Hummingbird Cake

Serves 8

Time 1 hour plus cooling time

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 cup self-raising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

½ cup maple syrup

1 × 440g can crushed pineapple

½ cup desiccated coconut

2 ripe bananas, mashed

½ cup chopped pecans

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sunflower oil

For the Mascarpone Cream Icing

1 cup cream

250g mascarpone

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup maple syrup

Garnish

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

½ cup desiccated coconut, toasted

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 24 cm round springform cake tin. Sift the flour, cinnamon and cardamom into a large bowl, then add the maple syrup, crushed pineapple, coconut, mashed banana, pecans, eggs and oil. Mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack.

Whisk the cream, mascarpone, vanilla and maple syrup by hand or in a stand mixer until firm peaks form, then spread over the cooled cake. Lightly toast the extra pecans and coconut in a dry frying pan, allow to cool, and sprinkle over the top before serving.