Bake of the Week: Hummingbird Cake

SUMMER hasn’t exactly been anything to write home about this year and now autumn is on the horizon. It’s just not right.

This hummingbird cake will cheer you up. And it’s got a wee taste of sunnier climes, thanks to the inclusion of pineapple.

It’s from Tim Spooner, chef at The Store in Foveran, Aberdeenshire. The Store has been passed down through four generations and includes a deli, eating places and more.

You’ll need

300g caster sugar

3 eggs

300ml sunflower oil

270g bananas, mashed

1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to decorate

300g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp vanilla extract

100g tinned pineapple,

100g shelled pecan nuts, chopped, plus extra

200g raspberries

500g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter

125g cream cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas mark 3/325F.

Place sugar, eggs, oil, bananas and cinnamon in an electric mixer and whisk until well incorporated (mixture may look a little split).

Slowly add flour, bicarbonate of soda, vanilla and ½ tsp of salt and continue to whisk until combined. Chop pineapple, then stir in with nuts.

Pour the mixture into 3 x 20cm lined cake tins and smooth with a palette knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly in the tins before turning out on to a wire rack.

For the frosting, beat the icing sugar and butter together in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.

Add the cream cheese and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy – this should take at least five minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

Place one sponge on a serving plate and top with ¼ cream cheese frosting, followed by the second sponge. Repeat the process with the third sponge and finish with the remaining frosting on top and around the sides of the cake. Sprinkle nuts, raspberries and cinnamon on top.