Eunice Power's hummingbird cake: Today

Ingredients

• 250ml olive oil plus extra for greasing
• 350g flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon og baking powder
• 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 350g light brown sugar
• 4 medium very ripe bananas
• 1 x 425g tin of pineapple chunks
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 50g pecans

Icing

• 400g icing sugar
• 150g butter (at room temp)
• 200g cream cheese
• 2 limes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
2. Grease and line two 23cm loose-bottomed cake tins.
3. Sift the flour and cinnamon into a mixing bowl, then add the sugar and a large pinch of sea salt.
4. Peel the bananas and mash them up with a fork in another bowl.
5. Drain and finely chop the pineapple and add to the bananas with the oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
6. Mix until combined, then fold into the dry mixture until smooth.
7. Finely chop the pecans and gently fold in, then divide the batter evenly between your prepared tins.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until risen, golden and the sponges spring back when touched lightly in the centre.
9. Run a knife around the edge of the tines, then leave to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
10. Meanwhile, to make the icing.
11. Sift the icing sugar into a free-standing electric mixer, add the butter and beat until pale and creamy.
12. Add the cream cheese, finely grate in the zest of 1 lime and a little squeeze of juice
13. Then beat until just smooth – its really important not to over mix it.
14. Keep in a fridge until needed.
15. To assemble the cake, place one sponge on a cake stand and spread it with half the icing.
16. Top with the other sponge, spread over the rest of the icing, then grate over the zest of the remaining lime and decorate with a few edible flowers, such as violas, borage or herb flowers.