Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
This recipe I am sharing with you today for a Crunchy Topped Banana Cake comes from a recipe book I have on my Kindle, entitled Everyday Cake, by Polina Chesnakova. It is a book which contains 45 simple recipes for layer, Bundt, loaf and sheet cakes.
I found myself with some bananas that needed using up pronto, and so I went on a search to find a good recipe for that purpose in my books. I found this one and decided to go with it. Generally speaking I like to have a cake in for the weekend most weekends!
Having baked it, I can tell you this is the best banana cake recipe! It is moist and delicious and filled with lovely banana flavor, not to mention there are tasty add ins, such as milk chocolate chips and toasted walnuts.
I was a little bit dubious before I baked it as it boasts the addition of two of the warm baking spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. I wasn't sure how those would go with the flavor of banana, especially the nutmeg. I have to tell you, however, they both work very well!
Another aspect of this cake that I really love is its crunchy demerara sugar topping. You actually have two options, you can top it with this crunchy sugar, or you can make a peanut butter frosting.
I will not argue with the fact that peanut butter and bananas go together really well, however, I like the flavor of banana and chocolate more, so I opted to forgo the icing and add the sugar crunch topping. You can't do both.
I have included both options however so that you can decide for yourself which you would prefer.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CRUNCHY TOPPED BANANA CAKE
Simple every day ingredients. Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature for optimum success!
- 1 1/3 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (225g) mashed ripe banana (about 1 1/2 to 2 bananas)
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream
- 2 TBS light olive oil (or canola or safflower oil)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed soft light brown sugar
- 1 large free range egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (85g) toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup (55g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 TBS demerara sugar for sprinkling
For the optional frosting:
- 1/2 cup (130g) creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 6 TBS (85g) butter, at room temperature
- 2 TBS honey
- 1/3 cup (40g) icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 TBS chopped roasted peanuts to garnish
My bananas were not overly large, and so I used 2 bananas and about 1 one inch piece of another. I blitzed them to a puree with my stick blender, adding the sour cream, oil, and vanilla as well. I don't really like lumps of bananas in my banana cakes.
Demerara sugar is called Turbinado sugar here in North America. It is a raw granulated sugar which is somewhat coarser than regular granulated sugar. Also being highly unprocessed it is a golden brown color. It is perfect for the cake topping.
It is very easy to toast walnuts. I actually do them a whole bag at a time and then keep them in an airtight container in the freezer for baking purposes. Toasting nuts really helps to enhance their flavors.
You can toast walnuts in the oven or on the stove top. If using the oven method, preheat your oven to 350*F/180*C. Spread your walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Put them into the oven and toast for 12 to 15 minutes until golden colored.
For the stovetop methos you can set a medium skillet n the stove over medium high heat. Add the nuts once the skillet is hot, spreading them into an even layer. After one minute, use a spatula to give them a stir every 30 seconds, until they are fragrant and a deeper shade of brown. This will take 6 to 7 minutes.
HOW TO MAKE CRUNCHY TOPPED BANANA CAKE
Its a very simple cake to make. Creamed ingredients. Dry ingredients. Wet ingredients. Both the wet and the dry being added alternately to the creamed. Simple.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin really well, and line the bottom and two sides (with an overhang for lifting out) with some baking paper. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, soda, nutmeg and cinnamon together into a bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together the mashed banana, oil, sour cream and vanilla, combining well.
Using an electric mixer (hand or stand) beat the butter and both sugars together for about five minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until thoroughly combined.
With the mixer on low add the flour mixture and the banana mixture to the creamed mixture, alternately, making three dry and two wet additions. Scrape the side of the bowl occasionally.
If making the un-frosted version, fold in the nuts and chocolate.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. If making the un-frosted version, sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake starts to pull away lightly from the sides of the pan and looks a bit crackled on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should also come out clean.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before lifting out of the pan.
To make the frosted version make the cake exactly as above, omitting the nuts, chocolate and sugar on top.
Beat the peanut butter, butter and honey together on medium speed with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and add the vanilla and salt to taste. Beat until light and creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.
My father is coming here for his supper tonight and I just know he is going to really enjoy a piece of this tasty cake for dessert with some squirty cream on top. He love LOVES a bit of sweet after his supper and if there is cream on top, he loves it even more!!
CRUNCHY TOPPED BANANA SNACK CAKE - What makes this delicious banana cake crunchy? Its the toasted praline-like coconut and pecan topping! This is a fabulously tasty combination of flavors and textures. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, this tasty cake spells W-I-N-N-E-R!!!
PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA CAKE - This is a deliciously moist and dense banana cake with a light peanut butter flavour . . . topped with a rich and nutty icing, which I then topped with crushed banana chips, for just a bit of crunch! It is a great after-school cake served cut into squares along with a glass of cold milk on the side!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Yield: One 8-inch square cake
Banana Cake, two ways
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min
A light and fluffy banana cake, one version chock full of chocolate chips and toasted nuts with a crisp sugar topping, and the other spread with a creamy peanut butter frosting. Delicious either way.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (225g) mashed ripe banana (about 1 1/2 to 2 bananas)
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream
- 2 TBS light olive oil (or canola or safflower oil)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed soft light brown sugar
- 1 large free range egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (85g) toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup (55g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 TBS demerara sugar for sprinkling
For the optional frosting:
- 1/2 cup (130g) creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 6 TBS (85g) butter, at room temperature
- 2 TBS honey
- 1/3 cup (40g) icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 TBS chopped roasted peanuts to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin really well, and line the bottom and two sides (with an overhang for lifting out) with some baking paper. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, soda, nutmeg and cinnamon together into a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk together the mashed banana, oil, sour cream and vanilla, combining well.
- Using an electric mixer (hand or stand) beat the butter and both sugars together for about five minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until thoroughly combined.
- With the mixer on low add the flour mixture and the banana mixture to the creamed mixture, alternately, making three dry and two wet additions. Scrape the side of the bowl occasionally.
- If making the un-frosted version, fold in the nuts and chocolate.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. If making the un-frosted version, sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake starts to pull away lightly from the sides of the pan and looks a bit crackled on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should also come out clean.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before lifting out of the pan.
- To make the frosted version make the cake exactly as above, omitting the nuts, chocolate and sugar on top.
- Beat the peanut butter, butter and honey together on medium speed with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and add the vanilla and salt to taste. Beat until light and creamy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Most Sundays I go to my sister's home for Sunday Dinner. Sometimes it's a roast beef dinner, other's it might be chicken or even pork. Whatever the main course, it is a wonderful opportunity for us to get together as a family and break some bread together.
This week I decided to bring some dessert. I was feeling very nostalgic so I decided to make Grandmother's Five Cup Salad.
This simple dessert is very quick to throw together, although it does take a number of hours to macerate and meld the flavors together. But, really it is as easy to make as stirring together a few simple ingredients.
Its also known as Ambrosia Salad, and has five very basic ingredients. Crushed pineapple, mandarin orange segments, sweetened coconut, miniature marshmallows and sour cream. That's it. Its a real store cupboard recipe!
Its a real favorite on buffet tables and at covered dish suppers, church suppers, etc. Probably because it sits well and is deliciously popular, not to mention colorful! It really is embarrassingly easy to make.
You can add other fruits for color and variety if you wish, like maraschino cherries, or even halved grapes. I have even seen it made with rice.
My favorite way to enjoy it however is the way I am sharing it today. Unadulterated and simple. Don't ask me why it is called a salad, when it is a dessert. I have no answer for that. Just eat and enjoy!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GRANDMOTHER'S FIVE CUP SALAD
Very simple store cupboard ingredients.
- 1 cup (75g) shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup (50g) mini marshmallows
- 1 cup (225g) well drained crushed pineapple (pineapple crush)
- 1 cup (200g) well drained tinned mandarin orange segments
- 1 cup (120g) full fat sour cream
HINTS AND TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST FIVE CUP SALAD
I have made this with unsweetened coconut before, but trust me when I say you really need the sweetened coconut, especially if you are using mandarins and pineapple in juice and not syrup. Sweetened coconut also helps to counteract the acidity of the sour cream.
It is really important that you drain both the pineapple and the oranges really well. I set them in a sieve over a bowl and leave them for at least half an hour. Failure to make sure they are drained can make for a sloppy finish which you don't want.
Do plan on leaving it for at least several hours in order for the flavors to meld together beautifully. It will taste much better for doing so. If you can stand to leave it overnight, so much the better. The marshmallows kind of melt into the mixture and get seriously yummy.
If you are not a fan of sour cream, I have also seen this made with whipped cream. Do use actually real cream which has been whipped until stiff, not the spray cream.
You can also use the frozen cream product, but I cannot speak for how it tastes as I have never done so myself. I always just use sour cream.
If you want to charge it up a bit, you can use canned fruit cocktail, which has peaches, pears, etc. in it. Again make sure you drain it really well.
You can also use sliced ripe banana. Soak it for a few minutes in some lemon juice to help prevent the banana from turning brown.
If you like things really sweet, you can stir in a tablespoon or two of sweetened condensed milk. This also adds a hint of richness.
