Sunshine cake
This cake is a joy – banana, courgette and carrot are the hidden gems that children will not realise are there! To give added interest and texture, use fresh or dried banana slices for decoration. This is not a deep cake, as it has a closer texture than a plain sponge.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 225g/8oz self-raising flour
- 175g/6oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 225ml/8fl oz sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú overripe banana, mashed
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú courgettes, coarsely grated
- 75g/2¾oz chewy dried banana slices, broken into pieces
For the icing
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú butter, softened
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú full-fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 225g/8oz icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease two loose-bottomed 20cm/8in sandwich cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
Place the flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then add the oil, carrot, banana and courgettes to the eggs and stir. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together using an electric whisk until combined.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until well risen and lightly golden. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes will shrink back a little when cooling.
To make the icing, place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and half of the icing sugar and whisk again until combined. Add the remaining icing sugar and whisk until light and fluffy.
Spread half of the icing over one cake. Sandwich the cakes together, then spread the remaining icing on the top and swirl. Arrange dried banana slices in a ring or spiral pattern on top of the cake. Cut into slices to serve.
Recipe Tips
This cake can be made a day ahead and iced on the day of serving. The un-iced cake freezes well.