August 5, 2009

Fat-free & Whole wheat Angel Food Cake with Easy Chocolate Frosting

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As much as I like the dense moist rich cakes, it takes a lot of rich ingredients that make it the way it is. For a light airy cake, today I tried to make one of my favorite cakes which has absolutely no fat in it. It is as light as a cake can get, and is called the Angel food cake. The main ingredient in this is egg whites which have been carefully separated from the yolks. Even a little bit of yolk, will mess with the whipping process. To ensure that, I separated one egg at a time in a small bowl, checked for shells/yolks that may have contaminated the egg white and then transferred it to a bigger bowl.
Use a very large bowl, since the egg whites tend to triple in size when whipped up.
Sifting the flour twice (once before adding to the wet mixture and once while adding to the wet mixture) is very crucial. Folding in the dry into the wet should be done gently or the whites will completely deflate and you will get a very sticky dense cake.
Normally Angel food cake is done with cake flour or all purpose flour. I substituted half of that with whole wheat pastry flour just to make it a little healthier.
The cake turned out awesome, it was still airy in spite of deviating from the traditional usage of A.P flour entirely.
The chocolate frosting was just a second thought. I had some cream leftover in the fridge and decided to make a simple frosting which turned out the perfect topping for this cake.
Though the frosting is entirely optional, I would certainly recommend slathering on a little bit.
Tube pans are ideal for this kind of cake, but since I did not have one, I used a spring form pan, and had absolutely no issues with it. I did grease it before pouring the batter in.

One thing to keep in mind before you make this cake is, USE a hand mixer for whipping up the egg whites, and NEVER use a hand mixer while mixing the flour into the egg whites. Only fold gently with light hands just until combined.

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Fat-free & Whole wheat Angel Food Cake with Easy Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

For the Angel food cake:

Egg whites - 8 large at room temperature
Cream of tartar - 1/4 tsp
Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup

Whole wheat pastry flour - 1/3 cup
All purpose flour - 1/3 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Pure Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Almond essence - 1/2 tsp

For Chocolate frosting:

Semi-sweet chocolate chips - 1/2 cup
Whipping cream - 1/4 cup
Splenda - 2 packets
Pure Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp
Almonds - Chopped to sprinkle

Method:

For the Angel food cake:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift baking powder, whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour and powdered sugar with the help of a sieve.

In another bowl take the egg whites, cream of tartar and whip using a hand mixer till soft peaks form. It will almost triple in size.
Now add the granulated sugar and whip again till you get stiff peaks. You wont need the hand mixer from now on.
Add vanilla and almond essence.

Now divide the dry ingredients that have already been sifted into three equal parts.
Take each part again in the sieve and sift right on top of the egg whites. Fold the flour using a rubber spatula. DO NOT beat the mixture.

After combined, add the other two parts one by one and fold very gently. Make sure not to deflate the egg whites.

Transfer to a greased baking pan, I used a spring form pan (for lack of a better one.)

Bake for 30 minutes or till lightly brown/cracked on top. Test with toothpick for doneness.

For Chocolate frosting:

Whip cream and sugar using a hand mixer till creamy, you may also use store bought whipped cream.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave with a dash of milk for a few seconds. Mix well till there are no lumps and the chocolate is silky and cool to touch.
Add the chocolate and vanilla essence to the cream. Whip again till well combined.
Refrigerate the mixture for 30 min to allow the frosting to thicken.

Spread the frosting over the cake, sprinkle the almond bits on top and refrigerate for about 15 min. Cut and serve.

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116 comments:

  1. Wow, wonderful recipe with pic tempting me to try it !!
    Can u tel me why Cream of tartar is used in baking ?

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  2. It turned out soo good and looks tempting. I love this frosting.

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  3. Oh my.. Can I have a piece?? pleeease.. That looks so good. I've never made angel food cake, will have to try this one. What did you do with the left-over yolks?

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  4. What a delightful and delicious cake Anudivya. It's not just beautiful to look at, but also delicious and healthy (er). YUM!

    p.s
    Thank you so much for visiting my blog and leave me a such a wonderful comment.

