Denise's Dulce de Leche Fruit Cake

April 2011 cake

May 2008 Cake

By popular request, I'm sharing the instructions to make this cake. It isn't Weight Watchers friendly or overly healthy (although many cakes are worse for you), but this blog seemed to be the best place to post that would be accessible to many.

I first made this cake in May 2008. We had a cooking competition in the office and I made 2 side-by-side cakes, one to take to work, and one to take to dinner at a friend's house that weekend. I tend to be creative, and had no idea what it would really take to make a cake with lots of layers, so I decided just to give it a try. I ended up realizing this cake was way more effort than I had ever dreamed - but oh my goodness, it is divine. Our friends who had it at dinner loved it, and I recently received a request from them (she is expecting) to repeat. Normally, I wouldn't invest so much time in a dish - but, as I know, people will go an extra mile for a pregnant person, so that's exactly what I did. I took pictures as I went so I could document the recipe for others to replicate. Maybe if they have lots of free time, they can make it for me? :-)

I also learned from some of the things that didn't go so well in 2008 and made it slightly differently this time.
2008 errors
-- Baking 3-4 cakes and slicing layers. It didn't work well because the cut surface of the cake tended to catch on the dulce de leche as I spread it, turning it into a crumbling glob
-- Not draining the juices from the peaches before slicing. It was a bit slimier than I would have liked.
-- Not slicing the fruit thin enough. The thinner, the flatter and more even.


So, step by step, this is what I did for the April 30, 2011 baby shower presentaiton of this cake. I strongly suggest reading the instructions end-to-end before you start, and also planning to divide the project over 2 days. At minimum, if you're very efficient but only have one springform pan, it could take 5-6 hours.

Tools

Pictured: spatula and springform pan.

You will also need:
-- nice platter or cake stand to present cake
-- wax paper
-- 2 large dinner plates (for stacking layers after they cool)
-- cooling rack
-- measuring cups
-- nonstick cooking spray
-- electric hand mixer
-- large mixing bowl
-- paring knife (for cutting fruit)
-- cutting board
-- small bowls/containers to hold cut fruit before it goes on the cake
-- large long knife (like a butcher knife - to be able to cross length of springform pan to separate cake)






Ingredients

-- 2 boxes premade cake mix - I use pineapple and caramel/butter pecan
-- applesauce (in lieu of oil on cake directions, same measurement - it is more moist cake and a tad healthier, too)
-- water (for cake mix, quantity per box instructions)
-- eggs (for cake mix, quantity per box instructions)
-- 2-3 small cans of dulce de leche (I used 2 this time, you may need 3 depending how generously you apply the dulce de leche)
-- fresh fruit. For this cake, I used the following:
*1 small container strawberries
*3 kiwi
*1 container blueberries
*1 16oz can of pineapple rings
*1 16oz cans of peach halves in light syrup


Instructions
Part A - The Cake Layers
1. Preheat oven per directions on cake box.
2. In large mixing bowl, make cake batter for your first flavor per box directions but use the applesauce in lieu of oil. Blend well with hand mixer. You will have approximately 5 cups of mix.
3. Coat bottom and sides of springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Measure 1/5 of the batter (about 1 cup) and pour into the springform pan. You can use a spoon to spread it out or tilt the pan side to side. The batter will just barely cover the bottom of the pan (this is going to be one of many thin layers).
5. Bake the cake until the edges are golden and pull away from the sides, and you can put a toothpick or knife in and it comes out clean. For example, my box suggested 30-35 minutes for cooking two 9" cakes, however since there was much less batter, I found that I needed 18-19 minutes per layer.
6. When cake comes out of oven, use pot holders while still hot and release and remove the sides of the spring form. While holding bottom layer of pan with cake in it using a pot holder, take the long knife and slide it under the cake, fully separating it from the pan.
7. Put the cooling rack over the top of the cake, then using pot holders, flip the pan/cake/cooling rack together so that the cooling rack is on the bottom. Now, remove the pan and you have a layer of hot cake on the cooling rack.
8. Take the springform pan (base and sides) to the sink, rinse out to remove any residue from the cake, reassemble.
9. Repeat steps 3-8. As one cake layer is getting ready to come out of the oven, the preceding one should already be cool and relatively firm (firm enough to hold with your hands). I've found that when I cook with applesauce instead of oil, my layers usually come out pretty flat. If it's slanted from one side to the other, don't worry - all layers may be slightly off, but you can arrange them so it evens out when you assemble the cake. However, if the middle of the cake appears significantly risen even after cooling off, you can use your large knife to slice off the risen part and discard it so that you are left with a flat layer. I store the cooled layers on a dinner plate, with wax paper between each layer to prevent them from sticking. To transfer them, I usually cut a piece of wax paper slightly larger than the layer, put some nonstick spray on it, put it over the layer that is on the cooling rack. Then I flip it over so that the wax paper is on the bottom, and then shift that to the dinner plate.
10. After you have baked all 5 layers for the first flavor, repeat steps 2-9 for the second flavor. (19 minutes of cooking, plus coating, measuring, transferring to cooling rack --- multiplied by 10 layers, now you see why this recipe takes awhile).
11. The cooled cake layers can be stored overnight without refrigeration, I had one dinner plate for each flavor and put them side-by-side in the microwave so they would not dry out (or be subject to my pesky pets, who are creatures of the night looking for a good eat).

