Chocolate Banana Cake – Simply Awesome!

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

today i made a chocolate banana cake for the first time on 11.5.2016. ^^

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

& actually it turned out quite awesome! ^^

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

my primary school friend is buying lunch the next day.

so i thought i would make a banoffee pie so we can all share after lunch.

just happens that the conversation on group whatsapp was chocolate banana cake. a friend had just taken that at awfully chocolate. i know cedele sells that too but have not tried it, and also secret recipe when i googled.

i found a recipe on joy of baking which i thought i can do.

10" x 10" cake tin from phoon huat

10″ x 10″ cake tin from phoon huat

next was to go buy a cake tin & the ingredients like flour, baking soda, baking powder etc, all i didn’t have.

i bought a 10″ x 10″ cake tin from phoon huat, S$6.50.

mashed banana

mashed banana

recipe seems simply enuf!

i just have to manage the sugar, as usually the western recipe has many times the sugar we like.

i mashed about 1.5 medium bananas & kept 1/2 for some banana chunks (not in recipe).

mixed eggs, water, milk, vanilla essence, mashed bananas, oil

mixed eggs, water, milk, vanilla essence, mashed bananas, oil

i mixed 2 eggs, mashed bananas, 1 cup water (240ml), 1/2 cup milk (120ml), 1.5 tsp vanilla essence & 1/2 cup oil (120ml) in a large bowl, & whisked.

mixed cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar

mixed cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar

i sieved 1 & 3/4 cups plain flour (245g) & sieved 3/4 cup cocoa powder (75g) to a large bowl, added 5 tbsp sugar (75g), ! & 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt & mix.

recipe called for 400g sugar. i used just 75g so i could adjust later. i tried the cake mix later & added 1 tbsp & then 1 more tbsp sugar so in total 7 tbsp (105g) sugar

fold the wet light mix to the dry mix

fold the wet light mix to the dry mix

i added the wet light mix to the dry mix.

i made a big mistake though!

i forgot that i should fold & not whisk!

cake mixture before baking

cake mixture before baking

well for this time it didn’t matter that i whisked.

as i said earlier, i tasted the cake mix before baking, so i added 2 tbsp more sugar, 1 tbsp at a time & guess what, i had to whisk la!

so in the end no diff!

baked for 40mins at 180degC

baked for 40mins at 180degC

i buttered the 10 by 10 cake tin & pour the cake mix in.

baked for 40mins according to joyofbaking recipe instructions.

made chocolate ganagce for frosting

made chocolate ganagce for frosting

then i made the ganache.

boil 180ml whipping cream with 1 tbsp butter (15ml). broke up 200g dark chocolate (i used cadbury) & whisked.

chocolate ganagce for frosting over baked cake

chocolate ganche for frosting over baked cake

after the cake had cooled completely, i added the ganache frosting.

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

when i tested the cake, it was still warm & the ganache flowed a bit. ok but didn’t feel special.

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

i put it in the fridge & tried the next day.

what can i say? it was awesome leh!

well it was pretty good la…chocolate cake standalone not really my favourite, but this was really jolly good. the ganache was specially good. the cake itself was dense but it was ok good.

i may add a bit more bananas, but for me, this cake just like this was quite good enuf.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup water (240ml)
  • 1/2 cup milk (120ml)
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup oil (120ml)
  • 1 & 3/4 cups plain flour (245g)
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder (75g)
  • 7 tbsp sugar (105g)
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 180ml whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp butter (15ml)
  • 200g dark chocolate (i used cadbury)

Directions:

  1. mash 1.5 medium bananas & kept 1/2 for some banana chunks (not in recipe).
  2. mix 2 eggs, mashed bananas, 1 cup water (240ml), 1/2 cup milk (120ml), 1.5 tsp vanilla essence & 1/2 cup oil (120ml) in a large bowl, & whisk.
  3. sieve 1 & 3/4 cups plain flour (245g) & sieve 3/4 cup cocoa powder (75g) to a large bowl, add 7 tbsp sugar (105g), 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt & mix. <recipe called for 400g sugar. i used just 5tbsp (75g) so i could adjust later. i tried the cake mix later & added 1 tbsp & then 1 more tbsp sugar so in total 7 tbsp (105g) sugar>
  4. add the wet light mix to the dry mix & fold, figure of eight motion.
  5. butter the 10 by 10 cake tin (or non-stick spray), placed the banana chunks on cake tin & pour the cake mix in. bake for 40mins according to joyofbaking recipe instructions.
  6. make ganache frosting – boil 180ml whipping cream with 1 tbsp butter (15ml). break up 200g dark chocolate (i used cadbury) & whisk.
  7. when cake is completely cooled, add the ganache frosting. voila!

Fresh Pastries & Great Coffee @ Carpenter & Cook on 1Apr2015

banoffee, lemon tart, quiche

banoffee, lemon tart, quiche

son was back from london for a very short break. 🙂

he did 10km run with me this morning with my good friend & weekly running partner.

my daughter made the arrangements & we managed to find time to go for a 4pax family coffee/snacks at carpenter & cook this afternoon on 1.4.2015.^^ excellent outing this! wonderful food & ambience. 🙂

carpenter & cook

carpenter & cook

carpenter & cook

carpenter & cook

retro display

retro display

there were price tags on the quaint collections (i spied an old typewriter at S$800!) which included some enamel floral painted plates on the wall, tables & chairs etc. hence carpenter – we were told by the proprietress shenn, who is a pastry chef who pulls the weights for the other part of the name – cook. ^^

banoffee pie

banoffee pie

banoffee pie was excellent! there was a coffee infused top. shenn said it was rare. the toffee was freshly made, very mildly sweet & excellent flavours (different form what i learned for the internet boiling a can of condensed milk in water for 3 hrs).

well, shenn told us her bakery was just downstairs at the same premises & all the pastries were own freshly baked & not from a common supplier. ^^

my own banoffee pie was not too bad but this was of course better. 🙂

lemon tart

lemon tart

lemon tart was very nice also. very mildly sweet (which we liked) & nicely tangy, & a nice crisp tart base.

bacon quiche

bacon quiche

both my daughter & i wanted to try the quiche. we picked the bacon quiche. i thought it was really savoury & nice. we all liked it. i tried a mini quiche previously, not too great, maybe i may try it again.

flat white

flat white

the flat white was smooth & silky, micro foam well blended, & great flavours.

it didn’t have the latte art of assembly coffee. well i guess no latte art at all.

taste wise, it was as good as dutch colony & assembly coffee. maybe chye seng huat was better, couldn’t really remember. it was good anyway.

c.h.e.f andy