Eggless Lemon Drizzle Cake (The improved version)

This super moist lemon cake with generous drizzling of tangy lemon glaze is the perfect summer cake! Try it out before summer ends.

If you’re looking for a star recipe on my blog, this is it. This Lemon Drizzle Cake is my most popular recipe on the blog and drives the most traffic. So its basically the HERO of my recipes. When I just started writing this blog, I made this cake and it was a hit, so I shared it here but over time I’ve improved as a baker and as a photographer. Looking at the old photographs make me cringe a bit and I feared it would drive people away from my blog. Since this recipe drives the most traffic to my blog I thought why not make it again and make it the best looking and best tasting cake so that anyone who ever comes to blog to see it, stays!

So here it is..Improved Recipe and Improved Pictures of my ever so famous Eggless Lemon Drizzle Cake.

Its mind boggling to see how much I have grown as a photographer. I’m not a pro yet, nor will I ever be, but to see this improvement is quite encouraging. If you want to see my old post, visit here. You’ll see a page full of lowly lit, badly styled, iPhone photographs. Its quite fun actually to compare these two! One side is just everything that could go wrong with a picture and the other side looks so much more pleasant, I’m amused !:D

Fun isn’t it? Not only the pictures but I’ve slightly tweaked the recipe too..just a little more flour has been added to make it hold better shape. Its still moist, no doubt about that but with a better structure. Its still eggless and I’ve used my master ingredient Buttermilk which makes my cakes extra moist. Let’s not forget the glaze amidst all this. Its still my favorite component on the cake and I’ve made that thicker too ! Now it has the perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness.

Same cake with only minor differences that made a whole lot of difference!

RECIPE: Eggless Lemon Drizzle Cake

INGREDIENTS

This recipe yields one 5″ round cake

Serves: 4-5

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Baking Time: 25 minutes

For the Cake

• 1 + 1/4 cup Flour (160 grams approx.)
•  Buttermilk, 1/2 cup or 120 ml (learn how to make instant buttermilk below)
•  Butter,4 1/2 tablespoons or 70 gms
• Granulated Sugar, 3 tablespoons, 70 gms
• Vanilla Essence, 1 teaspoon
• Lemon, 1 (zest and 1 tablespoon juice)
• Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon
• Milk, 1/4 cup or 60 ml

For the Lemon Glaze

• 6 tbsp Icing Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

* For 1/2 cup Instant Buttermilk*

Heat 1/2 cup or 120ml milk in a pan.. Once it starts to boil, add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to it. The milk will curdle. Sieve out the curdled part and use the remaining liquid as buttermilk.

METHOD

For the cake:

Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

Whisk butter until light and fluffy. When the butter turns pale yellow in color add in the sugar and whisk again.

Add in the vanilla essence, lemon juice, lemon zest and mix. In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder.

Add the flour mix to the butter mix little by little, keep alternating with buttermilk. When you run out of butter milk start adding milk to the flour mix. Mix sparingly, DO NOT WHISK.

You should have a smooth batter by now, toss this batter into a greased baking tin with butter paper on bottom. Bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

For the Glaze:

While the cake is cooling, make your glaze. In a bowl add the lemon juice to icing sugar and mix. You’re looking for a slightly thick pasty consistency. It shouldn’t be too runny. If its runny add more icing sugar, if its thick add more lemon juice.

When the cake cools down, cover it with glaze and a few lemon slices on top (only for looks).

Write to me for any queries!

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Take pictures of the food you create using a Sugar & Spice by Radhika recipe and Hashtag them on Instagram and Facebook. Use #sugarnspicebyradhika. I love to connect with my readers. 

Looking for more lemon recipes, here they are!

Lemon Crepes with Tangy Lemon Glaze

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Icing  (Eggless)

 

 

 

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Chocolate Fondue with 6 Dipping Ideas and A GIVEAWAY!

Rich and decadent chocolate fondue or chocolate fountain as we all know it, with  6 easily available dipping ideas. This dessert is perfect for sharing and is made in no time! Don’t stress if you don’t have a fondue set to serve it..because I’m GIVING AWAY ONE FONDUE SET at the end of this post! 😀

It was time that I finally organized a giveaway on my blog quite simply to thank my readers for sticking by me ! This is my first giveaway and I’m super excited for it. I didn’t want to give my readers just about anything I came across but I wanted to give you something that would be cherished by you all! What I’m giving you is not a product but a fun experience..a fun time with friends & family- I’m giving away this ever so gorgeous Fondue set by Urban Dazzle.

