Hummingbird Cake

I subscribe to Taste magazine, and I enjoy flicking through it, even if I don't make anything out of it.

Last month, there was a lovely Hummingbird Cake that claimed to be healthier than your usual version.  It looked so enticing, I decided to dive in and make it.

I wasn't disappointed - this was a lovely cake.  I will admit to not liking the icing without icing sugar as much, but as a healthier alternative that still tastes good, I'd go with it.

To make this Hummingbird Cake, you will need:

1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cups dessicated coconut
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
100ml olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
440g crushed pineapple in juice, drained
 
Frosting

200g light cream cheese
1/4 cup Greek yoghurt
3 teaspoons honey
grated rind of 1 lime (I omitted this)

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease and line a 22cm springform pan with baking paper.

Combine the flour, oats, coconut, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.

In a jug, mix together with yoghurt, oil, eggs, honey and vanilla, then pour into the well in the dry ingredients.  Fold the ingredients together to combine.  

Place the mixture into the prepared springform pan, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool it in the pan for 10 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is cooled, to make the frosting, put the cream cheese, yoghurt, honey and  lime rind )if using) into a bowl and beat together with a spoon until smooth.  (I used a hand held mixer in the end, as the cream cheese was quite lumpy).  Spread the frosting over the top of the cake, and decorate with toasted coconut and lime zest if desired.