suspended in time // baileys banana chocolate cake

These days it’s all about the little things. The feel of the sun on bare skin, the smell of the fresh open air, lofi tunes at midnight, a spoonful of dark chocolate ganache.  

Sometimes I wish time could come to a standstill. If only weekends could last forever – I could devour a whole book, whip up dessert for a tea party, go on evening walks, sleep in past noon, visit a new cafe.  

But time does not work like that. It’s ever-flowing, ceaselessly moving. So I’ve learnt to soak up every second, freezing each precious moment through the magic of photography.

Here is my sunday two weeks ago.

Baileys Banana Chocolate Cake

makes a 7 inch cake (+4 muffins); or an 8 inch cake

For the cake:

210 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

200 grams sugar

3 eggs

120 ml canola oil

300 grams mashed ripe bananas

100 ml Baileys

For the ganache:

200 grams dark chocolate, chopped

100 ml heavy cream + 100 ml Baileys (you can adjust the ratio of cream to Baileys depending on how boozy you want the ganache to be)

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a 7 inch cake pan and insert 4 cupcake liners into a muffin tin. Alternatively, use an 8 inch cake pan.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a bowl.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking constantly. Add the mashed bananas and Baileys.

Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until thoroughly incorporated. 

Scrape batter into the prepared cake pan (and cupcake liners) and bake the cake for about 50 minutes, and the cupcakes for about 20 minutes. Aim to slightly under-bake the cake for a moister crumb. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely before frosting.

Make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and Baileys to a simmer in a pan and pour over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to stand for 30 seconds before whisking until homogenous. Refrigerate ganache for about 30 minutes, or until it has firmed up enough to frost the cake.

Decorate the cooled cake with swooping swirls of ganache, for a rustic look. If you’re feeling up to the extra effort, break out the piping bag by all means!

This post has been sponsored by Baileys #GiftfromBaileys #BaileysTreats