Milkmaid Egg less Cake alias Thumbs-up Cake--A Sweet Punch

Name: Milkmaid Egg less Cake alias Thumbs-up Cake--A Sweet Punch
Cuisine: En

I am an erratic baker at the best. So when I saw the Sweet Punch site in a fit of madness I requested for membership hoping that at least now I will start stop playing around with the ingredients and follow the recipe.

I just cannot describe the joy I felt when my request was accepted!

Then started the dread and the self doubts, especially on seeing the beautiful bakes that the members have churned out on a regular basis.

Can I tag along? Only time will tell.

This time at Sweet Punch we were to bake anything of our choice.

Then started the treasure hunt for the recipe that I have wanted to retry after a long time!

When I turned with a bottle of Pepsi my daughters were sure I have lost my marbles, for just the day before I had told them off for drinking the stuff.: D Then followed my strict instructions don't touch the bottle, younger one had to be warned not to touch the milkmaid tin forget open the tab and lick it. I need it to bake a cake!!

I had ?help? to bake the cake (read will get the leftover Pepsi) and but I enjoyed the baking!!

Help, not only from my daughters Apeksha and Akanksha but also from Stacy, my neighbors? kid. They cheered me when I thought the cake sank, helped me to join it when the cake broke. Left to myself I would have baked another one but since there was a lot of love the kids had poured in I continued. I have tried this icing myself for the first time!! The pictures are all by the girls. The only picture I have taken is of the girls? leftover chocolate party after which they were so full that they ate the cake the next day. And hence the cake lay at rest in full honors? in the fridge.

Thanks Sweet Punch for a memorable time I have had!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients for the cake:

100 grms Amul butter

1 tin milkmaid

2 cups Maida

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda bi carbonate

2 tblspn cocoa (The original called for 3 tblspn bournvita or caramel)

1 tblspn drinking chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

250 ml coke or Pepsi (in the past we used Thumbs up hence the name thumbs-up cake)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Greased and dust 9" round pan.

2. Sieve the Maida, baking powder, soda bi carbonate and cocoa and the drinking chocolate.

3. Melt the butter add milkmaid and mix well.

4. Add the essence & the sieved ingredients and fold.

5. At this stage the batter is very stiff now add the Pepsi and stir.

6. Transfer to the greased pan.

7. Bake till done i.e. the baked cake leaves the sides or a knife inserted comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

I was wondering what to put as the icing on the cake when one of the girls reminded me of the dark chocolate I have been hoarding.

Hardly had I agreed and they got out the milk cooker that I use as a double boiler, washed it, filled it and dumped the chocolate for it to melt. Guess they were too worried that I may change my mindJ!!

I was already on net and I went to the first person I thought of at that moment who else, the cake lady, as my younger daughter Akanksha calls her, at LOVE 2 COOK and googled for chocolate cake and landed bang on the page that I needed. Chocolate ganache!!

Love 2 cook called for

500 grms chocolate (finely chopped)

300 grms heavy cream (I used the only cream we get, Amul Fresh Cream that too 200 grms)

30 grms butter (I used about 10 grms more)

Love 2 Cook?s instruction we to heat the heavy cream till it boils. Add the chocolate after putting off the flame mix well finally add butter. Cool and use.

In my case it was too late to change the way the melted chocolate was. I added the fresh cream and butter and mixed well. Since the chocolate had a lot of ants, the 2 legged varieties, I poured it directly over the cake.