Strawberry-Lime and White Chocolate Entremet

It’s the first bake of the year and what better to make than an entremet ? For the first entremets of this year, I chose to follow a recipe. But the biggest question was – how simple can it get to make a basic entremet ? And that’s when I remembered gushing over this mirror glaze cake along with my baking partner. As an amateur baker who was still learning technicalities, I was extremely apprehensive to consider baking this. But the recipe from home cooking adventure is so simple that I enjoyed every minute of the bake-a-thon. 

So let’s dive into some technical jargon before looking at the recipe. What is an entremet ? In layman’s terms, it is a multi-layered dessert that exploits different textures. The four most basic components of an entremet are the base, insert, mousse and glaze. Anything else added to the entremet is built as a complement of these layers. 

This entremet is assembled by tweaking the recipe from @homecookingadventure

Base – Dense chocolate cake
Mousse – White chocolate-coconut mousse
Insert – Strawberry Lime Jelly
Glaze – Chocolate mirror glaze

INGREDIENTS
For the Strawberry-Lime Insert

Fresh Strawberries – 400g
Lime zest – from 1 lime
Lime juice – 3tbsp
Sugar – 2tbsp
Agar powder – 2 tsp

For the Cake

Butter - 4oz softened to room temperature
Granulated Sugar – ¾ cups
Eggs - 3
All-purpose flour – 1 ¼ cups
Vanilla Extract – ½ tbsp
Baking Soda – ½ tsp
Sour Cream – ½ cup
Bittersweet chocolate chips - 8oz (1 cup)

For the mousse

White chocolate – 9oz
Whipping Cream – 3 cups
Powdered coconut – ½ cup
Agar – 3tsp

PREPARATION

Strawberry-Lime Jelly Insert

1. Cut the strawberry into quarters. Place the strawberries, lime zest, lime juice, sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 

2. Boil some water in a saucepan and add agar powder to it. Mix until the agar has completely dissolved and bring to room temperature.

3. Blend the strawberry mixture into a smooth puree and combine with the agar liquid until well mixed. Sieve the puree to remove all seeds.

4. Cover a 9 inch pan with cling film and pour the jelly mixture into it and refrigerate for an hour.

5. After an hour, cover the jelly completely with film/wrap and freeze. 

Dense Chocolate Cake

1. Combine the butter and sugar till it becomes creamy and fluffy. This takes about 7 minutes at low speed on a stand/hand mixer.

2. Add the eggs in to the butter mixture , one at the time and combine well until they are fully incorporated. Slowly add in the flour , one cup at a time , to this mixture and fold well.

3. To this batter , add the baking soda and the sour cream and fold well. Do not beat or overwork the batter at this stage.

4. In the batter , stir in melted chocolate chips and fold until combined well. 

5. Grease the pan with some butter/cooking spray. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes. Make sure that a cake tester inserted comes out clean before inverting onto a wire rack. Cool the cake until it reaches room temperature. 

6. Cut the cake into a 9 inch circle and freeze

White chocolate-coconut mousse

1. In a bowl , combine the cut pieces of white chocolate and 1 cup of cream. Place this in a double boiler and mix until all of the white chocolate has dissolved. 

2. In a saucepan, bring ¼ cup of water to a boil and add the agar powder. Wait until it thickens/ is completely dissolved in the liquid. 

3. Mix the melted white chocolate , agar liquid and the coconut powder.

4. In a mixer, whip the remaining 2 cups of cream with some cream-of-tartar to form stiff peaks. Fold the cream into the white chocolate mixture until well combined. 

Chocolate Glaze

For the Glaze – This recipe and substitute gelatin with equal measure of agar

ASSEMBLY

1. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a plate. Place a cake ring on top of it measuring 10 inches in diameter. Line the sides of the cake ring with parchment paper. 

2. Place the cake in the center of the ring. Use half the mousse to seal the sides and to cover the cake completely. 

3. Place the strawberry jelly on top of the mousse. Use the remaining half of the mousse to cover the rest of the ring. Freeze overnight.

