We did a lot of shopping on S's birthday. Apart from things for him and things for me, we bought things for the kitchen and the blog specifically. We got some nice ceramic stuff at throwaway prices and I bought a few just to photograph my food in. We also found muffin pans that fit my microwave. I don't have the luxury of a cooking range in this house and so we bought a microwave-grill-convection-combination oven and I never found muffin pans that fit. So when I found those at the I.N.A. market along with the Appey Kayli (special pan to make Appeys), I went ahead and just bought them.
I modified the Golden Glow Cake recipe to come up with this recipe. I thought of all the tropical flavours that I could pair Litchi with. I decided to use coconut and pineapple as I thought these would go well with the litchi flavour.
I used:
1 cup Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Demerara Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Oil
1 egg
1/4 cup Cocount Milk
1/2 tsp Pineapple Essence
1/4 cup Litchi Juice
Sift all the dry ingredients for the cake together into a food processor jar with the dough blade. Pour in all the liquid ingredients and run the processor for 2 minutes.
Prepare muffin pans by first smearing a little butter all over the cups and then dusting them with flour.
Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake for 15 minutes at 350 F. The cakes are done when a knife or skewer inserted into them comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the tins and cool completely.
Pour a little Litchi Sauce over these cupcakes when you are ready to serve them. They taste divine. I just replaced milk with a combination of coconut milk and litchi juice, the sugar with demerara sugar, the butter with oil and the vanilla essence with pineapple essence. What I was left with was a very 'tropical' cake batter.
We've enjoyed these fresh out of the oven and also after they went cold. I didn't think I could just replace ingredients to suit my preference (or that of Sig's!!). But guess what? I actually could. And the end result was simply divine.
Hopefully, this will be the last dessert I make for some time. Given that we're just two people, and ones who don't need dessert, I will stick to normal healthy food for the next few weeks.
So, this is another entry to the A Fruit A Month (AFAM) event hosted by Sig of Live to Eat.
I have been visiting your blog regularly since a week or two. Really liked it. You mentioned that you have a microwave oven with convection. Do you bake in it? I had heard that no kind of microwave oven bakes.
ReplyDeleteSuch glossy cup cakes. Raaga, truly amazing!
ReplyDelete@Nikita: You've been visiting for a week or two with no comments :) But welcome anyway. I've answered your questions in your blog as well.
ReplyDeleteBut here goes: my microwave is a 5 in 1 model. It has the following options: Microwave, Convection, Grill, Microwave+Gril and Microwave+Convection. The other model that I own also has a convection + grill mode.
You can bake a cake in a microwave too, but the top will not brown.
@Suganya: These are nothing compared to the stuff you make. But thanks :-)
ReplyDeleteI do hope you're feeling better now.
Welll i will try this recipe for sure. Can i use coconut milk from a can.
ReplyDeleteAnd Raga continue making the desserts you can share it with us :-)))
When i make desserts, i usually make it on a weekend and take it to my in laws place.........as the whole family comes there for sunday afternoon coffee....and it is disapeared to the last crump....
Litchi cupcakes are really innovative, Raaga, they sound delicious!
ReplyDeleteRaaga, just wanted to come over. Beautiful cup cakes. Viji
ReplyDeleteThanks for the answer. Sorry about not leaving comments. In fact i keep track of many food blogs but didnt leave comments on most. I should start leaving comments from now on.
ReplyDeleteawesome! i am really beginning to enjoy ur blog :)
ReplyDeletei got an otg recently so will this come out well in that?
Just look at those glossy cupcakes! They look adorable.
ReplyDeleteyou seem to bake a lot - im inviting myself over the next time im visiting delhi - seriously, this is no joke!!
ReplyDeleteim looking at a five mode oven investment. having seen my mom bake all my life, its rather hard to live without convection!!
which brand/ model do you use?
amma uses a BPL model that is quite ancient and predictably the market has changed a lot since her buy
Pineapple and coconut combo is heaven to me! Like you I used to bake a lot but trying to cut down these days.It's hard though with kids around!:)
ReplyDeleteThat glaze is mesmerizing!! I love it,so shiny and like glass.Beautiful entry.I am sure Sig will be very happy between you and me!!:D
@Happy: I use coconut milk from a carton and so I am sure you can use it from a can.
ReplyDeleteI will try and keep making desserts. I'd love to try your family favourites too.
@Viji: Anytime... you are welcome at all times. Thanks
ReplyDelete@Sra: Just another experiment of mine that didn't fail :-) In fact it turned out lovely. Thanks
ReplyDelete@Nikita: It is just one of the many little things that egg us on. Thanks a ton.
ReplyDelete@Nags: I am truly flattered.
ReplyDeleteThis would come out well in any oven. When I bake stuff in the convection mode, it is the same as using a gas or electric oven. Do try it.
@Lakshmi: I do bake a lot. Come over whenever you're in Delhi next. Would love to have you over.
ReplyDeleteI currently have a Samsung which I got for 12000 or so. At my mom's place and at my place in Bangalore, I have a National - much sturdier and a lot better in many ways. But a lot more expensive - they're all imported :-)
@Nupur: Thank you very much :-)
ReplyDelete@Asha: Sometimes you just hope that the dish will turn out nice because the flavours do go well with each other. I wanted to make a vanilla bread pudding and replace vanilla with litchi. You did that. :-) I am happy and so will Sig be :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the compliments and encouragement :-)
Hi Raaga.....The cupcakes look amazing :-)They are mouth-watering dear. This is my first visit to ur blog.Its a great space that u have :-)
ReplyDeleteu crack me up, raaga! calling dh for pic, u sure do take the cake err cupcake ;)
ReplyDeletethat litchi sauce on cupcake looks awesome, very creative entry!
