Perfect Vanilla ButterCream Frosting

I bake a lot of plain cakes. My family is not a fan of sweet rich frosting and they prefer to have simple no frosting cakes. But I have a terrible sweet tooth and I jump at any opportunity to whip up something sweet. Now I know this space has been quite for a very long time. And thats because little A is just growing naughtier by day and did I tell you he just turned 1!!!! And I have been wanting to bake a birthday cake for long and I just baked one for little A. Its a three layered two tier cake with handmade cake bunting by my daddy! 

The bottom tier is two layers of chocolate cake with one layer of buttermilk cake and the top tier is three layers of buttermilk cake filled with strawberry mousse and frosted with vanilla buttercream. The cake was yum! And the buttercream was super fluffy and delicious. 

It was perfect. There are a million buttercream recipe out there and each has their own. But I loved the buttercream recipe from Cooking Classy. To crumb coat and cover this 8" and 6" tier cake I had to double this recipe. 

Buttercream frosting is the easiest of all frosting. Just few tips and it turns out so perfect and yum. Its a really sweet frosting unlike Swiss / Italian Meringue. 

Tips for a smooth and fluffy frosting:

• Use good quality butter at room temperature. Butter should be soft and not runny or overly melted.
• Sift the powdered sugar couple of times to make sure no lumps are there.
• Homemade powdered sugar also can be used but store bought ones are convenient and gives that smooth consistency. 
• Beat the butter really really pale. It should become almost white and fluffy.
• Make sure to scrap the side of the bowl every time you add icing sugar and beat. Once all the icing sugar is added keep beating for 3 mins. 
• If adding color add few drops at the end and mix to combine.
• Bring frozen or chilled buttercream to room temperature and beat for a min or two before using. 

You Will Need:

Makes enough frosting to fill and cover a 3 layer 8 inch layer cake

1 1/2 Cups or 340 gm of Unsalted Butter, room temperature 

500gm Icing Sugar

3 tbsp of Heavy Cream 

1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract

A Pinch of Salt

Direction:

Step 1:

Place the unsalted butter in a large bowl and cream using a hand mixer till the butter is fluffy and really pale in color. Almost white. This will take around 5 - 7 mins approx

Step 2:

Add a cup of icing sugar and beat again scraping the sides until the sugar is well combined. Continue the process till all the icing sugar is used up, adding one cup at a time. 

Step 3:

Add the vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream and beat another 3 mins. The frosting should be fluffy and light when you run your fingers onto the buttercream. Use immediately or you can store in the fridge in an air tight container. 

PS: No need to scrap the bowl clean. Leave some behind he lick off later. Its that Yum! 

Happy Frosting!

Home Made

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Freezing Fresh Herbs

I have always been mesmerized by herbs. There are so many of them and each one have their unique scent and flavors they give to a dish. My favorites are mint, coriander, thyme, basil and chives. But I rarely buy non Indian herbs and when I do I generally dry / freeze them to use later. I actually like freezing more than drying the herbs. Freezing keeps the freshness and flavor intact and its much easier than drying. Few simple pointers to remember while freezing is to use a ziploc bag. Air tight / plastic containers will just spoil the herbs in a day. And the air dry / pat dry the herbs before you do the first freezing. Don't place them in dripping wet.

I froze parsley and basil this time. There will a slight discoloration after freezing but thats ok. 

You Will Need:

Some Fresh Herbs

A Baking Tray / A Large Plate

Ziploc Bags

The Freezing:

Step 1:

Simply pluck the herbs from its stems. Place them in a colander and run under water. Let them sit on the colander for few mins.

Step 2:

Place the washed herbs on a cloth and gently pat them dry. Or you could leave them under a fan.

Step 3:

Arrange the herbs on to a baking tray and place them in the freezer compartment for approx 45 mins.

Before Freezing

After Freezing

Step 4:

Take the herbs out and transfer them into the ziploc bags immediately. Do not try to compress or squeeze together the herbs. The must be loosely placed in the bags.

Step 5:

Stick them back in the freezer. When you need the herbs you can simply take as much you want and place the rest back into the freezer. 

Basil Leaves Frozen

Happy Cooking!

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Definition of Cooking Terms for Amateurs

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When you read any cookbooks, food blogs or watch a cooking TV show you will come across a lot of cooking terms that define a particular technique in cooking. Amateur cooks or beginners sometimes find it hard to understand what the terms exactly mean thus making it hard for them to figure the whole process of the recipe. Hence, I have come up with this post which briefly explains some very commonly used cooking terms. Understanding the basic cooking terms will make you to understand a recipe better. 