I have added toasted nuts before. Pecans and walnuts are especially nice. Don't add them until you go to serve the salad however. If you put them in too soon, they will lose their crunch, and DO toast them first. Toasting increases the nuttiness. (Let them cool down before using!)
Spread them out on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated moderate oven (350*F/180*C/gas mark 4) for 8 o 10 minutes will do the trick.
Don't overmix the fruit. Fold it all together gently. If you work it in too much you will break up the fruit and it won't be as pretty.
This is not a dessert which freezes well. If you freeze it the dressing/sour cream splits. You also shouldn't leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It will become watery as well if left that long.
It really is best served chilled from the refrigerator.
You can use colored marshmallows if you want to use more colors. I used white today and to be honest most of the time I use white. I am a purist when it comes to that I guess!!
This really is a simple and easy salad/dessert to make. It would be perfect for Mother's Day. You could even get the kids to help you make it.
Its also very easy to reduce the amounts. As there is 1 cup only of each ingredient, you can halve it (to serve 4) by reducing the amount to 1/2 cup of each ingredient, or (to serve 2) using only 1/4 cup of each ingredient!
That's how simple and versatile this tasty dessert is!
Some other easy and simple desserts here in my English Kitchen are:
EASY BLACKBERRY AND LEMON DESSERT - A simple layered dessert of Greek yogurt (tangy), a lush whole blackberry syrup, tart lemon curd and crisp broken sweet meringues. Such a simple and yet incredibly delicious thing! A great last minute dessert!
JAM JAR TRIFLES - Fresh berries are mixed together with a small bit of jam to sweeten and make a kind of a sauce, and then layered together in jars with store bought pound/madeira cake and a lush lemon cream! Simply delicious. A perfect warm weather dessert as well.
Yield: 8
Grandmother's Five Cup Salad
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 5 MinInactive time: 6 HourTotal time: 6 H & 35 M
This is a lovely old fashioned dessert. Simple to make and very delicious. A beautiful taste of nostalgia.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (75g) shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup (50g) mini marshmallows
- 1 cup (225g) well drained crushed pineapple (pineapple crush)
- 1 cup (200g) well drained tinned mandarin orange segments
- 1 cup (120g) full fat sour cream
Instructions
- Make sure your fruit is well drained. I set it in a sieve over a bowl and leave it to drain for at least half an hour.
- Place the pineapple, coconut, sour cream and marshmallows in a bowl and fold together.
- Gently fold in the mandarin segments, taking care not to break them as much as possible.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours.
- Serve well chilled.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again
It won't be very long now before the Coronation of King Charles. Many people all over the world will be taking the opportunity to celebrate the occasion in one way or another.
It could be by having a street party, a special breakfast a luncheon or a tea party. Personally I opt for a tea party! I thought it would be fun today to share a teatime treat that you might enjoy serving. The very Royal, Queen Anne Squares.
Here in the Maritimes these lovely squares are usually served at Christmas time as part of a Christmas Dainty plate. A Dainty Plate is something you would have seen at wedding and baby showers many years ago.
They were plates composed of a variety of sweet cookies and squares. All cut into bite size and meant to be enjoyed with finger sandwiches and copious amounts of hot tea.
Whether you are a Royalist or not, this is going to be a very historic occasion, and not one that many people will get to enjoy more than once in their lifetime. It deserves to be marked in some way.
Queen Anne Squares are a wonderful sweet treat deserving of being served on such an auspicious occasion. With their brownie type of base, sweet coconut macaroon filling and chocolate buttercream frosting, they always go down a real treat.
They are very sweet so they should be cut into small 1-inch squares. You might be forgiven for eating two of them however, as they really are that delicious.
This recipe I am sharing with you has been adapted by one found on Lord Byron's Kitchen.
I took the opportunity on this day to serve these delicious squares on my Grandmother's Woodworth's wedding plate. It was given to her and her husband on the occasion of their wedding in August of 1928.
It was a gift from her last sister Adelaide and her husband Ralph (Connell). I am so grateful to have this plate. It holds a lot of meaning for me. I am the only one of my siblings who actually remembers our grandparents.
My Grandmother actually took care of me for a while when I was a baby. As a new mother and a very nervous mother my mother practically had a nervous breakdown when I was an infant. I guess I cried constantly.
My father came home from work one day just in time to catch my mother getting ready to shake the Dicken's out of me. He was able to grab me away from her and then decided that they would take me to my grandmother's to live for a while, so that my mother could get a rest and maybe my grandmother could calm me down some.
I would live with my grandmother until my mother got ready to move to Germany when my father was posted there with the Canadian military about a year later.
Hence the close bond I had with my grandmother and indeed my mother's youngest sister, Freda, who was always like a sister to me.
