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CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE easy moist dessert type cake

An easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

We’ve all got our favourite chocolate cake recipe, but this  one is new for me and the best I’ve tried for a while now. Everyone who’s eaten it loves it and has asked for the recipe so here it is!

Make it and send me a picture of how it turns out, do let me know your variations as well.

I’ll publish the most interesting ones at the end of this post! The ingredients are pretty easy to get in any country so I reckon you could make it just about anywhere, anytime.

Image ofchocolate cake recipe doindubai slice

Use it for a dinner party dessert, a coming home treat or a midnight snack! You could use a thermomix but you don’t have to. I didn’t, a hand mixer or even a wooden spoon works just fine!

Ingredients for the Chocolate Cake Recipe

WET INGREDIENTS

  • 3 ripe but not too ripe bananas mashed up in a bowl
  • 1 medium egg beaten up
  • 150 grams of butter melted

DRY INGREDIENTS 

  • 120 grams of plain flour 
  • 30 grams of spelt flour (I use wholemeal spelt flour, makes it a bit easier to digest as it’s lower in gluten)
  • 1 teaspoon bircarbonate of soda 
  • 60 grams brown sugar (this is half the quantity of the original recipe!) 
  • 30 grams cocoa (I use Cadbury’s)

THE CHOCOLATE 

  • 60 grams good quality chocolate chips, I use Hersheys, for the top of the cake 
  • 100 grams of your favourite dark chocolate (I use 1 bar of 70% Lindt plain chocolate) broken up into small pieces 

You’ll also need a loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper.

Image ofchocolate cake recipe doindubai ingredients

Chocolate Cake Recipe Method

There are 2 basic mixtures you have to get ready,  a dry mix and a wet mix for this chocolate cake recipe. But first turn on your oven set to 180 degrees C so it’s ready for the cake to go in.

  1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl
  2. Add the melted butter and the beaten egg to the bananas and mix well
  3. Add the sugar to this mixture
  4. Sift in the flours with the bicarbonate of soda to the same bowl
  5. Add the cocoa powder and mix in
  6. Add the chocolate pieces, stir through
  7. Pour the thick, batter type mix into your lined loaf tin, I didn’t grease mine first, but do use the paper to come up the sides.
  8. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips on top
  9. Bake at 180 degrees for about 55 minutes
  10. Remove from oven, if a sharp knife comes out clean, it’s ready, if not, leave a bit longer, but watch if from now on. Remove from the oven and serve as you like
  11. Watch it disappear fast!

Image ofchocolate cake recipe doindubai wet mix

Original Recipe came from

The original inspiration for this recipe came from trying it at a friend’s house in the Arabian Ranches in June 2017. She got hers from a Facebook Page called Desert Mixers, it’s a private page run by another friend of mine.  Here’s the link to the original recipe, but I’ve CHANGED mine and really like the result.

Image chocolate cake recipe doindubai finished cake

I used half the amount of sugar, and substituted some of the flour with spelt, I think next time I make this I’ll use 50 grams of spelt flour and 100 of plain flour. I had no idea what a chocolate melt was as required in the original recipe so I guessed (wrongly as it turned out) but the result was perfect, so it was a good guess!

Hope yours turns out perfect too!  Let me know in a comment and send a picture with the subject line CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE to info at doindubai.com

Happy Eating everyone, great for an Iftar treat during Ramadan or great for a special family Eid meal later this month.

Thanks Monica.

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BABYLONSTOREN CAPE TOWN

Babylonstroren Cape Town is a magical place that’s certain to delight people of all ages. Here’s why we think you MUST make time to visit Babylonstoren Cape Town.

What is Babylonstoren Cape Town

Babylonstoren is a working farm, shop, garden and restaurant complex set in 3.5 hectares of glorious Cape farm land. It originates in the 17th century and has a Dutch heritage. There is a small boutique hotel you can stay at. There is also a wine tasting room on site.

Do you need a visa to visit Cape Town? Depends where you’re from: Check out if you need a visa using this BBC FEATURED TRAVEL SITE. 

We visited for lunch on a Sunday afternoon as part of our 5 day Cape Town trip. It’s the only wine estate that charges an entry fee in the area, but it’s well worth it.

Where is Babylonstoren Cape Town

Babylonstoren is an easy 45 minute drive outside Cape Town about 15 minutes before the town of Franschoek. We hired a private taxi to take us there, stay with us and bring us back. You could easily do the drive yourself though, roads are good and well signposted. Here’s a map showing you the exact location:

What did we have to eat at Babylonstoren

The lunch menu at Babel restaurant is split into stirrings, progression and culmination. Most dishes are offered with or without a wine pairing option. I found that really helpful. You can choose your stirrings/starters by colour, the options were red, yellow or green.