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  5. Archy - I use cream of tartar only when beating egg whites. They give volume and also help in stabilizing the whites. The whipped up product is very weak without the use of cream of tartar and has a tendency to separate very easily (water and foam) if you over beat them.
    I just use it as insurance :)

    Pavani - LOL, I am trying to make ice cream the traditional way by making custard with half the yolks. Thing is... I do not have a ice cream maker, so I might have to do the freeze and whip several times. Keeping my fingers crossed.

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  6. Nice recipe, making the cake a little healthier is very nice, and looks delicious!

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  7. Thank you Anudivya for quick reply !!

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  8. Love the new look.Another delish fat-free recipe,how can I say no for a slice? :P

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  9. Wow...great Anu. You come back with a bang. This new make-up looks so fresh and beautiful. Your choco cake is good. :)

    Sonu
    (sevenspice.wordpress.com)

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  10. love the new look of your blog..!! the cake looks awesome, so does the frosting. Doesnt splenda give a sort of a bitter after taste?? ive always felt that..maybe its just me.

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  11. I like the new lookk of ur blog Divya! looks great and is definitely refreshing :) as usual awesome cake!!

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  12. A real visual treat indeed! awesome!

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  13. first of all ...lovely template..supera iruku...apuram cake innum super..nee pesama en veetuku pakathula vathudu...enaku ippo pasikuthubut samaikathan lazya iruku....

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  14. Cake looks great,no doubt u r a great baker.!
    This template looks very nice and suits your blog perfect!!

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  15. slurp..cannot talk more after seeing that cake..I am drooling now..

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  16. Wow...that cake looks heavenly...love the chocolate frosting.
    N ur blog look so bright and beautiful.

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  17. Hi anudivya , this is my first visit to your blog and I landed on your angel cake. It's an absolute delight. I have already bookmarked, anything low fat is worth trying.Do find time to drop by and leave me a note.I am surely visiting u again and again.

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  18. This cake looks great! I love the addition of whole wheat flour :)

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  19. Glad you are back and a yummy comeback :)

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  20. Love your healthy spin on cooking. It's hard to pull off with desserts, because of the richness of the ingredients, but you've done a good job with this one. Lovely! :)

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  21. this looks divine! the frosting, especially :)

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  22. The cake looks fabulous girl.... and a bit on the healthy side too!!!!

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  23. Wow so tempting and very interesting recipe love the frosting especially that last pic. looks very tempting yum.

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  24. looks so soft and light..beautiful divya..

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  25. Healthy and tasty - I can't wait to try this one.

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  26. That looks delicious - very interesting to see that even with the addition of wholewheat flour the cake is still light and airy. Love the frosting too :)

    And thanks for visiting my blog!

    Cheers
    Shaz

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  27. Cake looks good. New template is also good. BTW How did you spend the hot summer days last week?

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  28. Absolutely drooling.. :)

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  29. This cake looks so delicious!

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  30. lovely airy looking cake - and the frosting looks yum!

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  31. Whole wheat and fat free..cant ask for more :) Loved the frosting, looks divine!

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  32. Look beautiful, so soft. Yummyyy.

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  33. this is the kind of cakes i love..am not a big fan of plum or cakes with too much cream...this one is das perfekte!!

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  34. It's great to have a fat free cake like that, and I love the addition of chocolate icing. The chocolate makes it a bit more of a treat.

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  35. Great idea...can have without any guilt feel..but i may skip the choco forst..
    the cake is moist and correct texture..cheers !!

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  36. healthy and yummy cake..wht a look..perfect..

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  37. Lovely cake.wondering what substitute to egss will give this texture.

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  38. cake looks delicious.... i love angel food cake but never thought of adding whole wheat flour, will try this way next time...

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  39. Great idea to make a whole wheat angel food cake! I'm looking forward to trying this!

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  40. Love the new fresh look Anu, so is this what you made us wait for for so long?;-) then you come with a nice sweet recipe. That choc. frosting looks irresistible & great on a light cake.

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  41. It looks amazing and fat free? How absolutely wonderful! :D I love the contrast of colours too :)

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  42. Wat a tempting click Anu!!!
    Cake looks soooo delicious dear!

