
Hi Folks,
I’ve actually been back from Bali for around 5 days now. But it wasn’t the copious amounts of unpacking nor was it me being busy with work that has gotten me neglecting my baking. Actually, I’ve been working very hard. Very hard at getting well. The story’s rather dreadful so let’s just do a quick summary shall we?
Lack of sleep in Bali + dehydration in Bali + DODGY TOFU in Bali = high fever + throwing up + severe food poisoning + lying in bed + no appetite + I-don’t-feel-like-being-near-food.
I think we’re on the same page now. :)
My loss of appetite is the most worrying, I feel like I’m not myself. No cravings, no wanting to make anything, no getting excited over food (just happy I can stomach it down), really, the fun in my day has been sucked out. It’s so un-fun that I don’t have any wardrobe ideas, I get writer’s block and…I just sit flipping channels on the TV. I’m worse than Homer.
Luckily, I have a tiny resemblance of what may be an appetite now. So to celebrate Friday night (because it’s the greatest event ever!!!) and to mark the start of greater appetites to come, I baked a grand chocolate chip cake.

Light crumbed, with a texture between a cupcake and a moist muffin, it really is quite grand. I picked up some local Balinese vanilla pods for around 10 bucks for a pack of around 30 and added those speckles of vanilla into the cake. The perfumed cake is then mixed with mini chocolate chips which I now know, is necessary as my regular chocolate chips sank right to the bottom. No drama though, we’ll just have an upside down chocolate chip cake then!
Grand Chocolate Chip Cakes (adapted from Lisa Yockelson’s Chocolate Chocolate)
makes 5 jumbo cupcakes or 2 fairly thin 4-inch layers
1 1/4 cup GF flour blend
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
tiny pinch of salt
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (I used regular sized ones)
1/3 cup flavourless vegetable oil
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
seeds from 1 vanilla pod (or 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup non-fat yoghurt
1) Preheat oven to 180 degreesC. Grease and line the bottoms of 2 x 4 inch round baking pans or cupcake tins.
2) In the bowl of a KitchenAid, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg, egg yolk and sugar together until creamy (3 mins). Add in the oil and beat until emulsified.
3) Tip in the vanilla seeds, salt and the yoghurt. Beat well.
4) Whilst beating, mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture in the mixer.
5) Beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the chocolate chips and mix. Pour out into the prepared pans.
6) For 4 inch cakes, I baked mine for around 30 mins. This should roughly be the same for the cupcakes since they’re smaller but are taller in height. Note: These cakes don’t rise alot so don’t expect a peaked dome.
7) Eat, feel better, top with chocolate frosting to mend those wounds, whatever your wounds may be!