With the government’s recent announcement that cake shops (along with ice cream stores and home-based bakers) are allowed to reopen only on 12 May, now’s the time to get your hands busy baking. Especially since Mother’s Day falls on 10 May (although selected cafes serving both savoury plates and sweets can still sell cakes). And here to help get you kick-started is none other than the talented chef Malcolm Lee of one-Michelin-starred modern Peranakan restaurant, Candlenut. No, don't be intimidated — read on.

The chic eatery at Dempsey is offering a special $20-per-dish takeaway and delivery menu this Circuit Breaker. It includes Candlenut’s famous Buah Keluak Fried Rice as well as a dessert of Steamed Banana Cake. While the restaurant version of the latter is larger at 200g and comes with fancier frills like banana gula melaka compote and Valrhona chocolate banana cremeux (French-style pudding), chef Malcolm has thoughtfully shared a simplified, miniature version of the cake with 8 DAYS readers. You don’t even need an oven — just a wok to steam it. Serve with freshly sliced bananas, a drizzle of gula melaka syrup plus some ice cream and you’ll have a Michelin star-worthy cake for ma on Mother’s Day.

Makes 20 small cakes (each 5cm in diameter & 8cm deep)

Ingredients:

300g plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp double-acting baking powder

250g butter, at room temperature

250g caster sugar (or finely chopped gula melaka)

2 tsp vanilla paste/extract

4 eggs

500g mashed ripe bananas (preferably pisang mas; lady finger variety)

Gula melaka syrup, to serve (try the ready-made one by Sing Long from supermarkets)

Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Finely crushed walnut biscuit, to serve (optional; substitute with digestive biscuits or gingersnap cookies if desired)*

1. Sift flour, baking soda & baking powder into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, caster sugar or chopped gula melaka & vanilla extract until light & creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Fold the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the mashed bananas into the egg batter, ending with the flour.

4. Evenly divide batter (about 70g each) among 20 small round moulds or ramekins, each about 5cm in diameter & 8cm deep. Cover moulds loosely with aluminium foil. If your steamer can't fit all 20 cakes at one go, place the second batch in a cool place before steaming it.

5. Arrange the moulds in a steamer/wok & steam over high heat for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes emerges clean.

6. Unmould & serve warm, drizzled with gula melaka syrup, vanilla ice cream & crushed walnut biscuits, if desired.

Note: Chill leftovers & reheat by steaming or microwaving briefly till warm. Cakes can also be steamed in larger moulds or tins — adjust cooking time accordingly.

Photo: Kio /Pexels

Recipe by chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut restaurant. Visit https://www.takeaway.comodempsey.sg/ for delivery and takeaway deals.

Chef & cake photos: Candlenut Restaurant