Eggless Choco-Coco Cake

Baking a cake is very dear to me as this happens to be the first ever item that I prepared in the kitchen, all by myself. Those days, we had newly purchased the solo microwave oven, with the only intention of reheating. I had got the base recipe for the cake from one aunt who happened to be our neighbour. But she used to bake it in cooker. I never baked it in cooker though, as I wanted to make good use of our microwave oven, which till then was used just for reheating.

My first ever venture was a plain cake, without chocolate powder or frosting. It came out really well… Then there was no stopping! With lot of trial and error, enhancements, modifications, my cake just got better by the day. This was certainly a big thing then, as my cakes were egg-less and I could bake the cake at any time of the day as it just took about 7 minutes. Of course, the taste and texture of this cake may totally differ from the usual ones that are baked with egg, but it tastes just as good.

Once again, the following is the easiest among the cake recipes. In just about 7 minutes, your plain chocolate cake is ready. You may opt to have the ganache or frosting, or consume it as is. The choice is totally yours. In the below recipe, we see how we can prepare a plain cake, top it with chocolate ganache and desiccated coconut / coconut flakes.

For a quick and easy chocolate ganache, do check our recipe : Chocolate Ganache

Video Link

Mixed fruit jam, chocolate ganache and desiccated coconut are a great combination with the soft cake. As soon as you put the cake piece inside the mouth, the cake with the chocolate ganache starts to melt, slowly leaving a chocolaty jam taste in your mouth and suddenly, you get the crunchy coconut taste. While you are still relishing the cake, do you realize that the cake is already over!!!

You may also use Mixed berries jam to spread over the cake. For a quick and easy recipe : Mixed Berries Jam

Video Link

Total time: 17 minutes

Preparation time: 10

Cooking / Baking time: 7 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour: 1 ¾ cup

Thick curds / yogurt: 1 cup

Sugar: 1 cup

Refined oil: ½ cup

Baking powder: 1 tbsp.

Baking soda: 1 tsp.

Vanilla essence: 1 tsp.

Chocolate powder: ½ cup

Coffee powder: A pinch

Coconut powder / flakes: For topping

Edible decorative: For topping (Optional)

Mixed fruit jam: Little (for a layer on top of the cake)

Chocolate Ganache: 1 cup (for frosting)

Method:

 

•        Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and chocolate powder together and keep aside

•        Mix yogurt, sugar, oil, essence and stir until the sugar dissolves

•        Now, with continuous stirring, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. See it to that the lumps are not formed

•        Blend it well. You may add water to until the desired dropping consistency is reached. Keep aside

•        Grease a microwave safe mould and line it with butter sheet / baking paper

•        Pour the cake batter in to the mould so that it is half filled (if there is more batter, keep aside and bake it later)

•        Place the mould inside the microwave and set the time to 7 minutes (it took 7 minutes in my case to bake, given the above measurement of ingredients and the moulds used)

•        Once done, perform the toothpick test. Refer to the below note to know more about this test. Let it cool in the cooling rack for a few minutes. If the cake has not baked, you may heat it further for a few more minutes
•        Once the cake is cool, unmould it and place it over the wired rack for frosting

•        Spread a layer of mixed fruit jam over it

•        Pour the hot ganache, slowly over the cake in such a way that the top and sides of the cake is covered with the ganache (Chocolate Ganache Recipe)

•        Leave it for a few minutes to set
•        Sprinkle coconut flakes / desiccated coconut over it liberally

•        Garnish it with edible decorative as you wish

•        Refrigerate it for 30 minutes

•        Slice it carefully and serve it

Note:

Toothpick test: Insert toothpick in the center of the cake and carefully remove it. If it comes out clean the cake is baked.

Cake stories:

The day, I started with the blog, I wanted to post this recipe as my first as this is the first thing that I cooked / baked myself in the kitchen – long long ago. We hardly got any time in the kitchen then. Once, I happened to visit our neighbor, who confidently baked her first egg-less cake in the cooker and shared it with us. It was yum. She gave me the recipe as well. I would wait for my exams to get over and in my vacations, when my mom wasn’t around, I would take out the microwave instructions manual (we had newly purchased the solo oven then), and read it carefully.

I still remember the day when i was alone at home, finally deciding to follow my aunt’s recipe and do something. That day passed by only assessing. In a similar situation the next day, I tried out my hand with the recipe, but in the microwave oven. Initially, started with 5 minutes, ultimately stopping at 7 minutes. It was a plain cake. But it was no less than a wonder for me. I was head over heels to see the end product come out so neat. I did surprise mom and dad, when they were back. Of course, they were so happy to have it that they used to tell everyone who came home – we don’t eat cake outside as it contains egg, so our daughter baked egg-less cake for us. Then there was no looking back.

For all occasions, be it birthday or festivals, my cake used to be there all the time. Sometimes plain and sometimes with frosting. My friends, my sister and my colleagues relished the cake that came out of my kitchen. Until recently, I prepared just microwave baked cakes. Off late, I have started the traditional oven baking. There is certainly a big difference between the microwave and oven cakes in terms of texture and taste, but both taste the best in their own way.

Recently, I asked my husband, what is one food item that appears in front of your eyes, as soon as you think of me. Effortlessly he said – Cake. He did go blank though when asked again for the next one, and for that, I did have a fight with him, for which he said – Whatever you cook, cake will always remain on the top for me.

For all the birthdays back home, the cakes are made by me. With cakes, I certainly have a different equation – not to eat, but to bake.