Urban Dazzle is India’s leading online home store..so if you’re looking to buy international quality products from the comfort of your home, Urban Dazzle is the place to go. I first viewed their profile on Instagram and I can proudly say I’m a fan now- this coming from a person who has looked up every online home store there is, in India. Their products speak for themselves and will lure you in, but their prices will keep you loyal..You will be amazed to receive such high quality products at those prices. I thought the biggest advantage of shopping here, at least for the youth of this country, is that Urban Dazzle’s  product line is very new and contemporary.. perfect for our generation! We love to bake, we love to present our food the way Nigella Lawson does but we simply don’t have the means..but not anymore, Urban Dazzle brings to you all the products that you can even remotely dream off.. Like I said before- I’m a FAN now..! They were also very generous when I spoke to them about sponsoring a giveaway for my readers- guess they want every Indian kitchen to DAZZLE now and with such pretty products I’m sure they will.

They sponsored this very beautiful fondue set for you all and I’m convinced now that it is one thing everyone must have..especially if you like entertaining a lot of guests and love to share! Its also great for people who want a  fuss free dessert but not at the cost of looking any less fancy! I thought I’d do an easy fondue recipe to go with it. This chocolate fondue or a thick chocolate sauce is so easy to make and all you really need is to heat up a few things and serve- yes as easy as that. It tastes like heaven..that rich fondue is perfect to dip fresh fruits in..I did kiwi, bananas and mangoes..but if strawberries are in season where you live then try that too. Just make sure you make plenty of it because it WILL BE polished off in a matter of minutes. 😀 My job is to warn you–so I am.. haha.

RECIPE: Chocolate Fondue with 6 Dipping Ideas

Makes: 1 large pot       Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Fondue

• Dark Chocolate, 150 grams
• Cream, 200 ml (I used Amul)
• Milk, 1/4 cup (optional; use only if your fondue feels stiff)
• Salt, a pinch
• Vanilla Pod or Vanilla Essence, 1 pod/1 teaspoon

-Optional

Baileys, 1 tablespoon OR Cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon OR Orange Zest, from 1 orange

For dipping

• Kiwi fruit, chopped in large chunks
• Banana, chopped in large chunks
• Mango, chopped in large chunks
• Marshmallows
• Mini Pretzels
• Any Cake, cut up in chunks

You can use just about any of these dippables, all or one..you could also go for croissants, just roughly tear them up and serve. 

METHOD

Heat cream over low heat. Once its hot and steaming, add in the chopped chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts and is completely incorporated with the cream. Now add in contents from 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. Transfer the fondue to a bowl and serve with the dippables immediately. (If you’re using the optional flavorings, make sure to skip the vanilla and add it in its place.)

You will have to reheat the fondue once its cold, it will thicken up so add in a little more cream to make it silky smooth again. If you have a fondue set, this shouldn’t be a problem because you can keep a tea light at the bottom plate which will keep the fondue warm.

This recipe has been adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Now the fun part..the GIVEAWAY..I’m giving away 1 Fondue set on my Facebook Page and my Instagram page. Simply follow these simple rules and win this beautiful, super fun and USEFUL (must add) Fondue set! Perfect for entertaining guests.

 

*This contest is only valid on Instagram and Facebook, so make sure you find me there!*

Instagram ID- SugarnSpicebyRadhika

Facebook Page– Sugar n Spice by Radhika

This giveaway has been sponsored by the very generous Urban Dazzle- India’s Leading Online Home Store and… My favorite..haha..let’s not forget that! Buy this Fondue set and much more at UrbanDazzle.com.

Write to me for any queries!

You can connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Google Plus for regular updates.

Take pictures of the food you create using a Sugar & Spice by Radhika recipe and Hashtag them on Instagram and Facebook. Use #sugarnspicebyradhika. I love to connect with my readers. 

 Love dipping ? Why not make my Churros with Orange Chocolate Sauce. Easy Peasy!

Marshmallow Brownies

These toasted marshmallow topped super fudgy chocolate brownies will win over anyone. Try these out and you will not go back to eating a regular brownie again..and yes they’re eggless!

