Yuzu Chocolate Cake

It feels great to be free from 9 to 5 for a fortnight, especially when spring arrives.  My most favourite season here in Japan.  

The end of term is always the busiest and most exciting.  Everyone is in good spirits to later indulge in more with all the celebrations and good bye parties.  

There is always an abundance of amazingly delicious food for the season, from sashimi, salad, noodles, to cakes and home made confectionary.  It's so exciting.

Most of my students in a private class I teach, own small farms or have friends who do, meaning I am continually indulged with any fruit or vegetable in season.   I love it!

This time I was gifted with a jar of home made yuzu marmalade.   Something which is enjoyed here as a hot or cold drink, spread on toast or used as a marinade/dressing for meat, fish, tofu and salad.  

Yuzu is a citrus fruit with a flavour not too dissimilar to orange and lemon combined.  This fruit has a really distinct flavour but refreshing.  Difficult to find in the west as a fresh fruit, but you can find it dry or in bottles from asian markets or stores.

Yesterday I had a very empty fridge, but really wanted to bake something.  I was craving banana cake (surprise surprise), but had no bananas. 

I knew I needed a vegetable or fruit to moisten my cake, but the only thing I had close was the Yuzu marmalade.  

Here is what I came up with: 

It looks like a big cookie, ehe?

Cakes are far too easy to make, but even easier in the rice cooker.  No need to feel compromised in the kitchen ever again. 

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

2 tablespoons coco powder

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs (separated and COLD)

100g butter (softened but not oily)

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup Yuzu marmalade

1/4 -1/2 cup brown sugar

100g Chocolate bar or choc chips. 

Directions:

1. Grease rice cooker bowl, set to 50mins and press start. 

2. Sift the flour 3x to lighten. On the 3rd sift add the baking powder, soda      powder, salt, cinnamon and coco powder. 

3. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar then mix in the lightly mixed egg YOLKS finally adding YUZU and SOY MILK. 

4. Mix the creamy mixture into the flour etc. When combined, whisk the egg WHITES to a soft peak then fold into the batter.

5. Transfer the batter to the rice cooker bowl, by this time the setting will probably be down to 40 mins. 

6. break the chocolate into smallish pieces and sprinkle/place on top of the cake batter. 

7. Close the cooker and check for doneness when the timer goes. If the chopstick doesn't come out clean set the cooker for a further 5 - 10 mins. 

8. When done allow to cool, cut then stuff the faces of the ones you want to fatten up with your love.