grams oil

2 eggs room temperature

25 grams Greek yoghurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to 170° C. Prepare an 8” loaf tin by lining it with butter paper and coating the edges with butter and flour.

Sift the flour, salt, all-spice, baking powder and baking soda separately. Set aside.

Mix the milk and hot water together. Set aside.

Now, beat the oil and the sugar together. Add the eggs and beat again. Add the vanilla extract.

Then, add the liquid and dry ingredients alternatively, folding each into the mixture with a spatula. Make sure the sides are scraped down properly.

Pour the batter gently into the loaf tin and bake for 35-45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set the tins aside. After 15 minutes, remove the loaf and cool it on a cooling rack.

Decorate as you wish, and serve. Season’s greetings!

When I say that wish you lots of peace, I mean it deeply. In today’s day and age, we could all do with it – not just for ourselves, but for the environment, in the world, and for every community. Wishing you a very merry, peaceful and delicious Christmas!

 

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Recipe: Something Sweet In My Luggage – Banana Chocolate Loaf

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I shared a banana bread recipe with you a few years ago, which I hope you enjoyed. I encourage you to try it out too, if you have not already. I more recently began experimenting with a chocolate-banana combination, and this new version of deliciousness is what I’d like to share with you today. This banana chocolate loaf is not just an upgrade, but an entirely new recipe. As I’ve shared before, especially in this post, baking is a science, so please do go through the ingredients and method step by step when you prepare it, even if you are familiar with my earlier banana bread.

My first trial for this recipe didn’t include chocolate at all. The thought process behind it was that as I am not a fan of raw bananas, but appreciate the fruit’s amazing nutritional qualities, baking it into another cake was a fun way to incorporate it into my diet. After all, Indian meals often end with a banana, eaten for its digestive benefits, so why not end with a banana cake?

Keeping the health quotient in mind, as I have introduced chocolate into this cake, I have been mindful about its sugar quotient. I have chosen to use dark chocolate pellets, which are less sweet. I have also used brown sugar in a reduced quantity since the flavour of the banana already imparts the dish with natural sweetness. You may wish to substitute the same with jaggery powder, if you prefer. You will notice that this one also has a special ingredient, something that gives it a different zing from the earlier banana cake recipe.

I absolutely must have something to munch on along with my tea or coffee in the late afternoons, and this banana chocolate cake or my date cake (a favourite among re:store clients too) are what I find myself reaching out for often lately.

In fact, one of the best things about this banana chocolate loaf is that it packs and travels very well, which means I’ve gotten my fix of it even when I’ve not been at home. Recently, I made a trip with a dear childhood friend, and this treat was our companion for the first few days. Even though we were seeing each other after a long time, we picked up where we left off with ease. That’s how it usually is with childhood friends, isn’t it? You just catch up, and the happy memories from decades ago flood back afresh, and renew the bond quickly. The same thing happens with food, too. That’s why it is said that food is emotional: it helps one express and relive one’s memories, attachments and experiences.

I baked and carried this beautiful banana chocolate loaf with me on that holiday with my childhood friend. We travelled everywhere by train and by road, and enjoyed bites of this cake in the English countryside whenever we stopped to take in the scenery. Our afternoon tea in charming little villages had the requisite freshly-made traditional scones and clotted cream, of course, and I hope to master the recipe for that sometime. But my banana chocolate loaf was also present, loving parcelled and equally lovingly shared, and to me it was just as delicious as our authentic holiday treats.

Banana Chocolate Loaf

(Yield: 9 inch loaf)

 

175 grams maida

20 grams cocoa powder (unsweetened)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

120 grams butter

1¼ cups very ripe bananas (mashed)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄3 cup yoghurt and cream (mixed)

½ cup chocolate chips

¼ cup broken walnuts (for garnishing)

Preheat the oven at 160°-170° and grease and dust a 9-inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, sift the dry ingredients well. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar well, scraping down sides and making sure they’re all mixed well. Now, add the eggs one by one and continue beating. Next, add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and beat slightly.

Now, add the cream and yoghurt mixture and beat again. Next, add the dry ingredients as well as some of the walnuts and all the chocolate chips. Fold over lightly.

Pour the batter into the loaf tin and sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Rest the loaf in the tin for 10-15 minutes. Then, upturn and remove from the tin. Allow to cool.

Your banana chocolate loaf is now ready to be sliced and served. I do hope you’ll enjoy this recipe, and that you’ll make some special memories with it just like my friend and I did on our travels recently. Whenever I share cake recipes, it’s so that more people can enjoy the pleasure of baking, and I encourage you to try them out for yourself. But if you would rather have me whisk a cake up for you, I’m always happy to do so too. Just drop me a line!

