HALLOWEEN WHITE CHOCOLATE BARK.
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TRIED AND TESTED: 3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE AND BANANA CAKE.
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I know I normally share a quick craft project on a Monday but today I thought we'd do something a bit different and try a quick recipe instead.
I don't know about you but I'm a sucker for those novelty recipes you see popping up on Pinterest and Facebook. They always look so tasty but I hardly ever get around to actually making them. Today I decided to change all that and thought I'd try making a recipe I pinned for a 3 ingredient chocolate banana cake. It's not only sugar free but also gluten and dairy free. It promises to be light and fluffy, a healthy alternative when you have a craving for something sweet. I'll admit I was feeling skeptical. Surely butter and sugar the best part of a cake? Here's how I got on.
Like it says in the title you only need 3 things to make this cake, a banana, an egg and some cocoa powder. I started by mashing my banana into a bowl before adding the egg and cocoa powder. The original recipe says to use a blender but I used an electric hand mixer instead. Mix until the batter is smooth.
For my first attempt I greased the inside of a small 4 inch cake tin and popped it in the oven at 350°F. When I went to check on it after 10 minutes the top had burnt and the inside was still gooey. Fail. My oven can be a little temperamental so for my second attempt I lowered the oven and used a large ramekin instead. The same thing happened, burnt gooey batter so I did a bit more googling and came across this recipe that recommended using a microwave and mug to bake your cake.
I greased the inside of my mug and poured in the batter. I set the microwave to 1 and a half minutes and out came the perfect fluffy looking cake. Success! I turned my cake out onto a plate and dusted with some icing sugar.
Ingredients:
1 banana,
I egg,
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
1. Add the peeled and mashed banana to a bowl.
2. Add one egg and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to your mashed banana.
3. Use a food mixer or blender and mix until a smooth batter mixture is formed.
4. Grease the inside of a mug and pour in your mixture.
5. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. You may need to adjust this time depending on your microwave.
6. Tip out your cake and lightly dust with icing sugar.
7. Enjoy!
What's the verdict?
Well, the cake was light and fluffy as promised and looked a little like a muffin on the inside. It was surprisingly moist although I wouldn't say it was sweetest of things. In fact I sprinkled on a little extra icing sugar as I was eating to help sweeten it up. I think if I was making it again I'd try adding a little sugar to the mixture instead of sprinkling it on afterwards.
There is it, my tried and tested 3 ingredient chocolate banana cake. What do you think? Will you be making a chocolate banana cake of your own?
P.S. Don't forget you can follow along on Facebook now as well.
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Read MoreMAKE, BAKE AND DECORATE YOUR OWN HALLOWEEN MONSTER COOKIES.
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Read MoreChocolate Chip Shortbread.
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Chocolate Chip Shortbread.
I made a batch of these delicious, crumbly chocolate chip shortbread biscuits on the weekend and wanted to share them with you. I love baking and it's something I'm trying to make more time for. After all, there's nothing quite as satisfying as sitting down with a cup of tea and dunking a biscuit you made yourself, is there?
The secret to this recipe is the cornflour. It helps give it that crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture and I have to say I'm a fan. I've tried a few different recipes and I think this is the best and dare I say maybe even foolproof. They're light and buttery and impossible to resist - an instant crowd pleaser. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think.
This dough can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days or frozen for up to three months. Wrap it tightly in cling film or wax paper and make sure to twist the ends closed. If you freeze the dough already sliced you can even bake it straight from frozen.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Shortbread (makes 12 - 15 biscuits).
250g softened unsalted butter,
50g caster sugar (extra for sprinkling),
250g plain (all-purpose) flour,
125g cornflour,
50g chocolate chips.
Cream the softened butter and sugar together in a bowl until it is pale and fluffy.
Sift the flour and cornflour into the bowl and mix together with the creamed butter and sugar until you have a smooth dough that is no longer crumbly.
Add the chocolate chips and knead until evenly distributed.
Form the dough into a log shape and wrap tightly in cling film smoothing as you go. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour.
While the dough is chilling you can preheat the oven to 170°c / 325°F / Gas mark 3.
Remove the dough log from the cling film and slice it into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until pale and golden.
Remember if you cut your rounds thinner than 1/2 inch you'll need to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Allow the shortbread biscuits to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. While the shortbread is still warm sprinkle liberally with sugar and leave to finish cooling.
Recipe adapted from Cookie Magic.
I added chocolate chips to my shortbread but you could add some nuts or dried fruit or if you're feeling particularly adventurous you could try a handful of chopped rosemary or lavender.