Soft fluffy toasted marshmallows over gooey double chocolate brownie..this is as close as you can get to heaven. Trust me! I’m in awe of how wonderful this brownie bar tasted. The marshmallows after baking turn all soft and stretchy which makes every bite  perfect. You feel the dense chocolate brownie against the sweetness of the marshmallows and it all tastes harmonious. Even if I tried, I couldn’t fault this brownie..there’s not one thing I’d change in it.. It’s just so perfect! Yes..It’s pure indulgence..but when an indulgence is this good I don’t mind putting on a few grams :p

 

This brownie recipe is just like my peanut butter swirl brownie. The base is exactly the same..I’ve only changed the topping to marshmallows. These brownies bake real fast and have no eggs in them, I put condensed milk to make them extra gooey in case you’re wondering. This is a double chocolate brownie, I’ve put cocoa powder and melted chocolate to make it extra chocolatey. The melted chocolate makes the brownie what it is. If you’ve ever wondered why your brownie turns out like a chocolate cake and not a fudgy brownie, try adding melted chocolate to it and you’ll see the difference. Try adding about 80 grams melted chocolate to every cup of flour and adjust it..if you’d like it to be more fudgy add 20 more grams. This  recipe calls for 100 grams which is the perfect amount.

You can use just about any marshmallows you have available..homemade, packaged, small, big, pink, white..any would do! I made a checkered pattern with pink and white marshmallows..you can do that or just go with white. If you don’t want so many marshmallows over your brownies, try snipping them in half lengthwise with a scissor and arrange them over the brownie. And like I always say..play with it..Do what you like. As long as the base recipe is the same..sky’s the limit to accessorizing this brownie.

RECIPE: Marshmallow Brownies

Makes: 1 9″x9″ brownie       Prep Time: 20 minutes        Baking Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• All Purpose Flour, 1 cup (128 grams)
• Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon
• Cocoa Powder, 1/3 cup
• Softened Butter, 2 tablespoons
• Sugar, 2/3 cup (mix of white granulated and dark brown)
• Condensed Milk, 100 grams
• Melted Dark Chocolate, 100 grams
• Milk, 1/2 cup (or 120 ml)
• Vanilla Essence, 1 teaspoon
• Marshmallows, enough to cover the brownie

METHOD

In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Keep aside to be used later.

In a second bowl, whisk butter for a few minutes until light in color and fluffy. Add in the sugars and whisk again for a 3-4 minutes. Add in the condensed milk and whisk thoroughly for only a couple of minutes.

Add in the dry flour mix set aside to the wet mix little by little until everything is evenly combined. DO NOT OVERMIX or your brownie will sink in the centre. Mix until you no longer see dry flour, then add in the milk and incorporate with the batter followed by the melted chocolate and vanilla essence.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

Grease your pan and line the bottom with parchment or butter paper. Pour the brownie batter in the tin and smooth the surface with a  spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes in the medium rack at 175 degrees Celsius. Take out your brownie 15 minutes into baking line and line it with marshmallows. Bake for the remaining 10 minutes and take out when done.

Let the brownie cool a little bit before taking it out of the pan.

Let it cool completely before cutting slices. Use a very sharp knife and dip it in warm water before cutting every slice to get neat finish.

Write to me for any queries!

You can connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Google Plus for regular updates.

Take pictures of the food you create using a Sugar & Spice by Radhika recipe and Hashtag them on Instagram and Facebook. Use #sugarnspicebyradhika. I love to connect with my readers. 

 

Liked this brownie idea? Why don’t you try this Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie (Eggless)

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie aka Snickers Smoothie

Yes..This super healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie tastes like Snickers (the chocolate) in a liquid form..FYI It has no snickers in it or sugar laden chocolate syrup. This smoothie is low fat and really healthy..So all those who want a dessert but not the calories..read on, you’re in for a treat!

You know at times when you’ve got so many great ideas running through your head and you put them together to create something that blows your mind..and you wonder how you did it!? That’s exactly what happened to me here. This smoothie idea is a result of frivolous pinning and uncontrollable urges of putting together chocolate and peanut butter into something that would make everyone go crazy like I did when I ate my super delicious Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies. I sooo wanted to replicate that but without the extra cals. Enter Super Healthy Peanut Butter Smoothie that tastes almost like Snickers. No kidding..Try it and you’ll know! FYI Snickers is my favorite chocolate or candy..or whatever you like to call it, so I’ll be extra generous with compliments this time.

