Carrot Cake Monkey Bread Food

HALWA CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9-inch springform cake pan.
• In a bowl, whisk the oil, sugars, vanilla and egg together until combined.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, chai masala powder, baking powder and salt until well blended. Add the dry ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the carrots, nuts and dates. Turn the stand mixer on stir and gradually add the liquid ingredients until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top of the cake is springy when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool.
• For the halwa: Add the milk, carrots, cardamom powder and saffron to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, then add the raisins and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk dries up and the raw smell of the carrot disappears, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the ghee to a small saute pan over medium heat and allow to melt. Add the almonds, cashews and pistachios and stir to coat in the ghee. Allow to toast, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
• Add the paneer, toasted nuts, condensed milk and granulated sugar to the pot with the milk mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture onto sheet trays to cool quickly, then refrigerate to cool completely.
• For the assembly: Remove the cake from the pan and split into two layers horizontally. Put 1 cake layer back into the springform pan to help with filling the cake. Put 1 cup of the whipped cream into a pastry bag and line the rim of the cake with whipped cream. Fill the middle of the cake with the halwa. Top with the remaining cake layer, then frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish the cake with the pistachio dust, edible flowers and gold leaf. Slice and serve.

CARAMEL MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• Make the brioche: Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Add the milk and eggs and mix until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium; start adding the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more, about 5 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue to mix until the dough is glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky, about 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Make the caramel: Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling the pan but not stirring, until dark amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Let cool to room temperature.
• Assemble the monkey bread: Coat a 15-cup bundt pan with cooking spray. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Put the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Slice the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a 9- to 10-inch-long log. Slice each log into roughly 10 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball, dusting the surface with more flour as needed. Pour about half of the caramel into the bundt pan.
• Working in batches, coat 20 dough balls in the butter, letting the excess drip off, then roll in the cinnamon sugar and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Drizzle the remaining caramel on top. Repeat with the remaining 20 dough balls, melted butter and cinnamon sugar, then arrange in the bundt pan. Set aside until the dough is slightly puffed, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place the bundt pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the monkey bread is dark golden brown on top, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a platter.