Mmm Mmm Mmm

One of my colleagues is going on extended leave for 6 months and I am a sad panda.  She is not only a most excellent person (cue Bill & Ted) but she is my mentor and my role model for what I want to be like at work.

To commiserate our last day working together, I did what any rational person would do and I baked.  I've seen this Hummingbird Cake mentioned quite a lot lately and was wondering what all the fuss was about.

Far out, this cake is easy peasy to make and went down a treat.  The compliments flowed so I will definitely be making this one again.

Image

Alas, I did not take any pictures as I was baking at 10pm at night and icing at 5.30am so I can't lay claim to the above cake but it so could have been mine ;)

Hummingbird Cake

Serves 8 | Prep Time 10 mins | Cooking Time 60 mins

Butter, to grease

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

3 large over-ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup undrained crushed pineapple

ICING

100g cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture

1.  Preheat ovent o 180C (160C fan-forced).  Brush cake tin with melted butter.  Line base and sides with baking paper.

2.  Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder in bowl.  Crack eggs into jug and whisk lightly.  Add eggs to flour along with oil, walnuts, bananas and pineapple.  Stir until combined.

3.  Pour into prepared pan and smooth surface.  Bake for 1 hour or until cooked when inserted skewer comes out clean.  Remove from oven.  Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

4.  To make icing, use beaters to whip cream cheese in bowl until pale.  Gradually beat in icing sugar until light and fluffy.

Spread icing evenly over cake.  Slice and serve.  

Image

This is more what mine looked like minus the daggy plate.

Voila!

Try it, I swear you won't be disappointed.