This cake originates from the American South, and traditionally
uses pineapple, bananas, walnuts and coconut. My Australian version uses
macadamias instead of walnuts. Macadamias
combine well with pineapple which is grown in Australia in the same climatic regions as the nuts.
3 cups plain (all purpose) flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup macadamias, chopped
3 ripe bananas, mashed, about 1 cup
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple with a little juice (or canned
crushed pineapple, drained)
Cream cheese icing
(frosting)
125g (4oz) cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
15ml (3 teaspoons) lemon juice
1 ½ cups icing (confectioners’)
sugar
To Decorate
1 cup whole Macadamia nuts
1.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Grease a 23cm (9 in) deep cake tin and line with baking paper.
2.
Sift the flour, sugar, coconut, cinnamon and
bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil, macadamias, bananas
and pineapple and stir until well mixed.
3.
Pour mixture into tin and smooth the top. Bake
for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
and the cake is golden brown. Cool in tin for 10- 15 minutes then turn out onto
a wire rack.
4.
To make icing eat together the cream cheese, butter
and lemon juice until smooth, then beat in the icing sugar until it is fluffy.
Spread over cooled cake allowing to drape over the edges. Top with a pile of
macadamia nuts.
