Good afternoon my dear readers! Happy weekend! (: Hope it’s going well and you have lots of fun and yummy things planned ahead of you! Since it’s the start of Spring, I thought it would be a good time to make some new goals!
“Freedom lies in being bold” – Robert Frost
Being bold is about making each day count (be it today, weekly or even for the year), so why not step out of your comfort zone and express your boldness to the world right? hehe The first BOLD thing I’ve decided to do is trying my hardest to make a change in my life – Being healthier and fitter ! My goal couldn’t come in a better time, as Hudsons Coffee also decided to BE BOLD with their launch of a new Barista’s Choice Blend – A rich and intense flavour with caramel undertones. YUM!
I was lucky to receive a a pre-ground take home bag of the new blend and I couldn’t wait to try it! Ever since my brunch at Three Bags Full, I have started a liking to french press coffee! This one wasn’t overly strong on the palette and not too sharp or acidic either! Smooth and a subtle taste of caramel, which the mr loved!
While enjoying my glass of coffee, I had a eureka moment! I really wanted to use it to bake! One particular ingredient came to mind – Banana! So I decided to combine the banana cake with some espresso, and to add some texture to the cake by adding a pecan streusel on top! I have made lots of banana cakes in the past, but never one with a coffee kick! This is me BEING BOLD (number 2) cause I don’t usually bake coffee cakes! So was really excited about this.
While making the streusel, I couldn’t stop sneaking teaspoons of it, cause it was so addictive! The combination of pecan and oats were just delish! hehe It could easily be turned into a mixture for granola too!
Although I am trying to get healthier and fitter, I still deserve the occasional treats yes? hehe So I added some dark chocolate chips in the cake to make it more indulgent! Anyway, dark chocolate is suppose to be good for you. I’m pretty sure there’s some scientific findings to back me up on this. haha
This cake was moist, full of flavour, and I just love having the bursts of chocolate and the crunch of the streusel top! Definitely one cake I would bake over and over again! You don’t need a very big piece to enjoy it, as it is quite rich. A small piece with a cup of tea or coffee is perfect!
Banana Espresso Pecan Streusel Cake (A Food Made With Love Original Recipe)
For the streusel :
1/2 cup + 2 tbs plain flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
85g unsalted butter
3/4 pecans, roughly chopped
Steps :
1) Mix the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
2) Add the butter and rub with your finger tips intul the mixture holds together (my favourite thing to do actually, find it very therapeutic! haha).
3) Add the chopped pecans, mix and set aside in the fridge.
For the cake :
200g unsalted butter
170g castor sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 tbs milk
5-6 tbs espresso (I used the Barista’s Choice Blend from Hudsons Coffee)
2 cups + 3 tbs plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp baking powder
3-4 bananas, mashed
3/4 – 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Steps :
1) Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Prepare a 26cm by 26cm square tin by lining the bottom and greasing the sides. Set aside.
2) In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3) Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla bean paste and the mashed bananas. Mix till it is evenly mixed.
4) Mix the espresso and milk in a measuring cup and add it alternately with the plain flour (dry-wet-dry-wet-dry sequence). Careful not to over mix.
5) Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and tap it a few times on the bench to make the top even. Sprinkle the streusel and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and the toothpick comes out clean. Cover the cake with foil after 30 mins if it browns too quickly.
6) All it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and remove it from the tin to rest it on the cooling rack.
Enjoy! (: It was my very first cake I was confident enough to bring to work and share with my colleagues, and they loved it! (: I brought it in during recess and it was gone by lunch! The feedback was that the cake was really moist and they really liked the surprise of the chocolate chips! Yippee!
So here comes the exciting bit! Tell me how you are going to BE BOLD and take that first step of making a positive change in your life! I’ve taken two, the first one will be on-going and the second one is completed, so I would love to hear your side of the story!
Hudsons Coffee and Keep Left PR has been so generous to provide me with two packs of goodies to give away. Similar to what I received, each pack includes : 2 packets (50g each) of pre-ground Barista’s choice beans, 1 (12 oz) Hudsons Keep Cup and a $10 voucher to enjoy a hot cuppa when you’re around a Hudsons store! So how do you win this awesome pack?
To enter this giveaway :
- All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know : What kind of BOLD change(s) you want to make in your life. Remember it can be a daily, weekly or even a year long goal! Come on and let’s #BEBOLD together!
- This giveaway is only open to Australian residents! (Sorry international readers!)
- Follow me on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, and let me know when you’ve done it!
- Follow Hudsons Coffee on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter as well!
- Winners will be drawn on the 22nd of September 2013, Sunday at 8pm!
- You may re-enter daily, one entry a day (Woohoo!)
- Winners will be picked via random.org and notified on this blog post and via email.
Good luck and have a great weekend ahead! (:
Remember to always cook and bake with love!
Disclaimer : This post is sponsored by Hudsons Coffee & Keep Left PR. I tasted the Barista’s Blend coffee with compliments of both sponsors, however, the review, opinions are honest and based on my personal taste and preference. The recipe is a Food Made With Love original.
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And the winners are…..
Iron Chef Shellie & Bonnie-Kate !! Congratulations!!!! I will be contacting you through email soon! x
Congrats again you two and hope you both enjoy your packages! Thank you everyone for your comments again and till the next post, x
Food Made With Love 
i have set my goal to get fit and to eat healthier, my bold change for the rest of the year is to have a fitter and healthier me! i have been hitting the gym 6 times a week and started to eat healthier!
ps followed on fb, insta and twitter.
