Happy New Year !!

Its the start of another year. Time to get one’s self sorted out and taking stock.

I believe its a good opportunity for me to get more organized with this little blog of mine. I want to start some weekly posts. Last year I participated in The 52 Project, where you post a portrait of your child once a week, but I left it mid way. I plan to participate in it once again with renewed focus and hopefully i will make it till the end this time.

I will also be taking more photos of our days and just life, and maybe will start a weekly collection of them. I love photography, and my new year resolution is to take it more seriously and to put that DSLR to good use (gave myself some online tutorials last night so thats a start).

I read a fair amount of books in 2013, and I discovered my passion for non-fiction, satire, memoirs. I plan to keep building up on that and make more progress.

Food is always close to my heart. Trying out new recipes is exciting. So hopefully, there will more recipe sharing here. (Not to mention, food photography 😉 )

I am taking part in two photography related projects this year. 365 project and The Patch. I will link up my progress here.

Above all, I hope and pray to be a good wife, a better mother and above all a more sane and aware human being.

 

Buttermilk Swirl Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Making New Year’s Eve cake over here.

I had my eye on a red velvet cake recipe for a few days, but sadly when i went to the grocery store, they were out of red food colour. Tragedy. I decided to go forth with it anyways.

It turned out really pretty, awesomely delicious. My best made cake ever!

The best part for me is perfect cream cheese glaze. Not too heavy, not too sweet, just perfection!

Red velvet cake calls for buttermilk, and if, like me, you don’t have it, you can make it very easily with normal full cream milk. Add 1 tbsp of vinegar to a cup of milk and rest for five minutes.

RECIPE:

Ingredients (For the cake)

• 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon red food colour (which i didnt have)
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

Mix all the wet ingredients first, oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract. Then add in the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt. Divide the batter into two halves. Add food color and cocoa powder to one part of the batter.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease and flour a swirl budnt pan. Put random dollops of the two batters into the pan so that they don’t mix too well and create the marble look. You can also use a fork at the end to create some swirls. Bake at 350F for about 40-45 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons whole milk

Beat the cream cheese with an electric blender or a mixer till its soft and somewhat fluffy. Add sugar and salt and beat again until its completely combined. Add about 3 tbsp of milk and mix with hand. If its too thick, add one more tbsp of milk to make the consistency right.

Pour over the cake and enjoy with a cup of coffee 🙂

Happy New Year Everyone!