Chocolate Pound Cake

Chanced upon a baking book where the center of the cake was a surprise decoration when it is cut through. Inspired to try, I baked a chocolate pound cake first and cut stars in preparation for the cake I am going to bake. Banana Star Surprise Cake seems promising. Hopefully it turns out well. :) Adapted the recipe from Joyofbaking, with sugar reduced.

(Makes a standard loaf tin)

150g sugar

180g cake flour

25g cocoa powder

60 ml boiling water

227g unsalted butter at room temperature

3 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees and line a loaf tin. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

2. Dissolve the cocoa powder with the hot water and set aside.

3. Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine in between each addition. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. 

5. Add the cocoa liquid and beat to combine.

6. Add the sifted flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold to combine.

7. Pour batter into prepared loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees for 55 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

8. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

It's really simple to bake, try it. :) 

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalm 143:10 NIV)

Summer Fruits Overnight Oats

I have some fruits left over, so here's another version of overnight oats.

To soak overnight

Half a cup rolled oats

A cup of non sweetened soya milk

2 tbsp maple syrup

Rock melon, kiwi, mango cubed

To top in the morning

Rock melon, kiwi, mango cubed

Fill the jar with oats, some of the fruits, maple syrup and soya milk.

Stir and soak overnight in the fridge.

In the morning, top with more fresh fruits and enjoy. 

I like this combination of summer fruits better than blueberries. The natural sweetness from the rock melons was perfect and they retain the crunch even after been soaked overnight. 

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (2 Timothy 2:24 NIV)

Banana Mango Overnight Oats

Today, I realised how precious support and kindness are in life and that bit of humanity makes a lot of difference in shining some hope in what may seem like a hopeless situation. The few angels who are genuinely lending their helping hands to me, I am ever grateful. Thank you, you, you, you, you! You made my day. 

My husband said 'Wah the banana oats is horrifyingly dam ridiculously unexpectedly good!' Hahaha! I'm not a fan of bananas but I think I could give this a try. 

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. (Zechariah 14:9 NIV)

Summer Tart

I'm stressed like hell, but keep calm and bake! It sucks to have like 11 stacks of work lurking in background and sickeningly depressing, but I'll steal time to bring my spirits up! It's nothing new, used the pate Sablee base, lemon curd and changed the friuts for a summer feel!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NIV)

Easy Dark Chocolate Cake

Although work has been really cruel to me this week, I managed to squeeze in a bake for the husband's birthday. It's easy,  quick and hopefully as nice as described by Donna Hay, from whom I adapted the recipe from. We're cutting it tomorrow, so the verdict will be given tomorrow.

(Makes 22 cm round cake)

375 dark chocolate chopped

175g light brown sugar

120g ground almond

35g plain flour

5 eggs

125 butter cubed

2 tbsp milk

Cocoa for dusting

1. Preheat the oven at 170 degrees and line a 22cm cake tin with removable base with baking paper.

2. Melt the chocolate and the butter over a pot of simmering water.

3. Add the flour, ground almond, sugar and milk to the chocolate. Mix to combine. 

4. Add the eggs a little at a time and mix well. 

5. Pour the batter into the lined tin, cover the top with foil and bake in 170 degrees oven for 40 minutes.

6. Remove the foil and cool in the tin and chill in fridge till set.

It's really fudgy and full of chocolate goodness! Happy birthday, hubby! 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know, I know, He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives. 

Raspberries Lemon Madeleines

This is a crazy week, but I rewarded myself with a bake I have been wanting to try, inspired by celebrity chef, Rachel Khoo. Made this for a Chinese New Year gathering at a lovely couple's place, such genuine and hospitable people. :) Oh! They even have a KTV system right in the comfort of their home, how cool is that? I hope they enjoyed the madeleines! 

(Makes 24 Madeleines)

To make the madeleines

270g unsalted butter

260g plain flour

160g caster sugar

4 eggs

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Zest of 2 lemons

To make the lemon curd

Lemon Curd

To assemble

24 raspberries

1. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

2. Melt the butter.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy and triple in volume.

4. Scoop about a quarter of the egg mixture into another bowl and mix in the melted butter and zest. This will make the butter easier to combine with the rest of the egg mixture. 

5. Pour the butter, egg mixture into the remaining three quarter egg, sugar mixture and fold to combine.

6. Cover the batter with cling film and fridge for about 2 hours or overnight. 

7. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. 

8. Grease Madeleine mould well before use.

9. In the meantime, wash the raspberries and set aside. 

10. Spoon the batter into the greased mould. 

11. Press a raspberry into the center of each madeleine. 

12. Bake for 6 minutes before reducing the oven temperature to 160 degrees and bake for another 6 minutes. 

13. Leave to cool until cool enough to handle. 

14. Pipe a teaspoon worth of the chilled lemon curd into madeleines.

15. Dust with icing sugar and serve. 

I love them too! The sharp lemon curd cuts through the sweetness of the madeleines. I'll be baking this again soon.  :)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22 NIV)(Galatians 5:23 NIV)