Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Another way to enjoy the universally loved and popular dessert carrot cake is to make them into lovely easy desserts cupcakes. Carrot cake cupcakes are also easier to transport for picnics, potluck, children’s party, or when giving it away as a present. This recipe makes 24 regular cupcakes. You can decorate it with candy sprinkles or sugar glaze anyway you like to suit the occasion after frosting the carrot cake easy healthy recipes cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Simple ingredients namely eggs, flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, grated carrots, chopped pecans, and raisins are needed to make this simple recipe for carrot cupcake. You need powdered sugar, cream cheese, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract to make the cream cheese frosting. You can choose to add raisins or not to the recipe. Make sure that you reconstitute them first if you are using dried raisins by soaking them in hot water for a few minutes until they become plump and moist. After soaking drain and pat them dry. Alternatively, you can use cranberries instead of raisins to make the same recipe. Pecans are suggested for making these cupcakes, but you can also use walnuts.

Ingredients: 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (yes, you read that right. That’s what makes them oh so moist and delicious!), 4 large eggs, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 3 cups finely grated peeled carrots (about 1 pound), 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting: 4 cups (1 pound box) powdered sugar, 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature, 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour muffin tins (do not use muffin tin liners for this recipe due to high oil content). Set pan aside. Beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl using an electric mixer until combined. Then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly add into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots, chopped pecans and raisins (if using). Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, dividing equally. Bake about 30 minutes (check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake; it should come out clean). Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen each cupcake, and remove cupcakes from pans. Place on a rack to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. To make cream cheese frosting, mix powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl of an electric mixer. Beat all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

To cream the vegetable oil and the sugar until well combined you need a hand mixer. This will help make the cupcake nice and fluffy. After this step, you add the eggs one at a time and blend them until smooth. After sifting them and measuring them accurately you can mix all the dry ingredients together and then gradually add them to the egg, oil and sugar mixture. This will make it easier to blend the ingredients to make a perfect batter. Add the carrots, raisins and nuts last. Fold them in only until they are well distributed.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Kraft Molten Chocolate Cake

A quick and simple chocolate dessert that produces decadent and elegant results, this molten chocolate recipe adapted from Kraft takes only 15 minutes to make. The recipe consists of simple ingredients namely eggs, chocolate, sugar, flour, butter, salt, and vanilla essence. Rich and delicious easy desserts with a firm cake exterior and lusciously gooey center, this chocolate cake is sure to please any crowd and any age. Dust the molten chocolate cake with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream and fresh fruits or garnish with fresh mint. You can also serve vanilla ice cream on the side for a more spectacular dish.

Use ramekins, custard cups, or soufflé dishes when making this dish. You can make the batter a day ahead and pour it into the prepared custard cups. Cover the cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Once you are ready to serve, allow the batter to come to room temperature and bake until the cake is puffed up and the tops are cracked. You will notice that inside the cracks is darker and moist, which is a good indication. What’s great about using ramekins is that you can serve the molten chocolate cake directly in the cups. You can also remove the cake from the cup by inserting a small knife around the inside of the ramekin and loosen the cake, then invert it onto individual plates.

Ingredients: 2 eggs, 8 oz. of chocolate, 1 cup white sugar, 1 ½ of all-purpose flour, 1 stick of butter, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Preparation Instructions:  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Melt the butter in a pan and add the chocolate, making a paste. Stir occasionally. In a separate bowl, blend together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the white sugar and eggs until fluffy and smooth. Add vanilla. Add the chocolate and butter mixture. Add the dry ingredients. Grease ramekins with oil or butter and pour the batter into them. Bake for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The ramekins should be greased with oil or butter before the batter is poured into it to make it easier to loosen the cakes. You can also dust the greased cups with cocoa powder to make it even easier to loosen the cakes. If you like a molten chocolate cake with crunchy sides and bottoms, dust the greased ramekins with superfine sugar to create a mesmerizing dessert.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Sinful Chocolate Cream Slice Cake

This rich and decadent recipe for chocolate cake includes a chocolate filling and a chocolate glaze. The cake is moist and tender consisting of semisweet chocolate, butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and all-purpose flour. The filling is made of semisweet chocolate, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and chocolate liqueur. While the glaze is made of sugar, semisweet chocolate, water and butter. This is a luxurious recipe that makes an elegant dessert for a romantic healthy dinner. It also makes the perfect birthday cake easy desserts for an indulgent treat.