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Recipe: Just In Time For Christmas – Date & Orange Cake

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A merry, merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate! Whether you are reading this post on that auspicious day or a little later, I hope that your home and your heart are both filled with all good things. Christmas is a time of feasting and of special delicacies, and as I prepared many re:store orders in the past few weeks, I gave a little thought to what I might want to serve at my own table during the festivities. As you may recall from the last few posts, travels to Europe are brightening my thoughts these days. A delicious dessert that I’ve eaten many times in the U.K. came to mind too on these memory-lane wanderings. That would be this date and orange cake, and I am sharing the recipe for it with you today.

My introduction to date and orange cake was through the commercial versions that are widely available in supermarkets in the U.K. They come in individual portions, in cups, just right for a quick dessert or a tea-time snack for one. I loved them, and I always wondered how much fresher the homemade rendition may be. Somehow, I didn’t have the chance to experience a homemade date and orange cake during any of my visits to the U.K., but I fondly recall baking some right here in Chennai when a group of us from school met after many years at one of our homes. As the baker in our friend group, I was placed in charge of dessert. I made individual portions of date and orange cake, in line with my London memories, and we all enjoyed them very much.

This week, I set about recreating that dessert again, realising that I don’t bake it often enough. As I am fortunate to have many people to share it with – loved ones, family and of course, you – I decided to bake a whole cake, serving the sauce drizzled on top as well as on the side.

I also decided to up the festive quotient a bit by adding a little Grand Marnier orange liqueur to the mix, which helps put us into the happy, grateful mood that this time of year is all about. I had some lovely serendipities in terms of the other ingredients as well. I get many orders for date squares, in general but especially when there are gifting needs, so I had a whole lot of dates in my kitchen. Plus, it’s orange season in Nagpur, so some of India’s best citrus fruits are on hand as well. These tend to be a staple in the house, and it was nice to put them to special use, in this wonderful cake that brings the year to a gentle close.

Date & Orange Cake

Cake

200 grams chopped dates

2 cups water

125 grams maida

2 eggs

150 grams butter (unsalted)

90 grams brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Topping

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice

 

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)

¼ cup sugar

½ cup cream

1 tablespoon orange juice

¼ teaspoon orange extract

1 teaspoon Grand Marnier (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C for 20 minutes.

Prepare a 9-inch baking tin by greasing the edges and dusting with flour. Set aside.

Boil the dates along with the water, stirring until the dates become soft. You could use a hand blender and slowly mush them. Then, add the baking soda. The mixture will bubble up.

Combine and sieve all the dry ingredients except the baking soda. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar for approximately 3 minutes. Now, add the eggs and while stirring, slowly add the vanilla extract. Make sure the ingredients are well-incorporated by scraping down the sides occasionally. Then, gently add all the dry ingredients to the bowl, making sure the flour doesn’t fly around. Next, add the tender date mixture. Using a spatula, fold it all together. Pour into the prepared baking tin.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. In a pan, add the butter, salt, sugar and cream. Allow to boil while stirring. Once combined, add the orange extract and vanilla extract. Drizzle in the Grand Marnier for that festive and indulgent touch.

Once the cake is ready, top with the orange juice and spoon the sauce on top, saving some to serve on the side if you wish. You may give it a light dusting of cinnamon for more flavour, and add fresh cream as well for extra decadence.

Serve with a seasonal beverage of your choice. This boozy, orange-kissed hot chocolate may just be the perfect accompaniment, with more citrusy liqueur to really play up that zest.

To all my dearest friends and lovely readers, I want to take this opportunity to remind you that it is the festive season, and so it is a time to treat ourselves. Especially during these uncertain times, we must celebrate and give thanks for what we have. Let’s not lose out on joy by counting calories, at least this week (that, after all, are what New Year’s resolutions are for!).

As another year dawns, let me also take the opportunity to wish you all good health and happiness. I am reflecting at the moment on how we are each responsible for making this world a better place to live in. How we treat people and how we treat the planet are equally important. We are at a crucial point where we may lose the planet’s good health, and the pandemic we are still in is a reminder of how closely linked we are to Earth, as well as to each other. Let us heal together and return to safety, putting the worst behind us. I look forward to the way that food will continue to connect us all, and eagerly anticipate sharing many more dishes from my kitchen with you too.

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New On The Menu, This Festive Season

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This year is one during which the festive season is probably going to be a little different than it usually is. This means that every special occasion is all the more precious, and I know you’ll be choosing the treats and goodies you’ll share with your family with extra care. With this in mind, I’ve been working hard in the kitchen, conducting trials and perfecting new products to add to the re:store menu.

