Banana Cake

With 2 'babies' to handle, nowadays do not have the luxury to laze in bed. Most of the times have to wake up around 6am to start my busy day to do housechore, prepare snack box for my elder son to bring to school, prepare stuffs for lunch.....This is the very first time I does my baking early in the morning, yes 6.30am! Preparation of the ingredients and mixing took me 1/2 hour , when the cake is baking in the oven, both of my kids have woke up! while waiting for the cake to be done, have to feed both of them and get my elder one ready for school. While my girl was having a short nap after her feed and my boy off to school, then I manage to have a cuppa of coffee with a slice of my yummlicous warm banana cake! ^-^ busy busy busy....

Ingredients

• 180gm butter
• 150gm sugar
• 2 large eggs - beaten lightly
• 250gm top flour/cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 220gm bananas - mashed
• 50gm milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• optional: 1 banana* (slice & soak in lemon juice to prevent browning)
  

Method

1. Sift flour, baking powder & baking soda. Set aside.
   
2. Cream butter and sugar till light and creamy.
3. Pour in eggs gradually and beat till creamy.
4. Add in milk, mashed bananas and vanilla essence and mix well.
5. Add in flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and give a quick whisk. Do not overbeat.
6. Pour batter into a greased 9"x5" non-stick loaf pan and arrange sliced banana* on top.
   
7. Bake at 180 deg cel for about 50 to 60 mins. or until cooked. *Cover surface with foil at the last 15mins when the cake starting to brown too fast.

Pandan Chiffon Cake 2010

Ingredients

• 8 eggs, separate
• 150gm sugar
• 3 tbsp corn oil
• 150gm plain flour, sift
• 1tsp baking powder,sift
• 200ml coconut milk
• 50ml pandan juice (blend 4 blades pandan leaves with some water and strain to extract juice)
• 1 tsp pandan essence
• some green food colouring
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Method

1. Whisk egg yolks & 50g sugar till sugar is fully dissolved.
2. Stir in corn oil, coconut milk, pandan juice, pandan essence & colouring. Fold in flour till batter is lump free.
3. Whisk egg whites & cream of tartar on high speed. Add in 100gm sugar gradually and beat till stiff peak form.
4. Add 1/3 of egg white foam into cake batter and mix evenly. Pour batter into remain egg whites till no whites showing.
5. Pour batter into chiffon tin, knock few times against countertop to remove air bubbles.
6. Bake at 180C for 45mins. Invert to cool completely before removing from tin.
   

Coconut Pandan Cake

A taste-like pandan chiffon but with a sponge like texture instead :)

Ingredient

• 4 egg whites
• 100gm sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 125gm plain flour, sifted
• 150ml coconut milk
• 1 tbsp pandan juice (grind 2 pandan leaves with 1 tbsp water and strain to get juice)
• 1 tsp pandan essence
• some green food colouring

Method

1. Line base a 8" cake pan with greaseproof paper.
2. Mix coconut milk, pandan juice & colouring together. Set aside.
   
3. Beat egg whites on high speed for 1 min. Gradually add sugar in 3 batches and beat till stiff peak form.
4. Add in egg yolks and beat for another 3mins. Fold in flour follow by coconut milk mixture. Mix well.
   
5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 45mins.
6. Rest cake in tin for 10mins. Unmould cake and cool completely on rack.
   

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Eversince the arrival of my newborn, not able to bake as frequent as before! busy busy busy.... this chocolate chip cupcakes was baked during the last day of my confinement period which I gave some to the confinement lady to bring back home :)

Ingredient

• 230gm unsalted butter
• 180gm sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp chocolate emulco
  
• 220gm self raising flour, sifted
• 10gm cocoa powder, sifted
• 100gm chocolate chips
  

Method

1. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed for 1 min, turn on high speed and beat for 3mins till batter is smooth & fluffy.
2. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into baking cases.
   
3. Baked in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 20-25mins.