A trip to Madras is incomplete without a drive to Pondicherry. Once, we took up a homestay and stayed over for a couple of nights – walking around the lovely streets in the French quarter, peering into some bookshops, boutiques, incense and candle shops while we were there. During a peek into one such bookshop I came across this little book on baking called Baking Delights by Aruna Sheth with the kind of recipes my mother’s generation would make at home. The sections include breads, biscuits, cakes, multi-purpose meals, puddings pies and snacks.
I have a liking for all things old-fashioned and so I got this home. After reading those quaint old recipes many a times – I fell in love with one Cottage cheese cake, the recipe of which had no butter or oil. With my slight modifications, I turned this into a faux mava cake, using the Mixed Fruit essence and some tutti frutti – a total 70s style cake, perfectly simple to make, and just right with that cup of tea / coffee – feels like a treat but not like a sinful indulgence.
So here is the recipe for Cottage cheese cake with Tutti Frutti
Makes 2 square cakes or 1 small loaf .
Cottage cheese cake - Paneer Cake : Perfect tea-time treat
Ingredients
- 1/2 litre milk white vinegar paneer , - to make . 1 tbsps
- 1.5 cups atta .
- 1 tsp baking powder .
- 1/2 tsp baking soda .
- 1 cup sugar seeds cardamoms , or slightly less , ground with from . 3
- 4 tbsps milkmaid .
- 1 tbsp vinegar .
- 1/4 cup tutti frutti in any colours .
- 1/4 cup milk (if required).
Instructions
- Bring the milk to a boil, add the vinegar and stir till milk splits to give paneer and clear whey. Filter out paneer and save the whey.
- Preheat oven at 180 C.
- Line 2 square tins of 12 cmX12 cm with foil or a loaf tin. Grease the foil with some oil.
- Sieve the flour with the baking soda and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, mash the paneer well with the oil, milkmaid. Add 1 tbsp vinegar, sugar-cardamom mix to this and half the whey water.
- Add the flour in batches into the whisked wet ingredients. Use the reserved whey water and extra milk if required to get a batter consistency.
- Fold in most of the tutti frutti, reserving some to decorate on the top of the cake.
- Divide the batter into the two square tins or a single loaf tin, sprinkle remaining tutti frutti on the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes (in case of two small tins) or 45-50 minutes for loaf at 180 C reducing the temperature after 20 minutes to 160 or so in case of square tins to prevent excessive browning of the tops.
- Remove, cool in the tin itself for 15 minutes and remove out with the foil. Slice and serve warm.
OOH! I have eaten the most amazing Cottage cheese cake in Pondy aeons back and your post brought back memories of it. Will try out your recipe at the soonest – will have to use glace cherries instead of tutti fruitti cos I dont think I can get them here. Shall try the Asian shops.Thanks for the recipe, girl!
Hey great to see you blogging again. After a while (?) I admire people who can ‘make’ bread. A celestial experience in my scheme of things.
Absolutely delish looking. Book marking it.
Dear, I love this cake! I so wanna make it. But I have a question — I have ready-made Cottage Cheese(american, not Paneer) and how much of it should I use to make this cake? Please let me know ASAP.
The paneer has made it nice and moist.
I love this recipe! Only 1T oil per cake – awesome!
I love using Paneer in desserts. I have a dessert I do, which is basically bread pudding, but with paneer instead. I marinate the paneer first in coconut milk and rose paste and everyone loves when I make this.I am def. going to try this cake.
Cake looks absolutely delicious, soft and super spongy..
Nandita, that looks delicious..Its the same vinegar you are referring for making the paneer and for the cake?..will have to make this..
This is retro indeed – haven’t seen tutti frutti for a very long time now but at one time it used to be in everything -from cakes to ice cream!Why don’t you send this to Anita’s Mad Tea Party?Miri
wow ! looks delicious ! cant wait to try !
Miri – it was very much on my mind but I thought the date was up.Valli – it is vinegar in the cake itself apart from the one mentioned to make the paneer.Mirielle- Love your idea of the pudding!Cool Lassie – that would be just under 1/2 cup paneer – do let me know how it turns out.Lavanya – where do you blog from?Thanks for the comments friends, do let me know if anyone of you tried this.
gah! That comment by Lavanya was me btw – thought you’d recognise from FB!!! 😀
Droolworthy cake!!! I love tutti frutti in cakes.
I had a recent ingredient misadventure with cream cheese and tried paneer instead. Not so bad! So am all for trying this delectable looking tea time treat! Thanks for sharing.
This is a very nice recipe here. Never tried paneer so this is going to be very interesting to me.
Nandita, this is in the oven right now as I type…..will let you know how it turns out….
Nandita..i tried this and came out perfectly well.http://veenasvegnation.blogspot.com/2011/12/paneer-tuttifrutti-cake.htmlthank you for the lovely recipe
Can I add anything else instead of condensed milk? Egg or any other veg substitute?
I’m sorry I cannot say because I haven’t tried any other version of this.