Eggless, butterless Chocolate cake

I have been trying out lots of eggless cake recipes, but always failed.
Here I am presenting a tried and successful recipe from a friend - Gouri Deo. Thanks Gouri for this wondeful recipe which turned out to be perfect.

Ingredients:
All-purpose flour / maida - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cups (1 cup if you are not using frosting)
Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup (can be even little less)
Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup and a little more
Water - 1 cup
Milk at room temperature - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Vanilla essence / extract - 1 tsp
Salt - a generous pinch

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven at 350 F (180 C )

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
3. Add sugar and mix together.
4. Next, add oil, water, milk and vanilla and mix thoroughly, churning the batter in one direction.
5. Pour into greased cake pan and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 45 mins or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For cup cakes a good 20 min would be fine.

I used 1/2 the quantity of ingredients and made 12 cups
 
Note: No Beating required, No Eggs, No Butter, Simple and tasty

Original Source: http://www.cookingandme.com/2009/01/eggless-butter-less-chocolate-muffins.html

Angel Food cake recipe - Fat free

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups (125 grams) sifted cake flour

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) egg whites, at room temperature (from about 12 large eggs)

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Have ready a 10 inch (25 cm) two piece angel food cake (tube) pan. I used a non-stick tea cake pan.

In a large bowl sift together 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar and the sifted cake flour.

In your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, lemon juice, and salt and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until glossy stiff peaks form. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract.

Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites (about one quarter of the flour mixture at a time) and gently but quickly fold (do not stir) the flour into the egg whites. You can use a large wire whisk or a large rubber spatula. (It is important not to over fold the batter or it will deflate.)

Pour the batter into the pan and run a metal spatula or knife through the batter to get rid of any air pockets. Smooth the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 - 45 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently pressed. The top of the cake will have cracks. Do not over bake.

Immediately upon removing from the oven invert the pan. Suspend the pan by placing the inner tube on the top of a wine bottle or flat topped glass. Allow the cake to cool for about 1 1/2 hours.

When completely cool, run a metal spatula or knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake and then remove the cake from the pan. Next, run a metal spatula or knife along the bottom and center core of the pan and remove. Place on your serving plate. It is best to cut this cake with a serrated knife using a back-and-forth sawing motion. Try not to press down on the cake when cutting as this will squash its soft and spongy texture.

The Cake in the pic was baked with 1/2 the quantity of ingredients specified above.

• Make sure you are not greasing the pan - remember its a fat free cake!!

Recipe Courtesy: http://www.joyofbaking.com/AngelFoodCake.html

Basic Vanilla Cake recipe -can also be used for cupcakes

I am posting a very easy and basic cake recipe, on request by many friends

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/essence
1 1/2 cup cake flour(maida or all purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup(60ml) milk

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 180 deg Celsius
• Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat vanilla extract to the mixture at the end( use electric beater for best results)
  
• In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt(best method id to sieve them together 2-3 times so that they are well mixed).
• Alternatively add flour mix and milk in 3 additions to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour mix
• Grease your baking pan with cooking spray( or butter and flour your baking pan) thoroughly and fill the pan with the batter
• Bake for around 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted to the center of the cake comes out clean
• Wait for the cake to cool completely before you take it out of the pan. Cake decoration and icing should be done only after the cake comes to room temperature.
  

The same recipe can also be used for cupcakes. The cooking time would be 15-20 minutes instead. This recipe makes 25 cupcakes.

Chocolate cake variation - add 3-4 teaspoon of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and mix well before adding to the wet mix