10 Most Popular Cakes of the World

Whenever anyone thinks about planning a birthday party, the first thing that is arranged is a cake! Even if there is no time for anything else, a cake is the very minimum which makes the day qualify as a true celebration. Such is the power of this baked product, usually made of flour, eggs, sugar and butter. To watch these simple yet disparate ingredients come together and rise to form the most beautiful and delicious thing that can have you forgetting all about your intentions to eat healthy.

If you're wondering why we're suddenly focusing on cakes today, it's because it's Cake Day! And since there are just too many kinds of cakes in this world, we've decided to focus on the 10 most popular varieties, that never seem to go out of fashion. Warning: put a waterproof cover over your keyboard to catch all the drool!

10 Most Popular Cakes of the World

1. Victoria Sponge Cake

Source

We begin with one of the most common cakes ever - the sponge cake, specifically the Victoria sponge cake also called the Victoria sandwich cake. Named after Queen Victoria, this cake consists of layers of sponge cake sandwiched together with fruit jam and whipped cream. Sometimes, cut fruit like strawberries or raspberries are also placed in the filling as well as used to decorate. This is one of those cakes that stand out for their simplicity, and don't require any additional decoration!

2. Cheesecake

A cheesecake has a more pudding-ish texture when compared to the traditional idea of a cake, but that doesn't mean it's any less delicious! Made of a biscuit or cracker base, and topped with a cream cheese mixture, cheese cakes are available in a wide variety of flavors, although the New York Cheesecake is probably the most popular. Many also have different toppings like jelly or ganache which add another layer to this delectable dessert. 

3. Angel Food Cake

Source

You've often heard of the term 'food of the Gods'; well, this one is one for angels! This cake is so soft and light, that you can't stop at one slice. The airiness is achieved by beating egg whites stiff, and without using any butter. These cakes are usually baked in tins with a hole in the center to ensure that the cake rises well, giving it that pillowy soft texture. 

4. Devil's Food Cake

Source

When you speak of angel's food cake, can the devil's version be far behind? And yes, this cake is so sinfully delicious, that the name is just perfect for it! This cake is considered different from your average chocolate cake because of all the chocolate - in both the cake as well as the ganache and filling. These cakes are a deep, dark brown, and just a small slice can take you to chocolate heaven!

5. Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Source

Most cakes are served the way they came out of the oven, but this cake is served upside down! Slices of pineapple are arranged at the base of the cake tin, usually with cherries filling in the gaps. Batter is then poured over this and baked, after which the cake is upturned to get a beautiful pineapple topped dessert! As you can imagine, this cake requires absolutely no frosting or accompaniments, it's perfect just the way it is!

6. Black Forest Cake

Source

This is probably the most sought after cake for birthday parties! A black forest cake is also called a black forest gateau, and is actually a German production. It consists of layers of chocolate cake, usually soaked in some sort of liquid, whipped cream, cherries and chocolate shavings. The cake is set apart from other chocolate cakes because of the moistness from the syrup and the tartness from the fruit, making it a true explosion of flavors!

7. Pound Cake

Source

No, this cake doesn't cost a pound; it is called so because of the ingredients - a pound each of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. However, a scaled down version with an equal ratio of these ingredients also qualifies as a pound cake. This cake is a little denser than the airy sponge, and nuts or chocolate chips are often added to the batter. This is the perfect cake to accompany your afternoon tea!

8. Tiramisu

Source

The Tiramisu is much more than just a cake; it is an experience! An Italian dessert, it consists of ladyfinger biscuits with a good amount of coffee, cocoa as well as mascarpone cheese. The result is a rich cake, usually cut into square slices and served at the end of an elaborate meal. This is not your everyday coffee cake!

9. Fruitcake

Source

This kind of cake starts getting popular around this time of year, and is a common fixture during Christmas feasts. This cake is usually quite dense and is filled with different kinds of nuts, dry fruit and spices, many of which are soaked in a mixture of liquids for several days before baking. A popular variation of this cake is the Plum cake, often seen in Christmas celebrations in Kerala.

10. Red Velvet Cake

Source

This cake is not for the faint-hearted; but don't let that fiery red color fool you! This is one of the most popular cake recipes on the planet, and in no small account to the contrast of the deep red cake against the white frosting. This is actually a kind of chocolate cake, which uses buttermilk to keep the cake moist and soft. The color is usually due to food coloring or beetroot juice, and is what gives the cake its distinct look!

