Awfully Chocolate Banana Cake

Youngest son's birthday was last Saturday. He had requested for a chocolate cake a week before and I promised him will bake him one. I recalled my baking friend, Vanessa, who had baked for his Fil's birthday using Yochana's recipe. I decided to go for it and challenge myself for the task.

I knew it this cake is going to be a BIG HIT in my family as I was preparing it. Secretly, I licked some choc mousse...that's how I knew it. LOL..

The cake is so rich! Yummy!

Still need to improve on my coating and decoration 

There are 3 parts to prepare before assembling them altogether. So here it goes... I have adjusted some parts for my easy reference in future. Original recipe can be found at HERE

Awfully Chocolate Banana Cake

Part 1 - Chocolate Sponge cake:

• 4              Eggs Yolk (about 60 gm. each)
• 100 gm  Castor Sugar
• 120 gm  Self Raising flour
• 1/2 tsp   Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp   Bicarbonate of Soda
• 50 gm     Corn oil
• 1 tsp        Vanilla Essence

• 4 1/2       Egg White (medium - 60gm egg)
• 1/4 tsp    Cream of Tartar
• 60gm       Castor Sugar

• 30 gm. cocoa powder + 120 gm. of hot water - stir till smooth

Method:

1. Mix egg yolks, sugar, oil, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence into a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon.
2. Add in cocoa mixture and stir together till smooth.
3. Beat egg white with cream of tartar for 2 mins, then pour in sugar gradually till egg white becomes fluffy but not too stiff.
4. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. Do not overmix otherwise the egg white will be deflated and the cake will sink. If you feel that you are mixing too long and can still see traces of egg white it means that you have overbeat your egg white. Stop mixing anymore, don't worry about the egg white traces, just pour into a 9" round cake tin and bake.
5. Bake at 175C for about 50 mins. or till cooked.
6. Cool the cake on wire rack and then slice into 3 layers.

Part 2 : Chocolate mousse

• 250 gm        Non-Dairy Whip Cream
• 150 gm        Dairy whip cream
• 1 tsp              Vanilla essence
• 1 level Tbsp Gelatine powder - mix together with- 4 Tbsp. water and microwave for 20 secs
• 50 gm           Cocoa Powder } mix together
• 80 gm           Icing Sugar      }
• 1 1/2 Tbsp    Nescafe     )
• 1 1/2 Tbsp    Hot water ) mix together

• 1 Tbsp "Kahlua" or "Tia Maria" coffee liquer ( I omitted)

• 2 large ripe Del Monte Bananas - slice thickly

Method :

1. Beat the two whip cream separately.
2. Mix all the ingredients together.
3. Spread 1/3 of the mousse on the first layer of sponge cake, lay the slice bananas on top and then top up with another layer or sponge, continue till the last layer of sponge is used up. 
4. Cover the whole cake with the balance mousse and keep in the refrigerator till the mousse sets.

Part 3 : Coating for the cake

• 35 gm. cocoa powder
• 50 gm. sugar
• 150 gm. Dairy whipping cream
• 80 gm. chocolate - chopped
• 30 gm. Butter

Method 

1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and double boil till mixture thickens.
2. Cool before pouring onto cake.
3. Pour the coating onto the cake and let the chocolate mixture flows down the side smoothly.
4. Decorate the cake and put into the frige till coating sets.
5. Slice with a warm knife and serve.

Lion's Head Meat Ball

These few days, the weather had been very hot. Today Mr Teo came back from work with nose bleeding which indicate that he has been too heaty.

So I decided to cook teochew porridge with pickled lettuce, braised peanuts, salted egg, fermented bean curd, bean sprouts and meatballs...hmm...was thinking about using tofu, fish paste or shrimps to mix with minced pork.. Finally decided for a simple and easy to make meatballs.

This is supposed to be big meatballs as my parents called it "Lion's Head Meat Balls" but I prefer to make it smaller so I shall call it "Lion Cub's Head Meatballs" instead.

I am using my new INSPIRE Fryer by TupperwareBrands to make this dish. Love this fryer to the max as I only use 1 tbsp oil to grease the fryer before I pan fry my meatballs. 

Once done, without having to dish out the meatballs, I can just dump everything in and cover. 

Violia..the dish is done!

Lion's Head Meatballs

Ingredients A

• 400gm minced pork
• 1/2       egg white
• 2-3       dry mushroom 
• 1 tsp     ginger juice
• 1 tsp     cooking wine
• 1/2 tsp  sesame oil 
• 2 tbsp   corn flour
• 1/4 tsp  salt
• pepper to taste

Method:

1. Soak the mushroom till soft and chop into small bits.
2. Mix all ingredients with minced pork until well combined and give a good massage by slapping the meat dough on the bowl.
3. Shape them into 4-6 balls (I made into smaller balls)
4. Set aside.

Ingredients B

• 4 pieces Button Mushroom
• 4 pieces Dried Mushroom (Soaked till soft)
• 8 slices  Carrots
• 2 cups    Chicken Stock (can replace with water)
• 1 tsp       Corn flour
• 1 tbsp     Light soy sauce (taste to own preference)
• 5 leaves  Lettuce (Can replace with cabbage)

Method

1. Heat up 1 tbsp oil in INSPIRE Fryer (3 tbsp if normal frying pan). Grease the whole pan.
2. Put in the meatballs and cover it with open vent for 3 min in small flame. 
3. Flip over to fry the other side of the meatballs and cover for 3 min or until golden brown on both sides. 
4. Add in ingredients B and stir well. 
5. Cover and simmer with close vent for 10 mins till sauce is reduced. 
6. Dish out and serve.

PS: The original recipe calls for 15 min simmering but with INSPIRE Fryer, less oil and lesser cooking time is all it needs.