Barely Chocolate Pound Cake

Mom had her morning cup of tea in her hand today. She looked a little wistfully at her cup and said,” I should have picked up a cake from the bakery yesterday “. “Why mom? You just have to ask me and I’ll bake one”, I replied in my best chirpy, good Samaritan voice. “No chocolate?” She asks. “No chocolate”, I promise. Mom doesn’t have the time to bake herself, so all the baking in my house is done by me. Since my sisters don’t move their lazy butts to the kitchen. Anyway, I did bake a cake. And it had just two tablespoons of cocoa powder. That’s not really chocolate, just a food color sort of addition. And the chocolate ganache drizzled over the cake was on the cake and not in it. So that again, wouldn’t make it a chocolate cake. “This is brown, Ayesha”, mom sighs. “Mom, it’s not chocolate…errr….just barely chocolate”.

What You need(Cake)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

How to go about (Cake):

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.Flour and grease the baking pan.
• Add the dry ingredients in one bowl. Sift these.Set aside.
• Add eggs, buttermilk, butter and vanilla essence in another bowl. Whisk them.
• Whisk all the ingredients in a single bowl.
• Pour in the mixture and set to bake.

Ganache For Drizzling

• Add 3 oz dark chocolate in a microwavable bowl. Let this melt in a microwave. Remove this bowl from the microwave and immediately add 2 tbsp butter. Mix this mixture with a spoon. Drizzle over the cake.

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Steaming Kashmiri Chai and Pound Cake

      One should think twice before wishing for anything. Like me wishing for snow. I’m down with flu just because it was very cold. That too without snow.Just imagine what would have happened if it actually had snowed. Since my mother doesn’t use internet I can safely divulge a secret. I’m enjoying having a cold! Too much . I luxuriously stretch out under my warm blankets as I hear my sister complaining somewhere in the house, ” why can’t Ayesha do it?” and mom replying,”Well she’s sick,so you have to”. Ha!(Hahahaha! Poor Areeba:P) I guess that’s a bit mean. But in my defense I’m one person who rarely gets ill. I mean which student gets full attendance certificates in school? I have, many times in the past. So I(fond of celebrating everything), am fully exploiting my illness. Making steaming Kashmiri Chai and dunking hot slices of Pound Cake in it is an incomparable evening delight.Sigh. It’s amazing.Those of you who face cold weather have to try out this. Soothing,from inside out! Color alert(The Kashmiri Chai is peachy-pink) in color but thanks to the room lighting you can’t see it.Last picture however displays its real color).

What You need(Cake)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

How to go about (Cake):

• Preheat oven.Flour and grease baking pan.
• Add the dry ingredients in one bowl. Sift these.Set aside.
• Add eggs, buttermilk, butter and vanilla essence in another bowl. Whisk them.
• Whisk all the ingredients in a single bowl.
• Pour in the mixture and set to bake.

What You Need (Kashmiri Chai)

• 2 tsp of  green tea leaves 
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 pods of cardamom crushed
• 2 cups of water
•  2  cups of whole milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• Garnish: 2 tsp of ground pistachios and almonds 

Makes up to 2 cups of tea. Takes about 15 minutes to prepare

How To Go About (Kashmiri Chai)

• In a saucepan on medium heat, add the 2 tsp of tea with about 1/2 of water, boil till frothy then add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk vigorously for about 10 seconds and then add the rest of the water and crushed cardamom and boil until the tea broth becomes peachy pink.
•  Now bring the heat down to medium low and add the milk and whisk the tea broth very vigorously to achieve a slight froth. The color of the tea should now be a lovely dark pink. If you want a lighter color add more milk.
• Let the tea simmer for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. This gives a distinct and lovely taste.
• Finally, add the sugar and stir. Pour in to a cup and sprinkle with crushed pistachios and almonds. 
• Serve tea with sugar and salt,so people may add acording to taste

Have a lovely time drinking tea and eating cake. It’s the best thing ever. And if someone has flu, don’t fret, even better( Enjoy not doing anything for a while.)

Love and Hugs,best winters to you and yours.