Besides being informative, let this article be a bucket list of sorts - for the cakes to bake if you're a baker, or the ones to eat if you're a foodie! Do let us know if we've missed out on your favorite kind of cake!

6 Ways to make the Men in your Life feel special this International Men’s Day

If this is the first time you’re hearing about International Men’s Day, then you’re not alone. While International Women’s Day gets a lot of press and publicity, there is hardly a whisper and a nod to the male equivalent of the day. Now if you’re wondering why men need a special day seeing that they don’t need to fight for their rights as women do, well that’s not what this day is about!

International Men’s Day was created as a day to focus on men’s and boy’s health as well as to improve gender relations. In this world of changing gender roles, this day actually achieves more significance as the years go by. When women’s roles are being put in the spotlight (and rightly so), sometimes we tend to forget that the men do work hard for their families too!  This day attempts to focus on a man’s contribution to his family too, which goes a long way in fostering good gender relations, especially among boys.

So this Men’s Day, make it special for your Dad, brother, husband and son, and let them know that you acknowledge their efforts!  Here are a few ways you can make this day special for them.

6 Ways to make the men in your life special this International Men’s Day

1. Adventure Date

Plan a special adventure sports date for your husband, brothers and sons (if they are old enough) and your father and father-in-law (if they are active enough). They probably have fun in their own circles, but not with each other, so this will be a perfect opportunity to have some fun!

2. Laze-around Day

Let your husband have a day to himself. Okay, you probably think that he does have days to himself, but let this one not include any nagging about dirty coffee cups or wet towels! A no-nagging day will be super-appreciated by anyone, and you might just find that you enjoy it too!

3. Grocery Trip

Take a family trip to the supermarket, but let your husband and son take the lead. Let them check out the pantry and fridge, make a menu, list out groceries and get them. Let them do it the way they like and you can sit back and have fun clicking pictures! This is also a great way to get them more involved in the behind-the-scenes process.

4. Gifting Options

Get them gifts!! Women often tend to get men more ‘utilitarian’ gifts, but this time go for something whacky, but something that they’ll love – like a bobblehead of their favorite TV show character or a gun that makes fart noises!! Let all the women go shopping for this together – it’s a win-win situation for everyone!

5. Grooming Special

This month is also called ‘Movember’, a month-long event that promotes growing moustaches to focus on men’s health. Whether the men in your life have moustaches or not they can still enjoy a good grooming session! Book one at a luxe men’s salon and let them enjoy some well-deserved pampering.

6. Health Checkup

The best gift you can give anyone is of course, the gift of good health. Since the intention of this day is also to focus on men’s health issues (which many men ignore), gift your loved ones a full checkup at a reputed hospital. Make sure it’s tailored to their age, so that they’re up to date with all the requisite tests.

So there’s actually a lot you can do, from a simple supermarket visit to an elaborate adventure date. Pick one that’ll work for you and your family and don’t forget to tell everyone how much you love them!

10 Milestones in Internet History

 “We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain” – Stephen Hawking

For most of us today, living without the internet is almost unthinkable – just remember the day your connection died and how you felt. Probably something like this:

44 years ago, this very month, the first ever email was sent, via ARPANET, the first ever network to implement TCP/IP protocols. Of course, the internet has come a long way since then, and today, you can pay your bills, shop, order food and book tickets – all without leaving your chair! So let’s take a little trip down memory lane and have a look at the major milestones in internet history.

10 Milestones in Internet History

1.    1971 – The first ever email was sent, marking the beginning of the end of the postal/telegram service! The email was sent by Ray Tomlinson to himself and contained some insignificant message; no, it wasn’t “Hello World”!

2.    1989 – The World Wide Web was invented and all our websites began with the triple w. Alternative names that were considered include ‘The Information Mesh’ and ‘The Mine of Information’. The World Wide Web does sound a lot better, doesn’t it?

3.    1991 – The inventor of the WWW, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, puts up the first ever website – a move that has resulted in a billion websites, and still counting! You can visit the first website here: http://info.cern.ch/.

4.    1993 – For most of us, Google is the ultimate answer to all our questions. But the first search engine was W3Catalog, started in 1993. This worked in a way entirely different to later search engines, and was retired 3 years later.

