New Years.
The most overrated celebration I think. Why get hideously drunk on NYE only to spend New Years day feeling awful? Anyway, Chris and his friends are going to Whitianga (a 2 hour drive when the traffic is good) for a few days over the celebratory period and wanted me to come. My friend Sarah (who I do not see very often) is up from Wellington for a month and her sister is having a gathering at their lovely home in Devonport (a 20 minute drive from my house). I really want to hang out with Sarah as she is a cool chick. So in short, Chris is making me feel bad for choosing my bro over my hoe, or my mate over date. Whatever. aaarhhggg. There is no choice about it, I am staying in Auckland. But as a supplementary prize to my actual presence I am baking Chris a cake. His favourite sort of cake. A banana cake. Whoop! How exciting . . .
So here is the making of a rather good banana cake recipe (complements of my friend Alex :) who gave it to my brother a few years ago).
Not a very complex ingredient list. Afterall it's just banana cake . . .
Cream 125g softened butter . . .
Cream!!!! That butter looks awfully yellow, I really should get around to popping some batteries into my actual camera rather than just using my ipod.
Then crack in two eggs, beating well after each addition. You want the volume to increase quite a bit - more egg beating = more cake!
Cracked this egg with one hand . . . like a boss!
BEAT!!!!!
These poor bananas :( You need three small ones or 2 biggish ones. These were a tad green so I had to prepare them . . .
Poor bananas :(
Ever made a penguin banana? Peel the skin into thirds, take a bite then flop the third with the hard knobbly bit over to make the beak!! My uncle Mark taught me this. Invaluable skill this is.
Hmm delicious looking brown stuff. I cannot stand mashed banana. bleh the texture is horrendous.
Oop don't forget the vanilla :) I had a splash rather than a teaspoon.
Next sift in 3/4 cup self raising flour, 3/4 cup plain flour and one teaspoon of baking soda into the mix. Beat until just combined (don't want to overwork that gluten).
Sievy sieve sieve
Now here is where I stray. This is supposed to be an "I'm sorry" cake so I thought it needed a bit extra . . . like white chocolate.
Flip and some dark chocolate just for luck.
In the oven you go for 40 minutes at 180 degrees (Celsius!!).
Ok so who here doesn't know how to line a cake tin? Right well here I shall show you:
You will need: one cake tin of your choice, baking paper, a small knob of butter, a spoonful of flour, a pair of scissors and a pencil/pen.
Pop the bottom of the tin out and trace a circle around it on the baking paper.
Ooop cut my paper a bit big there.
Next, cut around the circle leaving around 2cm extra paper around the circumference.
Like this.
Next, take a knob of butter and a bit of the cut off of the baking paper and use it to grease the sides of the cake tin.
Next take a spoonful of flour . . .
Pop it in the tin like this then rotate the ring until the flour has reached right around the ring.
Bang off the excess flour over the sink.
Beautiful. You won't see any cake sticking to that.
Then pop the baking paper circle into the tin (pen/pencil side down).
Pour in the cake mixture and you are ready to roll!!
It came out of the tin so easily
I failed on the rose front. It's too hot in our kitchen. the roses melted. Bleeeh.
Ok here you go Chris. Here is your banana and white chocolate cake. Nom nom.
Byeeeeeeee