Steamed Banana Cake 1

Hi, I know I have been missing for awhile from here. Wait ! No! It's actually quite long. It's actually more than a year ago to be precise. Life has been to busy for the last year and it's going to be busy for the next 6 months.

Before I posted my last post last year Bailey's Cake (As easy as ABC), I took out Kickboxing and Muay Thai classes which then lead to Strengthening and Kettlebell Classes and also Yoga. This activities of mine plus work and social gathering took out most of my time. Although I did cook at that time but I find it difficult to find time to update my blog. Since my last post, I have also moved house, my boyfriend decided to propose and I have just recently got married legally (5 days ago) with wedding reception to follow in  December and I have to say planning for a wedding is as good as a full time job not to mention about the worries and stress.

So there's the summary of the reason that cause my absence from my blog. I would also like to this opportunity to thanks my blog viewers for your support regardless of my absence. I am truly touch.

With this let's move on to my first post for 2013 or first post as a married women :) "Steamed Banana Cake". This cake is simple and minimum tools are used.

Ingredients:-

170g Butter (I used salted butter)
170g Sugar (I used castor sugar)
4 Eggs (I like to leave the eggs to room temperature) - Beaten

300g Banana (Without skin) - Mashed

260g Self Raising flour (If you only have plain flour on hand - use 250g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder or baking soda) - Sifted

1/8 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Banana Essence (Optional)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence (Optional)

Methods:-

1. Melt butter and sugar in the pot big enough to accommodate the rest of the ingredients above if you are trying to minimize cleaning later on. Make sure the butter and sugar dissolves over low heat. Set aside for the mixture to cool down.

2. Meanwhile,you can grease the cake pan (I greased mine with butter. You can use vegetable oil or line it with baking paper), beat the eggs, mashed the banana and sift the mixture of self raising flour and salt. I only use fork to beat the eggs and mashed the bananas. Remember to heat up the steamer too.

3. Once the mixture cool down a little (cool enough to the extend where it does not cook the egg), add in beaten eggs and mix it well and then followed by mashed banana. Mix well.

4. Fold in mixture of sifted self raising flour and salt in 3 additions. Remember to fold only in one direction.

5.  Pour the cake batter into the greased pan. Make sure the water in the steamer is boiling before you put in the cake pan. Steam on high for 40 minutes. You may need more than 40 minutes or less that 40 minutes. To make sure test with the tester, if the comes out clean the the cake is ready. In my case I use knife. My tester is no where to be found.

6. Once the cake is done remove it from the steamer, let it cool down for awhile before turning out onto cooling rack. Let cool a little bit more before you cut it into pieces.


TIPS: 

Be careful when you remove the steamer lid so that the water on the lid does not drop on to the cake surface. I just remove it as fast as could without tilting it. I then wipe the surface (watery part) of the lid before I put it back on.
 

Sweet Banana with Tapioca Pearl

This is the traditional home make dessert. It can be serve warm or chilled and guess what, it is a very easy dessert to make.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon tapioca pearl or known as sago
• 2 cups water
• 1 pandan leaf or 1-2 drop of pandan extract/essence
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or plam sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk or milk
• 1 large banana, sliced about 1cm thick

Method:

1. Rinse and drain tapioca pearl. Then, boil the tapioca flour in medium size saucepan with 2 cups water. Add in salt and pandan leaf/extract/essence. Let the tapioca simmer until it is tranparents. Constantly stir so that it doesn't stick at the bottom of pan.
2. Once its transparent which may take about 15 minutes, add sugar and stir until dissolve.
3. Add in slice banana and add coconut mik little by little. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until the banana soft. 
4. Adjust sweetness and serve.

Banana Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Very uneven coat.. but its my first time doing coating...

How bana-choco-licious is this... hahahaha..... i love both bananas and chocolates.. so that's how this recipe makes its way to this blog....

