Coco-Cinnamon Streusal Banana Chocolate-chip Cake/Bread/Cupcakes

I like to think that baking is like cycling. The way I can lose myself in baking seems very much like the way I cycle on the streets of Taiwan. Like cycling, baking elevates my happiness and eases my pain. For a moment, the deep concentration, the focus, the freedom makes everything go away, like entering a whole new dimension. Maybe that’s why I love baking so much. Seeing each ingredient contributing to the chemical reactions and eventually the deliciousness and beauty… ugly ingredients that have wound up in my hands turning out good and presentable. There’s sort of a new dimension in that.

Today, I made this simple yet delicious recipe I would love to make again and again. Its fat- free and perfect and beautiful.

I hope you’ll love it too.

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Coco-Cinnamon Streusal Banana Chocolate-chip Cake/Bread/Cupcakes

adapted from Everyone Likes Sandwiches

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3 EXTREMELY ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs or 2.5 small eggs
180g flour
60g sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon
6 tbsp chocolate chips

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STREUSAL
2 tbsp chocolate chips
2 tbsp demerara sugar mixed with 1 tbsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp cocoa powder

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1. Mix bananas with eggs and stir well. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix well. Add 6tbsp chocolate chips into the

batter.

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2. Pour batter into a lined square cake pan. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mix and 2tbsp chocolate chips.

3. Bake at 190 degrees celcius for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

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 And VOILA

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They turn into cupcakes!

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Healthified Banana Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Chocolate Chip Streusel

I’ve always wanted to bake something healthier but looks equally guilt- triggering. And after my post- exam horrors, its time to do some BAKING.

I replaced the butter from Emiline’s recipe with 3/4 its amount of applesauce and an extra tablespoon of yogurt. Because of this, it lacks the buttery texture but I’m pleased to say that it is much more moist than the original version. I also reduced the amount of chocolate chips and sugar because I used a baking pan that’s deeper but smaller in area. (which meant 30 minutes of extra baking. Don’t do this. The wonderful sweet aroma will poison you with extreme hunger)

The next time I make it, I’ll definitely sub. 1/2 cup of flour with the same amount of oatmeal to further healthify it. Feel free to completely substitute all the flour with oatmeal for a gluten- free recipe.

(okay… I agree its a pretty long name…) Makes 8 servings

Adapted from Back to the Cutting Board

Ingredients

(Batter)

Baking powder	1  tsp
Baking soda	1 ¼ tsp
Flour	1 ½ cup
Salt	¾ tsp
Applesauce	6 tbs
Large egg	1
Sugar	¾ cup
Plain yogurt	3 tbs
Mashed very ripe Bananas	1 1/3 cup/ 3 large/ 8 small

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Note*: Your bananas must be EXTREMELY ripe—black all over. If yours isn’t, you can nuke your bananas in a microwave oven/electric oven for 5 minutes at 200°C (or lower depending on how ripe your banana is)

Method:

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl

2. Beat the sugar and egg with an electric mixer till fluffy (no need to reach foamy stage). Beat in the mashed bananas, applesauce and yogurt. Add in dry ingredients 1/3 at a time and mix well to form uniform mixture.

 (Topping/Filling)

Chocolate chips	½  cup
Raisins (Not in picture)	¼ cup
Cinnamon	2 tbs
Brown sugar	½ cup

 

Instructions:

Mix all topping ingredients together. It is okay to leave chunks of brown sugar, as long as you don’t leave the cinnamon in clumps.

To finish

Applesauce	1 tbs (or more depending on size of pan)
Cocoa powder	1 tbs (or more depending on size of pan)

 

3. Use your CLEAN fingers or a pastry brush to spread some applesauce on the interior of the baking pan

4. Using a sieve, or your fingers, sift/ sprinkle the cocoa powder to cover all the spread applesauce. (Applesauce ≈ butter & Cocoa powder ≈ flour)

5. Use a medium sized ladle to spoon half the batter into the baking pan

6. Sprinkle with half of topping.

7. Spoon the remaining batter over the topping in step 6 and sprinkle the remaining topping

8. Bake “coffee cake” until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 45- 75 minutes depending on depth of pan. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before gobbling.