Before making the batter, grease the pans and sprinkle with a thin layer of cocoa powder. Make sure that the oven rack is in the center of the oven and turn the oven on to 350 degrees F to preheat it. For best results, have all the ingredients at room temperature before starting. Sift the flour for a more precise measurement. Spoon on the sifted flour onto the measuring cup and level off with a knife. For a quick and convenient preparation, measure out all the ingredients first before assembling them together in the order indicated in the recipe. Do not overbeat the ingredients. Just mix them until they are blended well. Too much beating will overwork the flour and result in dry and flat cake. It will take more time to blend the ingredients if you are doing so by hand and it will take faster if you are mixing using an electrical beater.

Ingredients: 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, ½ cup butter (softened), ½ cup granulated sugar, 4 eggs (separated), ½ cup all-purpose flour

For the Filling: 6 oz. semisweet chocolate (chopped), ¾ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons chocolate liqueur

For the Glaze: ½ cup granulated sugar, 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5 in. loaf pan. Melt 4 oz. of chocolate in a double broiler placed over low heat. Remove from the stove and allow to cool slightly. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate. One at a time, add the egg yolks. In another mixer bowl, and with freshly washed and dried beaters, beat the egg whites until firm. Stir 2 tablespoons of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle flour over the chocolate mixture and fold in by hand. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a knife to run around the inside edges of the pan to help loosen the cake. Turn the pan upside down on the wire rack to remove the cake. Cool the cake completely on the wire rack. To make the filling, place the 6 oz. of chocolate, plus the cream and ¼ cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, on low heat until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Pour this chocolate mixture into a bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes at room temperature. Move to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour. Remove the filling from the refrigerator and stir in the vanilla and liqueur until mixture is firm. Cut through the cooled cake, making two pieces. Spread the filling on top of the bottom cake. Place the second cake on top of this and refrigerate for 1 hour on the wire cooling rack. To make the glaze, pour the ½ cup sugar, 4 oz. of chocolate, and 3 tablespoons of water into a heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Remove from the stove and stir in 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and place the cake and wire rack it’s sitting on over a baking sheet with sides. Pour the glaze over the cake and spread with a rubber spatula. Let sit for 5 minutes. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, or until the glaze is dry.

After the cake is baked and cooled, it is split into two. To make a clean and straight slice, you can use a long strand of unflavored and clean dental floss and stretch it horizontally across the center of the cake then slide down to cut cleanly through. Before frosting the cake, make sure it is completely cooled first.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Julia Childs Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless chocolate cake is rich and dense and absolutely addicting. Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol 2., Julia Child’s Chocolate cake is made with semisweet baking chocolate and unsweetened chocolate easy desserts. It is flavored with orange liqueur and grated orange rind. Other ingredients used to make the cake include butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and cornstarch. The cake is filled with a decadent chocolate sauce made with semisweet baking chocolate, unsweetened baking chocolate, orange liqueur, and butter. You can top the cake with whipped cream flavored with orange liqueur or pure vanilla extract. Another option is to top it with chocolate icing or serve it with vanilla ice cream.

Instead of dusting the pans with flour after greasing it with butter, you can use cocoa powder instead for a dessert that is totally free of flour. This will also prevent the cake from being dusted with white specks and add chocolate flavor to the exterior. The orange rind and orange liqueur add zest to the cake and make a refreshing dessert or snack perfect with tea or coffee.

Ingredients: 7 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, 2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, 1/4 cup orange liqueur, Grated rind from 1 orange, 16 tablespoons butter, cut into ¼ in. slices, 5 eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup cornstarch

For the Filling: 3 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, 1/2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, 3 tablespoons orange liqueur, 4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 in. slices

For Serving: Whipped cream flavored with orange liqueur or pure vanilla extract OR chocolate icing

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 four-cup cake pans with waxed paper, and butter and flour. Break up the chocolate and place it in a double boiler, along with the orange liqueur and orange rind until smooth and creamy. One slice of butter at a time, beat the butter into the chocolate mixture until smooth, creamy, and has the consistency of heavy mayonnaise. If the mixture is runny, beat it over ice water. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on low speed. Increase the speed to high and add the vanilla. Beat until fluffy and doubled in volume. The mixture should form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Slowly and gradually beat the cornstarch into the egg mixture. Be careful not to over beat. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, filling them about 2/3rds. Place in the oven, leaving 2 in. of space between the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out looking oily. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling by melting the chocolate and the liqueur in a double broiler until smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter pieces one at a time. Once the cakes have cooled for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges of one pan and remove the cake and waxed paper. Serve with whipped cream flavored with orange liqueur or pure vanilla extract or top the cake with chocolate icing.

Compared to regular chocolate cake, flourless chocolate cake is heavier and moist. It is similar to brownies but lighter and more elegant. Another way to dress up flourless chocolate cake is to dust it with confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar. You can also garnish the top of the cake with fresh mint leaves or with mint ice cream. This chocolate cake also goes well with green tea ice cream for a more oriental flavor. A popular dessert in French restaurants, flourless chocolate cake is also popular among those on a gluten-free diet or cannot intake flour products. A similar cake called molten chocolate cake or lava cake is also commonly served in French restaurants. This version has a collapsed and gooey center that contrasts with the outside thin crust.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Potato Waffle With Caramelized Apple Cake

Warm potato waffles and no-bake apple cake make a heavenly combination for a heavy and satisfying breakfast easy healthy recipes. Serve it with vanilla ice cream and it makes a divine dessert. Pair it with Damassine liqueur, which is made of wild plums, for a completely sublime gourmet meal. Chef Georges Wenger has created an inspired dish with simple ingredients that are readily available in most kitchens and local markets.

Chef Wenger makes the simplest caramelized apple cake easy desserts recipe you will ever come across. For this recipe, he uses a variety of apples that have a good balance of sweetness and tartness. It is best to use firm apples that retain some crunch and won’t go mushy when you cook them. Some examples include Cortland, Granny Smith, Pippin, and Jonagold.

This recipe involves three phases: making the potato waffle, making the caramelized apple cake, and plating the dish with the vanilla ice cream. You will need a waffle iron or waffle maker to shape the potato batter into a lattice shape with honeycomb pattern. In the video, you will see that Chef Wenger has already prepared the batter, mixing potato puree, flour, eggs, sugar and butter. Potato puree is similar to mashed potato only smoother and creamier. To get this result, boil the potatoes until they are soft and tender. When they are done, let them rest for awhile and while they are still hot, press them through a fine-mesh ricer into a bowl.

Ingredients: 

Waffle: 3 1/2 oz. potato puree, 1 ½ tablespoons butter, 1 ¾ tablespoons flour, 1 egg, 1 1/2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 lemon peel

Apple cake: 4 apples, 3 1/2 oz. caramel, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons butter, 1 lemon juice

Ice-cream: 1 cup milk, 4 yolks, 12 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 ½ tablespoons, Damassine plum

Preparation Instructions: 

To make the batter, mix the potato puree, flour, eggs, sugar, and butter until you get a thick, creamy and even consistency. Pour the waffle batter in the waffle maker. When they are ready, take the waffles out of the grill and cut them up according to their borders. Meanwhile put a lump of butter in a preheated frying pan. Sauté apple slices adding sugar. Add a hint of lemon juice. Let it cook until all the moisture has evaporated. In a buttered baking dish pour some caramel to cover the bottom and line it with the slices of sautéed apples. Mince some fresh apples (not too fine) and place it on top. Separate the cake from the mold or baking dish, turning it upside down quickly and placing the cake in the center of plate. Place the potato waffle on top of the cake as a garnish. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Garnish with a sprig of mint, a slice of dried apple and a little line of caramel which will bring out the caramel of the apples. Finish off with a drop of reduced apple juice to give a boost to the apple flavor.

If you don’t have a potato ricer, use a metal sieve instead and press the potatoes using the back of a spoon. Pass the potatoes through the rice or sieve twice or thrice to get a really fine texture. Boil some milk, about 1/3 cup for every pound of potatoes. In another saucepan, heat the mashed potato under low temperature and gradually whisk in the warm milk until you get a fine creamy puree. Let the potato puree cool before making the batter.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Sponge cake is a light and fluffy dessert that is made simple in this recipe with the use of box cake mix. With the addition of a few ingredients namely baking powder, salt, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, milk and butter you can make a professionally made sponge cake in a cinch. This hot milk sponge cake version has a creamy and luscious flavor that can be dressed up in a number of ways. It can be enjoyed on its own with just a dusting of confectioner’s sugar or covered with chocolate or vanilla frosting.

