Banana Cake with passion fruit icing

Cake cake cake cake cake cake cake

I lurve the cake

It's so delicious. Tender crumbs on the inside and icing to contrast and compliment on the outside. I did not get to be the size I am today without a love of cake. True fact. 

My classy amateur photos today were brought to you by my phone. 

Last weekend there were uber ripe bananas. My husband hates to waste and so do I. Luckily the solution was simple. Banana Cake!!!! After trawling the internet and searching the cupboard I decided on using the Donna Hay One Bowl Banana Cake recipe. The only adaptation I did was to not put the cinnamon in. 

I had some issues with the baking. When the oven is on fan forced, it is really enthusiastic. I'm talking seriously enthusiastic. The recipe said 45 minutes. I checked it after 20 minutes and it was pretty much done. Some small crumbs on the skewer so it was put back in for another 10 minutes with the fan on but heat off. Possibly not the best idea as the sides burnt a little. 

Nothing a little passion fruit icing couldn't fix.

It was delicious 

Birthdays come but once a year

Yesterday I watched as this years birthday cake was being made. The cake itself is a coconut cake with raspberry jam sandwiched between and lemon icing on top. Recipe for the cake is here. 

It doesn't look like much but it will be delicious. More detail will follow in a later post but for now let me leave you with this. 

Recap of the last week

The housewarming went swimmingly. Everyone loved my potatoes and the random bean salad I made. I haven't tasted it yet but it looks good.
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced
1 carrot diced
chives, diced
olive oil.

Stick everything in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top.

My potatoes were the twice baked potatoes from PW. The changes I made were to omit the cheese and milk from the filling and to flavour it with chives and thyme. I've made it before with everything in there and they came out very soupy. I also made my favourite coconut cake recipe, omitting the lemon curd filling and whipped cream. I just made sure that the coconut was very toasted for maximum flavour. It still tasted great 3 days later.
Unfortunately I have no photos.

I do have photos of cake though. Lots of cake.

Housewarming 3.1

Okay so third house in 2.5 years so it's time for the third housewarming. If you're wondering why it's version 3.1 then listen whilst I explain.

3.1 is friends
3.2 is one set of family
3.3 is the other set of family

C's family housewarming will consist of parents, siblings, grandparents and uncles. Mine will be parents and maybe my sister. Hence 2 different parties.

We specified byo grog and meat for the bbq so hopefully this will mean that we only have to provide salads and our own protein. I'm expecting to have to provide basic snags anyway as there are always people who forget. The best part is salads!!!! I love a good salad.

At the moment I'm thinking the veg version of twice baked potatoes from PW. I use thyme instead of bacon. As well as a basic green salad and a chickpea/bean with roasted capsicum and greenery of some kind. I'm hoping to avoid providing bread as C doesn't eat it and I don't want it in the house. I'm trying to avoid it. Sweets will most likely be a fruit platter of some sort or some cupcakes. Depends on what I can whip up after my nap. I'm making a lot of cake that week.

Friday is a going away bbq at work for someone I actually like and seeing as work is funding the bbq I asked him if he would like cake as well. I got an astounding YES! Seeing as I don't really know how many people will be going I think I'm going to supply a coconut and lemon slab cake, cupcakes and possibly choc dipped strawberries or brownies. I am known for my brownies at work. The issues is that I'm taking my car in to be serviced on friday morning so transporting everything to work is going to be difficult unless I drop it all off on thursday or really early friday morning. Really early Friday morning might be best I think. Then I can drop my car off early as well before hopping on the bus back to work/uni. Looks like I will be spending most of thursday morning baking. 6am start here I come!

Where I've been.

I know that I promised to update regularly but it seems that this has fallen by the wayside. Depression does that. Turns out that my hectic lifestyle of full time shift work and part time study has left me stress, anxious and depressed. We're trying to fix this.

In the mean time I have a new project for Monday. My partner and I are moving in together in a couple of weeks and his current housemates are throwing him a farewell dinner. I'm making the cake. This cake to be precise

I can't remember the site I stole this picture from but the design is from a book called cartoon cakes. I should probably start making some of it this weekend so that it has enough time to dry, namely the flag. I'm actually looking forward to it.

Will let you know how it turns out.

Cakes

Turns out that I haven't uploaded all my cakes into the one spot yet. I realised this whilst talking to a dear friend in the UK and he said that he has never seen my cakes.

This is for you Smittens!

We start with a gluten free chocolate raspberry mud cake for a halloween themed 21st. The birthday girl was told that if she didn't pick her own cake then I would decide and she would end up with a hot pink spider. She loved the idea. So instead of hot pink, she got a sprinkle-back spider. Everything on that cake is edible and gf except the legs and eyes. There is also a lime jelly center but that didn't work so well. It was meant to ooze when cut into but I think the cake soaked up most of it... here is another view

The next cake was due the same day for a wedding in Bendigo. It was at the China gardens and was also a chocolate raspberry mudcake. The only issue we had was that it was over 30C and the icing melted slightly. So the first shot is the nice one from before it left my house and the second one is the slightly melted version that arrived at the reception venue. They loved every bit of it.

before the 90min car ride in stinking hot heat

and afterwards

Next we have a cake that I did not bake. I only covered and delivered it. This fruit cake was for my housemates mother's 2nd marriage. The florist arrived after I delivered it to add the flowers.

      

Cake number four I again did not bake, only iced and decorated. This was for friends I met at uni. Someone else did the bride and groom on top. I did the flowers and butterflies though.

And now we come to the last cake. Please note that these 5 cakes all happened between Oct 31st 2009 and Feb 27th 2010. 

The last cake was for another friends 21st. It was a chocolate cinnamon swirl with chocolate ganache. The cake and icing are both fructose free, some of the decorations aren't. She requested a purple sparkly chocolate dragon that wasn't too rich and fructose friendly.

The small purple candles on the sides were the best $2 I have ever spent. Magic candles are entertaining for all!

I promise I'm still alive!

So there is a backlog of posts that are waiting to be uploaded. The only issue is that I have no time at the moment.

I'm also trying to figure out what to serve for Australia Day. One of the bands I play in has 2 gigs on Australia Day, the city parade and then an afternoon gig in the country complete with picnic lunch. I volunteered to do the sweets part. I'm thinking this months challenge, cheesecake brownies and possibly the danish pastry challenge if I can find it.

I've also had a revelation as to my career.

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I'm going to be a teacher

Shocked?

After 3 years of working full time I've decided that I'm really not happy in my profession. I'm bored, unenthusiastic and really just don't care anymore. So my fan is to finish off my honours degree this year and save like crazy so that next year I can quit my job and go back to uni full time to do a Grad Dip Ed.

Oh and I'm also moving out of my current house when the lease is up at the end of the year. Love the house, hate the situation. My housemate and I have known each other for over 10 years but in the last 6-12 months things have gone down hill. The main issue I have is that she is never home. She still pays rent but has essentially moved in with her boyfriend and his family. I hate living alone. More on that later.

Just a taste of what has happened in the last few months

My mission tonight

Tonight I intend on doing some serious baking as well as cleaning out the freezer.

The plan is to make more chocolate raspberry cake and possible a repeat of the caramel cupackes.
There may even be a visit to the gym if I get home in time. Otherwise its chicken salad, baking and more study for me.

Oh the pain of my huge work load!