Hummingbird cake

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Roast the pecans on a baking tray for 10 minutes while the oven heats up, then roughly chop. Grease and line 3 x 20cm round cake tins.
2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl, then stir in the chopped pineapple. Mix the oil, eggs, vanilla, mixed spice and sugars together in another large bowl until incorporated. Fold in the flour, then stir in the fruit and 100g of the roasted pecans. Divide the mixture among the cake tins and level out.
3. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the butter with an electric whisk until soft and fluffy. Mix in the cream cheese until there are no lumps (don’t overmix or it will become runny). Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla until just combined, then cover and chill.
5. Once the sponges have cooled, layer up the cake on a stand or plate, using about a quarter of the icing between each sponge and on top, then the remainder to cover the sides of the cake in a thin layer. Spread with a palette knife to give a ‘semi-naked’ effect. If the sponges feel like they’re sliding around a bit, chill for 20 minutes to firm things up. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving to let the cake come back to room temperature.
6. Decorate with the remaining toasted pecans, plus some pineapple flowers if you like (see Be A Better Cook).