Banana, Carrot & Pineapple Cake Aka Sunshine Cake

Name: Banana, Carrot & Pineapple Cake Aka Sunshine Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 1 loaf or 20cm cake
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 100 g brown sugar; 1 lemon, zest of; 120 ml olive oil (about 1/2 cup); 220 g self raising flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 pinch salt; 1 large ripe banana (mashed, about 1/2 cup); 160 g grated carrots (1 large, mine made 1 cup); 180 g crushed pineapple (this is equal to one 225g can well drained); 100 g pecans (chopped, about 2/3cup) or 100 g walnuts (chopped, about 2/3cup); 250 g low-fat cream cheese (at room temp); 1/2 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; pecans or walnut pieces, to decorate

Submitted by Jen T

"This is a lovely iced cake (lighter version of a carrot cake) or have as a buttered loaf. I can kid myself that it is good for me because of the ingredients :) I saw this made on TV on the AWW Fresh cooking site (I think) and had to try it. It was a bit of a hit & miss with the ingredient amounts but I think I have them right as this is what I made mine with. I find I like to get all ingredients prepared first as then it is much easier to mix it altogether. Leave until cold before slicing)"

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photo by Jen T

Ready In:: 1hr 20mins
Ingredients:: 16
Yields:: 1 loaf or 20cm cake

ingredients

CAKE or LOAF
2 eggs
100 g brown sugar
1 lemon, zest of
120 ml olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
220 g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 large ripe banana (mashed, about 1/2 cup)
160 g grated carrots (1 large, mine made 1 cup)
180 g crushed pineapple (this is equal to one 225g can well drained)
100 g pecans (chopped, about 2/3cup) or 100 g walnuts (chopped, about 2/3cup)
ICING
250 g low-fat cream cheese (at room temp)
¹⁄₂ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pecans or walnut pieces, to decorate

directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
For the cake, line a 20cm cake tin, or for a loaf, line a large loaf tin.
In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar and lemon zest together until creamy.
Slowly add the oil while beating continuously.
Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together and stir into the creamed mixture.
Fold in the banana, carrot, pineapple and chopped nuts until incorporated.
Spoon mix into prepared tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Allow to cool and if a cake, ice and keep in an airtight container, or, if a loaf, wrap in plastic wrap to store, or place in an airtight container. Serve the loaf either plain or buttered.
ICING:
In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth.
Spread over the cooled cake and decorate with pecan or walnut pieces.

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Reviews

have made this cake a few times varying it everytime, either using all walnuts or none at all in cake except on top.used candied peel instead of lemon rind when i didn't have & have 0never used pineapple, just topped up banana & carrot quota. it's deeeeeeelicous! mostly it comes out very moist, i call it pudding-cake. this is a firm favourite, all who i've made it for have loved it but even if they didn't i'd still make it often & savour it alone one slice per day! THANKS!

nicky wagerfield
Oh wow, I'm a happy woman now! I used to make this cake and lost the recipe in a recipe purge, (last time I do that!). The only difference is my recipe used raw sugar instead of the brown sugar. Thanks for putting the recipe up.

Cookingupastorm
Mixed reviews in my house-- some liked it, some did not. I doubled the recipe and baked it in my bundt pan-- it was perfect after 55 minutes. I did not use any nuts and I did not frost it. Personally, I think a slice warmed up with just a bit of butter spread on it is wonderful. ;)

AmyMCGS
Absolutely DELICIOUS!! Not sure what the previous reviewer must have done to this cake, but it was lovely and moist and gobbled up in about 5 mintues flat. Plenty of requests for the recipe too. Soooo easy to make, and the cream cheese icing just adds to the MMMMMMmmmmmm factor :) I'll definately be making this again soon. THANKS!

Jogreen
Ugh! This cake was horrible. It didn't rise, had bad taste and texture and would have made a better football for tossing. Unfortunately we served it for our daughter's 1 year old birthday party. (The last time we will try a recipe that doesn't have previous reviews.)

gwen2008

Tweaks

Oh wow, I'm a happy woman now! I used to make this cake and lost the recipe in a recipe purge, (last time I do that!). The only difference is my recipe used raw sugar instead of the brown sugar. Thanks for putting the recipe up.

Cookingupastorm
have made this cake a few times varying it everytime, either using all walnuts or none at all in cake except on top.used candied peel instead of lemon rind when i didn't have & have 0never used pineapple, just topped up banana & carrot quota. it's deeeeeeelicous! mostly it comes out very moist, i call it pudding-cake. this is a firm favourite, all who i've made it for have loved it but even if they didn't i'd still make it often & savour it alone one slice per day! THANKS!

nicky wagerfield