Chocolate Banana Cake

I have some bananas that's ripening too quickly. Must be due to this crazy hot weather! But it's ok, at least now I can bake! Let me think.. muffins? cookies? cupcakes? Banana cake? Boring... unlike chocolate cake! OMG I love chocolate cake! I wondered if there's such a thing as chocolate banana cake and Goggled it. Apparently there are! I surfed around and found a good looking one from Joyofbaking.com I made some adjustments to the recipe of my own, and this is the end result.

Heavenly..! It's the most moist, fudgy, chocolately cake I've ever tasted. A super rich chocolate cake with a light banana taste. So good, I'm speechless. So... let's bake!

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (I didn't have enough to make 1 cup -_-")
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flavorless oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 180C and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter a 23 x 33 cm pan. 
2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. 
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. You will notice that the batter is quite thin. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 
6. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost with the Ganache.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel, or heatproof bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. 
3. When Ganache has completely cooled, beat until soft and fluffy. Then spread the frosting on top of the cake.

*I didn't wait long enough for the ganache to set so it was quite liquid when I poured onto the cake. But it tasted awesome anyway!*

Tell me you don't want to put that into your mouth! Come on..!

Hassel Free rice cooker chicken rice 沙锅饭

As a stay home mum, I have to prepare 3 meals a day almost everyday. I love cooking, but sometimes you get sooo sick of it, but what to do? the kids still have to eat. Today was one of those days. I almost wanted to go to the nearby coffeshop to buy food until inspiration hit me at thye last minute. Rice cooker rice! It was so last minute, my chicken was barely defrosted when I put it into the rice cooker. But the outcome was still just as delicious. One pot meals, a stay at home mom's life saviour!

Ingredients
2 chicken drumsticks with thigh meat
4pcs of shitake mushroom
1/4 cup of pumpkin, skinned and cut into thin slices
1/2 pc Chinese waxed sausage (蜡肠) cut into small pieces
1.5 cups of rice

Seasoning
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 dash of sesame oil
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 pc of garlic minced

1. Cut the chicken into 2 pcs and marinate with seasoning. 
2. Wash rice and add the appropriate amount of water. (just like how you usually cook rice)
3. Add everything else into the rice and mix well. Pop into rice cooker and cook. 
4. When rice cooker indicates that it's cooked, do not open lid. Let the food steam in residual heat for another 15mins before opening.

5. Stir well and serve with freshly cut spring onions. (optional)

Enjoy!

Power Salmon Cakes

I bought a huge fillet of salmon the other day and wondered what to do with them. The only idea that popped into my head was pan fried teriyaki salmon. Yawn! So I saw this recipe on Jamie Oliver's Food Tube. This lady named Kerryan made these giant salmon cakes and they look simple enough!

Well, I was all ready to make these for the kid's lunch when I realised that I'm missing some ingredients. So I improvised and it turned out delicious! In fact, I think my recipe was even more nutritious as mine got some sweet potatoes added into them. As everybody knows, sweet potatoes are "power food" and sooo good for you, hence I'm naming mine, Power Salmon Cakes! Haha..

Makes 13 small fish cakes

Ingredients
1 potato cubed
Same amt sweet potato cubed
2 stalks spring onion cut finely
1 egg
250g fresh salmon, cut into smaller pieces
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Some flour for dusting

1. Steam potatoes and sweet potatoes together for 10mins. Steam salmon for abt 5-10mins till just cooked.
2. Mash all ingredients in a large bowl. If u don't mind the raw egg, taste it to check seasoning.
3. Dust your hands with flour and roll into balls. With low heat and abit of oil, slowly pan fry them till golden brown. 
4. Serve!

On hindside, the mixture was so sticky, I'm not sure if the original recipe requires flour or not. But I believe not putting enhanced the flavor of the ingredients! Maybe next time I'll just scoop with a ice cream scoop and into the pan directly. The best way to describe this dish would be, begedil with salmon in it! Very kids friendly, very delicious and nutritious. A definite must try!

Cheese Cupcakes

My father used to own a neighbourhood bakery when I was a teenager and one of the items that I really liked (I love everything in a bakery!) was these little fluffy cakes flavoured with cheese. It's sweet yet savoury and does not have any frosting. Yummy! Fast forward 18 years, I came across this website of Filipino cuisines and lo and behold, cheese cupcakes! Apparently this is a popular local delight, interesting! Just so happened to have all the ingredients needed in my fridge(it's fate!) so let's bake!

Makes 12-14 cupcakes
Ingredients

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated + more for topping
1 3/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 can condensed milk
120g butter, cut into small cubes and softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. 
2. Beat together butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs. 
3. Add the flour mixture and condensed milk alternatively to the creamed butter and egg mixture while beating in low speed, combine until smooth in texture.
4. Fold the grated cheese into the batter.
5. Scoop batter into paper-lined muffin cups to 3/4 full. Top with cheddar cheese and bake in a 180C pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Top should be golden and crispy.

It's not as light and cheesecake-like like my dad's cakes, but it's still super delicious! I love munching the crispy and cheesy top before sinking my teeth into the fluffy cake. So good..