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As I have mentioned at various times on this blog, I do love the festive season. Diwali is an occasion I look forward to very much, but I also enjoy the December festivities, in particular Christmas. I find that people tend to be in a more buoyant spirit now, and I love to elevate that further through providing recipes that add more cheer. This past year has been rather difficult and very busy for me, and I would not be surprised if it has been the same for you, but I believe you can always make time to bake an orange cake. It will immediately improve your mood, as I have experienced time and again.

So yes, let’s bring the coming year in on a happy note. To me, there is something about the scent of oranges that is particularly uplifting, and Nagpur oranges happen to be in season. They are particularly juicy and sweet right now, as well as inexpensively available. These fruits were what inspired me to come up with this recipe. It was such a pleasure to put this one in the oven. The whole house smelled of citrus fruit, and was imbued with a sense of celebration. It was a treat to slice it up after the photoshoot. I like to bake my cakes lightly sweet, so that we can eat more without finding them too rich, and with less guilt over the indulgence. This one has the perfect combination of citrusy, sweet and buttery flavours, resulting in a moreish delight.

Long-time readers may recall a date and orange cake and a citrus bundt that have made appearances on this blog, but this one is different. It has a beautiful balance of tartness and sweetness that I love.

Yes, it really is all about balance at the end of the day. But I do believe in something called hope, which is why I dare to say: I hope that no matter what has come before, let the coming year bring a large share of sweet experiences our way. I read somewhere long ago that one of the things that differentiates human beings from animals is our capacity for hope. It is a mental concept that comes from higher evolution, and is what makes us innovate. That idea has stayed with me.

It is said that we have to consciously manifest what we want, asking the universe to provide it. This requires a positive mindset: thinking positive, wishing for positive things, even as we work hard to bring our dreams to life.

“Manifest” happens to have been the Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2024, and I have been pondering the concept. I know that nothing happens overnight. Hard work must be present, and we must change things for ourselves in small ways wherever possible (and in larger ways if we get a chance to). It’s not like we can sit still and just wait for the Universe to give us what we want. We have to reach out, choose and act. There will undoubtedly be challenges along the way, but what allows us to stay motivated is hope.

I want to say another word here about manifestation, though. It’s not, if you don’t mind the pun, “as easy as cake”. When we put our intentions out there, even with all sincerity, we still have to make sure that we don’t feel dejected if things don’t play out like we thought they would. I once tried to manifest something in my life. I deeply wished and wished, and it didn’t happen – at least not in the way I expected it to. Now, much later, I feel glad, because what did happen instead turned out much better in the long run. But at the time, I was very sad. In retrospect, the lesson for me is in trusting the bigger picture. The Universe knows what it is giving each of us, and whatever happens is for the best. We may not feel that right away, but some day we might. Hopefully. Yes, it really is all about hope when it comes down to it. Let’s enter 2025 with hearts full of hope about what we can look forward to, and how we can make peace with all that has already come to pass.

Orange Cake

265 grams maida
45 grams corn flour
2¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
250 grams sugar, granulated
⅓ cup oil
¾ cup unsalted butter
3 teaspoons orange zest
½ cup milk
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs

Cream cheese frosting

1 cup butter
450 grams icing sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons zest

To prepare the cream cheese frosting, which you can do ahead of time, cream the butter using a hand-held blender. Now, add in the sugar slowly. Making sure the sugar is covered as you pour, as it can fly all over the counter.

Next, add the cream cheese, zest and orange juice. Mix well until it all comes together. Refrigerate until use.

To bake the cake, preheat the oven at 160°C. Prepare two 8-inch cake tins by greasing and dusting them. Set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients: the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the sugar, butter, oil and orange zest. Using a hand-held blender, beat this mixture well until it is creamy. This will take approximately 1-2 minutes.

Now, slowly add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously. Add the milk, orange juice and vanilla extract. Beat well. Now rest the hand blender.

Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Use a spatula to fold the mixture gently until it all comes together. Do not over beat at this stage.

Divide the mixture evenly into the two prepared baking tins. Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Check that it is thoroughly baked by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean your cake is ready.

Remove the tins. Allow them to cool on the counter for 10-15 minutes before turning them on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now you can ice the two cakes, layering them with cream cheese frosting in between as well as on top.

Your festive, fruity orange cake is now ready to charm anyone you serve it to – and I hope that by sharing this recipe, I have brought more joy to you, too!

As each new year begins, we tend to reflect on the year that has passed and our learnings from the same. This year, as situations around the planet demand our attention, I feel like offering more than a wish for a happy 2024. We all deserve that, but in order for that to happen, we must all make changes in our lives. Myself included.

So here is my personal resolution, something that I strongly felt during the recent festive season: the endless use of plastic and the vast amount of food wastage that occurs during special occasions in the name of gifting needs to end. I want to become even more conscious about my choices in this regard, and minimize my impact.

These thoughts occurred to me for two reasons. One is that I observed the contradiction of celebrating Deepavali and other special days even as thousands of children were being killed in a war elsewhere in the world, and I contemplated these tragedies. Yes, we must celebrate, but we can no longer do so without being mindful of others, as well as our own impact. I say “can no longer do so” because we literally cannot afford to, and this is because of what is happening to the environment.

Human beings have the innate ability to adapt, and we have for millennia, but there may be a tipping point for the planet. The human species does not have much time left here, as experts keep warning us. This is because of human-made pollution and destruction of Nature and how this is making our one true home uninhabitable for us.

If I’m being honest, I sometimes have sleepless nights thinking about what we as human beings are doing to Earth. I recently learned about something called eco-anxiety, and I think it may be something I experience. It has motivated me to do things differently on an individual level. All of us have a carbon footprint. So do I, and I want to make mine lighter.

On the subject of light and lightness, I believe that the last rays of hope are still there – provided that we are respectful of Nature, and kinder to one another. This is my heartfelt wish for us all. Here’s to a healthy planet, and to healing for humankind. Happy new year!

Another year turns, and once again I am filled with nostalgia about the passing of time. All the things that I believe will make the world better are things that we’ve let go of. Like teaching kids to climb trees. Reading poetry. Opening books instead of using Google immediately. Reducing cellphone usage. Going back to the basics, in short. To the small things, to the beauty of simplicity, and a certain kind of elegance that will never change.

So instead of resolutions, I made a list of unforgettable memories I will bring into this new year to remind me how life should be. Maybe you’ll taste these sweet reminiscences in the recipes to come…

Here they are, in no particular order: 25 paisa McRennett buns. Bata sandals. The radio. Parle-G biscuits. The amazement of hearing that people were taking plane journeys. Movies at Sapphire Theatre. Binaca toothpaste. Riding the bus and collecting the tickets. Climbing mango trees. Plucking the neighbour’s jasmines. Such small things. Such special feelings.

Was your childhood like this too? As we enter this new year, I want to ask you: what are you nostalgic for?

Happy new year, my friends – and here’s to making more memories! I wish you all a peaceful, safe and healthy year to come.