Hit century!!!!

So here I am with my 100th recipe .Can you believe it ???? Well if not then you must , I hit a 100 !!! Thanks to my hubby dear for all his support. Thanks to my parents for closely following it and correcting me as well as giving tips and new recipe ideas. Thanks to my close friend Sowmya who was my inspiration to start the whole thing . Thanks to all my dear friends and relatives who keep following this blog thereby making it popular.

Creating a blog was something not even in the corners of my mind when I kept changing my hobbies to fill my free time. But after I started it I did not have to turn  to another much better one. With all your support and tips to improve it has become this successful. So my humble request to everyone is to keep following the new recipes and keep posting comments ,as only through that I get to know that the blog is being used and that ignites the flame of interest in me to do more . You can also share new recipes with me.

I had taken a short break from blogging since the Vishu special post. I was entering my 99th post when suddenly I realized that the next one is going to be the 100th, couldnt believe my eyes at first when I saw the number .Though at that point of time I had few recipes lined up waiting to be published I stopped the process then and there. I wanted my 100th to be something special , something which I had not tried before and which can represent by itself as my 100th post. Since then I was searching for the special recipe and then this idea brightened my thoughts- Why not bake a cake!!!! Well I am a beginner in baking but I had always wanted to give a try in it , to bake a cake from scratch not using any ready mix packets. My hubby supported me and I thought I could do it with his help. And this saturday ,being a rainy day we were stuck at home which was  the best time for cooking experiments. We tried it and surprisingly the cake came out really good appearance wise and taste wise. My hubby decorated it beautifully and the outcome was fantastic.

So I am sharing with you the recipe of the cake we baked for the first time - its a CARROT cake. The name itself would have activated the taste buds of those who loves carrots and I don't think there would be many who would not like its flavor. The special ingredients that go into its making also gives a moist texture to it and also makes it spongy and soft. I have carefully selected ingredients with less calories and so this cake is slightly different compared to the creamy ones available in market. We give importance to taste and health together- so can forget the "luxurious and heavenly "ingredients for the time being and instead enjoy the good health and its benefits.

Serving size - Makes batter to fill in two small round pans as shown in photo. If you want a thicker and larger size cake for a bigger group then just double all the ingredients and fill in bigger round pans for baking

INGREDIENTS:

• All purpose four - 1 cup (sifted)
• Baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cinnamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon (Optional)
• Nutmeg powder -1/2 teaspoon (Optional)
• Cashews, Almond shavings, Pista grated , Raisins - 1/2 cup
• Yogurt -1/2 cup (I used non fat plain yogurt)
• Granulated sugar-1/2 cup (If you want it very sweet you can increase the quantity)
• Vanilla extract - 1/4 teaspoon
• Grated carrot - 1.5 cups
• Butter - 1/2 stick 
• Eggs - 2 
• Salt - a pinch
• A hand beater or electric mixer.
• Butter spray- to grease the pans.
• Easy frost - For decorating

How to Prepare:

Step 1: Sift the flour . Mix it with all dry ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, cinnamom powder, nutmeg powder, and salt . Mix well with hands or a dry spoon.

Step 2: Beat the eggs well and keep aside. In a large and wide bowl, add yogurt, sugar and vanilla extract . Mix well till sugar dissolves. Add the beaten egg. Mix well with a hand beater or a mixer to avoid lump formation and to make a smooth and fluffy batter.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 350F (180degrees). Lightly butter the pans (I used the butter spray). Then spread flour on top of it evenly. This is to prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom of the pan after baking.

 Step 4: Add grated carrots and mixed nuts to the batter and stir with a spoon to evenly distribute in the batter.Evenly distribute the batter to two floured and buttered pans. Fill it till half to prevent from raising and overflowing while baking.

Step 5: Bake it for 30 minutes or till the cake is evenly cook. You can test it with an inserted skewer , when it comes out clean then the cake is cooked. Take it from the oven and allow it to cool completely .

Step 6: Place one cake on a dry and neat platter and frost it lightly and evenly. Then place the other round cake on top if the first placed cake. Decorate it as you wish. Cut it into desired pieces and enjoy!!!

I used to store bought frosting to decorate. You can make your own frosting it you want the cake to be completely covered with the fluffy frosting. The recipe is given below

For frosting:

Beat 1/2 stick butter, 8oz.cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with 1 cup powdered sugar till it becomes creamy . You can test for its doneness by the peak formed at the edges of the blade of your beater.