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  43. Divya, the cake looks airy and beautiful, perfect! Loved the new look to your site...I am fine thanks for asking, just been a little too busy to blog hop and comment and looks like it will be this way for a little while longer...

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  44. Looks really angelic!! the whole thing is a lot healthier than the regular cakes :) good one anu :) and the new look seems very positive :)loved the pics :) good one dear
    TC

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  45. Looks pretty delicous and it is fat free? Now that is an icing on the cake :-))

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  46. Usha - Just wondering about you. Good to know you are doing well, and taking things easy.

    Cilantro - Hot summer days! Gosh, I don't want any more of those... pretty much holed up at home :(

    Sangeeth - I will have to share the cake with you then? Hmmm... something to think about!

    Manju - Yes Splenda does give a bitter after taste when used in excess and when heated/baked. The frosting requires just 2 packets and is not cooked, so it tasted fine.
    If you are very particular, you may just go ahead and use regular sugar.
    I was lazy to powder more sugar and this was the easy way out.

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  47. Gorgeous cake..Who can resist a slice?

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  48. Wow...perfectly sliced cake....looks yummylicious...love that chocolate frosting....very yum....

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  49. Well can I tell you how excited I am that you used whole wheat pastry flour? How daring of you to try that, especially on such a light cake! Angel food is great because of it's awesome light airy taste, and fat free :)

    Great job on this, now I know I can subs a little here and there!

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  50. This is a soft yummmy version divya..! Loved it..! Excellent Clicks! Tempting me!

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  51. Ooh, loooks yummylicious...fat free....is too tempting!

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  52. this is a truly unique angel food cake! i love that you used whole wheat and then quickly made it just as sinful as it would've been by adding that lovely chocolate frosting. drool!

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  53. I love how you pull apart recipes and substitute them with healthier alternatives, your blog makes me realize I'm the SUPER lazy!
    Love the frosting you've got on the cake, looks sinful!

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  54. Hey Anu,
    I bookmarked this recipe.Fat free and still looks so moist and airy and light. That's a winner.

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  55. Cake loks so delicious and tempting. Great that it is fat-free.

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  56. I love the frosting. Bookmarked to try! :)

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  57. mmm. an absolute temptation! looks so yummy Divya! New template is beautiful :)

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  58. wow!!! divs....its seems tasty.....delicious....and healthy too..and even tempting....will try it soon.

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  59. Anu, regarding ur question about eggless choco-coco brownies, they were too soft and delicious, personally i felt that they are very much yummy when compared to brownies we do with egg..

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  60. that frosting looks amazing!! not to mention the cake LOL

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  61. Wow! Yuumy ! Looks heavenly !

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  62. Hi Anu, Very tempting photos. Looks very delicious.

    I have nominated you for the awards and tag. Pls accept it in my blog:-)

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  63. Cake looks delicious ,moist and good texture. Luved the click.

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  64. Looks very tempting esp the topping chocolate frosting!

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  65. Cake looks so scrumptious:)

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  66. OMG looks so beautiful,had i made this that wouldn't have gone into my mouth

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  67. Thank you for visiting my little blog. Was lovely to have you! This looks amazing. I'm so impressed by your effort to find healthy versions of recipes. I'm not so good. Too much sugar. Too much butter. Maybe I can find some inspiration here!

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  68. Wow,I am too scared to try this bcoz of eggs .Tempting cake.Somehow I missed this post in my dashbrd.

    BTW,I found agar there in an Indian Store (Bhavani thgh I have seen in Patels as well)-it is flakes and flavoured thgh.It may also be available in health food stores or Chinese stores.
    Pass on the cake dearie.Scrumptious it looks

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  69. Looks wonderfully light and airy! (Tasty too with all that choc!)

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  70. this is one gorgeous fat free cake.....the frosting seems to really easy....thanks for sharing

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  71. hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....

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  72. first time here... the cake looks really good and fat free too..

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  73. Looks delicious. Perfectly baked. Yummy :)

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  74. tempting pics dear.pls stop by at my blog when u get a chance

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  75. Please accept a gift from my blog dear:)

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  76. Very lovely cake. Looks really delicious.

