Apricot and Banana Cake
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
Makes a 23cm-round cake
1 cup (200g) dried apricots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 medium ripe bananas, roughly chopped
3/4 cup (100g) roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup icing sugar
1. Preheat oven to moderately slow (160C). Brush a deep 23cm-round springform tin with melted butter or spray with cooking spray and line base with baking paper. Put apricots into a small bowl. Pour over orange juice and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
2. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a large bowl. Put sugar, olive oil and vanilla into the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until thick and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and gently fold in using a large metal spoon.
3. Add apricots with juice, bananas and nuts. Stir gently to combine. Spoon mixture into cake tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is firm and golden brown on top. Allow cake to stand for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.