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!

Banoffee (Banana Toffee) Pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

first tried this banoffee (banana toffee) pie for a 11pax homecooked lunch yesterday on 15.10.2014.

even though the guys walloped the whole cake, a few including me felt it was kind of sweet though ok to eat. anyway i made another one today with 1/2 the caramel (from 1/4can of condensed milk) & 50% more bananas, & it was an excellent very well balanced cake.

i saw a video recipe here.

it was something which i thought i could make w/o much difficulty, and it was quite a revelation for me that you could produce toffee (or more correctly caramel) by heating a can of condensed milk in boiling water for 3hrs. 🙂

see here difference between toffee & caramel.

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

banoffee (banana toffee) pie

anyway as shown in the video it was an easy to do recipe-

i heat a can of condensed milk in boiling water (fully covered in water) for 3 hrs. i open the can when cool & emptied the caramel into a container.

then i made the biscuit base using digestive biscuits (7biscuits 105g)  & 60g melted butter in a 8in (20cm) spring-form cake tin & placed in the fridge.

then i whipped 200ml whipping cream, and added 1/2 tsp sugar & whipped till stiff peaks.

i cut 3 large bananas into thin slices & added 2tbsp (30ml) lemon juice to keep it from browning (oxidation). then i spreaded 1/4 the caramel over the biscuit base, and arranged the bananas in 2 rows over the caramel. then i topped with the whipped cream & added the dark chocolate shavings.

then placed the cake in the fridge overnight.

EASY! 🙂

overall, the combination of flavours from the biscuit base, thin layer of caramel, more bananas & layer of (mostly) unsweetened whipped cream with chocolate shavings was really quite good.

for my family, probably my friends too, the ranking among my cakes would be tiramisu no.1, tofu cheese cake no. 2 & chocolate lave cake or banoffee no.3 (for me, its tofu cheese cake no.1).

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • can of (carnation) condensed milk (400g) – use 1/4 (100g)
  • 7 digestive biscuits (105g)
  • 60g melted butter
  • 3 large bananas cut into thin slices
  • 200ml whipping cream
  • dark chocolate shavings
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sugar to add to whip cream

Directions:

  1. heat a can of condensed milk in boiling water (fully covered in water) for 3 hrs. open can when cooled & empty caramel into a container.
  2. make biscuit base using digestive biscuits & melted butter in a 8in (20cm) spring-form cake tin & place in fridge.
  3. whip 200ml whipping cream. add 1/2 tsp sugar & whip till stiff peaks.
  4. cut 3 large bananas into thin slices & add 2tbsp lemon juice to keep it from browning (oxidation).
  5. spread 1/4 the caramel over the biscuit base, and arrange the bananas in 2 rows over the caramel. then top with the whipped cream & dark chocolate shavings.
  6. refrigerate.

Tofu Cheese Cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

had an excellent birthday dinner at sun with moon @ wheelock for my domestic help on 16.5.2014 & bought back a tofu cheese cake as her birthday cake. 🙂

it was really good. we enjoyed it so much i decided to try making one myself.

i googled & found a very simple & truly wonderful no bake tofu cheese cake recipe. i had frequent homecooked dinner for friends & overly relied on my chocolate lava cake for dessert. i tried apple pie couple times & though it was ok there was no wow factor, nothing exciting. tofu cheese cake sounds exciting (at least to me & my children!) so i thought i would give it a try.

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

tofu cheese cake

it was really a simple easy to make recipe & it turned out, well, ever so delicious & pretty too! 🙂

1 practical logistic problem was i could not find a 6″=15cm spring form cake pan with bottom release. anyway i did not know what it was until i googled. i found a 8in=20cm one at phoon huat at clementi avenue 3 costing S$7.90 so i bought it.

as the recipe was for the 15cm cake i basically doubled the recipe quantities.

go try yourself. enjoy!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 105g digestive biscuits (7 pieces)
  • 60g melted butter – i used unsalted
  • 200g cream cheese (cut to 2cm pieces)
  • 200g silken tofu (cut to 2cm pieces)
  • 200g plain yogurt
  • 100ml whipping cream
  • 60g Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 3 tsp gelatin powder (15g)
  • 50ml warm water

Directions:

  1. put a wax paper over the bottom then tighten the springform cake pan & ensure bottom is smooth.
  2. put digestive biscuits in ziploc bag & break & roll to powder. melt butter in microwave (40sec) & add to biscuits. mix well then empty into cake pan. spread evenly to form an uniform flat base. put in fridge.
  3. add plain yogurt, tofu, cream cheese, whipping cream, lemon juice & sugar to a blender, pulse & blend
  4. add 3 tsp gelatin powder to 50ml warm water & stir to dissolve completely. add to blender & blend.
  5. empty into the cake pan & place in fridge for 4hrs. when serving release the springform & remove from the bottom. voila!