Upside down pear cake

Here the only people who just loves chocolate is my daughter and I.
If I am honest there was a time when I survied on chocolate and sweets, that was when I came here after getting married.

I am talking about more than 18 years ago , when there was no easy access to Indian spices or food unlike now.
My chocolate love have lessed compared to that time, still I do love them. Ofcourse i think the main reason for lesser love withchocolate for me now is well you all guessed it, these days i just have to smell a piece and it striaght just goes to my hips :-)

My hubby has been complaning that I am only making chocolate cakes ( which i think is a bit of a exageration from him)
So I thought why not make this cake with pears ( this one was made last week, but didn't had time to post)


Before I go to the recipe, I would love to tell you about Deeba's blog Passionate about baking actually I don't think you all need any introuduction to her place, but if you have missed this post you should check it out.
She has posted a video for how to decorate cake which i think is so so fantastic.

Now to the recipe, you can make this with different fruits like apple, cranberries, pears etc......... the recipe is from the Rachel Allen.

50 gm butter
300 gm Sugar
225 gm pears sliced
200 gm plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
200 ml butter milk
75 ml sunflower oil/vegetable oil


To serve
Softly whipped cream

Click the pic for enlarged image

Preaheat the oven to 180° c.

Melt the butter in the ovenproof pan. Stir in half the sugar and cook over a gentle heat for approximatley 2 minutes. Add the pears and set aside.
I melted the butter in a pan and then poured it on to my baking pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add the remaining sugar, the butter milk and oil and mix together.
Pour this mixture into the dry ingridients and whisl to form a liquid batter. Pour the batter over the pears in the pan.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or untill the cake feels firm in the center.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning the pan and plate over together in one quick movement. Serve warm or at room temperature with the whipped cream.

Pannacotta with coconut and melon

Pannacotta simply means "Cooked cream" it is a dessert from Northern part of Italy.
This creamy dessert is made by cooking, cream, sugar, milk and agging gelatine for setting.
I can be serves with a coulli of fruits or beries, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, well what ever you fancy ............
The end result is always great, you have this silk dessert which just slides down you throat while you eat them ;-)
And if you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I am a passionate about this Italian dessert. They are easy to make and it always impress my guest for dinner.

Like the time I made this delicous Bluberry pannacotta, or when I made this delicous Espresso Pannacotta from Deeba's place Passionate about baking , or why not give a try with this

Espresso flavoured Milk chocolate one or the Orange pannacotta with caramalized oranges, or the Mango pannacotta which i tried from Meeta's place What's for Lunch Honey orthe one with balsamic berries now with all these variety of pannacotta you can understand how i love this easy to make delicous smooth silky Italian dessert.

I loved making this one ,especially when my guest were curious how i got the slanting effect , if you look to the step by step pictures you will see how i achieved thate beautiful look.

Serves: 6

Ingridients
1/2 l coconut milk ( used tinned ones)
60 gm sugar
3 gm gelatine leaves
1 cavaillon Melon
200 ml sweet white wine
6 glasses

Warm the coconut milk with the sugar don't let it boil.
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for five minutes and squeeze oout the water before you use them.
Tale the warm coconut milk and add the gelatine and mix well. Let the mixtue get a little bit cool.
Now take a empty egg box and place the glasses in a slanting way and pout the coconut mixture so you will get the slanted effect. Place them carfully in the fridge for atleast 2 hours till it is set.

Cut the melon , remove the seeds and scoop the fruit out.
Mix the fruit pieces with the sweet wine with a mixer and keep them also in the fridge for cooling.
Before you serve just pour the mixes melon mix on to the pannacotta and serve it .