birthdays and cakes

It was my birthday yesterday. I had the most wonderful weekend with my beautiful sisters and friends, but more about that later. Last week it was my flatmate's birthday and so I made a hummingbird cake. It's like carrot cake, but with pineapple and walnuts. It was a roaring success, except that despite my best efforts involving a skewer, the centre was a little undercooked. In fact, it was raw. Totally edible though and still delicious. I am beginning to wonder whether there is anything that cream cheese icing can't fix. I was out of lemons but zested the icing up with lime, and then coconut threaded around the edge. It was beautiful. The recipe is from a delicious magazine from about 2003 and it's a boomer of a recipe to have in your repertoire. The original calls for mango chunks on top; I didn't this time but have before and it's a really good addition. Get some carrots and get in there! 

Hummingbird Cake

3 eggs

1 cup (250ml) sunflower oil

1 cup (160g) lightly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups self raising flour, sifted

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp cinnamon 

2 carrots (about 250g) finely grated

3/4 cup (90g) walnuts

440g can of crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 180*C. Grease and line the base of a spring-form pan. 

Using electric beaters, beat eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Using a metal spoon, fold in flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add carrot and walnuts and pineapple. Gently combine. Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake for an hour or until a skewer comes out clean. Although  I would just cook it for the whole hour because my bloody skewer came out clean but the centre of the cake was definitely gooey. Ah well. 

Cool cake in pan, and once cool ice with cream cheese icing:

Place 250g cream cheese, 125g unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add 500g sifted icing sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice (I used lime) and beat until creeeeamy. Decorate with mango chunks and coconut threads. 

I'm now listening to a birthday mix cd a delightful friend made for me whilst making myself a birthday cake for the work morning tea tomorrow. More (food related) goss from the weekend later!