Raaga, what glossy cupcakes !and they look so pretty.. I wouldn't have the heart to eat'em ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou post with amazing regularity. I am just not able to keep up via comments.Slow down, girl!
@Sirisha: Welcome to The Singing Chef. Thanks for all the compliments. I hope you keep visiting.
ReplyDelete@Richa: Yeah... that is addiction hai na... ultimate :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks :-)
@TBC: I have slowed down... I only post one a day, that too on weekdays. In July I used to post 17-20 on one day alone :-) Marathon.
ReplyDeleteBut, OK, for your sake, I'll try to slow it down... but you also please try to leave comments, OK?
Thanks and hugs girl!
Yes Yes Sig VERY VERY Happy :)
ReplyDeleteI am doubly happy today, because I won the guessing game too, YAYYYYY :D
And thanks a lot for the wonderful entries sweetie, the cupcakes look adorable... and you made the right decision, pairing coconut, pineapple and lychees.... can just imagine the flavors all blended together... yummmy.....
Raaga, my mouth is watering watching the cupcakes, with lychee I beat it tastes awesome.... :)
ReplyDeletethemistressofspices.wordpress.com
AB-SO-LU-TE-LY mouthwatering!!!!
ReplyDeletehi raaga!
ReplyDeleteAbout two days bak I was searching on the google for eggless french toast and I landed on your blog. Now I see that i missed lot of recipes .Litchee fruit cart picture is very good.I have never tasted lichyee before. I have not seen it popularly in my place(vizag) of Andhra. Is it like a strawberry.Your recipe eggless french toast is in my to do list.I will stop by your blog to tell you how it turns in mu kitchen After i try it.Thanks for sharing your great good collection of recipes with us.
Madhavi
wow that looks heavenly!! I thought it might be something like this. great pics.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures Raaga. Looks glossy.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be an expert in baking.
You are a microwave cooking Goddess! Look at how fantastic those muffins/cakes came out. Great job Raaga. I like the syrup you bathed the cakes in.
ReplyDelete@Sig: Good. I am very happy too sweetie :-) Your event and me using a silly excuse like fruit out of season??? Naa... no way :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was some puja day yesterday here: Sravana Mangalavaram. My neighbour observes it and she was here last evening. After looking at these cakes she said, "Usually, I don't eat egg on such days, but I don't mind!!"
I am extraaaaaa happy.
@Aruna: The flavours blended rather well. And our stood outthe litchi flavour stood out. Thanks :-)
ReplyDelete@Manasi: Thanks Girl :-)
ReplyDelete@Madhavi: Welcome to The Singing Chef. Do try all the recipes here. They're really easy and fun (at least most of them)
ReplyDeleteLitchis are like strawberries only to look at, that too from a distance. They're really tropical fruits with a hard outer covering and a huge seed inside. The flesh that lies between these 2 layers is absolutely yummy. It tastes like flavoured tender coconut or palm fruit (if you've had that!)
@Sharmi: Then you should have said so. But, just for you, I'll give you second prize :-) Thanks girl.
ReplyDelete@SeeC: Thanks. And thanks again :-)
ReplyDelete@Cynthia: Thanks dear. But I made these cakes in the convection mode. The sauce really gave them their true identity. Thank you :-)
ReplyDeleteYour cup cakes are glowing...is it love or is it... :) ?
ReplyDeleteHey Raaga,
ReplyDeleteCup cake looks so delicious.so well risen and glaze looks very glossy.My kids have been pestering me to bake so cakes, your recipe seems to evoke the urge to bake cup cakes
@Sandeepa: Is it? Tell me, is it?:-) Thanks
ReplyDelete@Sreelu: Thanks. I find making these cakes noi trouble at all. When I was a kid I used to do the cream, sift, beat routine... now I just put it all into a food processor jar and blend. Do try these and let me know how they turn out.
ReplyDeletetomatoes bring a lil sourness to any gravy with onions as the main base :) egg curry is no exception..
ReplyDeletebreaking my head trying to come up with a recipe with lychee.. arghh!
Very true Nags.
ReplyDeleteSomeone suggested a mousse... why don't you try that? Or a simple mocktail.
oh!!! special gadget and items for blog?;) he he he... love those glossy cupcakes, fit for glossy magazine raaga:)
ReplyDeleteglossy cupcakes looks delicious and mouthful of flavors...
ReplyDeleteThat is a great entry. They look so yummy. Wish there was no egg in it. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
ReplyDeletethese are so beautiful dear raaga. you are a very creative cook.
ReplyDelete@Sia: How nice, no?? :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks girl. Hugs.
@Padma: It did have a burst of flavours in the mouth. Thanks.
ReplyDelete@Hima: I have very few recipes for eggless cakes. Most of mine will have egg in them. Sorry about that.
ReplyDelete@Bee: Thanks so much. I am trying to overcome my creatively challenged title :)
ReplyDeleteHugs
lovely cupcakes Raaga... they are really tempting...will try it out sometime
ReplyDeleteYummy cakes! I bake only big cake, just for sake of convenience. Now you have tempted me to make these cute little ones. I have to search for my muffin moulds.I'll try your recipe this time raaga!
ReplyDelete@Priyanka: Do let me know how they turn out. Thanks :-)
ReplyDelete@Latha: I agree. It is just so much simpler to bake one big cake. But these are fun too. In their own little way :-) I'll wait to see yours :-) Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteWow, this looks delicious. I like making little cupcakes also because we don't eat a lot of sweets and that way I can freeze the ones we don't eat.
ReplyDeleteI made the lychee kakigori for the AFAM. :)
-sea
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