This smoothie had me craving for more..which is rare considering how thick chocolate smoothies make you feel so full and almost sick to your stomach. That’s probably because it doesn’t have anything unhealthy in it. Before you say peanut butter is unhealthy why don’t you read this. I had no clue 2 tablespoons of peanut butter a day are actually good for you..just like olive oil..and that’s how much I’ve used in 1 serving of my smoothie..So drink away guys..this is health food! 😀

Besides being healthy, this smoothie is really easy to put together like most smoothies. But don’t confuse this one for “just another smoothie recipe” because my darlings..you can easily have this for dessert! It tastes sooo rich and almost like a bar of chocolate, you won’t miss cake, I promise. It’s really versatile too..solves many purposes. Let’s assume you’ve got a sudden chocolate cravings.. what do you do? You make THIS. You’ve got no flour but need dessert..what do you do? You make THIS. You just need something to make you feel that health food can taste good..what do you do?  YOU MAKE THIS! So many reasons to make it so just head down to your kitchen and make it already..!! If you try it out, let me know what you think as soon as you’re done licking the life out of that glass..! 😀

RECIPE: Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie aka Snicker Smoothie

INGREDIENTS Serves: 1            Time: 5 minutes

• Frozen Banana, 1 large or 2 small
• Creamy Peanut Butter, 2 tablespoons (If you’re not health crazy add 3 for extra flavor..I did 😉
• Cocoa Powder, 2 tablespoons
• Milk, 1/2 cup or 120 ml  (skimmed or whole/toned or full cream)
• Honey or Sugar Syrup, 1-2 tablespoons (depends on how sweet you like your smoothies)

*If you like your smoothies really thick, double the frozen bananas in the recipe.

METHOD:

In a blender, blend the frozen banana until it becomes creamy like a soft serve. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth. Drink immediately or chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before consuming.

Lick the glass when done..I’m sure you’ll be tempted to :p

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Take pictures of the food you create using a Sugar & Spice by Radhika recipe and Hashtag them on Instagram and Facebook. Use #sugarnspicebyradhika. I love to connect with my readers. 

Love Peanut Butter? Why don’t you try these?

Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies (eggless)

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Frosting

Rich and moist chocolate cupcakes topped with the best Oreo frosting in the world. This is one recipe everyone must try!

First chocolate cupcake recipe on this blog and I’m in love with it. Chocolates are something I dream about..like a million other people so it should come as no surprise that I absolutely LOVED these cupcakes. These dense dark chocolate cupcakes are great on their own.. but when you top them with my Oreo frosting it will be impossible to just have one of these..or two. I have no idea how many times I went to refrigerator to have something and ended up with a cupcake in my hand. They’re like magnets! No kidding 😛

My Oreo frosting will make anyone go weak in the knees.. this coming from a person who’s not a frosting fan. I’ve never loved buttercream frosting mainly because they tend to be over sweet but not in this case. My frosting is just enough sweet and is clearly the show stopper.

I know I don’t have the best piping skills..none at all..so please don’t judge me! :p I’m learning to pipe but I never get the nozzle right ! Why don’t you share you piping secrets if you have any..I’d love to know! Here’s the recipe for the cupcake and frosting, let me know when you make these! 🙂

RECIPE: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Frosting

Makes: 12 cupcakes         Prep Time: 15 minutes       Baking Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

• All Purpose Flour (or maida), 1 1/2 cup or 200 grams approx.
• Cocoa Powder, 1/2 cup
• Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon
• Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
• Softened Butter, 1/2 cup or 100 grams
• Sugar, 1 1/2 cups or 300 grams approx
• Eggs, 1 egg + 1 yolk
• Vanilla Essence, 2 teaspoon
• Buttermilk, 1/2 cup or 120 ml
• Strong Coffee, 1/2 cup (1 teaspoon of coffee in 120 ml of water)

For the Oreo Frosting

• Whipping Cream, 2 tablespoon (I use Rich’s whipping cream)
• Unsalted Butter, slightly softened, 1/2 cup or 100 grams.
• Icing Sugar, 1 cup or 125 grams approx.
• Vanilla Essence, 1 teaspoon
• Oreos, 5-6 crushed

METHOD

For the cupcakes

Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes while you grease your muffin pan and liners.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Keep aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk butter until light and fluffy (for about 3-4 minutes by hand or 2 minutes by mixer). Add in the sugar and whisk until properly combined about 2-3 minutes.

Add in the eggs and whisk again until everything comes together properly followed by vanilla essence.

Add the dry ingredients that you set aside in step 2 to this mixture little by little alternating with buttermilk and coffee. Mix until everything is combined and you have a smooth batter. DO NOT OVERMIX or your cupcakes will be tough.

