Hummingbird cake

Name: Hummingbird cake
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 8-10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300g, sifted self-raising flour; ½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 300g golden caster sugar; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; a good grating nutmeg; 3, ripe and mashed bananas; 200ml sunflower oil; 3 large eggs; 200g chunks, roughly chopped pineapple; 1 large, zested orange; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 40g of each, chopped (plus extra for the top) pecans and walnuts; 400g icing sugar; 100g, cubed and softened, plus extra for the tin unsalted butter; 150g soft cheese; 1½, zested oranges

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time1 hr and 15 mins
- + Cooling
Easy
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

300g, sifted self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g golden caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a good grating nutmeg
3, ripe and mashed bananas
200ml sunflower oil
3 large eggs
200g chunks, roughly chopped pineapple
1 large, zested orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
40g of each, chopped (plus extra for the top) pecans and walnuts

BUTTERCREAM

400g icing sugar
100g, cubed and softened, plus extra for the tin unsalted butter
150g soft cheese
1½, zested oranges

Method

STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line two deep 20cm springform cake tins with baking paper.
STEP 2
Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.
STEP 3
In a separate bowl, whisk the bananas, oil and eggs to combine. Stir in the pineapple, orange zest and vanilla.
STEP 4
Fold the flour mixture into the batter until just combined. Stir through the chopped pecans and walnuts. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middles comes out clean. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 5
To make the buttercream, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the butter and soft cheese, and beat with electric beaters for 5 minutes until combined. Stir through the zest of 1 orange.
STEP 6
Ice a thin layer on top of one of the cakes, sandwich the other on top and ice again. Leave to set in the fridge for 20 minutes. Top with the remaining nuts and orange zest.