HUMMINGBIRD CAKE WITH VANILLA CREAM CHEESE ICING, ROAST WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE AND CARAMEL PRALINE

Ingredients

• 600 ml cake flour, sifted

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• A pinch salt

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• a pinch ground nutmeg

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 250 g white sugar

• 150 g brown or treacle sugar

• 6 large free-range egg, lightly beaten

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 Tbsp canola oil, plus extra for greasing

• 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced

• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

• 3 bananas, peeled and mashed

• 500 g white chocolate

• butter, melted

• icing sugar, for dusting

• 750 g cream cheese

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp white sugar

• 2 Tbsp cold water

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 2 x 15 cm x 7 cm cake tins and line with bakingpaper.

2. Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. In a jug, mix the eggs, vanilla and oil, then mix it into the dry ingredients until combined.

3. Fold in the pineapple, pecans and bananas, then pour the batter into the cake tins, levelling the tops with a spatula.

4. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

5. Cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.

6. To make the roast white chocolate drizzle, break up the chocolate and place on a baking tray. Roast at 130°C for 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until the chocolate takes on a caramel colour.

7. To make the cream cheese icing, place the butter and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl and blend using an electric hand-mixer. Once all the icing sugar has been incorporated, slowly add the cream cheese and vanilla extract and gently blend into the mixture.

8. To make the caramel praline dust, melt the sugar in the water in a saucepan over a high heat, occasionally swirling the pot to ensure even heat distribution, until the mixture is golden in colour. Pour onto a piece of baking paper and allow to cool before breaking into shards. Blend to a fine powder using a food processor.

9. To decorate, ice the sides of the cake first, then the top. Pour over the roast white chocolate and finish with a sprinkling of caramel praline dust.

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