Quick Spinach Canopies

I had harvested a fresh batch of Organic Baby Spinach from my garden and was thinking of how to use them differently. Came up with the idea to keep it simple. This one is a quick fix finger food, the perfect starter for any parties or gatherings. And even better, it has only 5 ingredients. I am not adding the quantities, as it depends totally on your liking.

Difficulty level: Super easy

Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 0 min

Ingredients
Organic baby spinach
Goat cheese- plain or spiced
Dried cranberries/raisins
Balsamic vinegar

Olive Oil

Arrange the baby spinach leaves on a serving plate. Scoop about 1 tsp roughly (make adjustments depending on the size of the leaf) of the goat cheese & add a few dried cranberries before drizzling some Olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top. It is a good mix of flavours & textures from all the ingredients in there. You don't even need to add salt as the goat cheese will have enough. Enjoy the freshness & crunch of the spinach with the burst of flavors from the other goodies.

Soft & yummy Homemade Pizza

Most people love pizza, especially kids. You can let them eat guilt-free if you make it at home for two reasons. 1. You know what exactly has gone into it and 2. I can guarantee that it will be healthier than any other one out there. When you realize how easy it is, you will never want to get the store-bought one or delivery.

Difficulty level- Medium
Preparation time- 2-3 hrs
Baking time- 18-22 min

Prepare 1 batch of the dough as given in my Best Homemade Garlic knots recipe. I have attached the link below, just in case you missed it.

http://priyahobbies.blogspot.com/2021/01/best-homemade-garlic-knots.html

Proceed as the recipe says until you let it rise for 1- 2 hrs until the dough has doubled. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Using floured hands on a lightly floured work surface, make the dough into two with a very sharp knife, pizza cutter, or bench scraper. You can strech out the dough to roughly the size of your baking pan. You can try your flipping-in-the-air tricks if you are confident or use a rolling pin or even with just your fingers. Roll out both the balls onto the baking trays. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for atleast 30 min.

Towards the end of the rise time, preheat oven to 400°F (204°).

Topping: 

Generously spread a layer of your favorite pizza sauce. Garnish with any topping of your choice, the options are endless. Here I have a Margarita (cheese) pizza and a Veggie Pizza (with artichokes, olives, jalapenos, sundried tomatoes, pesto sauce , pine nuts, and cheese).

Bake for about 18-23 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven & sprinkle with parmesan cheese and/or parsley, if using.

Cover and store leftover pizza at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze baked and cooled pizza for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter, then reheat as desired. (I usually just microwave them for a few seconds.)

Best Homemade Garlic Knots

These are the best homemade garlic knots. They are made from homemade dough, leftovers freeze beautifully, are super soft and fluffy, golden brown and works best with extra garlic butter.


Who doesn't love the aroma of fresh home-made breads & rolls filling the air? This simple recipe gives you soft, fluffy rolls and the garlic herb butter adds a nice flavour to the already piece of heaven.

This batch yields 2 lbs of dough for 16 knots or 1 pizza plus 8 knots. I use the same dough for cheesy breadsticks as well. You can buy the store-bought pizza dough, but I like to make it from scratch if you can allow 60-90 minutes to rise. Also make sure that the yeast is fresh and use the correct temperature (between 100-110°F/ 38-43°C) water.

Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: about 2 hrs
Baking time: 18-22 min

Ingredients
1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) warm water
2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast(1 standard sachet)
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 and 1/2 cups (450g) all-purpose flour plus more for hands and work surface

Topping:
5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, melted
3 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional after baking: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
optional after baking: 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley



Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. *If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula in the next step.

Add the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and half of the flour. Beat for 15 seconds, then add the remaining flour. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. The dough can be a little too heavy for a mixer to knead it, but you can certainly use the mixer on low speed instead. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger – if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading.

Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray– just use the same bowl you used for the dough. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (Tip: For the warm environment on a particularly cold day, heat your oven to 150°F (66°C). Turn the oven off, place the dough inside, and keep the door slightly ajar. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough. When it’s doubled in size, remove from the oven.)

Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Using floured hands on a lightly floured work surface, shape the dough into a 16×5 inch log. (5 inch width really isn’t as important as the 16 inch length here, no need to be exact.) Using a very sharp knife, pizza cutter, or bench scraper, slice into 16 1-inch strips. Roll each strip into 8 inch ropes. Tie each into knots. You can tuck the two ends of the knots underneath the knot or leave them out, that’s up to you. Arrange the knots on 2 lined baking sheets. (Either parchment paper or silicone baking mats work.)

Lightly cover the shaped knots and let them rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes. They will slightly puff up during this time, producing softer rolls.

Towards the end of the rise time, preheat oven to 400°F (204°).

