Bananarama Cake

This excellent tropical banana cake is great for afternoon tea or as a dessert.

Ingredients make 10 slices

¾ cup plain flour (120g)

¾ cup wholemeal flour (120g)

½ cup brown sugar (80g)

½ cup chopped pecan nuts (60g)

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1½ tsp mixed spice

3 mashed ripe bananas (360g)

2 eggs (100g)

¼ vegetable oil (50g)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 can crushed pineapple in juice (440g)

½ cup shredded toasted coconut (25g)

¼ cup chopped toasted pecan nuts (30g)

2 tbls caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour (3g)

3 sliced bananas

Method

Preheat the oven to 160ºC normal bake and grease a 20 cm square cake tin. Combine flour, wholemeal flour, sugar, pecan, soda and mixed spice in a large bowl. Place the mashed bananas, eggs, oil and vanilla in a bowl and whisk lightly together. Drain the juice from the pineapple and put aside. Put the crushed pineapple in the liquid mixture and combine. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and blend evenly. Pour the cake batter into the tin and smooth evenly on top. Bake in the oven for approx. 50 minutes. Allow cooling for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Combine coconut and pecan in a bowl. Place sugar, cornflour and pineapple juice in a small pot over medium heat. Cook until thickened while stirring. Cut the cake in portions and place on a serving plate. Add slices of bananas and drizzle with pineapple sauce. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle some coconut and pecan mixture on the plate.

Note: Try chopped dried fruit instead of pineapple such as dates, sultanas or raisins.