Banana Cake with Salted Honey Pecans

A fabulously delicious recipe from Sally Port. Made for GG’s in Feb. 2017

Ingredients

• 3 large overripe bananas
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tsp heaped baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 175 g Almond Meal/Flour
• 75 g Hazelnut Meal/Flour
• 220 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

SALTED HONEY ROASTED PECANS:

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp boiling water

CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 250 g cream cheese at room temperature,
• 50 g butter at room temperature,
• 100 g icing sugar sifted
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Grease a 20cm/7 inch springform pan and preheat the oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).

2. Place the bananas in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining cake ingredients and process to combine. Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Check the cake after 30 minutes as you may need to cover it with foil to prevent burning before the cake is cooked through. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the tin before removing.

3. While the cake is cooling keep the oven on at 180 celsius and make the honey roasted pecans. Combine the pecans, honey, sea salt and boiling water in a bowl and mix to combine. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes, stirring about half way through to make sure they are evenly cooked. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool.

4. To make the frosting combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar and cinnamon and beat for another 5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.

5. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with chopped roasted pecans.