Hooked on cooking – need a cake?

… to feed 15?

I really must pay attention to recipes and try not to get carried away – it wasn't until I'd made this cake I realised – erm – it serves 15 – yikes, how much cake can two people eat! Thank goodness for a friend's birthday – 2 slices – two test slices and a spare slice for good luck - only 10 more slices to go. It's a good job another friend has family close-by and visiting family too during the holidays so it's a rapid cake delivery – panic over!

Whilst this cake may not be suitable for the cheflets to bake without help it's a definite candidate for all to pitch in and create together.

I don't normally make cakes – this one is here because of my passion for Hummingbirds. I thought the ingredients worked – a mixture of pineapple, banana and nuts.

So, continuing for a while with the potential summer gatherings, here it is :

Hummingbird Cake

375g plain flour

375g caster sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

350ml rapeseed oil

3 eggs

1 220g tin of pineapple, drained and puréed

450g mashed bananas

120g chopped walnuts

Icing

1 x 200g cream cheese, softened

110g butter, softened

450g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4

Grease and line 2 x 23cms cake tins.

Sieve together the flour, sugar, bicarb and salt (the dry ingredients).

Using a large bowl mix together the oil, eggs, pineapple, bananas and nuts.

Add the dry ingredients, by hand – i.e. not a food processor.

Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for 1 hour – test by inserting a skewer which should be clean when removed. Allow the cakes to cool on racks.

Prepare the icing by blending together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract and then gradually add the icing sugar. Spread between the cakes and then cover the top and sides too if you wish.

Have a look at the finished cake.

Icing tips that weren't in the original recipe and that you may find helpful.

Philadelphia full fat cream cheese works well.

Use unsalted butter.

Sieve your icing sugar into a separate bowl to remove any lumps, add it gradually to the cheese and butter and you'll be glad you did.

I used vanilla paste instead of extract – you can see the flecks in the icing in the photograph, it gives a great flavour.

The verdict ...”have just eaten delicious and yummy cake – 10 out of 10 – well actually 11.