Ingredients
- 250ml olive oil plus extra for greasing
- 350g flour
- 1 heaped teaspoon og baking powder
- 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 350g light brown sugar
- 4 medium very ripe bananas
- 1 x 425g tin of pineapple chunks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50g pecans
Icing
- 400g icing sugar
- 150g butter (at room temp)
- 200g cream cheese
- 2 limes
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
- Grease and line two 23cm loose-bottomed cake tins.
- Sift the flour and cinnamon into a mixing bowl, then add the sugar and a large pinch of sea salt.
- Peel the bananas and mash them up with a fork in another bowl.
- Drain and finely chop the pineapple and add to the bananas with the oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix until combined, then fold into the dry mixture until smooth.
- Finely chop the pecans and gently fold in, then divide the batter evenly between your prepared tins.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until risen, golden and the sponges spring back when touched lightly in the centre.
- Run a knife around the edge of the tines, then leave to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, to make the icing.
- Sift the icing sugar into a free-standing electric mixer, add the butter and beat until pale and creamy.
- Add the cream cheese, finely grate in the zest of 1 lime and a little squeeze of juice
- Then beat until just smooth – its really important not to over mix it.
- Keep in a fridge until needed.
- To assemble the cake, place one sponge on a cake stand and spread it with half the icing.
- Top with the other sponge, spread over the rest of the icing, then grate over the zest of the remaining lime and decorate with a few edible flowers, such as violas, borage or herb flowers.