When making sponge cake easy desserts, it is important to mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. The eggs and the sugar should be beaten together until thick. The wet and the dry are gradually incorporated together, folding in the ingredients until a smooth mixture is obtained. This will help keep air in the mixture and help the cake rise properly. The result is a light and porous cake that is perfect with coffee or tea. This hot milk sponge cake also pairs well with a cup of hot chocolate. It is the perfect ending to a heavy and rich healthy meals.

Ingredients: 1 box cake mix, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 well beaten eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup milk, ¼ cup melted butter

Preparation Instructions: 

In a bowl, mix the baking powder, salt, and cake mix together. In a separate bowl, mix the beaten eggs and vanilla together, then add the sugar and continue beating until golden and fluffy. Pour the egg mixture into the dry mixture and blend well. In a saucepan, boil the milk and butter. Stir into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree F. preheated oven.

This recipe makes use of box cake mix, which can be bought in the grocery and is available in many different brands. The usual ingredients contained in a box cake include sifted flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and butter or vegetable oil shortening. Most commercial box cake mix include other additives such as partially hydrogenated soybean oil, modified food starch, cellulose gum, xanthan gum, maltodextrin, and artificial flavors. You can also make homemade box cake mix from scratch. A simple homemade cake mix consists of two ¾ cups flour, ¾ cup fine sugar, 2-teaspoon baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Simply mix the ingredients together and store in a jar with an airtight lid for later use.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Molten Chocolate Fudge Cake

Molten chocolate cake is a French classic dessert that has a crisp crust and firm exterior and luscious gooey interior. It is one of the easiest chocolate cake recipes you will ever come across, yet also one of the most elegant and sumptuous easy desserts. In this version, fudge is added in the middle for a beautiful contrast and awesome flavor. You can serve these gorgeous muffin-sized cakes warm or chilled.

A sexy dessert recipe ideal for valentines or romantic occasions, molten chocolate fudge cake is the simpler version to the more complicated soufflé. This recipe makes it even simpler by making use of dark chocolate mix, mixed with eggs, butter, water, and salt. The fudge is added at the end of the cooking, and should be molten beforehand. You can buy readymade fudge from the grocery or make your own fudge at home. It isn’t that difficult to do.

Ingredients: 1 pack of dark chocolate cake mix, Giant muffin tin, 2 eggs, ½ cup water, 100 Gms butter, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 spoons hot fudge

Preparation Instructions: 

Pour all the ingredients into a large bowl and blend until combined and smooth. Grease the giant muffin tin and place it in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cake-muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting the top off of each cake-muffin with a knife. To achieve the desired shape, cut a circle from inside each cake-muffin and scoop out the insides. Spoon hot fudge into the resulting crater. Pop the cake-muffin into the freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and microwave until just warm. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

A simple fudge recipe consists of condensed milk, fresh milk, sugar, and butter. When making fudge, use a nonstick saucepan. Melt the ingredients in the saucepan over low hear and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the contents to a gentle boil and the allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, always stirring constantly. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and base of the pan, as you don’t want the fudge to stick and burn. The ideal temperature of the fudge should be about 245 degrees F. Remove the fudge from the heat and beat it until it becomes very thick and smooth, which will take about 10 minutes. Pour into a prepared tin and cut into squares for storing in the fridge. You can also use evaporated milk for lighter fudge and add some rum or liqueur for exquisite tasting fudge. Before using in this recipe, heat the fudge so that it becomes nice and gooey.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Easy-Mix Butter Cake

A basic cake that is perfect for first time bakers and easy enough for kids to attempt with the supervision of an adult, butter cake is a versatile cake that can be decorated a number of ways and is considered one of the quintessential cakes easy desserts in American baking. Every baker should have a good recipe for butter cake in his or her repertoire and this recipe is a good start to try out and experiment from. It can be frosted with butter or chocolate icing and served with vanilla ice cream recipes for a super indulgent treat.

As the name suggests, the main ingredient in butter cake is butter. This very simple recipe also uses eggs, white sugar, cake flour, milk, and vanilla extract. Basically, you mix all the ingredients together to make the batter, pour this in a greased cake pan and bake it in the oven. The origins of butter cake can be traced to the English pound cake, which gets its name from the original recipe of using a pound of butter, a pound of flour, a pound sugar, and a pound of eggs to create a rich, heavy and dense cake that was sold in bakeshops. Butter cakes are lighter and fluffier but consist of the same ingredients.