Pour the batter into the muffin liner until 2/3rd full. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 17-20 minutes (depends on the depth of your cupcake). Keep checking for doneness 15 minutes into baking by inserting a skewer in the centre. If it comes out clean with a few crumbs your cupcakes are done, if not bake for a few more minutes and check again.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

For the Oreo frosting

Whisk whipping cream and butter until it forms stiff peaks. This should take around 3-4 minutes or more depending upon the temperature of your ingredients. Make sure they’re cold, or you’ll have a hard time making the frosting set. I used a hand mixer to whisk which made it a whole lot easier to achieve the stiff peaks.

Add the icing sugar and vanilla essence. Whisk until everything is combined and you have a stiff icing. Fold in the crushed oreos (DO NOT MIX VIGOROUSLY; softly fold them) and chill for at least half hour.

Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. To decorate, cut an Oreo into two pieces with a sharp knife and put it on top of the frosting.

The cupcake recipe is from Gimme Some Oven. The Oreo frosting recipe is an original by Sugar & Spice by Radhika.

 

Write to me for any queries!

You can connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Google Plus for regular updates.

Take pictures of the food you create using a Sugar & Spice by Radhika recipe and Hashtag them on Instagram and Facebook. Use #sugarnspicebyradhika. I love to connect with my readers. 

Are you crazy for chocolate like me? Then you’re going to love these recipes..

Half and Half Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies (eggless)

Homemade Chocolate Chip Ice cream (LOW FAT)

 

Homemade Tortilla Chips with Chunky Salsa

Crispy Tortilla Chips ready in under 10 minutes best eaten with my Chunky Homemade Salsa. Both are super easy and you can make them using the most basic ingredients! 

To all those who complain that I put up “complex” recipes..this one’s for you! 🙂 My crispy Tortilla Chips are made at home using the most basic ingredients and to accompany them I made my favorite Chunky Salsa. You don’t need to cook or knead or whisk or wait. They’re ready in a jiffy and taste great together. This pair is bound to please a lot of people and is great for dinner parties or even game days! Have an upcoming cricket match? or a football match? Why not make these and enjoy your game with something as amazing as this to munch on?

I made Pita Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus(again super easy) a little while back..they were a hit at my house! Those crispy munchies were perfect for a person like me who likes to chomp on something while watching a movie or a TV show.  My family loved those super crunchy pita chips and that hummus was the creamiest I’ve ever had. The idea to make Tortilla Chips was actually inspired from that recipe and these chips were again a hit!! I guess its got something to do with my family loving crispy food. :p But I promise you’re going to love them. You can even dress these Tortilla chips and make Nachos at home. Just load them up on a plate and serve with salsa, guacamole (my recipe here) and some sour cream. I love a few spring onions here and there..and maybe some cheese too.. they taste great!

These chips are very versatile. I’ve made the most basic version..with olive oil and salt but you can add in a little paprika and some dried herbs if you like! They’re a super food and never fail to impress guests. Wait till you tell them that these are homemade and they’ll shower you with praises! I can bet you on that ! 😀

 RECIPE: Homemade Tortilla Chips with Chunky Salsa

Serves: 3-4       Prep Time: 5-10 minutes       Baking/Frying Time: 7 minutes/2 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Tortilla Chips

• Tortillas, 4
• Olive Oil, to brush
• Salt, to taste

For the Chunky Salsa

• Tomatoes, 3, diced
• Onion, 1, Diced
• Coriander/Cilantro, a handful, chopped
• Jalapenos or Green Chillies, 2, chopped
• Lemon Juice, 1-2 tablespoon
• Salt, to taste

METHOD

For the Tortilla Chips

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.

Using a pizza cutter, divide a tortilla into 8 equal triangles (like a pizza). Line the tortilla pieces on a baking tray, brush each piece with olive oil on both sides, sprinkle salt and bake for 5-6 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Alternatively, deep fry the tortilla pieces in a medium hot oil  until golden and dry on a kitchen paper. (DO NOT LET THEM BROWN; take them out when golden).

For the Salsa

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season according to your taste.

Serve Tortilla Chips with Chunky Salsa and get ready to be praised.

Write to me for any queries!

You can connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Google Plus for regular updates.

Take pictures of the food you create using a Sugar & Spice by Radhika recipe and Hashtag them on Instagram and Facebook. Use #sugarnspicebyradhika. I love to connect with my readers. 

Looking for similar recipes? Why not try my Homemade Pita Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus?

 

Mexican Style Mini Tortilla Pizzas

 

Mango Salsa

 

An old recipe from my blog, but my most favorite..Homemade Guacamole!

 

 

Chocolate Swirl Banana Muffins

Super moist Banana Muffins with a generous drizzle of melted chocolate, there’s not one person who wouldn’t like these.

