Thursday, November 12, 2009

Praline Vanilla Sponge Gateau

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It's tough really,to decide if you are addicted to something or not!!.While at it,I thought it would be impossible for me to live without blogging,blog-hopping and the latest craze-Farmville on Fb.When I took a short break[I was at my mom’s place in Kerala]the internet connection was quite slow and it took ages for me to even log in,ok not exactly.I thought I’d die of a no-internet life,but strange,after the first day,I kept myself distanced from it and in a few days,totally forgot about it!!I am surprised myself..:)

I am back in Chennai now,though totally not loving it-after 2 weeks of pampered life.Hmm..:).As usual,got a few stuff from there which I am totally excited about.Got Betty Crocker’s book-Baking for Today at a throwaway price..I am still not done looking at the pics..:),got a few baking tins,a Xmas tree shaped one,another one which almost looks like a Bundt tin and a Brownie pan.

Got to start baking in a few days..:).
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Made this cake a while back,about 2 months back for a friend’s wedding anniversary.Ria has got some amazing baking recipes up her sleeve and this has become our favourite.This should be one of the instant-est cakes I’ve ever made.Got a party invite at 4 in the evening and by 6,I was ready with the cake..:).Good I say..:).Though the pictures don’t do justice,it was a delicious cake with a classic touch to it.

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Praline Vanilla Sponge Gateau

Recipe adapted verbatim from Ria

For the sponge

Flour-100g
Sugar-100g
Eggs-3
Vanilla- 1 tsp

Method

Beat eggs and sugar till thick and creamy and falls in thick ribbons when poured from a height (approx. 8-10 mins).
Then add in flour ,vanilla and beat till it forms a real thick batter which is almost mousse like(approx.4-5 mins) [I know that for a sponge we should be very careful not to let the air escape and we need to fold in the flour little by little. BUT for this cake this method works like a charm! :) ]
Pour into a prepared round tin and bake in an empty pressure cooker sans the weight for 5 mins on high flame and then reduce the flame to medium high and bake for 20 mins. [You must put in a steel ring/holder and then place the cake tin on it.]
Open the lid and do a skewer test to see if the cake is done.
Take the tin out of the cooker and let it cool in tin for 10 mins.
Remove the cake from the tin and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

You can bake the same in an oven at 180 degrees for 25-30 mins or till done.I baked it in the oven.

Basic Butter Icing

Unsalted butter, softened-75 g
Icing sugar-140 g
Milk-1-2 tbsp ( optional)

Mix butter and powdered sugar to a smooth paste like consistency.
Add milk if you need to make it a bit more loose.
If you like your icing to be thick , double the recipe.

Praline

Butter-1 tbsp
Cashewnuts-2 tbsp
Sugar-3 tbsp

Caramelise sugar on a medium flame till golden brown.
Add nuts & butter to it and mix well.
Pour onto a butter/tissue/parchment paper and let it cool completely.
Crush/powder them into tiny bits.

Assembling the cake

Cut the cake horizontally into 2 or 3 [I cut it into 2].Me too.
Sandwich each layer with 3-4 tbsp of butter icing.
Sprinkle some praline in between the layers (optional)
Spread the remaining icing on top and sides.
Sprinkle the crushed praline on top and on sides.
Cut into wedges and serve.




27 comments :

  1. WOw, such a delicious and gorgeous cake Divya...cant take my eyes from the cake..

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  2. nice one divs...will try it out soon...

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  3. Wow and welcome back. It looks you had a great holiday. The gateau looks beautiful and I truly appreciate Ria's collection of cakes.

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  4. The gateau looks scrumptious and a must try.Never tried praline and its time I did.
    From where you got the book exibition/bookshop? Also which place you visit for baking items?

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  5. I see that you had a great time in Kerala and managing to almost forget blogging and browsing (the contrary would have surprised me) :)
    When I am in India, I have so many things to do that I won't even search for a computer, hehehe and moreover shopping and getting pampered is far from being unpleasant right?

    your cake looks deliciously nutty and creamy !!

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  6. Ohhh yummyyyy. Gateau looks very tempting...

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  7. Divya,

    This is such a pretty looking cake. You should have taken a photo of a wedge, awesome!

    Cheers
    Arch

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  8. That looks so so spongy,gorgeous and yummy!!!

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  9. lovely cake..i love the topping with praline..looks delicious..

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  10. Lovely cake and why is there happy birthday everywhere on ur blog?Is it someone's birthday or is it the theme?

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  11. Yummy cake Divya.. Wish I could get a piece of it right now.. I got to try this..

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  12. The baker darling is bac...even i m not into it as m in mlore :) loved the recipe just got time to peep in all today :)....this Luks gorgepus

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  13. i tried this ria's cake..it was awesome,so soft and yum with simple ingredients..

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  14. I haven't made a gateau in ages! love the cashew praline..

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  15. great looking cake..and it seems sorta easy to make too..great to c u are back..

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  16. Thanks Divya, This cake came out too well.
    I havent posted this in my blog yet... but will post soon and will send u the link.. that was a major hit at home thanks once again.

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  17. hey divs, how are you?? hope you had fun back home :)

    Cake looks really nice & moist. I was also planning to make it when I saw it in Ria's place, but didnt happen so far :((

    Waiting to see your new baking recipes, Xmas tree cake etc :)

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  18. Yum yum Cake,pass it to me,finish with in a min.Do visit my blog when u find time

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  19. That cake looks delicous!! I can only imagine what great texture it must have had, with the praline :D

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  20. Divya, I really dont know how I missed this post of yours? I am so glad that I did :) It looks great! I am so happy to see this cake appear all over the blogosphere these days! It feels SO good! :)

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  21. Cake looks extremely delicious Divya! Just had my lunch and the dessert craving sky rockets after the seeing this cake.

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  22. Hi divya,

    I am chandhana and I am a beginner in both cooking and baking....

    I tried this cake yesterday.... and I ended up having a vey flat, hard and tasteless cake....

    What did i do wrong????
    I used a loaf tin, is it the wrong one?
    I dont have a egg beater --> did this lead to the disaster????

    I am so disappointed.... :-(

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  23. Hello Divya I am a great fan of your blog. Love the receipes u blog as not only they are delicious and scumptuous but has useful tips and proper step by step instructions. As for the giveaway, this idea is great. My favourite cooking utensils are my trusted old aluminium kadai and the hard anodized tava.

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A blog is not complete without the readers feedback.Please let me know how you liked my post.Thank you so much for visiting my blog.

Love,
Divya.

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