I chose red and can say this was one of the prettiest, most creatively put together starters/light meal I’ve ever eaten!

Babylonstoren Cape Town DoinDubai Starters the Red Plate

The gaspacho soup in a glass was zingy and fresh, it usually comes in a large black bowl but as we were sharing, they split our gazpacho into 2 small glasses. I had the excellent beetroot risotto to follow which was creamy, salty, fresh and wholesome all at once. Everything cooked at the restaurant is made using ingredients grown on the farm, so there is a genuine farm to fork philosophy at work here and they work with what’s in season.

Visit Cape Town DoinDubai Babylonstoren Stirrings

An idea of prices at Babylonstoren Cape Town 

The picture speaks for itself! We were speechless at good value these prices represent. (The printed prices are in South African Rand)

Babylonstoren Cape Town DoinDubai Stirrings Prices

We LOVED our prickly pear snack we were offered while waiting for our lunch!

What to buy there

That will present you with a problem as there is so much to buy from Babylonstoren!  Decide if you’d like things that are perishable, like bread and cheese or things that will last, like beautiful coffee table books, scented candles and soaps. It’s the perfect place to stock up on gifts!

Babylonstoren Cape Town DoinDubai Beautiful Gifts

I particularly liked the oud and rooibush candle as that was a perfect mix of South Africa and the Middle East for us!

How to book a meal at Babylonstoren

You must book your meal before you go to Babylonstoren. You can make your booking 2 months prior to when you’d like to go but not before. We sat in the air conditioned area of the inside of the restaurant as it was very extremely hot the day we visited . You can sit outside on the terrace in the garden of Babel restaurant where we ate.

There is a smaller coffee shop The Greenhouse where you can have a drink or a snack.  That’s more casual. You don’t have to book for the coffee shop.

Have you been to Babylonstoren or has this article inspired you to go? We’d love to know!

Their website. 

Looking for a Cape Town hotel?  Read about our experience at the One and Only Cape Town.

Need ideas of where to eat and drink in Cape Town?  Read the insider guide to Visiting Cape Town.

Share this with people who love fine food, fine wine and fine places.

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LA CANTINE DU FAUBOURG BRUNCH

Loved the La Cantine du Faubourg Brunch last Saturday (January 14th 2017) Perfect for celebrating a special occasion, with or without the kids. Here’s why.

La Cantine du Faubourg Brunch 105 Clock and Menu copy

When is the La Cantine du Faubourg Brunch on 

Their Reveille Brunch 105 is on every Saturday from 12.00 pm to 4pm. So you can start with a proper breakfast type offering and then move on to try some of their signature dishes. It’s challenging leaving room for dessert and or the cheeseboard, but do try!

La Cantine du Faubourg Brunch 105 DoinDubai Cheese Board gallery

The Food at La Cantine du Faubourg Brunch 

The food comes to your table as per your order, I really like this about the brunch. No traipsing up to large buffets of pre prepared food. Select from 6 different types of egg based offerings to begin with. Small, perfectly formed plates with your selection. I recommend the Eggs Royale. So that’s some poached eggs with grilled avocado, smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce.

La cantine du Faubourg brunch DoinDubai Eggs Royale

Then go on to choose from up to 16 Signature plates. You’ll find a good mix of seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes on the menu with a bit of an Asian slant. Have what you fancy at the time and don’t be afraid to mix up flavours, they all seem to work very well together. I recommend the tuna ceviche, chicken ceasar salad and whatever the catch of day is.

La cantine du Faubourg brunch DoinDubai Mix Up flavours gallery

My brunch partner loved his angus beef sliders too. All our choices were excellent. If I had room I’d have tried the aubergine gratin, mozzarella and tomatoes and maybe the risotto with leeks and truffle, both from the Signature Plates section. Catch of the Day is shown below!

La Cantine du Faubourg Seabass DoinDubai gallery

To Drink at La Cantine du Faubourg Brunch

We had a glass of champagne to start with, then I chose to have a glass of grapefruit juice with my Eggs Royale. We finished with fresh coffee. There is a small selection of fresh juices on offer, but depending on what package you choose, you can also have mocktails and other alcoholic beverages.

