Eggless Malva Pudding -A South African treat my way ...Vegetarian and Very Delicious !

My first meeting with this heavenly delicacy was a total surprise ! I never heard of it and never imagined that South Africans could bake so well , recently I learnt from a dear friend that people in South Africa are actually great at the 'Art of Baking'. My senses bumped into this 'dessert' at a New Year Party ,we attended at a friend's place in Sydney and it swept me off my feet ......I felt a little guilty ,for my husband couldn't enjoy (It had eggs inside!). Generally most desserts outside India aren't Vegetarian . I am a Vegetarian too but I go weak in the knees seeing cakes and other baked goodies ,I don't care if they have egg or not,my husband on the other hand is true to his principles of Vegetarianism ! I have hence taken up this task of 'learning' and 'trying' as many vegetarian delicacies as I can, 'Malva Pudding' was one of the long pending items on my wish list that finally got ticked off ,I thank my friend Rita Santhosh for her great help and perfect guidance.It wouldn't have been possible without her.....:)

Recipe

For the cake/Pudding

250 grams flour
2 teaspoon Baking Soda
A pinch of Salt

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons apricot jam
300 grams of white sugar
3 tablespoons of Distilled White Vinegar
400ml of Milk
1/2 cup of Nestle Milkmaid /Any other brand of Condensed Milk

For the Syrup

100 grams unsalted butter
100 grams sugar
11/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup of Boiling water

For the Custard Sauce

250 ml Milk
3 tablespoons sugar (You might wanna tone it down, depending on how sweet you want)
1 heaped Tablespoon of Custard Powder (I pledge on Weikfield)

Steps to Put the 'Malva Pudding' together

For the cake

1.In a saucepan , melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add Sugar , Apricot Jam and Vinegar.Keep stirring till the sugar melts and you see a smooth paste. Set this aside.
2.Meanwhile lightly grease and dust a square ovenproof Baking tin.Preheat oven for 10 minutes at 180 degree Celsius.
3.Sift the flour , baking soda and salt atleast thrice.....I sift the dry ingredients 5 times , 5 is my lucky number :) Sifting multiple times works best for eggless cakes !
4.Whisk the condensed milk with the normal milk
5.Add the flour mix and milk-condensed mix to the butter sugar-jam paste in parts ...Keep stirring every time you add an ingredient , so that no lumps forms....
6.Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degree Celsius or until a skewer comes clean .

For the sauce

1.Make the most while the cake is still in the oven , rising and shining :) Pour the butter into the saucepan , rather melt it with vanilla ,sugar and boiling water ......Keep stirring while keeping the flame low or medium ......Soon your home shall be fragrant !


Few of the final steps

1.While the cake is still warm , cut into squares , I made the cake in a round springform tin (Somehow I just love springform cake tins ,for they are very easy to handle) , I kept the base intact while removing the spring form and cut the cake into squares while it was warm (approximately 30 minutes after taking it out from the oven).
2.Pour the syrup generously over it and let it seep in. You would see how quickly the warm cake absorbs all the syrup !

For the custard sauce

1.Mix milk and custard powder well , no lumps allowed !
2.Pour this into a saucepan alongwith sugar and let it cook on a slow flame
3.Remove off the flame , once it is thickened.

Serving tip

1.Warm up the Pudding and serve with a generous amount of custard sauce .
2.Pat your back for baking such a treat and take in all the generous complements that shall be showered on you with pride and joy ! You indeed did a fabulous job !!

Eggless Chocolate Banana Bread/Cake

I bake when I feel low , I bake when I wish to break a routine , I bake when I feel like it is time for a sweet treat ,I bake when I miss the aroma of freshly baked bread or cake or muffins filling up my home and making it all the more beautiful .......Baking is my way to tap the creativity in me and dish out something that can be a treat to the senses for one and all....

While speaking to my brother , he confessed how tempted he is to try the cakes and muffins that I bake. When I was with my parents ,I seldom entered the kitchen , baking was a distant possibility then ! My brother often teases me for not making anything for him while I was single and with them , I too regret sometimes but I try to make up for it by dishing out a delicacy once in a while ,while I am at my parent's place in Ahmedabad.

My brother particularly is fond of Banana mixed with Chocolate , He likes his desserts not too sweet but fragrant and well flavored. I hence thought I must bake his favorite cake and see if the cake turns out good enough. This was a trial one since we both are currently in different countries ,however this recipe serves as a great reference for my future bakes , this I am sure would be hugely helpful to you too...Let me know how this comes out for you ! Meanwhile I too shall keep my fingers crossee and hopes pinned on my brother and his response to this delicious , moist , chocolatey banana cake ...

Here is the recipe , Before I begin the recipe , here are my two cents

1.It is good to sieve the dry ingredients 3-4 times , I sieve them for 5 times , I think 5 is my lucky number !
2.Add the Yoghurt and the Vinegar in the condensed milk , after you have poured out the condensed milk. Let this settle for about 5 minutes and stir it well , this shall ensure that the condensed milk tin is scraped out well , lesser wastage and better in taste !

Recipe 

2 cups All Purpose Flour
5 tablespoons Nesquik (Chocolate flavored)
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Baking powder

A pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter 
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 tin Nestle Milkmaid (condensed milk)
3/4th cup whisked thick Yoghurt
1 tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar
1/2 cup assorted nuts


How to put it together

Sieve the dry ingredients atleast thrice 
Take butter and condensed milk in a mixing bowl , whisk it well such that there arent any lumps , add in vanilla extract.
In the condensed milk tin , add yoghurt and vinegar and let it stand for 2-3 minutes
Now add mashed bananas to the butter mixture.
Add the dry ingredients and the contents of the condensed milk tin in batches to the butter mixture.
Whip it till you see no lumps
You could fold in nuts of your choice too  
Grease and dust a cake tin , pour the batter into it and pat it well.
Preheat oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes
Bake till a toothpick comes clean !