A gift with a slice of spice
October 27th, 2015
Cakes are fun additions to almost every type of menu. If you are having a birthday party, you must include one of these. For an evening party at your home where a number of people will be getting together for some good music, wine and food, adding slices of sinfully sweet and soft cakes as the desert to round off the perfect meal is a great idea. Cakes are not just for personal consumption, though. Many people prefer to send cakes online to their beloved ones, thanks to the splendid job the delivery companies and the post office does!
But cakes are not all about sponge, cream, sugar and pink rosettes as decorations. They don’t always have to be sweet or syrupy – you can also enjoy cakes with a hint of spice in them, now!
Some of the common spices used in cakes are:
Cinnamon – This woody spice has a unique mixture of sweetness, warmth, spice and a truly unique flavour that cannot be replicated with any other spice or food item in the world. Just a few bits of cinnamon and you can make a host of food and drink items even more delicious than they usually are. You could spice up your tea and cakes with it easily.
Cloves – Not only are they unique in the colour shape and properties, cloves are great additions to many food dishes. They also have several medicinal properties, thus making them a must-have ingredient in many parts of the world. Just a couple of them in your mouth after dinner and you’ve got a natural mouth freshener that also happens to be great for gum and teeth problems. Add a few in your cake and you will get a cake with a completely different kind of spicy and fresh flavour.
Ginger – Just like caviar, many people acquire a taste for this spice, which is not only a powerhouse of a refreshing, pungent flavour, but also of many medicinal properties. Popularly used in products to keep throat infections and cough at bay, ginger is also used in a number of foods and drinks. Ginger cakes are great with tea and have a unique flavour that can be a welcome change from all that sweetness and overload of icing. If you are fond of Indian curries and are wondering how they get that delicious gravy in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, then you should know that apart from using a lot of fresh vegetables, their dishes consist of many spices but in small quantities such as turmeric, cumin, garlic and of course – ginger!
Nutmeg – Not many people know but mace and nutmeg are similar in their tastes. Nutmeg is sweeter whereas mace has a more soft flavour. Nutmeg has been a popular spice in many Asian recipes and cakes.
Just like many dishes from various parts of the world have been customised according to the country they are being served in, so is the preparation of cakes and the ingredients used in them. So take your pick from these innovative and delicious cakes, today!