Long story short, special treats deserve special plates! I also dragged out some of my Beatrix Potter figures that were a gift from a much beloved friend, as well as my tea cozy which was a gift from another friend, and a small Beatrix Potter book my sister gave to me.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE QUEEN ANNE SQUARES
Simple baking cupboard ingredients. There is nothing too out of the ordinary here. I think it is so magical that you can put these simple things together and come up with something so delicious!
For the brownie bottom:
- 2/3 cup (151.5g) butter, melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup (145g) soft light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup (140g) all purpose plain flour
- 4 TBS (28g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not drink mix)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large free range egg
For the macaroon filling:
- 14 ounces (397g) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups (152g) sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 2 cups (260g) icing sugar, sifted
- 3 TBS (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not drink mix)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 TBS (46g) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter, softened
- desiccated coconut to decorate (optional)
Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. I always take them out about half an hour prior to beginning. Its just something I've always done.
Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk and by that I mean milk which has been heated with sugar and reduced to a thick and creamy sweet product. I do not mean evaporated milk.
The most popular brands are Nestles, Carnation and Eagle Brand.
Also do not use chocolate drinking mix. You need to use baking cocoa powder. They are not the same thing. The drink mix has been mixed with milk and sugar. Cocoa powder is just dried and powdered cocoa beans and is not sweet at all.
HOW TO MAKE QUEEN ANNE SQUARES
These are very simple to make. Just follow the instructions to the letter and you won't have any problems.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin and line it with some baking parchment, making sure you have an overhang to lift the squares out with after. Set aside.
To make the brownie bottom, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and egg until well combined.
Sift in the cocoa powder and flour, Stir until well amalgamated.
Pour into the prepared baking tin, smoothing it over evenly.
To make the macaroon filling, stir the vanilla into the sweetened condensed milk to combine and then stir in the coconut, mixing everything thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture over the brownie mixture, taking care to keep the mixtures separate. (The best way to do this is to make small tablespoon sized dollops all over the base and then gently smooth it out with a palate knife.)
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan completely.
Using an electric hand whisk beat all of the icing ingredients together until well combined. Spread evenly over the coconut layer. If desired you can sprinkle a bit of desiccated coconut over top to decorate.
Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour before lifting out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Store covered in the refrigerator.
These really are delicious, but as I said they are very sweet. A little bit does go a long way.
Every bite delights with a bit of brownie, macaroon and that sweet icing mingling together in your mouth. I would not add anything else to these, they are perfect as they are.
The brownie base has a tendency to want to stick in the pan a bit so do make sure they are well chilled before you cut and remove them.
Some other sweet squares and bites on here that are worthy of a King's celebration are:
GINGER CRUNCHIES - With a spicy ginger shortbread base topped with a sweet ginger glaze and candied ginger garnish these are a real treat for the ginger lover! Crisp, buttery and short. These are fabulously tasty!
PEPPERMINT PETTICOAT TAILS - A large shortbread round, marked into wedges prior to baking and broken into crisp wedges when done. Lightly flavored with peppermint, buttery, short, and coated with sugar, these are the ultimate teatime treat!
Yield: makes 16 squares
Queen Anne Squares
Prep time: 28 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 58 M
Normally a Christmas thing these delicious squares would be fabulous served as part of a Coronation Tea Party menu! Brownie bottoms, coconut macaroon middles and a creamy chocolate frosting.
Ingredients
For the brownie bottom:
- 2/3 cup (151.5g) butter, melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup (145g) soft light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup (140g) all purpose plain flour
- 4 TBS (28g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not drink mix)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large free range egg
For the macaroon filling
- 14 ounces (397g) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups (152g) sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 2 cups (260g) icing sugar, sifted
- 3 TBS (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not drink mix)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 TBS (46g) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter, softened
- desiccated coconut to decorate (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin and line it with some baking parchment, making sure you have an overhang to lift the squares out with after. Set aside.
- To make the brownie bottom, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and egg until well combined.
- Sift in the cocoa powder and flour, Stir until well amalgamated.
- Pour into the prepared baking tin, smoothing it over evenly.
- To make the macaroon filling, stir the vanilla into the sweetened condensed milk to combine and then stir in the coconut, mixing everything thoroughly.
- Spoon the mixture over the brownie mixture, taking care to keep the mixtures separate. (The best way to do this is to make small tablespoon sized dollops all over the base and then gently smooth it out with a palate knife.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan completely.
- Using an electric hand whisk beat all of the icing ingredients together until well combined. Spread evenly over the coconut layer. If desired you can sprinkle a bit of desiccated coconut over top to decorate.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour before lifting out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares with a sharp knife.
- Store covered in the refrigerator.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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