Topping: Stir the melted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt together. Brush on the knots. Reserve some of the topping for when the knots come out of the oven.

Bake for about 18-23 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and brush the warm knots with remaining garlic butter. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and/or parsley, if using.

Serve plain or with marinara sauce for dipping.

Cover and store leftover knots at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze baked and cooled knots for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter, then reheat as desired. (I usually just microwave them for a few seconds.)

Spicy Artichoke Wraps

Artichokes have a very subtle taste and flavor. It is a seasonal vegetable, except may be not in California. 

Even though subtle, it really comes through when you combine it with a mild cheese and may be some bread crumbs. I always indulge in the fresh ones when it is available. During the rest of the months, I keep a couple of canned artichoke hearts handy in the hope of transforming them into something yummy.

Here I made the artichoke hearts which is originally from USA with Indian spices and combined it with Middle-eastern tahini sauce and kaboos(Arabic bread) pairing it with Peri-peri sauce for the spread. It also adds in a Mediterranean touch with Kalamata olives and onions, making it a truly International dish. You can substitute the peri-peri sauce with any spicy sauce and kaboos with tortilla or chapathi, depending on what is available to you. 

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min


Ingredients
Artichoke hearts- Canned, in water- 1(240 g ,drained)
Cooking oil- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Red chilly powder- 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt-to taste
Tahini sauce - 2 tsp
Peri-peri sauce- 1 tsp
Red onion- half of an onion, cut into long strips
Kalamata olives- 10 nos., pitted & cut into long pieces





Chop up the well-drained artichoke hearts roughly. Heat oil in a pan and add the spices. Stir for a minute and add the chopped artichoke hearts. Add salt to taste . Mix well and cook for a few minutes on a low flame, until the water is all gone and it gets the artichoke gets a good coating of the spices all over it.

In the meantime, warm up a large kaboos. In a small bowl, mix the tahini with the peri-peri sauce well. Pour the mix on the kaboos and spread uniformly all over it. Spread a layer of the onions and olives in a single line . Add the cooked artichoke right on top. Tightly roll the kaboos into a tight log making sure everything can be tasted in every bite. Enjoy the wrap warm right away, as it gets soggy if left assembled for a long time.

Creme' Brulee' Sugar cookies

Holidays are always festive with a lot of eating, singing and bonding with your family and friends. I wanted to do something different this time. I usually love gifting my friends with a bunch of handmade goodies, including both food and non-food items.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 15 min
Baking time: about 40 min

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES
3/4 Cup. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Cup. All-purpose flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt


FOR THE FROSTING
1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 Cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 Cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350° and line two cookie sheets with parchment. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, then add mixture to wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Dough will be thick. Using a small cookie scoop ( I used 2 teaspoons- 1 to scoop the batter and the other to slide it out), place tablespoon balls of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Press down lightly on each cookie to flatten slightly. Bake until edges are just starting to brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth.Put sugar into a small bowl. Spread about a tablespoon of frosting onto tops of each cookie, then press into granulated sugar, coating frosting with sugar.Just before serving, use a kitchen torch to caramelize sugar on top, then set aside to cool. Store cookies in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you do not have a flaming torch, your broiler works just fine.

Chili's Inspired Black bean burger with Ground peppercorn sauce & blue cheese

I used to love going to Chili's ever since that life-changing discovery on one of my early visits.  Their burgers are phenomenal and they can serve  a vegetarian black-bean substitute with all the other toppings, on request. I have been addicted ever since. Shockingly, they do not serve it in any of their locations worldwide outside of US.  I was so addicted to the extent that I wrote to Chili's USA and they responded saying they have logistics issue serving them worldwide as they do not want to compromise on the quality. I hence decided to make them in my kitchen whenever I was craving them. 

Difficulty level- Medium
Preparation time- 15 min
Cooking time- 30 min, for both the sauce & patty together



Ingredients

Cooked black beans- 1/2 cup(refer to my notes on how to cook dry black beans) or 1 14 oz can of black beans
Onion- 1 small
Garlic- 2 cloves crushed or 1/4 tsp minced or powdered garlic
Cajun seasoning- 2 tsp
Bread crumbs- 1/2 cup
Egg-1
Hot sauce- 1/2 to 1 tsp , as desired
Dried herbs- 1/2 tsp
Fresh ground black pepper- 1 tsp
Blue cheese crumbles- 1 tbsp
Salt-to taste
Burger buns, lettuce, tomato, cheese, ketchup- to your liking

For the Ground peppercorn sauce

Butter-35 gms
All purpose flour - 35 gms
Milk- 200 ml( any fat-level will work)
Vegetable stock- 100 ml
Black peppercorns- about 4 tsp
Brandy- optional, 1 tbsp

