Pineapple Macadamia Upside Down Cake

I've got a certain fascination with up-side down cakes. Perhaps its the ideal of a buttery and go-ey surprise hiding at bottom of the pan. The main reason is because the cake is just so good with fruit baked in a sticky syrup. 

For this edition of the Home Bakers hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, the chosen cake is the Pineapple Macadamia Upside Down Cake. I simply love pineapple in bakes so this cake has been in my to-do list for the longest time. Most upside down cakes, unlike this recipe, I know use canned pineapples. The fresh pineapples were naturally sweet, and their flavours enhanced by the maple syrup (original recipe called for corn syrup but I substituted it for a richer flavour). Together with the macadamias, it went perfectly with the buttery cake.

I loved this cake, thank you Alice of I Love. I Cook. I Bake for this great choice! Please click here for the full recipe.

Nutella Chocolate Cake

Just realised I've been away from the blog for over a month. Apologies to all my blogging friends that I haven't been to your blog lately, will catch up on visiting soon.

I've always wanted to make this cake but I certainly wasn't going to eat this all up by myself - one jar of nutella and 6 eggs, imagine the calories! 

The opportunity to make cake came over Easter as I was a hosting a cell group party at my place. There are few words to describe this cake - moist and nutty doesn't seem to do justice to this absolutely delicious cake. 

Every bite is rich and almost pudding like, with the ground hazelnut adding the most flavours aside from the nutella. It goes perfectly with the chocolate ganache and toasted hazelnuts. 

Three quarter of the cake was gone in no time and I gave the last quarter to my neighbour to prevent myself from stealing anymore slices. 

Nutella Chocolate Cake (9 inch)
Nigella Lawson Recipe

Ingredients

for the cake

• 6 large eggs (separated)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 125 grams soft unsalted butter
• 400 grams nutella (1 large jar)
• 1 tablespoon frangelico (or rum or water)
• 100 grams ground hazelnuts
• 100 grams dark chocolate (melted)

for the icing

• 100 grams hazelnuts (peeled weight) (I used 20 grams coarsely grounded hazelnuts)
• 125 ml double cream
• 1 tablespoon frangelico (or rum or water)
• 125 grams dark chocolate

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4/350ºF. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and Nutella together, and then add the Frangelico (or whatever you're using), egg yolks and ground hazelnuts.
• Fold in the cooled, melted chocolate, then lighten the mixture with a large dollop of egg white, which you can beat in as roughly as you want, before gently folding the rest of them in a third at a time.
• Pour into a 23cm/9 inch round greased and lined springform tin and cook for 40 minutes or until the cake's beginning to come away at the sides, then let cool on a rack.
• Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until the aroma wafts upwards and the nuts are golden-brown in parts: keep shaking the pan so that they don't burn on one side and stay too pallid on others. Transfer to a plate and let cool. This is imperative: if they go on the ganache while hot, it'll turn oily. (Believe me, I speak from experience.) If your hazelnuts have skins on then after toasting in the frying pan transfer them to a slightly dampened tea towel and rub them while they are still warm to remove the skins.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the cream, liqueur or water and chopped chocolate, and heat gently. Once the chocolate's melted, take the pan off the heat and whisk until it reaches the right consistency to ice the top of the cake. Unmould the cooled cake carefully, leaving it on the base as it will be too difficult to get such a damp cake off in one piece.
• Ice the top with the chocolate icing, and dot thickly with the whole, toasted hazelnuts. If you have used Frangelico, put shot glasses on the table and serve it with the cake.

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (June 2014 Event: Butter) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Jozelyn Ng (Spice Up My Kitchen).

Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

The Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake from the book Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet and Savory by Lou Seibert Pappas is the next bake for the members of The Home Bakers. The Home Bakers  is hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours. If you are keen to join us, please contact Joyce.

I also happen to be the host for this recipe so I have included the full recipe in my posting below. I've always had a weakness for baked goods made of pecans. During my childhood days, my mum would make a delicious pecan pie so very often. Its very expensive to buy pecans locally (though its not difficult to find) so when my mum who was visiting from the USA bought me a bag of pecans I decided its time to start baking to relive my childhood memories. 

The best part of this cake is undoubtedly the streusel topping. The distinctive flavours of the nut are enhanced by cinnamon forming a beautiful crunchy topping to the cake. This goes well with the spongy and moist butter cake. It was a delicious tea time treat. 

Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake (9 inch)
Recipe from Coffee Cakes: Sweet, Simple and Savoury by Lou Siebert Pappas

Streusel Topping Ingredients

• 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup pecan halves

Cake Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (reduce to 1/4 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk or low fat plain yoghurt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9 inch spring foam pan and line the bottom with round parchment paper.
• To make streusel topping: In a medium bowl or food processor, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter in with your fingers until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. 
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to blend. 
• Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk/yoghurt in 2 increments. Beat until smooth. Spread evenly in the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the topping.
• Bake for 30 to 35 mins or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove the pan sides and let it cool completely before serving. 

Blueberry Walnut Coffee Cake

The Blueberry Walnut Cake from the book Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet and Savory by Lou Seibert Pappas is the next bake for the members of The Home Bakers. The Home Bakers  is hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours. If you are keen to join us, please contact Joyce.

Actually its supposed to be a Raspberry Almond Cake but because raspberries are expensive locally and I'm allergic to almonds so I've decided to substitute with blueberries and walnuts. I think the combination works well and goes nicely with the streusel topping. 

I simply love how the blueberries look like jewels sparkling in the sun in the above photo! The cake was moist and delicious with a hint of lemon flavours. The streusel was certainly the best part. 

Angela of The Charmed Cupcake is the host for this recipe, please go to her blog for the full recipe.

Chocolate Chip and Hazelnut Cookies

When I was in Malaysia for a holiday last December, I brought home several kilograms of different types of nuts as they were cheaper than in Singapore. Now I have a stash of walnuts, cashews and hazelnut stored in the refrigerator for baking! When I saw this Chocolate Chip and Hazelnut Cookie recipe, I immediately bookmarked it as I have never made hazelnut cookies and was eager to use the nuts I have. 

Hazelnuts add a distinctive flavour to bakes and it's not exception for this cookie. It's rich, smooth nutty flavour goes perfectly with the chocolate bits to make these one of the best cookies I've made. And the best part is it is so crispy and stayed that way even after days (stored in an air-tight container). This is definitely on my make-again list. 

Chocolate Chip and Hazelnut Cookies 
(Makes about 30 small cookies depending on size)
Recipe by Donna Hay

Ingredients

• 125 g butter, chopped
• 1½ cups (225 g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
• ¾ cup (135 g) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (105 g) chopped hazelnuts
• ⅔ cups (100 g) milk chocolate chunks

Method

• Preheat oven to 180ºC (390ºF). Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly. 
• Place the flour and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. 
• Add the butter, egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Stir through the hazelnuts and chocolate. 
• Using your hands, mould 2 tablespoons of cookie mixture into a flat round and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving room to spread. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on trays. 

* To check if the cookies are done, look at the bottom not the top. If you wait until the top looks right you risk overcooking them. To check, lift a cookie with a spatula so you can see underneath. The bottom should be deep golden. Cool on trays as the cookies will continue to cook after you’ve removed them from the oven.

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Mich of Piece of Cake. 

Home Made Muah Chee

Muah Chee is one of my favourite childhood snacks. Eating this brings back memories of my grandparents who would buy this from the market for just fifty cents many decades ago! These days a small pack of Muah Chee can cost S$2 to S$3. I've stopped buying it outside now that I've discovered how easy it is to make. 

It's simply a mixture of glutinous rice flour, water, sugar, salt steamed into a paste and then coated generously with grated peanuts, sugar and sesame seeds. My daughters were asking for a snack that day, so I whipped this up in just a few minutes (plus 20 mins of steaming time). 

The secret of great tasting Muah Chee is really the shallot oil which added a unique flavour to the snack. It takes effort to make shallot oil but its really worth the trouble. I love the combination of the chewy dough with the crunchy peanuts. Simply addictive.

Home Made Muah Chee (Serves 4 to 6)
Recipe from Sunflower Food Galore

Ingredients

Dough batter:

• 200 g glutinous rice or sticky rice flour
• 2 tsp of sugar
• 0.5 tsp of salt
• 250 ml water
• 1 tbsp cooking oil or shallot oil*
• 1 tsp of oil or shallot oil for brushing the cooked dough

Peanut mixture:

• 150 g roasted peanuts
• 40 g dry roasted sesame
• 75 g sugar

*  To make shallot oil, thinly sliced one or two shallots. Fry with 2 parts the oil to 1 part shallot till golden brown.

Method

• Make the peanut mix by putting peanuts, sesame and sugar in a food processor and blitz to a fine mixture (or buy ready-made)
• Mix the dough batter ingredients together. Pour into a deep dish and steam for about 25 minutes. Test the center to make sure it is cooked through before taking it out of the steamer.
• Brush the dough with a little oil. Leave to cool down slightly.
• Spread the peanut mix on a tray. Scoop small pieces of the dough onto the peanut mix then toss to thoroughly coat them. Can press the dough pieces lightly to coat with more peanut mix. Ready to enjoy.

Milk Chocolate Pecan Cake

The Milk Chocolate Pecan Cake from the book Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet and Savory by Lou Seibert Pappas is the next bake for the members of The Home Bakers. The Home Bakers  is hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours. If you are keen to join us, please contact Joyce.

I don't normally buy pecans as they are fairly expensive locally. Coincidentally, my mum brought me a whole bag of pecans from the USA, just in time for me to bake this cake. The taste which pecans adds to this cake is really unique, a special taste which other nuts doesn't have. It goes so well with the chocolate chips and the cinnamon to create a lovely top crust for the cake. 

The inside of this soft and moist buttery cake is also studded with the chocolate-pecan-cinnamon mixture. This cake is so addictive and it is certainly one of my favourites cakes from this book. 

Eileen of Hundred and Eighty Degrees is the host of this bake. Please see this page for the full recipe. 

Peanut Cookies

These traditional Peanut Cookies are a must have for Chinese New Year. Just like these Almond Cookies which I made last Chinese New Year, these top my list of favourite cookies for the festive period. 

The best part is that its incredibly easy to make and doesn't require any equipment at all. All the mixing is done in a bowl and then shaped by hand. 

These are so addictive because they literally dissolve in the mouth and the batch I made didn't make it to Chinese New Year. They were gone in two days!

Peanut Cookies (About 40 cookies)
Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients

• 360 g peanuts, fried/roasted and ground until fine
• 200 g castor sugar
• 250 g all purpose flour
• 160 ml of canola oil (use sparingly and use only enough to bind the mixture, start with about half and pour the rest in little by little till the mixture comes together into a ball without falling apart)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Handful of peanuts, fried/roasted, halved then cut into quarter when still hot.
• Egg white for the glazing finishing touch

Method

• Preheat the oven at 200°C and lay out 2 baking sheets with greased baking paper or silicone mat.
• Grind the roasted peanuts till fine and put them in a large mixing bowl. The oil from the ground peanut will make them stick into lumps, use fingers to break them apart.
• Sift the flour, salt and sugar into the peanut mixture and mix them together until well combined.
• Drizzle half of the oil into the bowl, use hand and knead the mixture together.
• Pour the rest of the oil little by little while still kneading the mixture until all the sugar melted and you can roll the mixture up into a ball without sticking to the bowl or your fingers. Then test it with a small lump of the mixture and roll into a ball between your palms. If it doesn't crumble, then your mixture is ready. If not, add just bit more oil until you can roll them into a ball. You may not need to use all the quantity of oil specified. 
• Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture into your palm, and roll them into small balls. Place them on the baking sheets.
• Put a little quartered peanut on top of each ball, then glaze it with the egg white. Put in the oven for 17 mins or until golden brown.

I am linking this post to the Bake Along event created by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids.

Sunflower Seeds Carrot Cake

    I have an entire family of carrot cake lovers - not the Chinese type of carrot cake but the western version... I think I have at least five carrot cake recipes on this blog so when I came across Bill Granger's version I couldn't resist making it again. 

Most carrot cake recipes are fairly similar - consisting of carrot, raisins and nuts. Bill Granger's recipe calls for pumpkin seeds which added a lovely crunch and texture to the cake. I also liked the addition of orange zest and nutmeg which gave a spicy and citrus after taste.   

Overall, we loved this moist and delicious carrot cake recipe. It's definitely a recipe which would work well for Christmas parties. 

Bill Granger's Carrot Cake (7 inch square)

Recipe from here

• 1 1/3 cups plain flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
• 1 1/4 cups soft brown sugar (reduced to 3/4 cup and it was sweet enough for me!)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup light flavoured cooking oil (I used 3/4 canola oil and 1/4 cup soy milk)
• 3/4 cup sultanas
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• Zest of 1 orange

Ingredients

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius (non fan-forced).
• Lightly grease & line a 24cm springform cake tin (8 inch) with baking paper 
• In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon & nutmeg.
• Stir in the grated carrot.
• Make a well in the centre & set aside.
• In medium bowl whisk sugar & eggs until well blended.
• Gradually whisk in the oil until well mixed & glossy
• Pour wet mix into well in dry mix & stir until just combined.
• Gently fold through the sultanas, pumpkin seeds, nuts & orange zest.
• Pour batter into prepared cake tin.
• Bake for about 1 1/4 hours (I baked for 45 mins)
• Cake is cooked when skewer comes out clean.
• Leave in tin for about 5 minutes.
• Run flat blade around the outside of the cake before undoing side of springform & turning out onto wire cake cooling rack.
• Allow to cool completely before adding desired frosting. I simply spread a layer of softened cream cheese.

I am submitting this to the "Baby Sumo's Christmas Recipes Collection 2013" event here.

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. 

Pear and Cinnamon Cake

I've always loved using fruits such as apples, pears and peaches in my cakes as they bake so beautifully and are so moist and soft after baking. 

I saw this Bill Granger Pear and Cinnamon Cake featured on UK's online Independent newspaper and Bill said that this is a variation on his wife's simple cinnamon cake, with the addition of fruit and brown sugar to make it more wintery than the original. 

A soft butter cake scented with cinnamon baked topped with pears and walnuts makes a delicious tea time treat. I love the combination of flavours so much that I've made this cake twice. The best part about it is that it doesn't use that much butter so you won't feel so bad eating an extra slice or two. Best served warm and perhaps with some ice cream, if you like!

Pear and Cinnamon Cake (8 inch)

Recipe by Bill Granger

Ingredients

• 75g/3oz butter, softened 
• 125g/4oz soft dark-brown sugar 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten 
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour 
• 80ml/3fl oz milk 
• 50g/2oz walnuts, roughly chopped 
• 1 pear, peeled and cut into wedges 
• 1 tbsp honey

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon with electric beaters until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs. 
• Tip in the flour, milk and most of the walnuts and mix until combined.
• Pour the batter into a greased and lined 20cm cake tin, and dot the pears over the top with the remaining walnuts. 
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before removing. Brush the cake with a little honey before serving warm.

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. 

Chocolate Granola Bars

There's nothing in this world that beats a chocolate granola bar! Okay, that sounds like an exaggeration but biting into a really good chocolate granola bar is highly satisfying.  

And nothing beats home made ones - loving mixed and baked in the oven with the best ingredients...

 ... and coated with a thick layer of good quality chocolate. 

The final product!

It's typically gets eaten up by the family in a matter of days!

Chocolate Granola Bars 

Pioneer Woman's recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups Rolled Oats (not Quick Oats)
• 4 tbsp Butter, Melted, Plus More For Greasing (I substituted with 4 tbsp olive oil)
• ¼ cups Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Honey
• ¼ cups Apple Juice
• ¼ cups Molasses (I substituted with 1/4 cup maple syrup)
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1-½ cup Rice Krispies (I substituted with 1-1/2 cup Buckwheat Puffs)
• 1 cup Wheat Germ (I substituted with 1 cup grounded flax seeds)
• ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
• ¼ cups Roughly Chopped Almonds
• 8 ounces, weight Milk Chocolate Or Chocolate Almond Bark, Melted (optional) 

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a bowl, toss the oats with the canola oil, melted butter and salt. Spread the mixture out on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan twice and making sure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, apple juice and molasses. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring until all combined. Stir in the vanilla.
• Toss together the toasted oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, pecans and almonds. Pour in the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour. Toss to combine; it will be sticky!
• Press into 1 baking sheet (thoroughly greased with butter, or line pan with foil and grease foil) and bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut pieces with a sharp knife and remove from the pan.
• Dip the cooled granola bars straight into the melted chocolate so that the top is plain and the bottom is chocolate-covered. Set on parchment until set, sticking in the fridge to hasten this along if necessary.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY, hosted by Vivian of Vivian Pang’s Kitchen.

Granola Master Recipe

I have an entire family of oat lovers - my kids (fortunately!) love this healthy grain served in a variety of ways: as granola, granola bars or as muesli (oats soaked in milk overnight). Granola doesn't sit around very long in my house and I have been making it very often since I discovered how easy peasy it is to do so. I am just so happy that I no longer have to spend good money on those expensive boxes at the supermarkets. 

The great thing about home made granola is that you can use the best quality ingredients (for example, organic oats, dried fruits and nuts) and control the amount of sugar and oil that goes in. The end product tastes amazingly store-bought. I found this Granola Master Recipe on Chubby Hubby and its a great master recipe because you can swap the ingredients for whatever else you fancy as long as the proportions stay about the same. 

The rolled oats, sunflower seeds and the pumpkin seeds are non-negotiable as in they form the base of the granola but beyond that, you can add in any type of nuts or dried fruits. I've used whatever I can find in my pantry - from cashews, macadamias to walnuts and brazil nuts; and for dried fruits, cranberries, apricots and raisins as well as buckwheat puffs. I doubt I'd ever buy those boxed granola ever again!

Granola Master Recipe (1 kg)

Recipe from Chubby Hubby

• 300 g (3 cups) rolled oats (or equal parts rolled barley/rolled spelt and rolled oats)
• 125 g (1 cup) raw pumpkin seeds
• 130 g (1 cup) sunflower seeds
• 50 g (1 cup) unsweetened coconut chips (optional) - I didn't use)
• 125 g raw macadamias or other nut of your choice (I used walnuts)
• 90 g raw cashews or other nut of your choice 
• 85 g (packed ½ cup) light brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup, Grade B
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil or coconut oil
• 75 g (about ½ cup) raisins or cranberries (optional)
• 2 tbs chia seeds or flax seeds (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 150° Celsius using the convection/fan setting. Line a baking plan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut chips, macadamias, cashews, light brown sugar, and salt. Stir to mix. Add the olive oil and maple syrup, and stir until well combined. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared sheet pan. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and toasted, about 55 minutes.
• Place on a rack to cool completely. Stir in raisins and chia seeds. Store in an airtight container.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY, hosted by Vivian of Vivian Pang’s Kitchen.

Banana Bread

It's hard to believe that most of the year has gone by and we're into the last two months of 2013! For the final two months of the year, Cook Like A Star will be cooking with Australian chef Bill Granger - a self taught chef and food writer who owns several restaurants around the world. If you don't already have his books, you can find Bill's recipes all over the web including here and here. 

I've tried several of Bill's recipes and I like his fuss free cooking which produces delicious results. The hosts for the Bill Granger event is Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and myself. You can link up your November blog post at any of our blogs mentioning that: 

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. 

Bill's Banana Bread was the first recipe I tried and I enjoyed this soft yet springy loaf filled with the fragrance of ripened bananas and topped with crunchy almonds. The aroma of bananas mixed with cinnamon wafted from the oven while it was baking and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into a slice.

To make it a healthier version, I substituted the butter with olive oil but I am sure it would be a lot more delicious with butter. Use really ripe bananas and I don't think we need all the sugar that is called for in the recipe. In fact I reduced it by a large amount and it was sweet enough for my family. 

Banana Bread (2 loaves)
A Bill Granger Recipe

Ingredients

• 45g brown sugar
• 30g almonds, chopped
• 255ml sour cream (I used yoghurt)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g unsalted butter, melted (replaced with 100g olive oil)
• 230g caster sugar (I used 180g)
• 2 medium eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 250g mashed ripe banana {2-3 bananas}

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius. Grease and line two loaf tins {10 x 18cm}. 
• In a small bowl mix the brown sugar and almonds. This gets sprinkled on the top before popping in the oven.
• In a large bowl, mix together the bicarb soda and the sour cream and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the melted butter, sugar and eggs.
• In another bowl, mix the flour, the baking powder and cinnamon and then gradually add to the wet ingredients… folding gently. Add the mashed banana. Don’t overmix.
• Divide the batter between the two tins. Sprinkle them with the sugar and almond mixture. Place in the oven and cook for 50 mins to 1 hour ( I baked mine for 35 mins).

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake.