This is my ode to family. A butter pecan cake reminds me of nostalgia, the times when large cakes were always on the counter, kids ate without worry at any time they wanted be it a whole fruit or a cracker with cheese. everything came from freshness and not from a package. the times when we kids played outdoors with everyone around and mothers had no idea that we had just gotten into a proper fist fight or scraped our knees from the bicycle. this butter pecan cake is just that. butter is slowly browned first to add a layer of flavour and then swirled into a buttermilk batter and lots of toasty chopped pecans. i add a drizzle of caramel into the batter bc my spirit needed more sweetness!

The other day I was gifted a huge fruit basket with lot's of blueberries and with an upcoming birthday party I felt it was time for a blueberry cake! I made a large one, adapting this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and Love and Lemons. This cake is not so sweet, so if you like, up the sugar to 1 cup and a few more spoons in the streusel. Enjoy!

Have you got leftover soaked dry fruits after Christmas? And some ripe bananas? Well, here is a whole wheat banana bread recipe, with all the delicious dry fruits soaked in rum swirled through for a delicious winter-recipe! Serve with whipped cream, or just a dusting of icing sugar and have with a cup of coffee!

This is an adaptation from the Walnut + Honey Cake, a Russian-inspired recipe and deliciously moist, perfect with a cup of coffee, gently sweet but not too sweet – perfectly balanced – I mean, I’m running out of words for this one!

This is inspired by a box of Himachal peaches that are very much in season and full of sweetness and juiciness! Pairing peaches with browned butter is the perfect little contrast and feels warm and delightful with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pumpkin spice to me exudes warmth and comfort like a blanket. But this spice blend is very similar to that of our Indian chai masala, except we add a fair bit of cardamom and mace. I use our own Chai Masala from Nature Therapy for this recipe (and almost all autumn spice-based recipes) and add a few more spoons of cinnamon and hints of nutmeg to up the ante. This cake recipe is very simple, a delight to make, and golden hue of pumpkin is very comforting!

“Cakes are like books, there are new ones you want to read and old ones you want to re-read.” ~ Ellen Rose A few days ago I was in the mood to create something from scratch, something new, something that was mine and only mine. Yes, I wish I had these sorts of inspirations outside the kitchen, but sometimes a tart-y, crunchy cake is what I need. I am incredibly proud of myself for this recipe, as this cake base is my own concoction after many trial and errors. This is a cake version of a linzer torte and the crumb lends the right amount of crunch. The raspberries are beautifully tart against the warmth of the cinnamon and almonds. Pair a slice of this with a cup of coffee and listen to the pitter patter of the rains, and read a very good book – life is about enjoying the small moments too!   [yumprint-recipe id=’59’] The Recipe Serves Serves: 8 | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins Ingredients ¼ cup soft butter ½ cup caster sugar 1 egg (room temperature) 1 cup flour ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt 200g yogurt ½ tsp vanilla ½ tsp almond essence (optional) 1 ½ cups raspberries (fresh or frozen) Crumble: ½ cup almond flakes ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup flour 1 tbsp cinnamon 6 tbsp cold butter Instructions Crumble: Mix the flour, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Rub in the cold butter to create the crumb mixture. Cake: Cream the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla and almond essence and whisk. Mix the flour with the salt, baking powder and baking soda. Alternate between the flour mixture and yogurt 3 times, whisking well. Pour the cake mixture into a greased and floured cake tin (8” diameter). Flatten the top with a spatula. Arrange the raspberries on top closely, covering the cake batter. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top, covering the raspberries. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes, before removing. NOTE: You can substitute the raspberries with strawberries in this