Ingredients: 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoon butter, 100gms white sugar, 250gms cake flour, 150ml milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation Instructions: 

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat together until emulsified. Add the vanilla extract and incorporate the flour and milk and mix until well blended. Pour batter in a greased cake pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean, in a preheated 185 degree F. oven. Decorate with icing and cream. Serve chilled.

The method used for making a fluffy butter cake is called the creaming method, which is the step of beating the butter and sugar together until they are fluffy, incorporating air into the butter. Gradually, the eggs are added to the mix to create an emulsion and then the flour and milk are alternately added until all the ingredients are well blended. Incorporation of air is important in making a light and fluffy cake. Without this method, the cake will become dense and heavy. Store butter cakes at room temperature to retain their rich and moist quality.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Poppy Seed Cake

Poppy seeds make a delicious and one-of-a-kind cake giving it just the right amount of nuttiness and pleasantly subtle crunch that is quite unforgettable when you bite into it. Poppy seeds are tiny blue-gray, sometimes ivory-colored seeds that are harvested from the poppy flower. Often used in European and Indian cooking recipes, poppy seeds add color, flavor and texture to a wide array of savory and sweet easy desserts dishes, commonly in breads and in other baked goods. In this case it is used to make cake. Other ingredients used to make this recipe include eggs, apple juice, butter, lemon, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

The blue or black poppy seeds are the ones often used for baking and are added to cakes, breads, muffins, cookies, and bagels; black poppy seeds are what is used to make this recipe. They are also delicious sprinkled on salads and used in salad dressings, added in pastas, fish, meats, and vegetables. White poppy seeds are less common and more often used in Indian cuisine and used in curries. They can be found in many Indian grocers. Although the poppy flower where the seeds are derived from is also the source of opium, the seeds do not have the alkaloids that make up the narcotic opium.

Ingredients: 2 large eggs, well beaten, 50ml apple juice, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon lemon zest – grated, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon rich vanilla extract, 200gms all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup poppy seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, Pinch of salt

Preparation Instructions: 

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the juice, butter, lemon peel, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until well blended. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan. Bake in a 185 degree F. preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve at room temperature.

Poppy seeds can be bought whole and dried in many health food stores and often sold as a health food rich in calcium, magnesium, and fiber although they are not exactly low in calories and are similar in energy content as chocolates. They can also be found in he spice aisle of the grocery. Store poppy seeds in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. You can also store the poppy seeds in the refrigerator to keep them longer and prevent them from turning rancid.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Easy Dessert Cake Recipe: Homemade Funnel Cake

A popular treat commonly found in carnivals, country fairs, and sporting events in North America, funnel cake is the ultimate fair food and is one of the simple and easy desserts to make. You can make it at home anytime and enjoy its finger-licking tasty quality. You only need a few simple ingredients to start making funnel cake and most of these ingredients are pantry staples, namely flour, egg, baking powder, skimmed milk, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt.

Similar to making fritters easy healthy recipes, you make a batter out of the ingredients and pour it in hot cooing oil, making a circular pattern and deep frying the shaped batter until it is golden brown. You can sprinkle the funnel cake with confectioner’s sugar or dip it in chocolate sauce or caramel sauce. It is also delicious served with vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Funnel cake can also be enjoyed with cinnamon, jam, peanut butter or Nutella, fresh fruits and other toppings.

Ingredients: 100gms flour, 1 large egg, well beaten, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 85ml skimmed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 250ml vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons sugar, Pinch of salt

Preparation Instructions: 

In a bowl mix all the above ingredients to get a smooth batter. Heat oil in a deep saucepan on medium flame. Pour some of the batter into a piping bag, fitted with a nozzle and squeeze the batter into the hot oil. Turn the sides and fry until golden brown and crispy. Once done place them in a serving tray and serve with chocolate sauce. Best served warm.

To make the circular pattern when pouring the batter in the oil, commercial or concessions stands use a funnel spout. At home, you can use a piping bag to get the same effect. A piping bag allows good control for shaping the batter into a funnel shape. Funnel cakes are the perfect party food since they can be eaten out of hand. They also make a sumptuous weeknight snack or a fun treat for weekend get-togethers with friends or family. Kids also can’t get enough of this golden fried delight. Like donuts, funnel cake is perfect with coffee or tea and can make a wonderful breakfast. After frying, place the funnel cakes in absorbent paper to absorb excess oil before sprinkling with sugar or other seasonings.

Source: www.gourmandia.com