COOKING TERM	DEFINITION
Barbeque	To cook foods on a rack or spit over coals
Baste	To moisten food with marinade / fat for added flavor and to avoid drying while cooking
Batter	An uncooked pour-able mixture
Beat	To stir rapidly to make a mixture smooth
Blanch	To cook briefly in boiling water to seal in the color and flavor.
Blend	To thoroughly mix two or more ingredients by hand / whisk / mixer
Bone	To remove bones from poultry / fish / meat
Braise	To cook first by browning, then gently simmer in a small amount of liquid over low heat covered till tender
Bread	To coat with breadcrumbs before cooking
Broil	To cook on a rack or spit under or over direct heat, usually in an oven
Brown	To cook over high heat usually on a stove
Caramelize	To heat sugar until it liquefies and becomes a syrup ranging from golden to dark brown colour
Core	To remove the seeds and tough woody center from fruits and vegetables
Cream	To beat ingredients usually sugar and fat
Cube	To cut food in ½ inch piece
Cut - In	To distribute fat into flour in a cutting motion with a pastry blender untill divided evenly into tiny pieces, usually in pastry making.
De - glaze	To loosen brown bits from a pan by adding a liquid, then heating while stirring and scrapping the pan.
Dollop	A spoonful of soft food such as cream or mashed potato
Dot	To scatter bits of butter over a food

Dredge	To cover or coat uncooked food food with usually breadcrumbs, eggs etc
Dress	To coat foods such as salads with sauce
Drippings	Juices and fats rendered by meat or poultry during cooking
Drizzle	To pour melted butter, oil, syrup, melted chocolate or other liquid in a back and froth motion over a food
Dust	To coat lightly with confectioners sugar or cocoa powder or another powdery ingredient
Fillet	A flat piece of boneless meat, poultry or fish. Also to cut bones from meat, poultry and fish
Flambe	To drizzle liquor over a food while it is cooking, then when the alcohol has warmed ignite the food right before serving.
Fold	To combine light ingredients like whipped cream or beaten egg whites with a heavier mixture, using a gentle over and under motion with a spatula.
Glaze	To coat mixture with glossy mixture such jellies ot sauce
Grate	To rub food against a serrated surface to produce shredded or fine bits.
Grease	To rub the interior surface of a cooking dish with oil / butter / shortening to prevent food from sticking
Julienne	To cut into long thin strips
Knead	To blend dough with hand or in a mixer to form a pliable mass
Macerate	To soak in a flavored liquid, usually refers to fruits
Marinate	To soak in flavored liquid usually referring to meat, poultry and fish
Mince	To cut into tiny pieces , usually with a knife
Parboil	Parcially Cook by boiling
Poach	To cook in very low heat bearly simmering liquid just to cover
Puree	To mash or grind food untill completely smooth
Reduce	To thicken a liquid to concentrate the flavour by gently boiling

Roast	To cook a large / whole piece of meat, poultry or vegetable uncovered in dry heat usually in an oven
Saute	To cook food in small amount of fat on a pan over high heat
Sear	To brown the surface of the meat quickly by cooking over high heat to seal the juices
Shred	To cut in a narrow strips with a knife or a grater
Simmer	To cook in low heat just below the boiling point
Skim	To remove surface form or fat from a liquid
Steam	To cook food on a rack over boiling water covered
Steep	To soak under the liquid just below the boiling point to extract flavor
Stew	To cook covered over low heat on liquid
Stir Fry	To quickly cook small pieces of food over high heat
Whip	To beat food with a whip or mixture to incorporate air and produce volumn
Whisk	To beat ingredients such as heavy cream, eggs, salad dressing with a fork or whisk to encorparate air.
Zest	The outer color part / peel of a citrus fruit
Flake	To gently separate into small pieces usually with your fingers or fork. Most commonly refers to cooked fish because of its flaky texture.
Leaven	To add an ingredient such as yeast, baking powder or baking soda that adds gas to the dough or batter, causing it to expand, or rise, and lighten the texture of a finished product
Pare	To remover skin/peel from fruits and vegetables with knife or a peeler
Pit	To remove a seed from a piece of fruit by cutting around the sides of the fruit and pulling the seed away from the flesh
Preheat	To heat the oven to a specified temperature before baking.
Proof	To activate yeast or other leavening agent before using in a recipe

Punch Down	To deflate a raisen dough with your hand to help escape gas
Pulse	Pressing the start button of the blender or mixer on and off rapidly several times until the appropritae texturer is achieved
Score	To cut slits on to food before cooking for decoration / ease of cutting after cooking / tenderization / to allow flavours to penetrate the surface
Sift	To pass dry ingredients through a fine mesh screen to loosen the particles, incorporate air and lighten the resulting product.
Strain	To pass moist mixture through a colander, seive or cheese cloth to remove solid particles
Sweat	To cook foods, usually chopped vegetables, over medium heat until they excude some of their moisture which in turn , steams and softens the food without browning

Toss	To combine ingredient by gently turning over until blended

Source:

teriskitchen.com

goodhousekeeping.com

Happy Cooking!