4. The next day, remove the frozen mousse cake and slowly work the sides of the ring with a hair dryer. Now remove the cake ring and also remove all parchment paper including the base. 

5. Take a large baking tray , line with parchment paper and invert a bowl. Place the mousse cake on the inverted bowl with the aid of spatulas.

6. Pour the glaze (needs to be at room temp) all over the cake. Decorate with fresh strawberries and white chocolate pearls. 

7. Place the cake in the refrigerator overnight for glaze to set and frozen mousse to thaw.

Eggless Tiramisu Cake

For the last bake of the year and to ring in the spirit of this holiday season , I've chosen to bake a Tiramisu cake. Unlike classic Tiramisu , which is soft to the touch and gooey , this cake is an interpretation of Tiramisu with all the flavors intact. The kahlua and amaretto add such warm notes to the flavor of both the cake and the frosting. As a coffee lover , it was only fair that the finale paid some tribute to my all time favorite - filter coffee. I have used traditionally brewed filter coffee decoction in place of espresso just to give the cake some added punch. 

INGREDIENTS

For the sponge (makes 2 8” sponge cakes)

All-purpose flour - 2 2/3 cups
Granulated Sugar - 1 cup
Baking Soda - 2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Yogurt - 1 cup
Oil - 1 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

For the mascarpone cream mixture

Mascarpone cheese - 2 packages
Heavy Whipping Cream - 1 cup
Amaretto - 5 tbsp
Kahlua - 2 tbsp
Confectioner’s sugar - 1tbsp

For the coffee soak

Brewed espresso or instant coffee - 1 cup
Kahlua - 1/8 cup

PREPARATION

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F and grease the baking pans.
2. In a mixing bowl , add all the dry ingredients and mix together.
3. To this , add the yogurt , oil , 1.5 cups of milk and vanilla essence and
    whisk to a smooth mixture that is free from lumps. 
4. Pour into the baking pans and bake at 350F for 35 minutes.
5. Cool the cakes for atleast an hour to make sure that they can take in the coffee soak

To prepare the mascarpone mixture

1. Allow the mascarpone to warm down to room temperature so that it is smooth.
2. In a stand mixer , beat the heavy whipping cream and caster sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. Fold the mascarpone cheese , kahlua and amaretto into the whipped cream until a smooth mixture is obtained.

Assembling the cake 

1. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a cake base and soak it in one half of the coffee soak. 
2. Pipe an even layer of the cream mixture on top of this layer and spread to remove inconsistencies.
3. Dust a layer of unsweetened cocoa powder on top of the cream.
4. Place the top layer of cake on this and soak it in the remaining coffee syrup.
5. Use the remainder of the mascarpone mixture to coat the cake. 
6. Finish with a layer of unsweetened cocoa powder

Eggless Rasmalai Cake

The last time I made Rasmalai cake was by soaking the entire cake in rasmalai liquid. More or less like a Tres Leches with an Indian twist. But this made the cake extremely soggy and heavy and almost impossible to set in layers or frost. After juggling around with the proportions for an eggless vanilla cake , I decided to substitute the milk for the batter with rasmalai kheer to see if I could infuse maximum possible flavor into the cake without soaking it in too much liquid. Here is the result – an absolutely soft rasmalai sponge that holds its shape , easy to frost and tastes exactly like rasmalai. Hope you enjoy trying this one out !!

INGREDIENTS

For the sponge (makes 2 8” sponge cakes)

All-purpose flour - 2 2/3 cups

Granulated Sugar - 1 cup

Baking Soda - 2 tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Salt - a pinch

Rasmalai Liquid - 1 1/2 cups

Yogurt - 1 cup

Oil - 1 cup

Almond slivers - a handful

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

For the Rasmalai Liquid

Milk - 6 cups

Sugar - 2/3 cup

Saffron - few pinches 

Hot water - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

For the frosting

Heavy whipping cream - 1 cup

Saffron - few pinches

Hot water - 2 tbsp

Rose water - 1 tsp

Cardamom powder - few pinches

PREPARATION

To prepare the rasmalai liquid

1. In a saucepan , boil 6 cups of milk and wait until it reduces to 3 cups. 

2. In the meantime , dissolve the saffron in hot water and allow it to rest. During the

    resting period, the color and flavor from the saffron will be infused in the water.

