HOW TO BAKE A CAKE : MATHEMATICAL FORMULA RECIPE BY VIKRAM KARVE

BAKING MADE SIMPLE HOW TO BAKE A CAKE Mathematical Formula Recipe By VIKRAM KARVE Mathematical Formula Cake Recipe “ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ” Hey – what’s that...? No – it is not what you think – it’s not a secret code or some mathematical formula. This mathematical ratio exemplifies the recipe for a simple cake – probably the first thing I learnt to cook. It’s simple. Take ¾ [three-fourth] Cup of fresh Butter. Cream the butter till fluffy with your hand. [Instead of butter you can use Margarine or Dalda (Hydrogenated Oil) if you prefer] Add 1 (one) cup of Sugar to the butter. Whisk vigorously till the sugar and butter blend smoothly. Whip 3 Eggs till they fluff up into peaks. Fold the three well beaten eggs into the butter-sugar batter mixture carefully. Beat the mixture with your hand till the batter emulsifies nicely. Sieve 1 ½ [one and a half] cups of Maida (flour) with a teaspoon of baking powder and keep ready in a plate. In a glass – pour a generous “tot” of full-bodied Dark Rum (like Old Monk Rum) The darker and mellower the Rum – the better it is – as it will have more caramel content – which will impart an inimitable heavenly bitter-sweet flavour – blended with the richly aromatic enveloping tang of molasses. Now start adding – by the tablespoonful – the sieved Maida (flour) to the butter-sugar-egg emulsified batter. Gently fold in and smooth the flour into the batter with your fingers. At the same time – alternately – from time to time add a few “drops” by the teaspoonful of the full-bodied Dark Rum to the batter. You must taste the batter by licking your fingers from time to time – rolling on your tongue – sampling and tasting at every step – till you get the right creamy consistency and taste. I love to mix in a wee bit of powdered spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or cloves. For Fruit Cake – get some raisins, orange rind, dried fruit pieces and petha – and soak these in a glass of Rum for a few hours – till the fruit soak in the Rum – and then – gently blend in the Rum Soaked Fruit to the batter. This will prevent the Fruit from sinking – and will also release aromatic flavorful Rum vapour into the cake while it bakes – and make the cake rise up well. You must ensure a proper dropping consistency of the batter by appropriately balancing the liquid Rum and solid Maida (flour). Innovate as per your mood and taste – and add a few drops of vanilla essence to remove what remains of that “eggy” taste. Cream the batter with your hands till super smooth. Now bake your cake in an oven at moderate temperature (180 Celsius) for around 30 to 40 minutes till done. (Test with a clean dry knitting needle or small knife – poke the needle or knife into the cake and if the cake is done the needle or knife will come out dry). The Rum will guarantee that the cake does not flop – and – the hot spicy alcohol vapour escaping from the cake will perambulate within the oven – and this will impart a tantalizing aroma and enticing fragrance to the cake. This cake tastes best when eaten hot – as the blissful fresh spicy hot sensuous vapours overwhelm your olfactory and gustatory senses with their zesty fragrance and rich full-bodied flavour. This is the first recipe I learnt from my mother – when I was a small boy. The “Rum” innovation came a bit later – after I joined the Navy. I prefer to use stainless steel katories (vaties) – but you can use standard size cups if you want. Don’t be too finicky about precise proportions. Sample the batter – taste at every step – and maintain dropping consistency of the mixture. And – of course: Do Your Best – and – Trust the Rum to do the rest...!!! If you prefer – try using Brandy instead of Rum – for a different flavour. I bake the cake in half an hour and it tastes heavenly. Baking a cake is so simple – isn’t it..? To recap. For a 3 Egg Cake: Just remember the simple formula – “ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ” ¾ cup Butter 1 cup Sugar 1 ½ cup Maida (Flour) For larger cakes – just use multiples of this breathtakingly simple formula. Happy Baking. Do remember to tell us how your cake turned out and how yummy it tasted. ____ VIKRAM KARVE Copyright © Vikram Karve 1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve 2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post © vikram karve., all rights reserved. Disclaimer: All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Copyright Notice: No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright. Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved) © vikram karve., all rights reserved. I developed this recipe for baking a cake arund 60 years ago in the 1960s and I have posted this recipe online in my blogs many times - this recipe also features in my foodie book APPETITE FOR A STROLL - here are some recent urls where I have posted this recipe : http://creative.sulekha.com/baking-mathematics-1-1_455611_blog and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/05/how-to-bake-cake-mathematical-formula.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/12/how-to-bake-cake-recipe-for.html andhttp://creative.sulekha.com/baking-a-cake-made-simple_488539_blog and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/04/cooking-for-nerds-how-to-bake-cake.html etc

Lawrence School Lovedale : Class of 1971 : Emerald Jubilee 55th Reunion and 168th Founder’s Day Parade : Pictorial Blog by Vikram Karve

