Mother’s Day: Pastry Chef Archita Agarwal Helps You Bake Something Special

May 10, 2020

Moms love it when we cook for them, and what could be a better day to do it than on Mother’s Day! Sweet, delicious desserts make for a perfect surprise. And whipping up a treat from scratch makes it even more special. Chocolatier and pastry chef Archita Agarwal of The Cacao Pods is here to help you make Mother’s Day one to remember.

Baking wonderful goodies is a good time to walk down the memory lane with all the wonderful moments you’ve had with your mum. Remember those famous dialogues your mum would say? Here is a fun video remembering them to brighten your Mother’s day.

Recipes For A Mother’s Day Cake

1. Healthy Banana Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

230 gms overripe bananas
31 gms honey
31 gms olive oil
1 teaspoon baking powder (sifted along with the flour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
90 gms almond meal/whole wheat flour
90 gms whole wheat flour
50 gms dark chocolate chips/walnuts/Nutella

Method:

Preheat your oven to 170-degree celsius. Grease a loaf pan with butter.
Mash bananas, add honey, olive oil and cinnamon powder to it. Combine till it becomes a smooth paste.
Sift together the two flours and baking powder. Add the sifted flour mix to the banana mix. Fold gently from the centre out until just combined.
Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips/walnuts/Nutella.
Pour into a greased loaf pan. Decorate with two banana slices and some chocolate chips and nuts. Bake it in a preheated oven at 170-degree celsius until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. The baking time could vary anywhere between 20 mins and 35 mins depending upon your oven. Let it cool down completely before removing.

2. Chocolate Flourless Cake

Ingredients:

250 gms/1 cup of Lindt 70% chocolate or dark chocolate from your favourite brand. Good quality dark chocolate is the key
125 gms/0.5 cup of unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (dalchini) / any other spice of your choice (optional)

Method:

Grease a baking tin with butter and preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius
Chop the chocolate and melt it with the butter in a microwave or on a double boiler.
Separate the eggs in two bowls.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Add the melted chocolate-butter and cocoa powder and spice to this and mix well until combined.
Beat the egg whites on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or hand beater until stiff peaks form. Fold this into the chocolate egg mixture.
Pour into the tin and bake for 12 mins. Lower the temperature down to 150 and bake for another 30 mins or until a toothpick in the centre comes out clean.
Cool and unmould into a dish. Decorate by dusting icing sugar. Add some edible flowers/fruit slices for decoration.

Mum Not A Cake Person?

Try These 5 Recipes Instead

1. Chocolate Popsicle

With the sun shining bright and hot, a cold, yummy treat would be heavenly. Take your mom to this childhood throwback of chocolate popsicles.

Ingredients:

1-2 ripe bananas (fresh or frozen)
2 cups of milk
½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
Chia seeds or nuts (optional)

Method:

In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until completely smooth.
Pour mixture into the moulds and freeze 3-4 hours.
Customise it with flavours like mint, orange or nuts of your choice.

2. Chocolate Chip Muffin

An evergreen recipe, chocolate muffins are simply irresistible. Surprise your mom with these delicious sweet treats! These can also a perfect addition to your desert spread in the next party or festive celebrations like diwali or Christmas. Learn 8 more homemade xmas cake recipes here.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 stick butter softened
¾ cup of sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of mini chocolate chips

Method:

In a bowl stir the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Now using an electric mixer butter, sugar. After it has blended properly, add eggs, vanilla, and milk into it.
Mix the two separate bowls into one to make a smooth batter. Stir until the batter is smooth.
Add the chocolate chip into the batter.
Grease the muffin cups and add the batter. Bake the muffins for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 200 degrees Celsius).

3. Nutella Cookies

Imagine cookies stuffed with the goodness of chocolate and hazelnuts! This recipe will surely delight your mom.

Ingredients:

1½ cups of Nutella
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of brown sugar
½ cup of sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Take a tray with a parchment paper and scoop 1 spoon balls of Nutella on it, 24 balls in total. Freeze this tray in the refrigerator.
In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk and mix properly. Then add cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt and let it cool inside the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 350-degree Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with paper. Take a scoop of dough and flatten it. Place one Nutella ball over it and seal it completely with the dough.
Bake for 15 minutes and let it cool for 5 minutes.

4. Chocolate Brownies

Whether it’s fudge-style brownies or gooey ones, this dessert option is certainly mouth-watering!

Ingredients:

1 cup of unsalted butter
2 cups of sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of cocoa powder
4 large eggs

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350-degree Fahrenheit.
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add sugar, stirring until combined. Remove from heat and add salt, flour, and cocoa powder, stirring to combine. Whisk in eggs, stirring just until the mixture is combined into a batter.
Spray a small pan with cooking spray or butter. Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake until the top layer of brownies has browned and set, 28 to 30 minutes.
Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then top with a drizzle of Nutella. Cut into squares and serve your delicious brownies.