5.    1994 – Online shopping rears its head with the first ever online purchase to be made on the website Net Market. By this time, the internet was available on the public domain, and Michael Aldrich pioneered the first secure online transaction.

6.    1995 – The ability to buy online triggers a sudden rise in online stores, and current sharks Amazon and eBay set up shop. Other offline enterprises like Pizza Hut also make their presence online.

7.    1996 – Mobile phones are becoming popular, but the first access to mobile internet occurred in 1996 in Finland, connecting a Nokia 9000 Communicator phone to the Sonera and Radiolinja networks.

8.    1996 – It doesn’t take long for cute or embarrassing videos to go viral these days, but the first ever viral video is The Dancing Baby, which has got up to 3,042,446 views till date.

9.    1997 – Google.com is registered as a domain and becomes the world’s biggest problem solver! Started by two Stanford students, Google fast displaces all other search engines to become the number one.

10. 2002 – The world’s first social network opens its doors to friends all over the world. No it wasn’t Facebook, but something similar, called Friendster. However, Friendster was affected by the rise of Facebook and it was relaunched in 2011 as a social gaming site.

Today, most of us take the internet for granted and many consider it a basic human right! The internet is something that has grown remarkably in such a short while and continues to develop further. And we sure are looking forward to more!

12 Picture Quotes for your Monday Motivation

When people talk of Mondays, they generally speak of it in negative terms. You'll find all kinds of memes and images talking about how you can't survive Monday without a bucket of coffee or how you just wish Monday was cancelled! 

Well we think that Monday is the best day of the week. It is a day of new beginnings, a day to wipe clean the slate and start over. And to make you feel the same and to inspire you throughout this week, we've got a collection of picture quotes here. So this time, we're skipping the words and letting the pictures speak!

12 Picture Quotes for your Monday Motivation

 

Now you can't possibly hate any day after you've scrolled through all those images! So everyone, prepare to start loving Mondays!

Top 10 Winter Destinations in India

“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation” – Paul Theroux

In many poems and songs of old times, winter usually has a negative connotation, while spring and summer are described with more cheerful words. Winters are associated with dullness and greyness, when everything dries up and even animals go into hibernation or fly south.

However, no one who’s visited India during winter will agree with such a description; it is, in fact, anything but dull! If you know India, you know that it’s pretty impossible for us to be grey, such a colourful people we are! But there are some locations in India that truly bloom during winters, when their real beauty comes through. For some others, winters provide the respite they need from an otherwise hot and humid climate. In any case, there are many destinations in India that are worth visiting especially during the winter season, and here we list out our top ten picks of these destinations.

Top 10 Winter Destinations in India

1.    Shimla 

Source

When you talk of winter destinations in India, Shimla is probably the first one to come to mind! This is a place that completely transforms itself with snow, and becomes the kind of stuff dreams are made of – a perfect place for kids and the young at heart!

2.    Mussoorie 

Source

Known as the Queen of Hills, and rightly so, this otherwise green hill station turns into a winter wonderland. If you love the mountains, then Mussoorie is the place for you! There are many activities too, so that the whole family can enjoy!

3.    Kerala 

Source

If you are from a place that gets really cold in winters and want to enjoy some warm sun and lots of greenery, come to Kerala!! Kerala’s otherwise tropical climate takes a break during 

winter, making it the ideal time to discover the lush greenery of Wayanad or Munnar.

4.    Manali 

Source

Manali is another popular winter travel destination in India, and with good reason! Around mid-December, a blanket of snow descends upon the place, and converts it into a snowy paradise. With lots of adventure sport opportunities, this is the perfect spot for adrenalin junkies!

5.    Rajasthan 

Source

Known for its deserts, winters bring out a different side of Rajasthan, and a lovely one at that! Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer are just some of the many places in Rajasthan that play host to the many travellers from across the globe.

6.    Gulmarg 

Source

You can’t leave behind the paradise on earth when talking about top locations to visit in India, in any season! Gulmarg is the kind of place that will leave you in awe of nature’s beauty and you’ll want to make that sight your permanent wallpaper!

7.    Darjeeling 

Source

Darjeeling is a hill station that has the most breathtaking views in all seasons. During winter, the greenery still persists, giving rise to a lovely scene that’ll have you wondering why you didn’t visit earlier!

