24 STATION STREET CARROT, COCONUT, DATE & PINEAPPLE CAKE WITH BEETROOT FROSTING

SERVES 8–10 PREPARATION: 15 MIN BAKING: 45–50 MIN

If you like, garnish the cake with crushed pistachio nuts and fresh purple Parisian figs if in season, or fresh baby beetroot.

CAKE 400g brown sugar 5 extra-large eggs 10ml (2t) vanilla extract or paste 375ml (1½c) canola oil 3 ripe bananas 500ml (2c) cake wheat flour 5ml (1t) baking powder 10ml (2t) bicarbonate of soda 10ml (2t) ground cinnamon 5ml (1t) salt 750ml (3c) grated carrot 65g desiccated coconut 100g almonds, chopped 170g dates, chopped 1 can (432g) crushed pineapple, drained FROSTING 125g butter, softened 250g cream cheese 500g icing sugar 15ml (1T) beetroot powder or 5ml (1t) pink food colouring 10ml (2t) vanilla extract 5ml (1t) rosewater 200g white chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease two 25cm cake tins. 1 Cake Place the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil and bananas in a bowl and beat with an electric beater until the banana is mashed and the sugar dissolved. 2 Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and salt together, and add to the wet ingredients. Beat until combined. Add the carrot, coconut, almonds, dates and pineapple and mix through. 3 Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins and bake for 45–50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. 4 Frosting In a food processor, beat the butter and cream cheese together until pale and fluffy. Add the icing sugar, beetroot powder or food colouring, vanilla and rosewater and beat while gradually pouring in the melted chocolate. Let the machine run until the frosting has doubled in volume. Spread the frosting evenly over both cakes, then stack them on top of each other. Refrigerate until the frosting has set.