A few nights ago, I was reading a deliciously juice murder mystery novel, set in the 1800s England. A time when each grand home had a butler and tea service was taken very seriously. In there, the protagonist, a relentless young woman, was offered tea with cake as per the rules – man I was born in the wrong era! She described this particular citrus scented cake laced with warm ginger in great detail and I woke with an absolute determination to make one. This cake is a classic loaf cake with lots of warm spicy fresh ginger and orange zest, rubbed into sugar and also, some fresh thyme! This cake holds very well and you can travel with it like I did, and hopefully return with a slice or two just for yourself!

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!

Easy-peasy delicious tart made within the hour – with just a little planning of defrosting the frozen pastry and boiling the pumpkin! This is very much like Christmas or Thanksgiving, but a pie that warms the soul and tickles the heart and makes everything just fine! Serve as is with a dusting of powdered sugar or a lashing of crème anglaise!

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.

This recipe is part of the #thehomeseries with my dear Prachi, founder of @craftwellness.in Healthy, refined flour and sugar free, summer special! Prachi is a wonderful nutritionist and has been helpful in Nature Therapy’s journey with inputs to our Journal. Today I invited her over to shoot an episode for #thehomeseries to make a healthy snack bar, with our favourite mango summer fruit! This crumble bar is reminiscent to one I used to gorge on in my college days with an apple stuffing. This mango filling feels more attune with Indian summers, hints of cardamom and tropical coconut it perfect for a hot summer afternoon with a glass of iced tea. And if you’re a bit sneaky, go ahead and add that scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Cold, cold watermelon and our refreshing Plum + Roses Brew from is the perfect hot summer afternoon treat, with fairly minimal guilt. Our Plum + Roses Brew is a delicate black tea blend with a delightful array of stone fruits – cherries, plum and peaches, along with hints of cacao nibs for natural sweetness and refreshing rose petals. The combination with watermelon is indeed a killer one. I’ve made a granita out of it, but you could also wonderfully pour this into a popsicle mould for ice lollies or whip up a batch of tequila, gin or vodka cocktails!

I have spent many winter mornings in my balcony, where I have successfully grown two pots of Thai basil. This was not intentional. I thought I bought Italian basil, but of course, one only knows after they’ve sprouted! But now I do realise this was a far better deal, since I seem to be using Thai basil a lot more than I would have Italian. Guess everything works out well after all! So, with flourishing pots I felt it was time to do more justice – and for me justice usually comes in the form of a cake. Finely chopped Thai basil, paired with lot’s of lemon and orange zest ( I would have added grapefruit too, but I didn’t have any on hand) rubbed into sugar – and voila, a delightful summer cake is borne!

This eggless cake is perfect for children due to the whole wheat flour, brown sugar and honey, and of course, nutritious carrots! I use whole cashews, and toast them for 5-6 minutes, then grind them down to a fine powder – this adds a whole new dimension of the flavour. You can serve this with a drizzle of bourbon sauce for the adults, some whipped cream or cream cheese frosting, but just a sprinkle of powdered icing sugar works the best!

What can I tell you about these muffins – each bit of the development process was a true delight. It began when I had a cut apple which I didn’t want to eat anymore, so like any sensible human being, I too believe a muffin is always a better idea. This muffin is perfect to use up that one last apple that may have become a little too ripe. It’s one of those batters that could make you hesitant and self-doubt when you see the thickness of the batter, but this gives it the dense-type texture, which really makes you feel like biting into an apple pie!

It was in a little café on the streets of Cappadoccia, that I ordered a decadent looking multi-layered cake, with a cup of Viennese coffee! The cake was moist and resembled Russian Honey Cake, but it did not have that kind of crispy layers. I was motivated and inspired to make one, but of course the multiple layers are not my kind of thing, so I stuck to just two layers. This cake is a delight to make, and whilst I have never been the one to layer cakes, this one truly calls for it, and I assure you, this cake tastes better with time – I have had a piece for the whole week, and fell in love with it a little more each time. This is the perfect tea cake to serve when chocolate is not needed, and pairs well with coffee and tea, and even hot chocolate!

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!