Diwali recipe by Viveshni Joseph

Vanilla Cardamom Cupcakes

¾ cup cake wheat flour

½ tsp baking powder + 1 pinch (or 1/8 tsp)

¼ tsp baking soda

a pinch of salt

6 tbs sugar

3½ tbs melted butter or oil (refer to the notes)

½ cup milk

¾ tbs vinegar or lemon juice (I use apple vinegar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Place the cupcake liners in a cupcake or muffin tray. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Mix with a hand whisk. In another large bowl, mix the milk, melted butter, sugar, vanilla and vinegar together. Then add ½ of the flour mixture to the prepared wet mixture and mix with a whisk just until combined.

Next add the rest of the flour and gently mix until combined. Do not over-combine. Scoop the batter equally to 6 cupcake liners. Bake them in the centre of the oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Adjust the baking time as it differs from each oven.

When done, a tester or a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool them completely before frosting

Burfee Frosting (yields 6 cupcakes) 

100g butter at room temperature

200g icing sugar, sifted

2tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp Klim powder

1tsp milk

Method

Whisk the butter until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar gradually until fully incorporated. Add in the cardamom powder, Klim powder and milk and whip until you have a light fluffy buttercream.  Frost the cupcakes. 

Chocolate Chip and Cashew

300g flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 tsp salt

118g butter

100g sugar

100g brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence/extract

60ml milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips

½ cup cashew nuts

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix using a spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips and cashew nuts.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Scoop 1 tablespoon per ball and place on a baking tray. Leave sufficient space for spreading. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving. 

Eggless Chocolate Brownies

100g Greek yoghurt

120g icing sugar or powdered sugar

120g dark chocolate, chopped

25g butter

90g cake wheat flour

10g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

a pinch of salt

Method 

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a square baking tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang to easily remove the baked brownies.

In a mixing bowl, combine together the Greek yoghurt and icing sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Check that the sugar has dissolved by rubbing it in between your fingers for no signs of grittiness.

Cover it with a cling wrap and set it aside. 

Place the chopped chocolate in a separate bowl and add butter to it. Melt the chocolate and butter together and mix until fully combined.

Weigh out the dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a small bowl and set it aside. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the yoghurt and mix well. Pass the dry ingredients through a sieve directly on top of the wet ingredients (sieving helps to remove lumps from the cocoa powder and baking soda).

Using a spatula, combine to form a thick brownie batter. Transfer it to the prepared square pan and bake it in the preheated oven of 160°C for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with few crumbs sticking to it.

Do not overbake or the brownies will be dry. Let it sit in the pan for another 5 to 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours before cutting into thick squares.

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