Moelleux au Chocolat (Son's 10th Birthday Party)

It is hard to believe but I've been a mother for 10 years now! A decade ago I told myself that it would take a long while for this baby to grow up, and how wrong I was. I didn't see the years pass by, somehow I have the feeling that I have not made the most of the boy's fleeting childhood and from time to time nowadays I would start to panic and fear that I would soon regret letting it slip through my fingers like that...

We make so many mistakes when he's our 1st child. I could have done so much better if I had known better. And I wonder if I would have the momentum and motivation to try to do better in the present and in the coming years, before my duty as a parent is legally over and I would have to leave him to fend for himself in this big mean world?

Anyway, last Sunday the boy invited a few of his classmates over to celebrate his Birthday. First they went to the cinema to watch Cars. And then they came to the house for the birthday cake (Moelleux au Chocolat avec des morceaux de Banane) , lots of sweets, games and so on.

There is no need to dress up as a clown etc and try to organise the party to death. Just leave the boys to their own devices and they usually know how to entertain themselves and have fun. This was my 5th or 6th Birthday party so I know what I'm talking about.

I'm really quite pleased with the cake. It was really moelleux (soft and rich), every bit as good as those you find in good Pastry shops in Paris. And easy to bake.

200g of Butter

100g of Sugar

Half a bottle of Cream (whipped)

4 eggs

200g of Dark Chocolate

Chocolate rice bits (optional)

3 Bananas (squashed)

2 Tsps of ground Cinnamon

A big pinch of ground Cloves

A pinch of Salt

1 Tsp of Vanilla Essence

Half a cup of Orange juice

1 packet of powdered Yeast

50g of Flour

50g of Corn Starch

Beat the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add in the whipped cream/beat in cream to be whipped. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Heat up (low power) the chocolate pieces with a bit of milk in the microwave oven. Add the melted chocolate to the dough. Stir in the squashed bananas, sprinkle in the spices, the vanilla essence and stir in the juice. Gently fold in the flour, the yeast and chocolate rice bits.

Bake (I used a silicon mold - no need to butter it) in a preheated oven (150ºC) for 45 minutes.

And you know what? The cake (whatever was left of it) tasted even better the next day.