Fruit cocktail Cake

My parents in law were here recently and I was thinking, thinking and thinking what to make the 10 days that they were here. Later on, I did feel that this thinking process everyday did take away a lot of time from the little time we had together…

I ended up making a lot of dishes which I have tried at least once before. My in laws are not very keen on trying new cuisines. So I prefer to stick with the typical Malayalee cuisine, which itself offers a wide variety of dishes in veg and non veg. But am someone who cannot stay away from new recipes, I thrive on trying out new and interesting recipes which I come across in the ‘n’ number of blogs and cooking sites that I follow.

The last day that they were here, I tried this new and different cake which I saw in PioneerWoman and she calls it cuppa cuppa cake and believe me its so so easy. This particular cake needs just 4 ingredients, can you beat that??? I had to try this. But wanted to bring in a few changes, which is again an inspiration from another blogger.

It happens at times, isn’t it? The moment you see a recipe online or in a book, you rush to your pantry to check whether you have all the ingredients with you. Thats exactly what I did when I saw this recipe. But to my dismay I dint have fruit cocktail, that dint stop me either, I rushed to the store and got a tin.
And lemme tell you, it was worth it…the cake was amazing. And I have tried it again twice since. A slice of that cake and a dollop of whipped cream on top…yummmm…am thinking whether to bake again…please stop me….

Here is the recipe. Do try it out…

Am going to call it, Fruit Cocktail Cake

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (16 ounce) can fruit cocktail

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Now, lets bake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x9-inch square baking pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, egg, baking soda, vanilla and undrained fruit cocktail. Mix until blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the brown sugar.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm. 

The pictures are of my first Fruit Cocktail cake. I halved the measurements and baked a smaller one as it was my first time. 

Happy Baking!!

My Grandfather....

Today is that day when I think about that one person as if he was with me till yesterday and gone today, though he became a shadow by my side or a memory, 10 years back, today.  Then my thoughts move to an equally important person in my life...

 It might be a difficult situation for most to understand and a very few would be able to identify with me. Those very few would have lived with their grandparents; they would have spent their important growing years under their protective wings.

 I was one such lucky little girl. Even after my parents moved to our new home, I continued staying with my loving, doting grandparents. My parents always feared that end of the day; all the love and care might make me a spoiled brat. But little did they know that my grandparents took extreme care in preparing me for the harsh world I would come across in just a little while.

 I lost my grand mother 14 years back. She was the best mother, wife, grand mother, aunt, and sister I ever came across and my grand father was the perfect gentleman. And they took such care in making sure that they do everything for the perfect upbringing of all their 4 sons including my father, who is their eldest son. So yes, I was their much awaited first grand daughter. 

 I still remember the look on their faces when am sick, when I am 2 minutes late to get back from school, when I fall and get hurt, when my parents scold me (for my mistakes, mind you). They would scold very rarely, but would always speak to me about being right and wrong. They did everything they could to make sure I had a comfortable home to play, study, live.

 Grand parents are the perfect gifts any parents could give their children and your children are the best gifts you can ever give your parents. I make sure my son gets to spend a lot of time with his paternal and maternal grand parents and they adore each other. 

 My grand mother fell in her bathroom on April 2^nd right before I went to college for my Pre degree final year exams and I knew that its time for me to say good bye to her. The 2 days that I had exams after she fell, whenever a peon would cross the room, I would get prepared to hear the bad news about my grand mother’s death. And finally on 4^th April, she passed away right after her operation. No, we dint get to say our good byes as she was in a coma the 2 days before her death. 

 Even when my grand father passed away I knew the time is getting nearer for our final good byes too. I was away at Hyderabad for work at the time and from my parents I knew he was not doing too well. He had Parkinson’s disease. One fine day it just dawned on me that its better I get back to my home town at the earliest to see him. Spoke to my manager, who granted me leave without a word, got train tickets without a hassle and I boarded the very next day’s train. But little did I know that he wouldn’t wait for me. He passed away that night while I was sleeping peacefully in that train. Once I woke up in the morning, I was feeling quite empty, and I dint know why. Somewhere in my mind, I knew its got to do with my grandfather, but I did not want to believe it and started looking for other options that could possibly happen. 

That afternoon I reached Shornoor and boarded another train to my hometown and once I reached the station and saw my childhood friend and her father waiting for me at the station, I was sure… I was sure that all those thoughts that were haunting me the whole morning has finally hit me hard right on my face. 

But couldn’t she have come to pick me up; we haven’t met in quite a while. Yes, she could…but I knew and I couldn’t believe the fact that I wouldn’t be able to talk to my grandfather again. I couldn’t believe he won’t give me my due of the usual100 rupee note when I go back to Hyderabad again. My grandfather always gave me a 100 rupee note each and every time I came home for a short break from my college hostel or later from my workplace, it became more of a custom. While in college, I used to come home whenever I got a chance and each time he gave me money he would lovingly crib that if I come so often, he would not give me money all the time, but never ever skipped even once. I had one 100 rupee note he had given me, for a very long time until my husband unknowingly used it without knowing the value of that particular note and I never told him either.  

 My friend who came to pick me up told me that there is nothing wrong and that she came only because she was in the area with her father. We took an auto to our place and when we were about to reach our home, she told me the news and I just sat in the auto without uttering a word... My ‘know all’ mind was probably telling me, ‘I told you so’, ‘Good that I prepared you well to face the situation’ and I just did not know how to respond to the whole situation. I couldn’t cry, I just went inside and sat next to where he was laid down the whole night on banana leaves with a lit lamp beside him.

 All through the journey, I was thanking my stars for making my manager grant my leave without a word, for getting the train tickets at such short notice, for being able to catch the earlier connection train from Shornoor to my home town. But for what, all of this would have made sense, if I would have been able to sit next to him for at least 5 minutes. Hmmm…or I should be thankful that I was able to stay at my home for the next 16 days and do all the rituals for him…But I cannot help but think, if that feeling to get back home had been as strong just a day earlier, everything would have helped…There are always so many ‘ifs’ in our lives for which we really do not always have an answer…

Strawberry Sponge Cake

This is a recipe that I came across long long back. Unfortunately I don’t remember where I got it from; it can either be a blog or a website or from one of my dear ones...So ‘thank you’ to whoever passed it on. Usually I have this habit of noting down the source in my recipe books, so if I have any doubt, I know who to trouble. ;)
It’s a very simple cake and have even made the notation in my book that its the best recipe for beginners in baking. That’s me…

My son is down with cold and cough and he is at home. Am sure you guys know what I am talking about. Since morning he has been behind me for 'something to eat'. That’s his usual dialogue when he is bored and doesn’t know what to do...This is the first recipe that came into mind as it’s his favourite flavour. So went ahead and made it and my son has been taking slice after slice after slice...Next time I am going to try making cupcakes with this recipe. The feeling is amazing when something that you made is eaten with such enthusiasm, isn’t it??

Let me give you the recipe now. You need very few ingredients. Here it goes..


All purpose flour - 2 cups
Baking powder – 2 tsp
Milk – ½ cup
Sugar – 1 cup
Butter – 5 tbsp
Strawberry cream – 11/2 tbsp (I used strawberry crush)
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Eggs – 2

Line your cake tin with butter paper and grease the sides of the tin. Preheat your oven to 160deg C. Sieve together flour and baking powder 3 times (Sieving helps in equal distribution of the baking powder). In a bowl beat softened butter and powdered sugar. Once it’s creamy add in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in the strawberry syrup or crush and beat well. The batter will look curdled. Do not worry. Add in the flour and milk alternatively, mixing gently. You might need a little more milk or even a little less. Use milk accordingly to the consistency of your batter. Pour the batter into your lined cake tin and bake at 160 deg C for 20 to 30 minutes.

You can decorate the cake using strawberry syrup. I made the syrup by mixing little water, strawberry crush and sugar and boiling it until it’s syrupy. Pour this syrup on top of the cake, once both the cake and the syrup have cooled down completely.

Just because my son was behind me, I used one cup whipping cream to further decorate the cake. But I felt this cake should be had plain with a little strawberry syrup on top. Please do ignore the whipped cream decoration part in the picture. Am sure all of you would believe if I said that it was my little one who decorated it… ;)