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THE LAWRENCE SCHOOL LOVEDALE 

CLASS OF 1971 

EMERALD JUBILEE 55TH REUNION 

168TH FOUNDER'S DAY PARADE 

PICTORIAL BLOG BY VIKRAM KARVE 

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GROUP PHOTOS

FOUNDER’S DAY PARADE MARCH-PAST VIDEO

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GROUP PHOTO IN REUNION T-SHIRT (29 APRIL 2026)

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GROUP PHOTO IN REUNION T-SHIRT AND HAT (29 APRIL 2026)

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CLASS OF 1971 MARCHING CONTINGENT FOUNDER’S DAY PARADE (30 APRIL 2026)

VIDEO WITH MUSIC (COLONEL BOGEY MARCH) ADDED BY ME

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Lawrence School Lovedale Class of 1971 Marching Contingent at Founder’s Day Parade (Trooping the Colour) 30 April 2026.

Smart Turnout and Elegant Marching made Class of 1971 the best contingent among Old Lawrencians (OLs).

Watch the video below of Class of 1971 marching smartly at Lawrence School Lovedale Founder’s Day Parade march-past.

(You can see me marching – just behind the ladies – towards the camera)

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The Class of 1971 celebrated its Emerald Jubilee 55th Reunion in Lawrence School Lovedale, Ooty, Nilgiris, Coorg, Bengaluru, etc. (around 10 days together from 26 April 2026 to 05 May 2026)

It was indeed a long memorable reunion celebration 55 years after passing out from school – lovely days we shall always cherish.

As in the previous Golden Jubilee Reunion – Ranjit Giri from “Down Under” was the “prime mover” of the reunion – planning and coordinating everything with his indefatigable initiative – and motivating classmates to attend the reunion.

He meticulously planned and coordinated all aspects of the reunion (itinerary, events, group photo, accommodation, food, transportation, organising T-Shirts, Hats etc, coordination with Old Lawrencian Association for Founder’s Day Celebrations etc.) and he had sent us the program for the entire reunion by email and WhatsApp well in advance and constantly updated us from time to time – indeed a huge effort worthy of admiration from all of us.

He organised the reunion superbly and the Emerald Jubilee 55th Reunion of the “Classy” Class of 1971 Lawrence School Lovedale was a grand success.

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The Class of 1971 Reunion was held in two parts:

Part 1 in Ooty/Lovedale from 27 April 2026 to 01 May 2026 to coincide with Founder’s Day Celebrations of Lawrence School Lovedale.

Part 2 in Coorg from 01 May 2026 to 04 May 2026

Most of us reached Bengaluru on 26 April 2026 – had an introductory evening in our planned accommodation – then drove down to Ooty on 27 April 2026 early morning and reached Ooty in the afternoon of 27 April 2026 after a wonderful drive via Mysore, and Bandipur and Mudumalai National Parks (we saw a Leopard in Bandipur and Deer and Elephants too)

We enjoyed four lovely days in Ooty, Lovedale and Nilgiris attending a variety of Reunion and Founder’s Day events.

On 01 May 2026 we drove down from Ooty to Mercara for the second leg of the Reunion from 01 May 2026 to 04 May 2026 in Coorg.

On 04 May 2026 – we drove down from Mercara, Coorg to Bengaluru – and in the evening – we enjoyed the grand finale dinner of the reunion hosted by a magnanimous classmate.

On 05 May 2026 – we said our goodbyes and promised to meet for the next reunion of the Class of 1971 Lawrence School Lovedale – maybe sometime in 2028 or 2029.

The Lawrence School Lovedale Class of 1971 Emerald Jubilee 55th Reunion was a grand success full of camaraderie, bonhomie and fellowship – and it was heartening to meet school classmates – some after many years – and a few for the first time after passing out from school in 1971 – 55 years ago.

I will tell you about all events of the reunion and the fun we had in a series of blog posts with pictures and videos.

This time I have decided to write a series of short pieces with plenty of pictures instead of a long written pictorial blog as I did last time.

This is because of my reduced stamina of writing and reduced attention spans of readers, especially my classmates who are all 70+ Senior Citizens.

Meanwhile, do read about our Golden Jubilee Reunion in my Blog.

(URL at the end of this article)

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If you are active on social media do have a look at the pictures of our reunion I have posted on my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X. LinkedIn, Threads, and other social media timelines.

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Before I end let me post pictures of me in Class of 1971 Emerald Jubilee 55th Reunion T-Shirt and Hat

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Do Read My Blog on Lawrence School Lovedale Class of 1971 Golden Jubilee Reunion:

GOLDEN JUBILEE REUNION CLASS OF 1971 LAWRENCE SCHOOL LOVEDALE

https://karve.wordpress.com/2023/02/25/lawrence-school-lovedale-class-of-1971-golden-jubilee-reunion/

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VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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