Photography Tips Online

Ever since I have completed 30 Day's to better food photography course, I have learn't to stare, gaze and study the images online. Trying to understand why that wonderful image has been staged like that ?Is the feel rustic or fresh or white or colourful ? Why the Napkin has been twirled and twisted and not just neat ? Is the photographer trying to convey a casual feeling or a fine dining or just for fun or what else?
In an attempt to learn and understand , which is non stop learning curve , I never fail to visit one of my favorite photographer's blog -  Tartelette  by Helen Dujarin.
I owe a lot of my learnings to the book Plate to Pixel and some enhancements to her blog too. Gazing through different posts , I came across this post on Honey Vanilla Cake at her's. Totally loved it. Made them twice . In my second attempt , I reduced the flour by 1/4 of a cup. I had made this wonderful tea cake in March , but for some reasons I did not find time to draft a post for it .


This healthy  tea cake caught my attention, since it had a portion of Honey in it. I have to admit ! I have never used honey in my baking .. and I was really curious how its going to taste in the bake .
Wonderful is an understatement .. Mild and a glory at Tea Time for sure.  You bet now , why I made it twice on consecutive days. The kids in the house loved it , but thats just one reason. I was no where convinced with my pictures the first day and the cake was all over. So I went to bake all over again and shot them !! Extremely pleased I did them all over again. Don't you think so ?? Have a look at the difference between the first set that's white and the new set in grey.




Just across the screen, I am sure many of my other food blogger friends must b cooking/baking food all over again , just for pictures occasionally.
When I re work on the images, its not to convince or please anyone else but to give me immense satisfaction that I have got it right. It gives me a feeling of passing an examination with distinction when I get it right !!

When I see them up in my blog , I refer to when I want to bake them next time , instead of going back to the internet or a cookbook.
Without further any more banters , I am leaving you with this beautiful recipe to enjoy for your friends and family.
I have baked a couple of Tea Time cakes . Some of them are listed below.
Chocolate Pound Cake
Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
Orange Marmalade Cake
Victoria Loaf Cake


Finally... yeippe !! Here it is ... Recipe adapated from here.

HONEY & VANILLA CAKE INGREDIENTS: 115 g Unsalted Butter, at Room Temp 1 Cup Sugar  ( I have used regular granulated ) 2 large Eggs ¼ Cup of Honey 1 Tsp of vanilla extract 2 Cups of Cake Flour ***  ( Recipe for making cake flour at home  - below) 1 tsp Baking Powder DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350F.Grease and flour the Bundt tin. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes until they turn light and creamy. Adding one egg at a time ,beat the mixture for some more time . Add Honey, Vanilla essence, flour and baking powder and mix for about a minute. Pour the prepared mixture in the tin and bake for 45 -60 minutes. Check by inserting a knife, making sure it comes out clean. Cool for some time and unmould. Serve along with tea or just like that. NOTES: The recipe called for a Vanilla Bean. Since I had an opened bottle of Vanilla extract, I went on to use it . *** Make your cake flour at home For every 1 Cup of All purpose flour/ Plain Flour , take out 2 Tbsp. of Flour and replace it in the flour bin. Add 2 Tbsp. Corn flour .Sift the flour’s together a couple of times  and use it to make the cake .

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