Hummingbird Cake.

This recipie is adapted from Jamie Olivers' hummingbird cake, which was originally a Caribbean recipie.  It has a little more spice, and a little less sugar.  I have also added in some lime zest, it makes the cake a really Caribbean experience!  Essentially it is a very special banana cake.  Most American Hummingbird cakes have a LOT of icing, inside and out and that makes it way to sweet for my family, so this is simply a one level cake with a little icing on top.

Ice it with lime cream cheese icing. (ie, cream cheese icing with lime juice and zest added. 

Top the cake by making a toffee caramel, adding some pecans, and cool them on a sheet of baking paper.  Then just blitz them in the food processor.  Sprinkle over the top of the icing.

Another option is to make an icing flavoured with coconut and then dust with coconut flakes.

Hummingbird Cake

Rating: Easy

Ingredients:

185g self-raising flour

1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 level teaspoon ground nutmeg

150 g golden caster sugar

2 medium-sized very ripe bananas
1/2 zest lime        

100 ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing         

200 g  crushed pineapple  (or half a large tin)       

1 large free-range eggs         

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50 g pecans

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl.

Mash bananas with a fork, add the oil, pineapple, lime, eggs and vanilla.  (all the wet ingredients)

Mix well

Add the dry ingredients to the banana mix, and break the pecans into the mix.

Mix well and put into a well greased 20cm baking dish.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool before icing.