 For Banana Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (150g) self raising flour
• 1/4 cup (35g) cornflour
• 1/4 cup (25g) Cocoa powder, I use drinking cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 125g butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp milk
• 2 medium ripe banana, mashed

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 180 degree celcius (160 fan forced). Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan and line base with baking paper.
2. Place the self raising flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, eggs, butter, vanilla extract and milk into a mixing bowl. Beat on slow speed until all ingredients are combine then beat on medium speed for 4 minutes or until the mixture turns pale. 
3. Mix in mashed banana and mix well.
4. Spread the mixture onto prepared pan. Bake fort 40 minutes or until cooked when tested. (Skewer comes out clean). Turn onto a wire rack, top side up to cool.
5.  Split cake into half and join with banana-chocolate ganache (recipe below). Then top /cover/glaze wth chocolate ganache (recipe below).

For Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:-

• 375 g milk chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup thickened cream

• 1 medium size banana, roughly diced if you want to mix it in chocolate ganache alternatively you can sliced the banana and put on top of ganache after you spread them

Methods:-

1. Place chopped milk chocolate in a large bowl.
2. Heat heavy cream on medium high heat until boil. 
3. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy.
4. Remove 1/3 of chocolate ganache away from large bowl, mix with diced banana and refrigerate it so that it will could reach spreadable (thicker)consistency for the fillings.
5. Leave remaining chocolate ganache at room tempreture for it to cool before pouring over cake. 

Consistency for coating

Spreadable consistensy

TIPS:

• Best for pouring/glaze/cover the cake: chocolate ganache should be at barely warm state.
• 375g chocolate = abt 390ml
• Want to know more about Ganache? CLICK HERE

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients:-

    Mixture (A)

• 1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

    Mixture (B)

• 1/3 cup butter, melted or cooking oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 1/2 cup banana, mashed

Methods:-

1. Preheat oven at 160 degree celcius (fan forced).
2. Grease muffin pan or fill up with cupcakes cup.
3. Mix mixture (A) together and mix well.
4. Combine mixture (B) until creamy.
5. Slowly add mixture (A) into mixture (B) and stir until just combined.
6. Spoon muffin batter into greased muffin pan.
7. Baked for 18 to 20 minutes or until tester inserted in the middle of muffin comes out clean.
8. Cool mufiin on rack.

TIPS:

• If the batter gets too dry add a little more milk

Banana Spring Rolls

This is a easy and delicious dessert. To make this dessert you will need:-

• 2 ripe banana (I use regular size)
• spring roll wrappers (it usually come in a bag of 10 or 20)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar or to taste
• some water, to seal the wrapper
• oil for frying
• icing sugar/powdered sugar for garnish/sprinkle

1. Peel bananas, slice each banana in half length wise and then cut in half cross wise. Slice each piece in half again length wise. Conclusion is there will be 8 pieces for each banana. 
2. To assemble spring rools, place 2 banana slices (flat side down), diagonally across the corner of spring roll wrapper. Sprinkle with brown sugar to taste.

 

 3. Roll from corner to the centre, then fold left and right corners in and continue rolling. Dip your finger in water and brush the final edge to seal. Repeat with remaining banana pieces. 

     

4. In a wok, medium sauce pan or pan, heat oil about 2 inches deep over high heat. When hot, place spring rolls in oil, fry till golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Place rolls on plate, lined with paper towel to drain of excess oil. 

5. Dust with icing sugar before serve.

TIPS:

• Place unused wrapper under damp towel to keep them from drying out
• You may serve your rolls with ice cream or melt chocolate too :)
• To make mini banana spring rolls cut banana to smaller pieces. Its up to you whether you want to cut the wrapper into half too.

Banana-Oat Biscuits

Ok, here's the interesting fact (for me at least)...... I just found out the difference between biscuit and cookies.... in American English, biscuit means a small soft leavened bread, somewhat similar to a scone while in British English, it means a small and hard, often sweetened, flour based product, most akin in American English to a cookie.

So, this is an American English biscuits.....

Ingredients:

• 170g butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar (or castor sugar)
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon drinking cocoa powder (for hot chocolate)
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cup sifted flour
• 3 cups rolled oat

Steps:

Preheat oven to 160°C (fan-forced oven) or 180°C (normal oven). Butter a baking sheet and set aside.



In a large mixing bowl,mix butter, white sugars and brown sugar until creamy, then stir in the eggs, vanilla essence and banana. Stir in flour, bicarbonate soda, and salt. Add rolled oats and stir through until well combined.


Form small balls (or dropped from teaspoon) and allow enough room for it to expand while baking.



Bake for 12 - 15 minutes and cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.


and you gonna love this...