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Hummingbird naked cake with pineapple and carrot flowers
Hummingbird naked cake with pineapple and carrot flowers
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Prep Time:
60 minutes
Cook Time:
190 minutes
Total Time:
250 minutes
Impress with this stunning naked cake topped with pineapple and carrot flowers, decadent cream cheese frosting, and Italian meringue. Perfect centrepiece for any occasion.
Ingredients:
  • 265g (1 3/4 cups) self-raising flour
  • 200g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
  • 70g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut
  • 2.50 gm bicarbonate of soda
  • 2.50 gm ground cinnamon
  • 1.25 gm ground nutmeg
  • 440g can crushed pineapple in natural juice
  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 1 large carrot, peeled, coarsely grated
  • 70g (1/2 cup) chopped pecans
  • 185ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
  • 1 small whole sweet pineapple
  • Sugar crystals, to decorate
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled
  • 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) water
  • 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 80g butter, at room temperature
  • 195g (1 1/4 cups) icing sugar mixture
  • 155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
  • 40.00 gm water
  • 2 egg whites, at room temperature
  • Pinch cream of tartar
Instructions:
  • Preheat your oven to 170C/150C fan forced. Grease three 20cm round cake pans, then line the bases and sides with baking paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, coconut, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Create a hole in the center. Add pineapple with its juice, banana, carrot, pecans, oil, and eggs. Stir until fully combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the pans and bake for 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool in the pans on a wire rack.
  • - Preheat the oven to 120C/100C fan forced and line 3 large baking trays with baking paper. - Prepare the pineapple by trimming the ends, removing the skin and 'eyes,' and cutting into 2.5mm-thick slices. - Arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer on the prepared trays and bake for 1 hour. Carefully flip them over. - Continue baking for another 45-60 minutes until almost dried. Let them cool completely on the trays. - Peel off the pineapple slices from the trays and gently scrunch the centers to form 'flowers.' Place them on cleaned, lined trays to set.
  • To create the carrot roses, peel the carrot into ribbons using a peeler and pat them dry. Prepare a baking tray with baking paper. In a saucepan over low heat, combine sugar and water, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrot and simmer for 10-15 minutes until almost translucent. Using tongs, shake off excess syrup from the carrot ribbons over the saucepan. Arrange them flat on the prepared tray to cool slightly. Once they are pliable but still warm, roll them into rose shapes. Transfer the roses to a cleaned, lined tray to cool completely and set.
  • In a bowl, use electric beaters to combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until pale and creamy.
  • Start by placing a cake on a serving plate or board. Cover with a quarter of the frosting. Add the second cake on top and spread over one-third of the remaining frosting. Finish with the last cake, placing it base side up. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake, leaving some of the sides visible. Chill in the fridge before serving.
  • To make the meringue, combine sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 115C (soft ball stage) on a sugar thermometer. Meanwhile, use electric beaters to whip egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. When the syrup hits 120C (hard ball stage), slowly pour it into the egg white mixture with the beaters on low. Increase speed to high and beat for 10 minutes until the meringue is thick, glossy, and cool.
  • Spoon the meringue generously over the cake, then caramelize using a cook’s blowtorch. Top with pineapple and carrot flowers, and finish by sprinkling with sugar crystals.

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