8.    Lachen 

Source

Lachen in Sikkim, is a treat to behold, especially in winters as the snow casts its magic all around. A treat for photographers, Lachen is a gem that has many little tourist spots where you can make some great memories.

9.    Ooty 

Source

Ooty is a hill station that requires no introduction, being a popular spot for movie locales for decades! Ooty is a great place to visit in winter, being cold but not inhospitably so. This is a great spot for people of all ages – there’s something for everyone to do!

10. Kutch 

Source

The Rann of Kutch is not a place popular in summers due to the hot weather, but winters are another story altogether! The weather is lovely, and the place comes alive with the Rann Utsav, a cultural festival that celebrates the spirit of Kutch.

So tell us, where are you planning your trip to this winter?

9 Must Try Biryanis of India

Eid-ul-Adha is coming up later this month, and this is the Islamic festival that celebrates the spirit of sacrifice. As with any Eid, the feast for this one will also be one worth looking forward to!! In most parts of India, an Eid feast is incomplete without a biryani, a mouth watering rice, spices and chicken or meat. You can almost smell it now, can’t you?

Now biryani is a very generic term, and there are many kinds of biryani within India. While it’s not really possible to list all of them here, let’s take a look at the most popular biryanis that you’re likely to find in most places in India.

1.    Lucknowi Biryani

Source

Lucknowi Biryani is the kind of biryani that is popular in the northern part of India, and is believed to be a direct descendant of the original Persian biryani introduced by the Mughals. This is a pakki biryani where the rice and meat are half-cooked separately, then layered together and cooked completely using the dum method.

2.    Sindhi Biryani

Source

This is a biryani that originated from the Sind province in Pakistan and is extremely popular in India as well! This biryani is characterized by its generous use of fresh herbs like mint and coriander, giving the biryani a beautiful aroma.

3.    Calcutta Biryani

Source

The story goes that when the last Nawab of Awadh was exiled to Calcutta, he took his chef along with him, who cooked some delicious biryani. Soon the biryani became famous, and poor households managed by substituting meat with potatoes. Today, potatoes with meat have become the trademark of the Calcutta biryani!

4.    Bombay Biryani

Source

As its name suggests, Bombay biryani originated in Mumbai, and it has some Iranian flavours, which some believe are due to the large Parsi community in Mumbai. This biryani uses some flavours not generally found in Indian biryanis, like kewra essence, an assortment of spices and deep fried potatoes.

5.    Hyderabadi Biryani

Source

Eating biryani is probably the first thing visitors to Hyderabad do, it’s that famous! Hyderabadi biryani was developed during the Mughal period, but this one differs from traditional Mughal biryanis in the use of spices. An authentic Hyderabadi biryani packs a good amount of heat and fills the senses!

6.    Dindigul Thalapakatti Biryani

Source

The Didndigul Thalapakatti Biryani originated in the Dindigul town of Tamil Nadu. This biryani uses a good mix of spices, resulting in a darker color. It also avoids tomatoes completely, relying on sour curd and lemon juice for that tang. This biryani also uses a shorter grain rice rather than Basmati.

7.    Bhatkal Biryani

Source

Bhatkal Biryani is a dish of coastal Karnataka that derived from the Bombay biryani but then went on to evolve into something different. The main characteristic feature of this biryani is the use of onions, which is more than in other biryanis. The meat is cooked in an onion based sauce, which lends a different, strong taste to the finished dish.

8.    Ambur Biryani

Source

This biryani is from Vellore in Tamil Nadu and is a meat heavy dish. However, the thing that differentiates this biryani from the rest is the brinjal based gravy that is served alongside the biryani. Other accompaniments include a curd dish called a pachadi.

9.    Thalassery Biryani

Source

Thalassery Biryani is also called Malabar biryani, being a well known dish from the Malabar region in Kerala. Some experts believe that while the Persian biryani was introduced in the North, Arab traders introduced their version of the biryani in the South, which has evolved into the Malabar Biryani. This biryani is lighter on the spices and makes use of a short grain rice called Kaima rice. Cashews and raisins are used generously as a garnish.

We’re pretty sure you’re drooling all over your computer right now, so we’ll stop here!! So this Eid, go ahead and indulge yourself; for a change, you can also try multiple biryanis this year!