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Basic Ingredient Substitutions

Just because you cant buy or don't have that particular ingredient in your kitchen cupboard, it does not mean you cant cook the recipe. I cook with what I have handy at my home. I really don't go about searching for ingredients which I seldom use or hard to find.  And this means I substitute alot very often. So I have shared with you a list of substitution for ingredients which are (sometimes / always) not available in the pantry of an amateur cook. Ingredients include both that are used in cooking and baking. I hope you will find this helpful.

INGREDIENT	INGREDIENT QTY	SUBSTITUTE IT WITH	SUBSTITUTION QUANTITY
All Spice	1 tsp	1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder + 1/2 tsp Ginger Powder + 1/2 tsp Clove Powder
Almond Meal	1 Cup / 100 gms	To make your own almond meal. place 1 cup (100 grams) (240 ml) sliced (blanched (skins off) or natural (skins on)) almonds with 1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar in a blender or food processor and process until finely ground.  Sugar or flour is added to the almonds to prevent clumping as it absorbs the oil exuded from the almonds.  Toasting the almonds first dries them which also helps to prevent clumping.	1 Cup / 100 gms
Almond Paste	1 1/3 cups	1 1/3 cups (320 ml) (300 grams)1 3/4 cups (175 grams) (420 ml) ground blanched almonds plus 1 1/2 cups (175 grams) (360 ml) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar plus 1 large egg white (30 grams) plus 1 teaspoon almond extract plus 1/4 teaspoon salt .
Arrowroot Starch	1 tbsp	Cornstarch / potato starch	1 tbsp
		OR Plain Flour	2 tbsp
Baking Powder Double Acting	1 tsp for every 1 cup of flour	Single Acting Baking Powder	1.5 tsp
Baking Powder Single Acting	1 tsp	Double Acting Baking Powder	⅔ tsp
Brown Sugar	1 Cup Packed	1 Cup White Sugar + ¼ cup molasses and decrease liquid in recipe by ¼ cup
Bread Flour	1 Cup / 160 gms	All Purpose Flour	1 Cup / 130 gms
Buttermilk	1 Cup	1 Cup Whole Milk + 1 tbsp Lemon Juice rest for 10 mins OR ¼ Cup milk + ¾ cup of plain yogurt
Cake Flour	1 Cup / 120 gms	3/4th cup All purpose flour + 2 tbsp Cornstarch
Chocolate Unsweetened	30 gms	3 tbsp Natural Cocoa Powder + 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter / Vegetable Oil
Cocoa Powder Unsweetened	3 tbsp	3 tbsp Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder + ⅛ tsp Creme of Tartar / Vinegar / Lime Juice
Cocoa Powder Dutch Processed	3 tbsp	3tbsp Natural Cocoa Powder + ⅛ tsp Baking Powder
Cottage Cheese	1 Cup	Ricotta Cheese	1 Cup
Confectioner’s Sugar	1 Cup	1 Cup Granulated Sugar + 1 tbsp Cornstarch processed in a blender till fine and sifted
Corn Syrup	1 Cup	Honey	1 Cup
Cream Cheese	1 Cup	Pureed Cottage Cheese	1 Cup
Creme Fraiche	1 Cup	1 Cup Sour Cream / Mascarpone Cheese
		OR 1 Cup Whipping Cream + 1 tbsp Buttermilk / Yogurt OR ½ Cup Whipping Cream + ½ cup Sour Cream
Cream of Tartar	½ tsp	½ tsp white vinegar / lemon juice
Cream, Half & Half	1 Cup	⅞ cup (210ml) Full cream milk + 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
Cream, Heavy	1 Cup	⅔ cup Whole milk + ⅓ cup (75gms) melted unsalted butter
Cream, Light Whipping	1 Cup	¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup (57gms) melted unsalted butter
Gelatin	1 tbsp Granulated	Agar Agar	2 tsp
Greek Yogurt
Hazelnuts	1 Cup	Almonds	1 Cup
Lemon Grass	2 Fresh Stalks	Lemon Zest	1 tbsp
Molasses	1 Cup	¾ cup brown sugar + 1 tsp creme of tartar
Pastry Flour	2 Cups / 270 gms	1 ⅓ cup Plain Flour + ⅔ Cup cake flour
Potato Starch	1 tbsp	Corn Starch	1 tbsp
Red Wine	1 Cup	1 Cup Grape Juice / Pomegranate Juice / cranberry juice
Ricotta Cheese	1 Cup	Dry Cottage Cheese	1 Cup
Self Raising Flour	1 Cup / 130 gms	1 Cup flour + 1.5 tsp Baking Powder + ¼ tsp Salt
Sour Cream	1 Cup	1 Cup Plain Yogurt OR 1 Cup Milk + 1 tbsp Lime juice / Vinegar and rest 10 mins
White Wine	1 Cup	1 Cup Apple Juice / White Grape Juice
Wine	1 Cup	1 Cup Chicken / Beef Broth OR 1 Cup Fruit Juice + 2 tsp Vinegar OR 1 Cup Water

Reference:

food.unl.edu

joyofbaking.com

allrecipes.com
fitday.com

Happy Cooking!

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