Fruit n Nut Cake

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour- 3/4cup

Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp

Baking Powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt -1/2 tsp

Light brown sugar - 3/4 cup

Dried nuts - 1cup coarsely chopped(nuts of your choice-almond, cashew nut,walnut,pecan ,hazel nut etc.)

Dried fruits - 1 cup coarsely chopped (dried fruits of your choice-raisin,cranberry,apricot,cherries,dates,figs etc.)

Eggs- 3 large

Vanilla extract - 1tsp

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F,(150 C) and place rack at the center of the oven.Butter the pan.(9 inch round pan,or 9x5 inch loaf pan)

2. In a large bowl,mix all purpose flour,salt, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar.Stir in all fruits and nuts.Mix with hands and make sure all of them are coated with flour mix.

3. In a separate bowl,beat eggs and vanilla extract using an electric mixer or wire whisk until it is light colored and thick.

4. Add this egg mixture to the fruit-nut-flour mixture and mix well.Make sure the fruits and nuts are well coated.

5. Bake for about 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven)until the  cake is golden brown in color and the edges are pulled away from the pan.

6. Remove from the oven and cool it on a wire rack. To store remove from the pan and cover with aluminium foil or plastic wrap.You can store it in room temperature or refrigerator.

This cake tastes best after one or two days..

Pudding with cake,dry fruits & nuts

 This is an easy to make pudding with sweet and sour taste.Enjoy the sweetness of cake and whipped cream,the sourness of orange juice and dried nuts and fruits in between to bite...:)
Ingredients
Pound cake slices -1 lb
Orange juice- 3/4 cup (enough to soak the cake slices)
Dried fruits & Nuts- 3/4 cup
Heavy whipping cream- 175 ml or 3/4 cup
Granulated sugar -1/4 to 1/2 cup 
Butter - 1 tbsp (optional)
Directions
1. Layer the base of the pan with sliced pound cake.Pour orange juice uniformly over the slices and allow it to soak.
2. Spread the dried fruits and nuts above the cake layer.
3. Beat the whipping cream and butter with a hand mixer.Gradually add sugar and beat until it becomes almost stiff.No need to get stiff peaks.
4. Spread this whipped cream on top of the fruits&nuts, uniformly using a spatula.
5. Keep it in refrigerator for 3-4 hrs and until you are ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy : My friend Rosemary Joe

Snow White Cake with Whipped cream frosting

Ingredients

All Purpose flour- 1 1/4 cup

Baking powder- 2tsp

Powdered sugar /Confectioner's sugar - 1 cup

Butter - 1/4 cup melted ,or at room temperature

Vanilla essence - 2tsp

Egg white - 3 at room temperature

Milk - 1/2 cup

For Icing/ Frosting

Heavy whipping cream - 100 ml

Powdered sugar - 3-4 tsp

Cherries/Strawberries/grapes /any fruits 8-10 numbers

Method

1. Mix the flour and baking powder together,and sieve it twice.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together by adding sugar gradually until its creamy.

3. Add egg white into this and beat well.Add vanilla essence and mix well.

4. Add flour and milk to this alternately , beginning and ending with flour.Mix well with a spoon

5. Preheat oven to 350 F/160 C.

6. Grease a 9" pan with butter or oil. Pour batter into this and bake for 35-40 minutes/ When the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. When the cake is done,cool it on a wire rack. When cake is almost cooled, You can start making whipped cream

8.Beat the heavy whipping cream, using a hand mixer by gradually adding sugar .Beat until it forms a firm peak.Watch some YouTube videos to see exactly when to stop beating.

9. Spread this whipped cream on the cooled cake .Decorate with cherries and chocolate shavings.Enjoy !!!

Note : I turned my cake upside down before frosting to get a flat surface for frosting.So I used a parchment paper/non stick liner in my baking pan before pouring the batter and buttered it 

Recipe from Kaipunyam and Adukkalavisesham. I did some modifications to the original recipe according to my taste