Beetroot cake

I had this one odd beetroot lying around in my vegetable basket and I really did not know how to use it up. I usually make a beetroot paratha which hubby hates - I've not figured that out till date.
I browsed around a bit as I did remember seeing quite a few beetroot cake recipes when I made the eggless beetroot chocolate cake sometime back. Here is Nigel Slater's version of the beetroot cake.
Fortunately, this cake was ready just in time for guests. They loved it.

Ingredients : 

1. 1 cup whole wheat atta + enough for dusting
2. 1 cup brown sugar
3. 180ml oil + 1tsp for preparing the cake tin.
4. 1/3 cup raisins
5. 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
6. 2/3 cup grated raw beetroot
7. 3 eggs separated
8. 1tsp baking powder
9. 1/2 tsp baking soda
10. 1 tsp ground cinnamon powder - I usually grate a stick then and there as needed

Other equipment required :

1. Grater
2. Mixer
3. Hand blender or egg beater
4. OTG or Microwave with Convection option

How I made it :

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degree C.
2. Prepare the cake tin by first rubbing a layer of oil followed by a dusting of flour. I used a square 20 cm tin. The original recipe called for the use of a rectangular loaf tin. However, there as no difference in cooking time.
3. Sift the flour with baking powder and soda. This is to incorporate air into the flour.
4. In a mixie jar, beat the oil and sugar together.
5. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well in between additions.
6. Mix in the beetroot, walnuts and raisins.
7. Fold in the sifted flour mixture along with the cinnamon powder.
8. In a separate bowl, with a hand mixer beat the egg whites till soft peaks form.
9. Gently fold until well combined into the mixture at 7. Please ensure that it is well combined. 
10. Pour into cake tin.
11. Bake at 180 degree C for 55 minutes. Cover with aluminium foil after 30 minutes. 

It was truly delicious - moist and hearty. Healthy too. 

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Strawberry Oats Cake

It is strawberry season here and I just dunno why but I picked up a pack of strawberries while we grocery shopping this weekend. When I found a tiny amount of oats remaining in a jar, I knew that I had to make the strawberry oats cake that I had seen on Aparna and Greeshma's blog - here. I was just hoping that I had the right amount of oats. Gingerly I opened up my laptop and found the recipe which is actually from this site. I was happy to see that it required just 1/2 a cup of oats. Since, it is just two of us, I usually make cakes with a cup of flour so I had to just halve the ingredients and 1/4 cup of oats is all that was needed.

As you all do know me by now, I just had to put in a twist or two.

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup of whole wheat flour
2. 1/4 cup of quaker quick coooking oats
3. 1 teaspoon of baking powder
4. 1 whole nestle strawberry yoghurt

5. chopped walnuts
6. A pinch of salt

7. 1 egg ( the original recipe indicates the use of a ripe banana which was, in my case, amidst gastronomical juices today)
8. 1/2 cup of sugar
9. 1/4 cup of honey
10. 1/2 to 3/4 cup of strawberries chopped (The cake was very moist due to the number of strawberries that I had put in. This reflects a modified moderate amount)
11. 1/4 cup oil
12. 2 tbsp of milk - can avoid if the batter is smooth

How I made it :
1. Sieve together the salt, baking powder, atta. Add the oats and walnuts.
2. Beat the egg with sugar, honey, oil.
3. Once the mixture is creamy, add the yoghurt and the dry mixture of step 1. Fold in the ingredients.
4. Add the strawberries. Mix softly. Add the milk if the batter is too thick and lumpy.
5. Bake for 45 minutes in a pre-heated oven for 45 minutes at 180 degree C.

This cake is quite moist and therefore can't be kept for more than a day.

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