Home style chocolate cake that tastes like a Slice of Italy

Yes I know this is not a food blog. But can anyone survive without food?
Specially when the food in question is a Chocolate cake?
I baked one the other day and it turned out so well that I was asked to share the recipe.

So here goes:
Ingredients for the Chocolate Cake: 
1  tea cup plain flour ( Maida)
1 cup cream or milk top (malai)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
Two heaped table spoons coco powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (meetha soda)
1 pinch salt.
Sieve together all the dry ingredients and keep aside.
Put cream/malai and sugar in a big bowl. Mix in one direction with a wooden spoon.
Add one egg at a time. keep beating.
When it is nice and smooth and all sugar has dissolved. Begin adding the dry ingredients slowly and keep beating slowly.
Meanwhile the oven should have been switched on and heated at 180-200 degrees C (at least 15 minutes in advance).
Line a cake tin with foil. Pour/scrape the cake mix into the tin. Put it into the hot oven. Bake for 45 minutes or so till done.
I have a round oven with glass top, so I look in to see what is going on. You can use your way to check this.
Switch off the oven when you think the cake has been baked but DON'T OPEN the oven. Let it cool naturally.

Make chocolate sauce.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter or 1 tbsp clarified butter (desi ghee)

5 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp coco powder

1 tbsp corn flour or plain flour

1/4 cup water

Add 2 table spoons butter in a fry pan. Warm it on very slow fire. Add the coco powder and mix. Add the sugar. Continue to mix. 

Dissolve a spoon of plain flour/corn flour in 1/4 cup of water. Sieve it in to the coco powder mix in the fry pan. Keep mixing slowly on very low fire till it is thick and glossy. In about 1 minutes the chocolate sauce will be ready. Cool the sauce.

Assembling the cake:

Slice the cake into two layers horizontally. Spread chocolate sauce on the lower half. Put the top layer of cake on it. Spread more chocolate sauce on the top layer. Shave milk chocolate or any other chocolate from a chocolate bar onto the cake. Shave a few almonds too onto the cake. 

And it is all done. 

Admire your handiwork. And it is all done. 

Enjoy!

N.B: Clean the plate better than I did before photographing your lovely chocolate cake. Send the pictures to me. :)

A Family Get Together

We have all heard that a family that eats together stays together. The bigger the family, the more the fun for all and more the work for the lady or ladies of the house.
 No offence meant to the men of the house. Its just that whenever it comes to organizing something for the entire family, the major responsibility is shouldered by the female of the species, at least in my experience.

I am planning to have a party for our extended family in the city. This is to celebrate many achievements, landmark events, and general blessing of God to keep us all well and happy wherever we may be.

There is a major constraint though. How to get everyone together at one place and one time to share a meal.
The obvious choice is to go to an eating place that is equidistant from where everyone lives and to order food.
Nah! Where is the fun in that?
Too easy and too predictable. It is just money.
Half of them are likely to ditch at the last minute citing one reason (read excuse) or another.
Meeting the family is no mean task at the best of times. One tries to stay away as far as possible. So what to do to bring all these stalwarts together?
We will need to pique their interest and arouse a sense of involvement and ownership to coax them out of their cocoons.
The food has to be awesome but not intimidating, and the place has to be comfortable.
I am planning to have this party in my own home to ensure that timings are not a problem. People can come and go as they please and have one less excuse to stay away.
Food will be a mix of old favorites and new tastes.
These are the dishes I am planning:

Dal Bukhara
Chicken Methi
Bharwan karela
Masala Bhindi
Dahi Bhalla
Mix Fruit chat
Brown rice pulao
Missi roti
Moong Dal halwa

I know this sounds like a lot but I am sure I can still manage this menu.
Ok, I love to cook but am neither a glutton for punishment nor a superwoman. I can't cook so many things and still enjoy having this party.
At best I will cook the unfamiliar dishes indifferently and feel bad when they don't turn out as well as they should.
Also if I have to make all of these from scratch, I will probably chicken out of hosting this party till some other day (code for never).
I have decided to use the Kitchens of India ready to eat packets of Chicken Methi, Dal Bukhara and Moong Dal Halwa.
I am sure these will be tasty, hygienic and value for money. This will take the hassle out of these difficult to make dishes.
My confidence stems from the fact that I have used Ashirwad atta for God knows how many years and enjoyed the tasty 'rotis' that result from it.

I would devote the time and energy thus saved to interact with the family and to make it fun for all.
Everyone can pitch in and help by laying the table, heating the food (some of it out of the packets) and serving in nice bowls.
I am sure when the younger ladies see that I have no qualms about serving these ready to eat dishes they will feel less intimidated.
 They will understand that togetherness and love are more important than other things.
Who knows they may decide to hold some parties of their own where they will invite us and serve the food of their choice. And if they are smart they will choose some ready to eat versions too, thus saving themselves and us from some deadly food disasters.

Win Win situation for all.

Now, all I need to do is to Whatsapp, SMS or call these elusive dudes and dudettes and get the party going.

Wish me luck!

This is my entry for Kitchens of India contest. Here is the link  Kitchens of India.