Hummingbird Cake by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

Cake

• 250 ml olive oil + a little for greasing the pan
• 350 gr. self-raising flour
• 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 350 g of golden fine sugar
• 4 medium overripe bananas
• 1 can (425 g) of canned pineapple chunks
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50 g pecans

Glaze

• 400 g of powdered sugar
• 150 g of butter at room temperature
• 200 g cream cheese
• 2 limes

Grillage

• 100 g fine sugar
• 50 g pecans

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line 2 9-inch round cake tins with olive oil.
2. Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl, then add sugar and a pinch of sea salt.
   
   Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork in another bowl. Drain the pineapple and add it to the bananas. Next, add the olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix everything together and then fold it into the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
3. Finely chop the pecans and gently fold them into the batter. Then, divide the batter evenly among the pans. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed in the center.
4. Run a knife between the cake layers and the sides of the pans and let cool for 10 minutes. Then transfer the cake layers to a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and beat until pale and creamy.
   
   Add the cream cheese, finely grated lime zest, and lime juice and mix until smooth. It's important not to overbeat the cream. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.
6. Prepare the brittle. Place a nonstick frying pan over medium heat, add fine sugar, and a little water. Shake the pan, but do not stir the syrup. Continue shaking occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the syrup turns a light golden color.
7. Add the pecans and a pinch of salt. Stir until the nuts are coated with the syrup. When the brittle is a deep golden color, transfer it to waxed paper to set.
   
   Once the candied nuts have set, crush them into fine crumbs (you'll need about half of the candied nuts for the cake. The rest can be used later as a topping for ice cream).
8. Assemble the cakePlace one cake layer on a cake plate and spread half of the filling on it. Top with the second cake layer and spread with the remaining glaze. Sprinkle with the grated zest of the remaining lime.
   
   Sprinkle the cake with brittle and decorate with edible flowers such as violets, borage, or herb flowers, if desired.