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.

Serves
:
8
Preparation time
:
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
:
10 to 30 mins
Dietry
:
Vegetarian

    Ingredients
    For the cake
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 4 large free-range eggs
  • 225ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
  • 100g carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 100g overripe banana, mashed
  • 100g courgettes, coarsely grated
  • 75g chewy dried banana slices, broken into pieces
    • For the icing
  • 100g butter, softened
  • 100g full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 225g icing sugar
    Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4.
  2. Grease two loose-bottomed 20cm sandwich cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
  3. Place the flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.
  4. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then add the oil, carrot, banana and courgettes to the eggs and stir.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together using an electric whisk until combined.
  6. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until well risen and lightly golden.
  7. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. The cakes will shrink back a little when cooling.
  9. To make the icing, place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until combined.
  10. Add the vanilla and half of the icing sugar and whisk again until combined.
  11. Add the remaining icing sugar and whisk until light and fluffy.
  12. Spread half of the icing over one cake.
  13. Sandwich the cakes together, then spread the remaining icing on the top and swirl.
  14. Arrange dried banana slices in a ring or spiral pattern on top of the cake.
  15. Cut into slices to serve.
This cake can be made a day ahead and iced on the day of serving. The un-iced cake freezes well.