Wow! (: You’re an inspiration babe! Hope you’ll reach your year long goal! Not too long till then! xx
Be BOLD? Oh my I think I keep saying this.. But I started pole dancing many years ago when it was not as common. Quite frankly it started such a change in my self confidence and image – can you not tell I am filled with self love? LOL.. Ok I hope that was not boring.
hehe Pole dancing! I would never imagine myself to be able to do that in a life time!!! hehe Not boring at all! xx
I want to be BOLD enough to force myself to do some gardening every week, rather than letting CHAOS take over before an exhaustive working bee.
good one! The weeds are over growing in my garden!!
Following on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.
thanks so much!! x
Following Hudsons Coffee on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter too! 🙂
2013 was the year for me to eat healthier and exercise more.. and so far so good. I haven’t been spoiling myself as much when going out to eat either. You and your hubby really do inspire me lianne. Love how you guys lift weights together!
Thanks so much lovely! (: hehe He’s much more disciplined than I am! hehe I have to push myself more! Keep going on your goal!! xx
Following on FB 🙂
My bold change to life is to lose my baby weight, little man is 3 months old now. Starting to eat healthier (with the occasional treat) & get back into exercising.
Good on you! (: Congrats on your new bub! hehe All the best for your goal and hope we both achieve ours! x
I’ve wanted to for a while, but moving to a lovely property by myself with my horses and starting my own business- now I just need to actually go for my license, which scares the crap out of me. 🙂
A good year for changes! 🙂
Wow! You have horses!! how gorgeous! hehe Go for the license, I’m sure you will be fine! hehe All the best! 😀
My bold change is to donate blood regularly to help save other peoples’ lives
Good on you Jacqui! That’s really a great goal! Needles scare me alot, so that’s really noble and for a great cause!! x
With baby number 3 on the way, my husband working fulltime and studying after hours, and a child with special needs you would think life was complicated enough. Oh no, this silly hormonal mum has embarked on a renovators delight and gone ahead full speed with house renovations. Not being able to afford to move out of the house, we are just having to endure the entire back wall of the house being exposed, living in tarped off rooms, packing away a majority of the house to store in our garage and existing out of three rooms for the next 12 months. Goodie, I can’t wait!!
With the builders clammer going on all day I guarantee this bub will be able to sleep through anything when he/she is born.
Wow!! You’re a supermom and a superwife!! (: Good on you for taking on the project! Sounds like it’s gonna be a fun one! Hope all will go well and all the best for bub number 3!
Ps : I work with children with special needs so I’m reallly in awe of what you do! You’re amazing!!!
I follow you and Hudsons Coffee on facebook
My bold change is to start running again. I started at the start of the year but then went on hiatus after coming back from holiday. Aim is to work up to a marathon (42km) but that may take more than a year.
Yay! (: Thats great! Running was never my thing, so I’m always in awe when I see how good others can do it! Good luck and hope to hear and see about the completion of marathons soon!
I hope so too, but think it’s still a couple of years away still 😉
I follow you and Hudsons Coffee on Twitter
I’m on a health kick and have begun jogging. My aim is to jog those hills and complete my jog without having to stop and walk part of the way. Go little legs go!
Go go go indeed! (: I am always in awe when I see people running or jogging cos my legs just don’t enjoy it. haha BUt go you!
I’ve never thought it was up to scratch, but friends disagree. So I want to be bold enough to enter my art work in a jutired show for public scrutiny.
Wow! (: Would love to see some of them! I’m sure they are beautiful!
And that, of course, should have read “JURIED”. Need coffee…
After the renovations are finished I want a complete decor change and splash around bold colours throughout the house.
You’re amazing! (:
Be bold! getting over my fear of heights, grace of a bumbling elephant in high heels and introvertness by joining an aerial silks class… free faaaaaaaaaaaalling!!! *shudders*
Sounds exciting! (: I’m sure you will get there! Keep going!! x
I’m going to try something new, join a few clubs, try new things. Doesn’t sound like much but I’m kinda anti-social, never developed socially as I was home schooled. 😛 Meeting people after class for coffee sounds like a good start, though I’ll say cupcakes, as some people think it means “coffee back at my place” after dinner.
Sounds perfect! (: hehe small steps and then you’ll get there! Coffee or cupcakes, both sounds equally good! hehe (:
Following on Facebook & Twitter,
Go on a health kick where I can run the whole way, up those big hills without having to stop and walk. Go little legs go!
hehe go go go! (: Sounds perfect!
I am going to embark on doing some charity work – so many worthy groups – I’ll have to make a choice!!
That’s such a noble and humble thing to do! Good on you!
I would really love to stop and take more notice of the small things. Since having my 17 month old I have noticed how fast the days tick by, You don’t even realise what you are missing out on when this happens.
Followed on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
Love this! hehe It’s true, having a bub is like a full time job but an amazing one! hehe I’m sure you will reach this goal! hehe x
Attempt to remember and take a photo a day of my family. Time goes by so quickly and you miss out on so much, and remember too little.
I totally agree! (: At least one photo a day is mandatory!
Congrats Bonnie-Kate! You’re one of the winners!!! (: Will email you soon! x
I’m not sure this is very ‘Bold’ per se, but I want to finish all the books I start this year. I have a tendency to start books and become bored half way through. No more!
it sure is! (: Any kind of goal needs some form of courage! So good on you and hope you achieve it soon!
Followed you on all platforms + Hudsons on all platforms. Thanks for the giveaway.
Thanks for your follow and support!
I’ve always wanted to do a refresher course since learning French at school. Now my husband has finished his studies, I’m endeavouring to start in the New Year.
French! I went to Paris recently and would be so helpful if we knew how to speak the basics!
I’ve recently started changing my life to be fitter and healthier too! I’ve tried many times and failed, but once you start seeing results it definitely gets addictive.
I can’t help but LOL, that plunger coffee is now called “French Press”. So somehow that makes it a billion times better 😛
hahaha well I have to try and make it sound a little more posh aye? hehe We will reach our goals together girlfriend! (: x