Preparing the sauce

Crack the black peppercorns in a pestle and mortar (if you don’t have one, put them in a plastic bag, wrap in a tea towel, and hit a few times with a rolling pin) – You want to make sure that the peppercorns are cracked, but do not over-grind otherwise the sauce will lose its intense peppery flavour. In a small saucepan, melt the butter on a low heat. Once the butter is fully melted, gradually add the flour. After each addition mix well to ensure it is fully combined with the butter. Once all the flour is added you should have a thick smooth paste. Cook the butter and flour mix for a couple of minutes stirring regularly – Cooking the butter and flour mix for a couple of minutes before adding the other ingredients ensures that the flour is cooked. If you skip this step your finished sauce may have an odd floury taste. If you decide to add the brandy, add it at this tage and mix well to combine with the butter and flour – adding the brandy at this stage ensures that the alcohol is cooked off.Gradually add the milk , mixing well after each addition to combine with the butter and flour – I like to switch to using a whisk at this stage as it helps to break down any lumps. Once all the milk is combined, add the chicken stock and black peppercorns and season with salt. Simmer gently until the sauce has reduced to your required consistency.

Making the black bean patty

Drain beans well. Put onion and garlic in food processor and blend until fine. Add beans and blend well until mashed consistency. Place into a mixing bowl and add bread crumbs, egg, hot sauce, parsley, Cajun seasoning, and stir. Mix well and shape 4 patties (I opted to make 3 larger patties). Make a dent in the middle top portion and add some fresh ground pepper and some blue cheese crumbles. Seal the opening well. Place on a well-greased stovetop grill pan like I did or use an outdoor grill. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side. You can also broil in the oven for 10-12 minutes per side on a greased, foil-lined pan. Once thoroughly cooked, spread the remaining blue cheese crumbles on top of the patty. If using a pan, add some water all around the patty and close the lid covering the entire pan , after sprinkling the blue cheese. It creates a steaming effect, and makes the cheese melt beautifully over the patty.
Stack them along with all the accompaniments, to your liking and enjoy..

Note- Soak the dry black beans overnight or 8-9 hrs. Cook in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.

Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you are the lover of a chewy chocolate chip cookie , your journey ends here.



Difficulty level- Easy
Preparation time- 10 min
Baking time- about 15 minutes per batch

Ingredients

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour(if you do not have cake flour, please see my 'Note' at the bottom to see how to make it by yourself)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 ¼ cups white sugar
1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)
M & M for garnish(optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, until well blended. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon, stir in walnuts if desired. Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Garnish with M & Ms. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are light brown. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: Measure 1 cup of all -purpose flour. Measure out 2 tbsp of it and replace it by the same 2 tbsp of Corn flour. Your cake flour is ready.

Oreo Fudgy Brownies

Oreos are a kids' favorite and a lot of the adults I know love it too. I have incorporated Oreos and marshmallows to the brownie to make it all the more chewy. It is a fudgy, chewy, brownie goodness which will make you go back for more. 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
30 Oreo cookies coarsely chopped

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 9×13 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add in salt and the cocoa powder and mix on medium until combined, 30 seconds to a minute. Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour until incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Spread half of the batter into the pan. Top with the Oreos and spread the remaining batter on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the centre is almost set. It can stay fresh in an airtight container for about 3 days..I doubt this will remain at the end of the 3rd day anyway...

• 

Old-fashioned Apple Cobbler

I really miss the falls in the US. It used to be my favourite season. With the nature looking its prettiest in fall colors and the aroma of the seasonal harvest filling the air , we used to go apple-picking. I used to make everything imaginable with apples. This is one of my favorites. 

Difficulty level : Easy
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time:  40-45 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or other good baking apple), peeled and cut into chunks ¼ inch thick
• 1 cup water or apple juice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar , packed
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the batter:

1 c

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 5 Tablespoons butter , melted
• ground cinnamon for topping

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 inch pan lightly with cooking spray.
• Stir together brown sugar, water, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a saucepan. Stir in apples. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan.
• In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk and melted butter, just until combined.
• Pour the mixture over the apples in the pan. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
• Bake for about 38-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the topping comes out clean.
• Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
• Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
  
  
  .

  

Make Ahead:

You could prepare the apple filling and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

You can also freeze the baked cobbler for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven before serving.

Cheesy straws

With the kids studying from home due to the pandemic, there is an insatiable need for a variety of snacks at home. I decided to whip something up with things I had in hand. The more cheese you add, the yummier it gets. And who doesn't like cheese....

Difficulty level: Easy

Preparation time: 15 min

Baking time: 25 min

Ingredients

Puff pastry sqaure sheets- 10

Shredded cheese- atleast 1 1/4 cups(I used cheddar & parmesan combined)

Italian seasoning- 2 tbsp

Fresh ground black pepper- 2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Thaw the puff pastry sheets for atleast 3 hrs. Preheat the oven to 400F. 

