Monsoon delights: Cake recipes to enjoy with a steaming cup of tea

With monsoons in full swing for Mumbaikars the citys bustling streets have turned into a tranquil rainwashed haven As the rain patters against the windows its the perfect time to cozy up with a steaming cup of chai and indulge in spongy mouthwatering cakes More so as traditionally chai has been deeply embedded in Indian culture enjoyed by millions every day atOptions key d0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7 format iframe height 90 width 728 params Pairing tea and cake requires a balance of flavours that complement each other without overpowering A classic pairing is a robust Assam tea with a rich chocolate cake where the teas strong notes enhance the cakes deep cocoa flavour Alternatively a delicate green tea pairs beautifully with a light citrusy lemon cake offering a refreshing and harmonious blendRinging in the cozy pairing Midday has scoured five delightful baking recipes to pair with your morning or evening tea These recipes promise to add a touch of sweetness and warmth to your rainy days making your monsoon tea time even more specialCoconut PannacottaIngredients makes 10Full fat milk 1000 gmCoconut milk 1000 gmSugar 200 gmGelatine powder 20 gmMethod1 Place the milk sugar and gelatine into a thickbased pan and leave to dissolve for 5 minutes2 Once the gelatine has started to dissolve place the pan over medium heat constantly whisking gently3 Just before the milk boils remove from the heat and check that all the gelatine and sugar has dissolved4 Add the coconut milk5 Pass and pour into 180 ml daroil moulds6 Place in the fridge or chiller to set for at least 2 hours7 Serve chilledRecipe by Manoj Pandey Partner Chef at The PianoManChocolate And Orange Almond Cake sugarfree glutenfreeIngredients For a 9inch cakeCakeJaggery powder frac34 cupAlmond flour 2 cupsUnsweetened cocoa powder 12 cupSmall oranges 2Large eggs 6Baking powder 1 tspBaking soda 12 tspChocolate GanacheSemisweet chocolate chips 1cupHeavy whipping cream 1 cupCandied Orange SlicesOrange 1Water 12 cupSugar 12 cupMethodCake1 Place the oranges in a medium saucepan and cover with water 2 Bring the pot to a boil then cover reduce heat to low and simmer until oranges are soft about 2 hours 3 Once the oranges are cool enough to handle slice them in half and remove any large seeds 4 Place the oranges in a food processor with the powdered jaggery and pulse until smooth5 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees6 Add the orange puree and the remaining ingredients to a bowl and mix well together7 Grease a 9inch round spring form pan Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out cleanCandied Orange Slices1 Thinly slice an orange 2 Bring the sugar and water to a gentle boil in a saucepan 3 Place a single layer of orange slices in the boiling syrup and cook flipping occasionally for 15 to 30 minutes or until slices are softened and translucent4 Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl 5 Bring heavy cream to a simmer on the stovetop stirring occasionally 6 As soon as you see a simmer remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips swirling the bowl to ensure all chips are covered 7 Let it sit undisturbed no mixing for 5 minutes Remove the lid and whisk starting in the centre and working outward until smooth Once itrsquos smooth let it sit uncovered at room temperature8 Pour your ganache evenly over the top of your cake until the desired coverage is reached Once the ganache is cool decorate with the orange slices 9 Serve warmRecipe by Sunil Singh chef at BluebopGoan BebincaIngredientsEgg yolks 9Granulated white sugar 400 gmCoconut milk 600 mlAllpurpose flour 150 gmGrated nutmeg powder 14 tspSalt 14 tspGhee 1 cupSugar caramel 1 tbspMethod1 Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks2 Add coconut milk and whisk until the sugar dissolves completely 3 Tip in a little flour at a time and mix well ensuring no lumps 4 Add the salt and nutmeg powder Strain this mixture and divide it into two bowls 5 In one bowl stir in the sugar caramel to get a nice brown colour 6 In a baking pan add one to two tablespoons of melted ghee 7 Add half a cup of the lightcoloured batter Cook on slow fire8 Once you see the edges browning transfer the baking pan to a preheated oven with only the top heatgrill option 9 Bake till a toothpick comes out clean Then add one tbsp ghee all over the first baked layer Pour the darkercoloured batter over the ghee layer 10 Bake and repeat the process until all the batter has been used up If there are any bubbles poke with a toothpick to release the air 11 Once the last layer has been baked apply the remaining ghee over the top layer and allow the bebinca to rest in the baking pan for six to eight hours 12 To demould keep the baking pan over medium heat on a stovetop for a minute 13 Run a knife around the edge to release the bebinca Flip it over on a serving plate cut it into slices and serve warmRecipe by Fiona Fernandes from Firsquos DelicaciesHazelnut and Coffee Cream TartIngredientsChocolate sableButter 360 gmFlour 680 gmCocoa Powder 40 gmIcing Sugar 280 gmSalt 5 gmAlmond Powder 100 gmEgg 150 gmBaked chocolate mixAmul cream 480 gmMilk 200 gmDark chocolate 480 gmEgg 100 gmButter 5 gmHazelnut Paste 100 gmEspresso 30 gmMethod1 For the chocolate sable cream butter and sugar and add eggs to it2 Add all the dry ingredients and mix Rest them for six hours after lining the tart mould with a 2 mm thickness3 Halfbake the tart for 12 minutes at 180 degrees Take out and allow to cool4 For the baked mix heat up milk and cream and add chocolate hazelnut and espresso Add the eggs at the end5 Pour the mix into a tart shell Bake in the oven at 100 degrees for 15 minutes6 Serve it warm with a cup of teaRecipe by Himanshu Taneja Culinary Director South Asia Marriott InternationalFromage Blanc and Framboise parfait on Brown Butter CakeIngredientsYoghurt mousseElle and vire cream 300 gmYoghurt 240 mlCaster Sugar 75 nosVanilla bean 5 gmGelatin 10 gmPistachio cakePistachio Paste 90 gmButter unsalted browned 70 gmCaster sugar 100 gmEgg Yolk 35 gmRefine flour 150 gmSea salt 2 gmPistachio powder 130 gmRaspberry creamRaspberry puree 250 gmIcing Sugar 60 gmGelatin sheets 10 gmEampV cream 250 gmMethod1 For pistachio brown butter cake mix all the dry ingredients and keep them aside 2 Take the butter heat it in a pan and make it golden brown 3 Meanwhile whisk the egg yolk and add all the dry ingredients 4 Last add the brown butter and bake in a tray for 10 min Take it out of the oven and keep it in the refrigerator5 For the yoghurt mousse soak the gelatin in cold water Mix yoghurt and sugar add cream and add gelatin and set in the freezer6 For raspberry cream boil puree add icing sugar and add gelatin Fold in whipped cream and pipe inside the yoghurt mousse and freeze7 Place it in the deep freezer for a day then serve it on top of the pistachio cake the next dayRecipe by Himanshu Taneja Culinary Director South Asia Marriott International atOptions 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