Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients

150g (1 cup) plain flour

75g (1/2 cup) SR flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

200g (1 cup – firmly packed) brown sugar

450g cab crushed pineapple in syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

45g flaked coconut

2 large ripe banana’s, mashed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

180ml vegetable oil

60g chopped pecans (optional)

Soft butter, for greasing

CREAM CHEESE ICING

30g soft unsalted butter

60g cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

240g icing sugar, sifted

40g pecans, roasted and chopped (optional)

Method Sift flours, bicarb, spices and place in mixing bowl with sugar and a pinch of salt, stir to combine. Drain pineapple, pressing the liquid out with back of a spoon. Reserve 1/4 cup of syrup and add with pineapple to the flour mixture. Add vanilla, coconut and bananas, and sir to combine. Add eggs and oil and stir until until well combined, then fold through pecans. Spoon mixture into a greased and base-lined 20cm round cake tin and bake at 180 for 40 minutes or until cake teaster comes out clean. Cool cake in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack. For cream cheese icing: using an electric mixer, beat butter, cheese and vanilla until smooth. With motor running on slow speed, gradually add icing sugar and beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans. Cake will keep, refrigerated in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. I think this cake gets better the on day 2 and even better on day three, so this is a great one to make a day or two ahead, I suggest a day so you can take the left overs home.

Recipe soured from Gourmet Traveler Party Food Cook Book.