Combine the shredded cheese, Italian seasoning, fresh ground black pepper and salt well and keep aside. 

On a working surface, spread some the cheese mixture evenly. Put one of the puff pastry sheets and press down lightly so that the cheese mix sticks to the sheet. Spread more of the cheese mix evenly and pat down. Make 1 inch wide strips using a pizza cutter. Twist the strips to make them  curly. Transfer to a baking tray. Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and and the puff pastry has turned crisp. Enjoy them right away. 

                                         

                                                    

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Whenever we go to P.F.Chang's we always get their Sticky Toffee Pudding. My elder son absolutely loves this and what better way to surprise him than have a home-made version for his birthday. I decided to give it a shot for the first time ever also because I can sneak in some dates into them ( my kids just call dates "gross"...for their gooey texture)...shh...just don't tell them..

The recipe from Martha Stewart makes divinely rich and melt-in-the-mouth Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Difficulty level: Medium

Preparation time: 20 min

Baking time: about 30 min

Pudding
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for dish
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dish
8 ounces Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup scalding-hot strong brewed coffee( I just used 1 cup boiled water as I was not sure whether my kids would taste the coffee flavour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup lightly packed dark-brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature

Sauce

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup lightly packed dark-brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Place dates in a bowl, pour coffee over dates, and let soak 15 minutes. Stir in baking soda.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated.

Reduce speed to low, and add half the flour mixture, beating until combined. Add date mixture and remaining flour mixture, and beat until just combined. (Do not overmix.) Transfer batter to dish, and bake until cake is puffed and springs back in center when gently pressed with a finger, about 25 minutes.

Sauce: Meanwhile, combine butter, sugar, and cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium (so sauce does not boil over) and boil, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and darkens slightly, about 4 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and pierce holes at 1-inch intervals to bottom of cake with a wooden skewer. Pour half of hot sauce over cake and let soak 20 minutes. Serve warm with remaining sauce. Cake soaked in sauce and remaining toffee sauce can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day. Before serving, warm cake in a 300 degrees oven 10 minutes, and sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Carrot date Cake

My mom was visiting, and I decided to make something that she would absolutely love. She loves both Carrots and Dates. I decided to do some research on how much varieties of Carrot Date cake I could find. I found it very interesting when I noticed that most people add caramel to enhance the flavor. I kept on searching as I wanted something with the least amount of sugar added, as the cake would rely on the natural sweetness of the dates ( some dried ones are extremely sweet, and it would depend on the variety of dates you pick) and of course the carrots. 

I finally saw a recipe from taste.com.au. The frosting is completely optional. I decided to keep it naked, as I wanted to enjoy the maximum flavor & taste of the dates and carrots, and nothing else. After all, they are the real stars here, and just let them shine through.

  

Difficulty level: Medium

Preparation time: 40 min

Baking time: 50-55 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (140g) dried dates, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup (125ml) boiling water
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 large Eggs
• 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
• 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour( note on making self-raising flour at bottom, if you don't have it handy)
• 1 cup (220g) brown sugar packed
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrot (about 3 large carrots)
• 1/2 cup (50g) coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 
  
• Frosting( optional)
• 250g cream cheese, softened
• 50g butter
• 1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar mixture
• Red, yellow & green liquid food colourinng

Directions

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease the base and sides of a 10x10 square baking pan.  You may also line it with baking /parchment paper, allowing the 2 long sides to overhang.

Combine the date, water and baking soda in a medium heatproof bowl. Set aside for 10 mins to soak. Use a stand up mixer, add the eggs and oil and whisk to combine. You could also use the hand-held mixer as there is not a long of mixing involved. 

In the meantime, for the dry ingredients, combine the flour, sugar, carrot, walnut, cinnamon and nutmeg well in a bowl and keep aside. Mix in the dry ingredients in batches and stir in the date mixture at the very last. They should just be uniformly distributed in the batter. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 mins to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting- Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Add icing sugar. Beat until well combined. Reserve 1/4 cup of the icing. Spread remaining icing over top of cake. 

Divide reserved icing between 2 bowls. Add red and yellow colouring to 1 portion to make orange icing. Tint remaining icing portion with green colouring. Place the orange icing in a piping bag fitted with a 2mm nozzle. Pipe 1cm-long carrot shapes on top of cake. Place the green icing in a clean piping bag fitted with a 2mm nozzle. Pipe onto cake to make the carrot tops.

Note:

Self-raising flour is really easy to whip up if you have corn starch in your pantry. Measure out  1 cup of all-purpose flour . Take out 2 tbsp and replace it with the same quantity of corn flour/corn starch.Mix well until everything is uniformly combined. There you have it..Self-raising flour..