3. To the reduced milk , add the cardamom powder , sugar and boil on a low flame for 5
    to 10 minutes till it starts giving a pale pink appearance. 

4. Add the saffron mixed water to this and set aside to completely cool down

To prepare the cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F and grease the baking pans.

2. In a mixing bowl , add all the dry ingredients and mix together.

3. To this , add the yogurt , oil , 1.5 cups of the rasmalai liquid and vanilla essence and

    whisk to a smooth mixture that is free from lumps. 

4. Pour into the baking pans and bake at 350F for 35 minutes. 

5. Cool the cake down completely before adding more syrup and frosting.

To make the frosting

1. Soak saffron in hot water and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. 

2. In a stand mixer , add the heavy cream , saffron water , rose water and cardamom

    powder.

3. Blend on high until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

1. On a cake base , apply some cream and place the first layer of cake. 

2. Poke holes on the cake using a fork.

3. Pour 3/4 cup of the rasmalai liquid onto the bottom layer and wait till it has been

    absorbed (5-7 minutes).

4. Pipe a layer of the cream on top and spread evenly. 

5. Place the second layer of cake on top of the cream. 

6. Repeat the process of poking holes and pouring in the remaining rasmalai liquid on

    the top layer. 

7. Complete frosting the sides of the cake and the top.

8. Leave the cake to set in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Finishing touches : decorate the cake with finely chopped pistachios.

Mango Kulfi Panna Cotta

The mango season is on and I was instantly taken back to the mango kulfi cake that I baked last year. The memory of that cake was impossible to let go of so this time around , I decided to do a no-bake classic by incorporating the incredible flavors of mango , cardamom and saffron. Never count calories with mangoes though - this is one hell of a sinful dessert.

INGREDIENTS

Mangoes - 4 to 5 big

Saffron - 3 pinches

Cardamom powder - 2 tsp

Milk - 2 cups

Pistachios - 10-15

Agar agar - 1/2 tsp

PREPARATION

1. To prepare mango puree , dice the mangoes into 1 inch cubes , steam for 5-7 minutes and blend them until the liquid is without chunks. Pass this liquid through different sieves until you get a lump-free puree. Add one pinch of saffron into the mango pulp.

2. Split the mango puree into two parts and the agar into three parts. Dissolve one part of agar in 4tbsp of hot water and combine with one part mango puree.

3. Once this hits room temperature , pour the mango puree into serving cups and refrigerate until set.

4. In the meantime , boil milk with pistachios and allow to reduce to 2/3rd of initial quantity. To this , add cardamom powder and one pinch saffron. Strain the milk and set aside.

5. Combine the second part of agar with 4tbsp hot water. Once the agar dissolves , combine with the milk. Allow this to come down to room temperature.

6. Pour the milk mixture on top of the mango layer and refrigerate until set.

7. Incorporate the final part of agar into the remaining mango puree and pour the mixture on top of the already set layer of milk and refrigerate for 2 hours.

8. Garnish with the final pinch of saffron and pistachios. 

Veggie Casserole

After a five week vacation in India filled with binge eating (How can I ever say no to the best South Indian food I can ever hope to get ?) , I realized that I had to start watching what I ate. As someone who is unwilling to compromise on the taste of a meal , I decided to start exploring low-cal versions of popular foods. The first one in the series is a baked veggie casserole that yields less than 120 cal per serving but tastes just as amazing as a traditional casserole would. 

INGREDIENTS

Baby Spinach - 3 handfuls roughly chopped

Corn (steamed) - 1/4 cup

Mushrooms (diced) - 1/2 cup

Onions (sliced) - 1 medium

Bell peppers (assorted and sliced) - 1 cup

Olives - 2 tbsp

Scallions (chopped) - 1/4 cup

Whole wheat pasta - 1 cup

Vegetable stock - 1/4 cup

Skim Milk - 1/4 cup

All-purpose flour - 1/4 tbsp

Olive oil - 2 tsp

Mixed herbs (Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Chives, Rosemary and Sage) - 1tsp

Garlic powder - 1tsp

Salt (as required)

PREPARATION

1. Boil the pasta until it loses some stiffness. Do not boil it all the way to an al dente consistency.

2. In a frying pan , add 1/2 tsp oil and saute the spinach and corn until well cooked. Set aside. In the same pan , saute the mushrooms with 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and set aside.

3.Add 1/2 tsp of oil and saute Onions , Bell Peppers and Scallions until they are completely cooked. Combine the pasta with this mixture.

4. Add the olives to the mixture of cooked onions and bell peppers and set aside.

5. Add 1 tsp olive oil and roast 1/4 tbsp of flour. To this , add 1/4 cup of vegetable stock and the skim milk. Add the mixed herbs and 1/2 tsp garlic powder and bring to a boil. Add salt as required and remove from heat.

6. In a glass baking dish , add a layer of one half of the pasta. Spread the spinach and corn mixture over this and then spread the sautéed mushrooms. Top it off with the remaining pasta. Garnish with one tbsp of skim cheese.

7. Pre-heat the oven to 350F and bake for 10 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble. 

Orange and Saffron cake

It has been raining here for weeks and the gloom paved way for a desperate craving for some tropical flavored goodness. After some soul searching , orange and saffron made the cut. This cake is a luscious tea-cake that contains no traces of oil or butter whatsoever. Healthy eating ftw :D Adding the zest was the scariest part because if the rinds are cut deep , the orange begins to render a very bitter flavor. The frosting is a light mascarpone cream frosting flavored with the juice of blood oranges.

INGREDIENTS

Oranges (large) 4-5

Orange zest - 2tbsp

Saffron - 1tsp

Applesauce - 1/2cup

Sifted cake flour - 2 1/4 cups

Powdered sugar - 1 to 1 1/2 cups

Egg yolks - 6

Egg whites - 7

Baking powder - 1tbsp

Salt - 1tsp

Vanilla bean paste - 1tsp

Cream of tartar - 1/2tsp

For the Frosting

Mascarpone cheese - 1/2cup

Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup

Heavy whipping cream - 1/2 cup

Saffron - two pinches

Orange zest - 1tsp

Blood orange juice - 4tbsp

PREPARATION

1. Grease a 10 inch pan and pre-heat the oven at 325F.

2. In a mixing bowl , add the flour , baking powder , saffron , powdered sugar and mix well. Make a well at the center , add the egg yolks , applesauce , vanilla bean paste , salt and combine until it forms a smooth batter.

3. In another bowl , beat the egg whites until foamy. To this , add the cream of tartar and sugar . Continue whipping until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter by adding them in thirds.

4. Pour the batter onto the greased pan and bake at the lower third of the oven for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

5. Let the cake cool completely (1 1/2 hours)

6. To prepare the frosting , first whip the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. To this , add the mascarpone cheese , saffron , orange zest and blood orange juice and whisk until a smooth mixture is obtained.

7. Frost the cake and top with orange zest. Refrigerate for atleast an hour before serving. 

Apple Cobbler

INGREDIENTS

Apples (sliced) - 7 to 8

Brown Sugar - 2 1/4 cups

Salt - a pinch

Butter (melted) - 1/2 cup

Flour - 2 cups

Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons

Eggs - 2

Milk - 1/4 cup

Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon

PREPARATION

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

2. Add the sliced apples to the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Combine 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the apples.

3. In a mixing bowl , combine the remaining sugar , cinnamon , salt , flour , eggs and milk. Fold until it forms a coarse, thick batter.

4. Pour the batter on top of the sugar and apples. Now pour 1/2 a cup of melted butter evenly on the top.

5. Bake in the lowest rack of the oven for 45 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

6. Serve warm with a scoop of ice-cream.