Banana and Coconut Cake with Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

, from Issue #103. May, 2022
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Banana and Coconut Cake with Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Delicious with or without the icing – an old favourite tweaked using desiccated coconut and coconut oil.

Makes: 1 cake

INGREDIENTS

4 very ripe medium bananas, well mashed
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup melted coconut oil or other neutral oil
½ cup each caster and brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
1½ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg

To finish
Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing (see recipe below)

Equipment: Grease and fully line a 20cm loose-based cake tin.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake. 

Stir together the bananas, coconut, oil, both sugars, eggs, vanilla and salt until well combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften the coconut.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and add to the banana mixture.

Stir everything together, making sure there are no pockets of flour in the batter. Pour into the tin and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the tin to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Dollop the icing over the cake and swirl with the back of a spoon.

Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

INGREDIENTS
100 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
100 grams butter, at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup good-quality dark cocoa (I used Valrhona)

METHOD
Beat the cream cheese until smooth with no lumps. Add the butter and beat again until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa and beat until well combined. Use immediately or chill for a little while if you want a firmer texture.