Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 15 min. + cooling

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
1-1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorator icing and confetti candies

In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Add water, oil,
vinegar and vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 8-in. square
baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before
removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and
vanilla until smooth; set aside. Transfer cake to a work surface.
Using a 3- to 3-1/2-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter, gently cut out
four heart-shaped cakes (set cake trimmings aside for another use).
Place one heart on a serving plate; spread with some frosting. Top
with a second cake; frost top and sides. Repeat with remaining cakes
and frosting. Decorate with icing and candies. Yield: 2 servings.

Introduction to Eggless Cakes

Method:

Slice the cake in 3 horizontal parts. Take a bowl in which the cake fits perfectly. (use the tin used for baking the cake).

Place the butter paper strip all along the inside border vertically. Let the ends overlap. Place the lower part of the cake into the tin keeping the butter paper strip up and around it.

Boil the water, add jelly crystals, stir and dissolve well. Put half the mixture in the freezer to chill. When thickened but not set, beat with a spoon and pour on to the layer of cake in the tin.

Sprinkle a third of the biscuits crumbs on it. Place the centre layer of cake on top.

Put in the chiller for jelly to set. Also place remaining jelly mixture in freezer to thicken save 1 tbsp for top. Repeat as for above. Cover with top layer of cake. Pour the remaining jelly (1 tbsp) over it, spread. Sprinkle remain crumbs, decorated with chopped strawberries. Chill for the topmost layer to set.

To serve very carefully insert a wide spatula under the bottom layer. Hold the butter paper tight around the cake and transfer to a cake plate. Carefully peel off butter paper. Serve immediately with or without vanilla ice-cream.

Serves-6
Making time -1 hour (excluding cake baking time)
Shelf life -2 days in chiller.

Introduction to Eggless Cakes

Method:
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Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cocoa all together 2 to 3 times. Keep aside.
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Pour condensed milk in a bowl. Add the butter, and beat well till smooth. Add the flour spoon by spoon, mixing into the condensed milk mixture. In between, add milk as required if the butter begins to get too stiff. [Stir the mixture in one direction only all the while. This will incorporate more air and make the cake lighter].
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Once all the flour is used up, beat the batter as above till light (5-7 minutes). Add the coke or Thums Up and mix gently till smooth.
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Pour into a greased cake tin. Do not smooth with a spoon etc. If the consistency is right this will not be needed.

Pre-heat over to 300o c. Place tin inside. Bake at 200o c for 5-7 minutes and 150o c till done. (35 to 40 minutes).

Poke with a skewer and check. Cool a little. Invert on wire rack. Cool completely before doing icing if any. Or serve warm with tea.

Variations 2a) Eggless chocolate Sponge Cake

2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Sift the above ingredients together.

1 cup miracle whip or mayonnaise (can be homemade) 1 cup water 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Mix the miracle whip or mayonnaise and water together. Add vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool.