Monday, 31 December 2012

Steamed Banana and Sultana Cake

I havn't posted in a longgg while- sorry! I guess life took over- final year medicine is definitely the toughest yet with exams, job applications and long hours in placements. However I want to wish you all a Happy New Year filled with happiness and health. 2013 is a big year for me with life changing moments, new challenges, and exciting travels. 2012 has been the best year yet, and 2013 certainly has a lot to live up to.

I was asked by my cousin for a simple cake recipe that she could make for the New Year with limited ingredients, no oven and no microwave. And this was the one that cam to mind. Simple, easy, and yummy.

  
I have cake phases, and lately it's been a chiffon cake phase as I love the lightness of those cakes. However I just made my first ever steamed cake and I am pretty sure I'm entering a new phase: the steamed cake phase. It was soo surprising that the cake took literally 5 minutes to prepare, was light, used minimal oil and hardly any sugar, and the best thing is that it had a lovely moistness to it; more moist than any chiffon I have made. I never knew that you could steam cakes until one day at a dim sum resteraunt I sampled some 'mah lai ko' (Chinese steamed cake) and was in awe of the lightness; I could have easily gobbled up the whole cake it was that light! I know that not everyone is going to have a bamboo or electric steamer, however you can just use a rice cooker like I did or you can just put some water in a wok like pan and place the container with the cake mixture on top (let it stand on a metal ring or a plate or something so that it is above the water). If there was ever anything like a 'healthy' cake, I would say this recipe is the one!

Beware: This cake will literally just 'disappear' in a flash.


Preparation time: 30mins

Recipe

Ingredients
2/3 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 small bananas (or 1 large banana) mashed
1 egg
2 tsp water
1 tsp oil
1/4 cup icing sugar
handful sultanas

Method
1. In a bowl mash the bananas with a fork. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with the fork.

2. Place the mixture in a small greased cake tin.
 3. Place the cake tin on a stand in the steamer for around 15-25mins till the cake is done (a knife through the cente should come out clean).
 4. Remove from the steamer and allow to cool for a few minutes (it's definitely hard to resist digging in) before taking the cake out of the tin, loosen the edges with a knife before you do so.
 5. Eat warm or cold.

Source:
Chow Times


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