Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 oz pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 3 1/2 oz canned chopped pineapple in juice, drained and 1/3 cup juice reserved
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup light soft brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 3/4 oz coconut oil or butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 egg (optional)
• 0.9 oz coconut flakes, toasted
• 1 handful of pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 6.2 oz full-fat cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar, sifted

Method

1. Grease and line the base of a 9 1/2-inch round cake tin and heat the oven to 400°F for the Dr. Bird batter.
2. Pulse the chopped pecans and drained pineapple briefly in a food processor until both are finely chopped, keeping the reserved pineapple juice aside.
3. Sift the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and sea salt into a mixing bowl and stir the dry blend together.
4. Whisk the mashed bananas with the coconut oil, reserved pineapple juice, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and the egg, if using, in a separate bowl.
5. Pour the banana mixture into the dry bowl, add the pineapple and pecan mix, and stir briefly until a Dr. Bird batter forms without over-mixing it.
6. Spoon the batter into the tin, level its top, and bake for 30 minutes, until a skewer in the centre comes out clean, then cool the cake in the tin for 5 minutes before turning it onto a rack.
7. Beat the softened butter and cream cheese until light, beat in the salt and vanilla, then work in the powdered sugar a little at a time to make a thick frosting.
8. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake and finish it with the toasted coconut flakes and the handful of roughly chopped pecans.

Nutrition not computed — the source recipe data produced an implausible result and is flagged for review.