Parisienne ambience at La Cantine du Faubourg Brunch 

I spoke to the creative director of the brunch 105 as it’s called at La Cantine and he explained how they’ve recreated a Paris morning in Emirates Towers. Here’s Sofianne


Strangely the serving staff in pyjamas and dressing gowns running around turning off alarm clocks really does work in this setting! It’s not at all silly, it’s stylish! You can choose to sit inside or outside on the terrace. We chose a table just inside that looked out onto the terrace, it can get quite hot on the terrace.

La cantine du Faubourg brunch DoinDubai Bedroom Set up

Packages available 

There are 3 types of packages available depending on what you’d like to drink.

AED 250 includes mocktails and juices

AED 380 includes wines, sangria, Pimms and beer.

AED 495 includes Moet and Chandon champagne and Aperol spritzers

There is also a small a la carte section for oysters, crabs and caviar.

Location map 

Key Points about this Brunch 105

  • Food is cooked specially for you, no big buffets
  • Excellent quality of food and presentation
  • Fun, French ambience in an al fresco setting
  • Possible to  avoid carbs on this brunch IF you can resist the sophisticated bread basket!
  • Early start at 12 pm enables starting with a proper breakfast that progresses to lunch
  • AED 380 (mid package) includes wide selection of alcoholic beverages
  • Vegetarians fairly well catered for
  • Most of the serving staff were speaking French adding to the French ambience

La cantine du Faubourg brunch DoinDubai Breadbasket

NOTE

While this was a review meal, I’d choose to take visitors here or go with friends for a celebratory meal again. They’ve made it feel very informal but stylish at the same time.

Go now while the weather is great. Has this post helped you decide which restaurant to book for brunch? Let me know in a comment and do share on FB!

 

Thank You Monica.

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CHIVAL AT LA VILLE CITY WALK

Where is Chival at La Ville City Walk

Chival is the the all day dining restaurant at the new, luxury boutique hotel – La Ville located in Dubai’s City Walk extension. It’s part of the smart, Autograph Collection of hotels owned by the Marriott group. We came across Chival at La Ville City Walk while showing our Christmas visitors around Dubai!

Chival at La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Signage

Here’s a Google Map showing you exactly where it is:

What’s the food like at Chival at La Ville City Walk

In a word, excellent. We had dinner in the courtyard bit of the restaurant and shared starters, mains and desserts between 4 of us. I LOVED and highly recommend the puy lentil and beetroot salad dish and the Italian inspired agnolotti pasta plate.

Chival at La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Beetroot salad

I’m not big on meat but but glad I tried some lamb from the rack of lamb. I think I could be converted if all lamb tasted like this! Succulent, well flavoured and very tender all at once. Chival’s menu isn’t too extensive thankfully, but there is ample choice for those who like meat, fish or are vegetarian.

Chival at La Ville City Walk DoinDubai lamb rack

There’s an emphasis on light and wood fired/slow cooked food with a contemporary slant to most things. I’d happily eat lunch or dinner here on a regular basis and I think it’s great place for lunch with people exploring Dubai or catching up with friends. Our beets and lentil salad was AED 48 but the lamb rack was much more pricy at AED 240.

What’s available to drink at Chival

Chival is connected to the La Ville hotel, it’s licensed so you can have a selection of wines, beers, spirits or a celebratory glass of champagne. The red and white wines are available by the glass. I liked and recommend my Isxir “Altitudes” from Lebanon for AED 60 a glass. But watch out, some are much more expensive!  Everything available by the bottle is also available by the glass!

Where’s the chef from the Chival from

The Chef de Cuisine at Chival is David Shaumburger and when I first learnt he was from Germany, I wasn’t thrilled at my dinner prospects to be honest! Well it doesn’t pay to stereotype! David is a very accomplished and experienced chef who’s worked in a 2 Michelin starred restaurant in the past. He’s part of an international team that take a lot of time and effort in the planning process before they even get to the kitchen. He’s also eaten in some of Hong Kong’s most authentic and hidden gems and likes his food a little bit spicy! Here’s what he had to say about our food:

The ambience of Chival 

A different kind of ambience in the day and night, but both equally good. You have a great view of the Burj Khalifa from the Looking Up bar on the roof. But I also really liked the atmosphere of the courtyard outside Chival, in front of the new Grapeskin Wine Bar, that’s yet to open.

Chival at La Ville City Walk DoinDubai

I predict this will be a really popular hang out soon! Chef David, I’m coming back for my Japanese ramen breakfast very soon!

Chival at La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Look Up bar

Thanks Monica.