Part B - Preparing Fruit and Assembling
1. Rinse blueberries and straberries.
2. Open cans for pineapple rings and peach halves and drain any liquid from the cans.
3. Peel kiwi.
4. Other than the kiwi, slice the fruit very thin (1/8 inch or so), and keep each fruit separate in its own bowl. I actually take the pinepaple rings and slice them in half cross-wise to cut down the thickness.

5. Get the plate you are planning to assemble the cake on (a nice platter or cake stand) and grab the first layer of cake (pick a flavor). Put the side of cake that was on the top when cooking facing upward (the 'cooked side' that wasn't facing the pan bottom). This will minimize the amount of crumbs that stick to the dulce de leche and is the whole purpose of baking the individual layers.


6. Open the dulce de leche, and with the spatula take 1/3 of the can contents out and spread thinly over the cake layer. Take a little more dulce de leche if needed to cover.


7. Now, pick one fruit to be your first filling. I considered the colors of the fruit I'd chosen and picked an order that would alternate colors between the layers. Spread those thin pieces of fruit onto the cake, covering the dulce de leche. You will not use all of any fruit on a single layer, which is expected. You'll want to save some for the top, and if there are leftovers - it's a healthy snack :-) Each layer, you can do something different. And, if you're worried you'll run out of a fruit (like, I did not have enough blueberries for a full layer), you can do one fruit outside (for external viewing of cake) and then just fill in with another fruit in the middle.


8. Now, pick a layer of the other cake flavor so you'll have alternating flavors. Place it on top of the cake/dulce de leche/fruit that you already assembled. Eyeball the cake to make sure it is relatively flat, rotate the layer if it isn't (I find things don't always bake evenly, but if I put a thick side opposite a thin side, in the end the cake isn't too slotted).

9. Now, repeat the dulce de leche, fruit, alternating cake flavor pattern for as high as you want to build the cake. For today's shower cake, I did six layers of cake, six layers of fruit (5 filling, plus one on the top). I saved the other layers of cake for the 'traditional' baby shower style cake that is more western. However, there is no reason you could not do a taller cake - that is what I did in 2008.







9. When you get to the top layer, put a slightly more generous coating of dulce de leche on the top. This will be holding in the fruit and there won't be any more cake on top of it. Then, arrange the fruit as you see fit. I've gone from inside out (2008, had a kiwi in the center and built out from there). And also have started with the outside, moving in (see 2011 picture, I started with the strawberries).


10. When done, take a picture because you're darned proud of the cake. Then cover with a cake dome or something that would not stick to the cake, and put in the fridge. Because if the cut fruit, this should not be left out overnight.



11. When it's time to serve, remove from fridge, cut, and enjoy.

Butter Chickpea Curry

I'm currently soaking the chickpeas, can't wait to see how this turns out! I am planning to substitute cauliflower for the potatoes and use a can of V8 since that's what I have on hand. Here's hoping!

4 medium potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup cream or milk
1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained


Directions
Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat; simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain, and set aside.
Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in soup, cream, and chickpeas. Stir in potatoes. Simmer 5 minutes.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Butter-Chickpea-Curry/Detail.aspx

Comment after the fact - this turned out well. Not our favorite dish, but not bad.

Catching up

Well, you'd wonder where we've been, as this blog just about died. Busy living life, or something along those lines. We've done lots of grilling, made some tried and true recipes, and also experimented a bit. Unfortunately, I've been horrible at blogging and capturing our favorite recipes. There was one shrimp recipe that was beyond fantastic - I think Shyam, Rohit and I devoured 10 lbs of shrimp in a matter of days! I keep searching my regular recipe sources for it but am still coming up empty. Hopefully we'll find it soon so we can repeat with the summer.

The 2 most recent recipes were so-so. Nothing great, nothing to write home about or get me excited.

Shyam has been seriously dedicated to healthy eating lately, I'm really proud of him.

So, hopefully we'll have a chance to start posting more frequently. That way, next time we say 'honey, where is the recipe for.... it will be obvious!'

Palaak Paneer

This is my personal favorite. Spinach, cheese, and yum!




Source: Recipezaar.com, recipe 25348

Yield: 6 servings, 4 weight watchers points each (not so bad!)

