Tuesday 10 May 2011

Banana and Chocolate Marble Cake


Back in the day (when there were dinosaurs and no TV in South Africa - the 1970's) life was very simple. There were a lot less choices in my life and not because I was growing up in a rural village in communist China, it was just thought to be necessary. 

When we did eventually get TV, for a good few years there was only 2 options - on and off. Now we have satellite TV, with 180 choices (and most nights still comes down to 2 choices - complete rubbish and rubbish). My mom always kept only one flavour of ice-cream in the house- again 2 choices "yes" or "no".

Expressions like "You can't have your cake and eat it" were heard often. I still don't understand where that comes from, I would rather not have it if I can't eat it. Another favourite, "You can't have the best of both worlds" - which "other world" were they talking about?

These are still questions that rattle in my head from my teenage years. And to think our teachers were supposed to educate us, and here I am left with 2 huge gaping holes in my head, wondering about who got to eat the cake and where this "other world" is.

But things have changed now. We have 24 hours of TV (Yippee!!!), a land line, a mobile phone, a lap top, a PC, an Apple Mac and 14 different boxes of "tried once and decided we didn't like" cereal (and feel guilty about throwing away food) - a never ending amounts of choices.  I am starting to wish for the 2 choice days : "Yes" or "No" and "On" and "Off".

There is one exception, I have found a cake that I can have, eat and have 2 of my favourite flavours in one go- Banana and Chocolate. It's my answer to the modern world of choices, without the head splitting "other world" question.

I hope you'll like this combination and have your cake and eat it!

Banana and Chocolate Marble Cake

200ml Butter or Margarine
375ml Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Cup well Mashed Banana (2-3 depending on the size)
125ml Buttermilk
125ml Milk
5ml Vanilla Essence
600ml Cake Flour
2.5ml Salt
10ml Baking Powder
2.5ml Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
60ml Drinking Chocolate Powder

Icing
100g of Chocolate (I used 70% cocoa)
10ml Milk
15ml Butter

Pre-heat oven to 160C.
Grease a spring form tube tin.
Cream together the sugar and butter until light.
Add the eggs one and a time.
In a separate bowl mix together the bananas, buttermilk, milk and vanilla essence.
In another bowl sift together the dry ingredients.
Alternating with the banana mixture and the flour mixture add this to the butter and sugar.
Mix well together.
Remove 150ml of the batter from the mixing bowl.
Add the drinking chocolate to small amount of batter, mixing well.
Add half the plain mixture into the tube tin.
Place the chocolate mixture on top of the plain (just place spoonfuls evenly around)
Cover with the remainder of the batter.
Using a fork, twirl the mixture  through twice to create a marble effect.
Bake for 60-70 minutes.
Leave to cool before icing.

Icing
Melt the chocolate together with the milk over a double boiler.
Add the butter.
You can add more milk or butter to get a pourable consistency.
Pour over the cooled cake.
Decorate with nuts (optional)

9 comments:

Cindy said...

Yes, I can see the photos, what a beautiful cake. Am so making this one :)

Marisa said...

Entertaining post! That chocolate glaze looks very seductive I must say.

Juanita said...

I have just recently become a fan of the banana-chocolate combo in cakes, and can defo see why you're a devoted fan!

Don't you just love how buttermilk leads to a fantasticaly moist cake? Along with sour cream, it can't be beat.

Homemade Heaven said...

Juanita - this recipe you can substitute the buttermilk for sour cream.
I have substituting buttermilk for milk in all my cake - love the moistness.

Kitchenboy said...

Olala! This looks like something I could have for tea...(or breakfast, or lunch, or...)

Awesome photos!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

The buttermilok definitely adds to the flavour and texture. I am always lkooking for ways to use those bananas!

Jeanne @ CookSister! said...

Love this post! I still maintain that a major source of unhappiness in today's world is TOO MUCH CHOICE!! ;o) love the cake too - looks totally decadent...

Elle said...

The cake is lovely but I also like the post because you understand that the modern world is so overwhelming with all the choices available...and often choices between awful and terrible...not much of a choice is it? If you even find out what that other world is, could you let me know? I wonder, too.

Anonymous said...

I found this recipe through foodblogsearch.com - what a beautiful, delicious, and unique cake! I made it last week and blogged about it here:

http://web.me.com/susan.p.carter/cherryontop/home/Entries/2011/9/27_Banana_Chocolate_Cake.html

Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

Jeremiah 17: 7-8

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water."

It is not your business to succeed, but to do what is right : when you have done so, the rest lies with God.
C.S. Lewis

Search This Blog

South African Food and Wine Blogger Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blogger Directory

Foodista

Followers

Labels