The not-really-classic chocolate cake

I was at it again this weekend. Any baking experiment of mine starts with the jitters, followed by reading and re-reading the recipe until I can recite it the way it is written even when I'm asleep. This time was no different; only the recipe was a book I bought off the pavement, intrigued to find it there. No name, no author, just a bunch of eggless cake recipes bound together and sold for fifty bucks.

I don't need a reason to bake, but this time Samit's teacher forbade him to carry 'bakery stuff' for his snack box, so I thought why not bake him something at home instead. I sifted the flour with cocoa and baking powder, I beat the butter, sugar and oil, folded in the flour and mixed in a handful of chocolate chips for good measure. 180 degrees centigrade, pre-heated oven and baking time of 30 min. Off it went into the oven.

The aroma was delicious, and I was soo looking forward to dig in. The cake came out looking crusty on top, much like its cousin, the brownie. On cooling, I used Nutella as icing and tossed some sprinkles on top. But the cake wasn't moist enough. Sinking my teeth in, I transitioned through a crunchy, chewy crust into a soft middle that was chocolatey and just sweet. But not that gooey, moist, chocolatey heaven that you experience while eating that classic chocolate cake.

So while I wonder if I faltered with the recipe, or if the unknown recipe itself is at fault, the cake's almost eaten up. So when Samit said, 'Its quite nice Amma, why don't you make it again and again till you get it right?', I'm getting ready to give it another go.

Carrot Cake from Ritu Dalmia's Traveling Diva

Savored pouring through Ritu Dalmia's cookbook Travelling Diva. Infact loved everything about it, including the cover (Ritu sitting on a white scooter with a red outfit and matching red shoes), the delish food shots and the personal, narrative style of writing. I pondered about which recipe to try out first, the chocolate orange pots, the hummus, the sabudana vada or the luscious looking carrot cake, and the pondering continued for over two weeks. So when fresh carrots, raisins and Sri Lankan cinnamon were giving me the 'cold' stare from the refrigerator, I decided that carrot cake it would be.

80 gms butter, 1 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp each of baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup oil, 2 tbsp honey (not part of the original recipe), raisins and 1 cup grated carrot went into the heart-shaped baking pan and baked for 30 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees centigrade.

The cake that came out looked was springy to touch with a darker crust that usual and i wondered if I had baked it a bit too much. But on cooling, it turned out to be a moist, dense and flavorful cake. Deep brown,  flecked with grated carrot and cinnamon, it brought back memories of a fantastic carrot cake I had eaten in a Christmas party long ago. Although the center was a bit sunk in, it thankfully didn't take away from the flavor of the cake.

Loved baking it as much as I enjoyed sharing it and eating it myself. Here's to more wonderful cooking escapades!