If you love bananas as much as I do you’re absolutely going to love these muffins.. But if bananas aren’t your thing, you’ll start loving them after you eat these. My banana muffins are PERFECT. I couldn’t fault them if I tried..and the chocolate swirls on top only make them better. You might wanna leash yourself to a chair before eating these muffins because they’re ADDICTIVE. I swear to god they are..I am Hooked! My trips to the kitchen end up with me sneaking into the box where I put these Consider it a warning..please leash yourself or have an adult with zero tolerance to indiscipline watch you. I wish I did. :p

Because I bake so often..mostly trying out new things that I can share here, I end up not making my old recipes as much as I want to. I had been craving my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread ever since I made it and these muffins were perfect to satiate that craving. Mini bombs of flavor..these banana muffins have everything you can ask for. Moist, not overwhelmingly sweet, chocolaty and most importantly their texture is so perfect. They aren’t as tender but almost bread like. I could go on and on about these but I’ll try to sum up in one sentence.. They were so good that I’m going to make time to bake these at least once a week. 😀

Pardon my ugly nail paint..haha..it isn’t as bad as it looks in the picture :p

These banana muffins are a perfect excuse to use up any overripe bananas. Those rotting black fruits that most often go into the trash are actually the kings here. The riper they are, the better your muffins will be. So go looking for black bananas or wait a few days and let the nature take its course. Don’t be tempted to use fresh bananas because it will screw up with the recipe. They won’t be bad but you’ll need to bake them for 17 minutes as opposed to 25 minutes of baking muffins with overripe bananas. As yuck as they look..overripe bananas are actually what takes these muffins to the next level. They lend so much flavor along with moisture. Try it and you won’t go back. Please share your reviews if try these out..I’d love to know what you thought of these. You can connect with me at a number of places..online :p Details at the end of the post.

RECIPE: Chocolate Swirl Banana Muffins

Makes: 11-12 muffins      Prep Time: 10 minutes        Baking Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS  

• Flour, 2 cups or 250 grams
• Baking Powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt, 1/2 teaspoon (skip if using salted butter or Amul)
• Softened Butter, 1/2 cup or 100 grams approx.
• White Granulated Sugar, 1 cup or 200 grams approx.
• Eggs, 2 medium   (or 1/2 cup yogurt or 120 ml yogurt)
• Overripe Bananas, 2 , Pureed**
• Vanilla Essence, 1 teaspoon
• Milk, 4 tablespoon
• Chocolate, 20-30 grams, melted

*If you need fewer muffins, you can half all ingredients except baking powder and vanilla essence. Use 1 teaspoon baking powder and same amount (1 teaspoon) of vanilla essence. *Use ONLY overripe or black bananas for this recipe.  If you’re running out of patience and want to bake these with fresh bananas, then bake the muffins for 17 minutes and check for doneness. They should be done by now but if they aren’t bake for another 3 minutes.

**To puree bananas, simply blitz them up in a blender for a few minutes or until their liquidy.

METHOD

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and keep aside to be used later.

In a separate bowl, whisk butter for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the sugar and whisk again for 2-3  minutes until both of them are properly combined.

Add in the eggs one by one along with the banana puree and vanilla essence. Gently whisk without incorporating too much air.

Fold in the dry ingredients set aside in the first step to this wet mixture little by little.  Add  in the milk and mix (DO NOT WHISK). Only fold or mix using a spatula or a wooden spoon. Stop mixing when you no longer see dry flour or flour pockets. Avoid over mixing this batter or your muffins will be tough.

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

Grease your muffin tins with a little bit oil. Spoon in the batter into the muffin liners until they’re 2/3rd full.

Drop a teaspoon of melted chocolate over the top of the muffins and gently swirl with a toothpick. To get beautiful swirls do not drop too much chocolate. A teaspoon of melted chocolate over each muffin is enough.

Bake these muffins for 25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Keep checking for doneness 20 minutes into baking and continue to bake if they seem undone.

Take the muffins out when the skewer comes out clean with a few crumbs on it. Let them cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, I normally devour 1 right out of the oven :p Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Write to me for any queries!

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The recipe has been adapted from The Novice Chef.

Take pictures of the food you create using a Sugar & Spice by Radhika recipe and Hashtag them on Instagram and Facebook. Use #sugarnspicebyradhika. I love to connect with my readers. 

Are you a banana lover like me? Then you must bake my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

And my Nutella Banana Crepes.