Ingredients
2 (5 ounce) bags baby spinach
1 large onion
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomato
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces paneer cheese, cut into cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
1. Cut spinach into shreds and cook in 3 tablespoons water until tender; remove from heat.
2. Saute onion, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in 1-2 tablespoons ghee or oil until onion is translucent.
3. Then add garlic and chopped tomatoes, and reduce heat.
4. Cook this briefly and slowly blend in yogurt a little at a time to prevent curdling.
5. Add coriander, garam masala, paprika, and salt, mixing well.
6. Add cooked spinach with liquid, cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 20-30 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Take half of spinach mixture and puree in food processor or blender, and return to mixture and stir.
9. Slowly stir in heavy cream, and heat through on low heat.
10. Add paneer cubes.
11. Serve.

Gobi 65

Source: Shyam was pretty sure he knew how to make this one off the top of his head but pulled up a recipe for reference just to be safe. http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/gobi-65.php

Ingredients:

• 1 Big flower cauliflower
• 2 tbsp Corn starch
• 1 tbsp Rice flour
• 2 tsp Gram flour
• 2 tbsp Maida
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Chili powder
• 2 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• Saffron Color
• 1 Pinch baking soda
• 2 Pinch ajinomoto
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste
• Water as required


How to make Gobi 65:
• Wash and cut the vegetable into small flower.
• Heat a sauce full of water and bring it to a boil.
• Drop the cauliflowers and cook them.
• Now remove them from the heat and pat it dry.
• Add ginger garlic paste, gram flour, corn flour, rice flour, maida, soysauce, turmeric powder, baking soda, chili powder, saffron, ajinomoto and salt, mix well.
• Take a pan and heat oil and cook the vegetable until golden brown.

Points per the recipe above - 10 per serving if recipe is divided 6 ways
If you don't fry it, it cuts the points to 1 per serving (bake the cauliflower after dipping in spices)

Hyderabadi Biryani

We're having a group of about 20 friends from my mom's group over for dinner Sunday and serving Indian fare. It wouldn't be complete if we didn't serve biryani, a dish for which Shyam's hometown of Hyderabad is famous. I wouldn't exactly call this healthy, but we'll tag it as Indian and I will calculate the weight watchers points since myself and several of the moms in our group are following the plan.


The recipe below is taken from the book 'A Princely Legacy: Hyderabadi Cuisine' by Prathiba Karan. We've made it in the past, and while it's more labor intensive than using a jump start spice packet from the store, the flavor is rich and well worth it!

The common but much talked about Hyderabadi biryani is splendid in taste and in a way, an articulation of the Hyderabadi ethos and personality.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Marination time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients
1 kg mutton or other meat (mix of chops, bones with meat, etc)
1/2 kg long grain rice
4 onions, finely sliced
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 bunch fresh green coriander, chopped
1 small bunch of fresh green mint, chopped
4 green chillies, chopped

Spice Mix 'A'
4 cardamoms
6 cloves
1/2" cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn


2 cups yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
a large pinch of saffron
juice of 2 lemons
6 green cardamoms
8 cloves
2 bay leaves
1" cinnamon stick
2/3 cup oil
2 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste

Directions:
Wash the meat and drain all the water.

Heat oil. Fry the onions till golden brown. When the onions become cool, crush or grind them. Set aside.

Rub ginger and garlic well into the meat. Then add salt, red chilli powder, half of coriander and mint and green chillies, lemon juice, and ground spices in 'A', the crushed onions and the oil in which the onions were fried. Leave to marniate for about 2 hours.

Soak saffron in milk and keep aside.

Take heavy-bottomed pan. Put in the marinated meat with the marinade. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook over medium slow heat till the meat is tender and the liquids are not fully dried up.

Simultaneously, wash rice. Boil about 8 glasses of water. Add the whole cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves and the cinnamon stick to the water and a little salt and rice. Parboil rice. Drain out all the water and spread the rice in a flat dish.

Now take another heavy-bottomed pan. Brush the bottom liberally with ghee. Place half the parboiled rice in a layer at the bottom. Cover the layer with the cooked meat. Cover the meat with the balance of rice. Sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice. Also sprinkle the remaining coriander, mint and green chillies. Dot it with ghee. Cover tightly and cook over slow fire till the rice is fully cooked and the fragrances blend. Take care to see that when the rice is cooked, each grain stands out separately and the rice under no circumstances is allowed to get mushy.

Gently take out the rice and meat, without mixing the two and serve steaming hot.

18 Weight Watchers Points for each of 8 servings. Ouch. An occasional treat, for sure.

Shift in direction....

I originally started the blog as a repository for the recipes of things I actually COULD eat. In December 2009, I stopped nursing Rohit and no longer experienced the symptoms that had prompted me to cut milk, wheat and sugar from my diet.

Candida diet aside, we still love cooking - both Shyam and I. So, why not have a place to document some of our favorites?

We hope any readers enjoy these dishes just as much as we do. For now, I'm not really publicizing the blog - it's really for us, an online recipe recepticle. Maybe someday!