CHOCO BANANA CAKE

To all Valentines....when you fall in love...do not forget the wisdom....  remember... "The course of true love never did run smooth." If one love someone keeping this in mind, they can accept anything that comes their way and confidently say, "I love thee, I love thee with a love that shall not die. Till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old."

This is a subject I can write a thesis on. The very practical mind at home jokingly calls his wife a relationship expert. Now how a practical mind built a nest with an impractical love bird is an entirely different story....there definitely has some common personality traits. Its a movie material I can say.

I personally believe Love is a life...long celebration...even if there is pain....of circumstantial thorns...

As the old bard of England said, " Let no one who loves be unhappy....even love unreturned has its rainbow."

Do we really need a 14th February to celebrate love? Isn't it so that in Love, every moment is special? It can be made special even over a humble cup of tea. It is in trusting each other, in sharing and caring. Its not being "with" each other but being "in" each other, neither should we be the cause of pain for our love but share it and face it together. 

Being silly in love is permissible/advisable. Calculations and love cannot really walk together. To all young Valentines...be a little silly in love. I vividly remember a silly little girl who waited tirelessly for her "Highwayman"....she used to mutter,"I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way." But he did not come actually, neither in the dawning, nor at noon. Yet the poor little girl waited..." Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair."

I sincerely hope this generation Valentines do not need to wait for each other, they hold each other tight, hug tighter and walk along together enjoying every bit of the journey called Life.

In all these emotional bouts, I may forget the recipe of the cake I prepared for the Valentines. Every time I post a recipe on baked goods I seek your mercy, given I am poor at baking. I hope when Valentines are together and love is in the air, they hardly bother about how perfect is the cake. Thinking of that I feel relaxed.

INGREDIENTS :

All Purpose Flour : 2 1/4 cup

Baking Soda : 1 tsp

Unsalted Butter [softened] : 1stick

Sugar : 1cup

Cocoa Powder : 1/4 cup

Eggs : 2

Banana : 3[medium]

Plain Yogurt : 2/3 cup

Vanilla Extract : 1tsp

Bitter-Sweet Chocolate : 1bar

Cinnamon : 1/2tsp

TOPPING :

Fresh Strawberries : 4

Choco- nutty bar : 150 gm

Butter : 2 tbsp[softened]

METHOD :

Preheat oven to 375degree F. Mash the bananas and keep aside. Beat the eggs.

Sieve together flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.

Beat together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the beaten eggs. Mix well.

Add the mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix well.

Add the flour mixture little by little. Mix well.

Grease the cake tin with oil and then dust with flour. Pour in the cake batter till half of the cake tin.

Bake at 375 deg F for 35-40 minutes.

Once done, cool the cake on a plate.

I prepared a basic topping. Had a cadbury fruit and nut bar. I microwaved it breaking into small pieces for 1 minute with intervals of 20 seconds. Then I mixed it with 2tbsp of softened butter. Mixed well and applied over the cake. Washed and cut the strawberries into halves and arranged over the cake.

Hi Valentines, enjoy the cake with your favourite tea or coffee or as a dessert and get lost in each other!!