I’m delighted to share that in addition to all your favourites, re:store now has: luscious Persian love cake, addictive almond brittle, charming red velvet cake, and finally, the outstanding sugar-free hazelnut date protein balls (an upgrade on a bestseller you may be familiar with).

I hope you’ll drop me a line with your orders soon. re:store is based in Chennai, but muesli deliveries have been made all over the country and beyond. Please take a look at the complete list of products on the re:store menu and get in touch. I look forward to helping you make your celebrations sweeter!

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Recipe: Choosing Sunshine – Citrus Bundt Cake

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I usually brainstorm my forthcoming posts ahead of time, thinking about everything from which ingredient will be in season to when I might be able to set up my photoshoots to upcoming special occasions, and much more. I had been keeping this refreshing citrus bundt cake in mind for later on, but the number of calls and personal messages I received after the last few cake posts have inspired me to bring it out ahead of schedule. Nothing puts a smile on people’s faces like a cake, and perhaps it’s no surprise that it seems like everyone is on a baking spree right now. This delicious cake will add to your repertoire beautifully.

You may remember my lemon poppy cake with Meyer lemons from a few years ago. This citrus bundt cake has similar flavours and uses the same pan shape too. The pans I use have been collected either from my travels, or because my friends always know that the best gifts for me are functional and beautiful objects that I can use in my kitchen.

In this recipe, I used Indian limes, locally sourced of course, and you may wish to use oranges or lemons instead. You can play around with the citrus note based on what you have available in your pantry. I always have an eye on the health quotient of ingredients, and the boost of vitamin C, which replenishes the immune system, is most welcome at this time. Citrus fruits also have a way of livening up any meal because of their vibrant colours (using them in this recipe will not give you the same vivid hues, but the taste will amply make up for it), and it was a pleasure to shoot this cake – and just as much of a pleasure to bite into a slice. The attractiveness of the bundt shape, the delicious flavour and the nutritional value came together to represent hope and positivity to me, and I believe you’ll experience the same uplifting spirit when you take it out of the oven.

This period is giving so many of us an opportunity to do some of the things we always dreamt of pursuing but never really had the time to. We are exploring new possibilities. Most of us are discovering that we are actually very good at whatever we’ve been trying our hand at, because it comes from a place of passion, and is motivated by the desire to do something different that changes life for the better.

As we grow as people, learning new skills and exploring new talents, I feel that many of us are also realising just how much we have abused and polluted our planet. I’ve had so many conversations recently about exactly this, and I have faith that we will come together to make a kinder world. We’re learning the hard way, but understanding so much more now collectively that it will surely yield a brighter future.

Speaking of brightness, that’s exactly what a good bundt cake brings to the table. When my family and I, who are enjoying lockdown together, gather at 5 o’clock each evening for a chat and some tea, this lovely cake is the perfect response to our peckishness. By the way, speaking of the new experiments people are trying out reminds me – it’s my husband who’s frequently been making the tea these days!

When I took this warm cake out of the oven the other day, the whole house had the lovely fragrance of lime lingering everywhere. While the cake cooled, every member of my family chipped in to help in some way. My husband put a pot of tea on the stove, my daughter modelled and posed for my photoshoot, and my son started the cleaning up. My dog Max, of course, was all over the place as usual, eager for cuddles (and a bite of cake, if we weren’t careful!). The beautiful, vibrant laburnum flowers – locally known as konrai – I was lucky to find to style my photos with also brightened the mood.

Like every meal we’ve eaten together in these weeks, this beautiful citrus bundt cake also brought us together. This very moist, very tender cake was a ray of sunshine, and affirmed the choice I’ve been making every day to make the very best of this time.

Citrus Bundt Cake

(Serves 5)

Ingredients:

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornflour

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

½ cup whole milk

¼ cup thick non-sour yoghurt

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

4 eggs

2 tablespoons lime zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Frosting:

1 cup icing sugar

1 teaspoon lime zest

3 teaspoons lime juice

Before I begin sharing the method for making this cake, I thought I would share a few tips. I know that many of you have taken to baking for the first time, and certain things that experienced bakers take for granted haven’t yet become forces of habit for you. So here are some simple guidelines that will go a long way towards making sure that your kitchen experiments and studies turn out much more satisfyingly.

Firstly – always make sure that the baking powder and all other ingredients are fresh and have not crossed the expiry date. It’s best to use all ingredients at room temperature, unless otherwise specified.

Now, about the role of sifting when preparing the flour. Always sift all the dry ingredients together, unless otherwise specified. This will incorporate some air into the flour and gives you a second chance to remove unwanted ingredients. Sifting adds volume to your cake and makes it light and airy.

Creaming the butter and the sugar together has the same effect, incorporating air into the mixture so that you have a nice, fluffy cake. If done right, creaming will change the colour to an almost ivory shade.

Once wet ingredients are added, be careful to not over-mix. Doing so will increase gluten formation, which is not good for the cake.

Always measure quantities by adding the ingredients into a measuring cup. As a hygiene measure, do not dip the cup into the ingredient jar.

Preheating the oven before baking is important. If this step is skipped, the cake may not rise and may sink in the centre.

Always grease the baking tin and line it with parchment paper, as this helps to easily remove the cake when it’s done.

Always place the tin on the middle rack of the oven. This will ensure that heat is evenly distributed over both the top and the bottom of the cake.

To ensure that your cake is baked to perfection, there’s a simple test that all bakers use. Insert a skewer and pull it out. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it comes out with clumps, it needs to bake for longer. Another sign of a cake being finished is that you may notice it receding from the sides of the tin. Finally, when you press the top of the cake gently, it should spring back.

It’s best to leave a cake in its tin to cool once out of the oven. This will take about 15 minutes. Then, turn it onto a cooling rack.

Now that these basic-but-brilliant tips have been shared with you, I must stress once again (as I did here, in this recipe for classic chocolate cake) that baking is a science. Follow the method to a T and you won’t fail. Remember to have fun!

Shall we move on to the recipe for this citrus bundt cake?

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Grease a bundt pan generously with butter and dust with flour. Refrigerate for about ½ hour. If you prefer using a regular cake tin, then use a 9” tin. Grease and line with parchment paper. You do not need to refrigerate this.

In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients (except the sugar) together.

Put the butter in a bowl and cream it. To this, add the lemon zest and the sugar. Continue creaming the mixture. One at a time, add the eggs, making sure to incorporate each one well before adding the next.

In another bowl, add the lime juice and vanilla extract to the milk. Mix.

Now, slowly add the dry flour and the wet milk mixture into the creamed butter mixture, alternating each. Mix gently as you add. Once all the flour and the milk mixture have been included, add the thick non-sour yoghurt. Fold gently.

Pour this batter into the greased cake tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Oven temperatures vary, so at 35 minutes, insert a skewer and do the test described earlier. As a rule of thumb, if the cake looks like it will jiggle if you move it, it needs more time.

Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. Then, turn the cake onto a wire rack.

Once the cake has completely cooled, mix the frosting ingredients together well. Pour this over the cake immediately.

Like all re:store cakes, this too is only very lightly sweet. The tanginess of the limes enlivens the tastebuds, and brings a boost of good energy your way. It can last a few days when stored in a refrigerator, and retains its moistness as well. Remember that you may use any citrus fruit that you please, and don’t let not having a bundt pan stop you from using a regular one. I’ve relied on my trusty local limes, which are used extensively in Indian cuisine. If you’re a fan of this zesty acidic fruit, you may also enjoy this rejuvenating drink that’s just perfect for the summer. Don’t forget to also check out this bounty of cake recipes I’ve shared on this blog, from this eggless whole-wheat saffron and cardamom cake to this exquisite vegan lavender cake and more!

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Recipes

Recipe: Lucy’s Lemon Poppy Cake

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Do you ever have that feeling, returning from travels or even just from a demanding day, that you simply must bake something that makes you feel good?

It’s a feeling I have often – which means that the emotion that follows, as I gently remove my creation of the day from the oven, is also one that I frequently get to enjoy. Many things inspire the baking itself. A craving, for instance. Or a memory. Sometimes, the creativity comes from cookbooks. A recent one I picked up is Love, Manuela. I lost myself for hours in the pretty pastels and luscious desserts that filled the pages of the book. Another favourite is Under The Walnut Tree by Fanny & Anna Bergenström, which features ingredients and recipes from around the world.

And sometimes, everything begins with a single ingredient.

When my friend Lucy visited recently, she brought me a beautiful batch of Meyer lemons, garden-grown and gorgeous. I know the tree from which she plucked them, from her home near a cove in Wareham, close to Boston. I love Lucy’s garden, unmanicured and filled with a wild charm. It was where her son’s wedding was held, with a Star Trek theme, and I vividly recall the funky geometric necklace I wore as per the dress code! Lucy came to visit in India bearing good tidings, kind comfort… and sweet, gently-raised lemons.

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