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  77. Cake looks yummy and attractive...

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  78. Cake looks delicious and tempting. Great Pics.

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  79. hi anu....thats a yummy looking cake...nice click....thanks for dropping by and commenting...i have one recipe for kurma...just let me know ur email id...will mail u....

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  80. tempting pic of the cake and elaborate method.. thanks for sharing

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  81. Wow that's looks delicious Anu...as always....cool pic

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  82. Hey Anu new to ur blog each nd every thing is so inviting wud love to visit u always:)

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  83. The chocolate frosting looks divine, I like how rich and thick it is. I think it's great that you were able to make this with a healthy twist :).

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  84. what a lovely blog. Please collect your award from my blog
    http://kaipakkuvam.wordpress.com/
    Indu

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  85. lovely blog..great recipe..and its healthier too!

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  86. Cake looks absolutely gorgeous with yummy chocolaty frosting on top.....thanks for sharing a fat free version of cake....

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  87. A great recipe to enjoy a healthy, light and delicious cake.

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  88. hey me 2 4m usa and i am really interested in ur cooking stuffs ;) mind pinging u via mail?

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  89. hey,looks yummy!!!can u please tell me whats cream of tartar and whats splenda?where can i find them?

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  90. Hi Anu, you have a delicious blog :) I have been a fan for some time now! Please accept the 'Kreativ Blogger' award from me at my blog, it comes with a tag!

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  91. Hi, I actually found your blog via a search regarding this template, and was pleasantly surprised at the yummy-but-healthy treats contained within! I'm excited about attempting your recipes. Also, I noticed you figured out a way to keep your links from being transparent and/or white when you scroll over them... Could you pass along the tip and how you did that?

    Thank you!

    ~Rebekah

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  92. I figured it out! I had to change hover from the title color to link color...

    Still enjoyed perusing your blog on my visit!

    All the best,
    Rebekah

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  93. waiting for the next wonderful recipe!! Hope you are doing well!

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  94. Oh my gosh, that looks extraordinary...always love your clicks.

    long time, no see...how are you, dear?

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  95. I am a huge fan of Angel cakes .. and this looks absolutely divine!!!! Wish I had a fork and could dig in right now ...sighh

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  96. I love using whole wheat flour, I don't buy white flour anymore except for the occasional recipe where it just won't cooperate with me. Thanks for the recipe!

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  97. MIA???Whats Up???Happy Thanksgiving!!1

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  98. Hi,
    Awesome cake…yummyy…
    Please join my forum for food bloggers…
    http://cooking.divewebb.com/

    U can also submit ur site URL with our Chefs directory
    http://www.divewebb.com/chefsdirectory/

    Regards
    Tresa
    Owner Of http://www.4yourtastebuds.com/
    email:4yourtastebuds@gmail.com

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  99. Wow. Looks so Yum and great photography.

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  100. Looks awesome!! Can't wait to try it but do you have the nutritional content of the cake? I want to make it for my mother's birthday but she's watching her weight..

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  101. Wow looks yummy and tempting...
    Please do collect your awards from my blog..

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  102. Hey
    First time in ur blog.You have very unique collections.I loved it.Will keep track of your new posts.
    Love
    Subhashini

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  103. great blog! but i can't find where to 'follow'...

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  104. This looks and sounds so good!

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  105. If its fat free then I would like a piece please.

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  106. Hi,
    i loved ur blog...i remeber seeing it very long back, may be more than a year ago.....please add the follower button or a Navbar on top , so that the readers can follow you....im bookmarking you....

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  107. Big love from Scotland to you.

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  108. Am not good in baking, but you have described it so well... am gonna try this acc to your suggestions.. :)

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  109. Looks really good! I'll do a review on my blog soon after i try this! thanks so much!!

    - sweetsubaking

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Thank you for taking the time to comment on this post. I will try to respond to queries as soon as I can. If I miss anything that needs to be addressed... please feel free to ping me again.
Happy cooking/baking or whatever it is you are doing in the kitchen! :)