The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (Low Fat)

Well..it seems ages since I have been here.

 

Some technical issues with blogger. I was unable to post pictures onto blogger and i admit.. i didn’t bother much to go digging into it. Anyways..its back to working now. Fotos are getting uploaded and finally...this space gets some fresh air after a long break. All this while...most of my posts got reduced to mini ones directly onto my fb page. I am still getting kindof bugged up putting up this post, coz the formatting just wouldnt save. The fonds keep changing size and type even though they look just fine in the preview... :/

 

But I have to post this today....coz...

 

..today is someones birthday ! And i used to keep telling her, i would drop by her blog but always missed it out. So.,.this is for her... one of the best human neign i have ever come across from this blogpshere..a terribly witty lady...Amelia, of Amelia’s Dessert.

Happy Birthday sweetheart..this is for you!!!

 

An easy, foolproof chocolate cake which is moist with a fudgy texture and will keep well for 4-5 days.

 

 

To all Chocolate Cake freaks..trust me blindly..this IS a KEEPER !  As simple as baking a store brought cake mix pack..where you add some oil and egg to the packed dry mix. Here, you just prepare that dry mix, add some liquids , mix ...bake. And the best part is..itis definitely Low in Cals. The liquid content is just plain hot water (or hot coffee), low fat milk , plus some oil. No Butter !

 

But just few things to share before moving to the recipe.

 

I would strongly recommend, if using Panasonic Dimension 4 oven..KEEP THE TEMPERATURE TO 160 deg C. Cakes are always to be baked at 180 deg C, but in this brand...those baked at 180 never give a good output. Made be coz of the power setting of the oven..but from trial and error, i have noticed that in this particular brand of oven..cakes are best when done at 160 )

 

This recipe gives quite a lot of batter, especially as it is of a runny texture. You can make two 9” round cakes . I could easy get one 9” bundt cake, about a dozen mini doughnut sized ones (baked it in a doughnut maker tray) and a dozen mini cupcakes.

 

 

Ingredients

For the cake

·         1 ¾ cup plain flour

·         2 cup caster sugar

·         ¾ cup cocoa powder

·         1½ tsp baking powder

·         1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

·         1 tsp salt

·         2 eggs

·         1  cup low fat milk

·         ½ cup vegetable oil

·         2 tsp vanilla extract

·         1 cup hot water / hot coffee

 

Preparation method

 

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. For me..it was 160 deg C, in my oven.

 

Grease the pans with some butter and dust with flour. Set aside.

 

Add all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt into a   bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon till well combined. (I did sieve it once just not to take chance.)

Now break in the 2 eggs, pour the milk, oil and mix with an electric beater for atleast 2 minutes till combined. The batter would be really thick at this stage.

 

 

 Add the vanilla essence,  hot water/hot coffee to the mixture, a little at a time. (The cake mixture will now be very liquid.) Beat again on medium for a minute or two till until smooth.

 

Divide the cake batter between the tins and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.



For me at 160 , it was done in 35 minutes. At 180 deg, maybe about 30 mins would do.



Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely, still in their tins. I repeat..cool COMPLETELY...still in the tin. I was not patient enough for it to be fully cooled, and well..mine ended up half in the plate, half still in the pan while inserted. ;)

 

So much...for my impatience. :/ :/

 

To remove the cake, run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the cake tins to loosen the cakes. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins.

....very soft and fudgy  !!!

(God! i feel terrible seeign how my post looks. The texts in different size, shape, colour... eeks ! But I wanted to share this, and in a step-by-step way..so... kindly excuse. Sure..this recipe will make up for this crapness. I will put it on blogger again ) ;)

 



Tangy Grilled Fish Roast

"Meen pollichathu" is a trademark non-veg delicacy of us Keralites. I rekon how one of my friend, who is from Assam, visited Kerala last month and falling in looove with the dish.

 

This is not the exact way of preparation. The authentic means goes for frying the marinated fish and later steaming it wrapped in banana leaf. I have made it more user friendly, and of course, the better way - grilled it, rather than frying.

 



                                                          ...."gals"......hmmmm....

So, off to the recipe.....

For the marinade:
Chilly powder- 4 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 2 tbsp
Ginger- garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Tamarind pulp- 1-2 tbsp
Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

For the masala gravy:
Onions chopped- 2 cup
Tomatoes - 1 medium
Green chilly - 2
Coriander leaves chopped- 2 springs
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Fenugreek powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

sadly..Mr. Frank and his friends...fell for these "gals" and now Resting in Peace on my counter top.

 

 

Cut and clean the fish and make diagonal slits on them. Make a paste with the ingredients listed under the "marinade" head .

 

 

 

 Marinate the fish and keep aside for ten minutes. 

 

 

Wrap in aluminum foil and grill for about 15 - 20 mins or almost done.

 

 

 

Meanwhile...in order to prepare the masala, heat oil in a pan and saute the chopped onions, tomatoes and all the remaining items in the "masala gravey" head.

 

Any marinade leftover from coating the fish can be added to the masala too.

 

 
                                              The fish would be done by now.

So, in the pan, move aside the sautes, carefully place the grilled fish and coat atop with the masala.
Cover and simmer on low heat for a few miutes, for the flavoures to penetrate the fish and be well coated.

                     Serve hot. Goes well with plain rice and a bowl of fresh veggie salad.

                                         __________________________________

Jab We Met and how I miss my space ...

You know how it is, when are you are living abroad,  go back  HOME (your paternal home) for vacation and you go around the whole place looking out for any new additions, may be a new wall clock, a new plant ... you wardrobe would be just the way it was the way you left it during your past visit. ......  all the nostalgia sets in...

and, thats how exactly i feel now. NOSTALGIC ....



I keep giving excuses of not being able to be consistant with my blogs, Gosh ! my Pick Quicks had just 4 posts in 2014 . (hopefully, 5, in 2015 atleast )

Not a positive note to start a New Year yeah ? the first post of the year . Hmmm...i know....but on the brighter side... to bring in some smile...just sharing...a concidence factor.

My first post last year...and my 100th post was a guestpost by The Big Sweet Tooth lady, Rafeeda.

The ever consistant, smily faced ...she knows the art ! The art of blogging, i have to say. Her posts are regular, her visits to others places are regular...I really envy you Rafeeds !!!

                                  My 100th . thats the post she wrote for me last New Year...

and....  this New Year...

 



there we are !!!!

Bingo !!! Jab We Met !

Never did believe we could make it, but finally, on the day of our return after a week vacation in the UAE, we did manage to catch up at a Supermarket next to her home. It was just for a brief while; the kids were restless, my neice had lost hercell phone, and it was all kinda chaos, yet...some chit chat and a click !!

 

Was great meeting you in person, dearo.

 

Wishing you all the very best in this New Year and to all my dear co-bloggers as well.

 

 

from us !!!



 

So, till i can manage to make some detailed posts in here....(by the way, forgot to mention, i now keep my recipes and tips as simple few liners, and post it directly on the my fb page - Sona's Pick'y Bank) ...

 

i miss you all and ......

  tooo ;)