Vanilla Sauce | topping for cakes and desserts

Okay, so you have some guests coming over and you have quickly whisked up a cake for them. You really really wished you had more time on your hands to dish out some fancy dessert but alas, its only a sponge cake you had time for...... 

........or so you would have thought until you came across THIS recipe for a super simple easy-peesy vanilla sauce that gives your humble sponge cake (or any dessert) an extra oomph!! Oh yes... trust me on this! :) I am talking out of experience :D

A week back, at a friend's place I had the opportunity to taste vanilla sauce. It was my first time and I fell in love with it! I was amazed by its simplicity. It was divine when served along with the yummilicious apple pie that she had baked for me :) :) I made a mental note of the recipe... little did I know I would have to put it to use so soon!! 

A few days back, I had some guests over for dinner and after battling it out in the kitchen for a straight three hours trying to put together the main dishes, I had very little time to sort out my dessert. But I had made up my mind to serve out a pretty looking dessert as I had a tiny tot amongst my guest list and I did not want to disappoint the sweet loving little one. So here is where my new-found recipe came handy. I had baked an eggless chocolate walnut cake the previous night and kept it ready and waiting for the next day's dessert. And after the three hour battle, it took me just ten minutes and 4 simple ingredients to put together this yummy concoction. With a dash of colourful sprinklers on top, the simple sponge cake transformed into a fancy dessert. Oh yes, the little one was delighted! :)

For quick dessert make-overs or for those who are not too fond of the heavy creamy frosting on cakes... this recipe is a sure keeper! 

Makes: 1 cup sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Cornflour - 1.5 tbsp

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Method

• In a shallow bottomed pan, heat the milk and add in the sugar. Stir well until the sugar completely dissolves.
• Add the vanilla essence and mix well.
• Now add the cornflour little by little while continuously stirring the milk mixture, to avoid lumps.
• You may taste the sauce at this point and add in more sugar to make it sweeter or more cornflour to make it thicker, as per your preference.
• After stirring the mixture for about 2-3 minutes on medium flame, take it off the stove.
• If you find some lumps in the sauce, carefully pour the sauce through a sieve onto a bowl. Using the back of a spoon gently smear the cornflour lumps down to extract all the sauce out of it through the sieve and then discard the cornflour lumps.
• The sauce thickens a little over time. You may serve it warm or chilled over you cake or dessert. 

Get playful by adding on some colourful sprinklers to your sauce topped cake and give a makeover to your humble cake/dessert :)