Banana & raspberry cake with passionfruit icing

Classic banana cake gets a makeover with tart berries and a fruity topping.

Ingredients:

• Melted butter to grease
• 125g butter, chopped
• 140g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 125g (1/2 cup) sour cream
• 260g (1 cup) mashed ripe banana
• 225g (11/2 cups) self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 100g frozen raspberries

For the passionfruit icing:

• 125g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 40g butter, at room temperature
• 80g (1/2 cup) pure icing sugar
• 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh passionfruit pulp
• Raspberries (optional), to serve

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 10 x 20cm loaf pan with melted butter. Line the base with non-stick baking paper. Stir the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Stir the egg, sour cream and banana into the butter mixture. Sift flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add banana mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in the frozen raspberries. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 5 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar in a small bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in half the passionfruit pulp. Spread the icing over the cake. Top with raspberries and drizzle over the remaining passionfruit pulp.

Mangomisu

Treat yourself  this summer with a summer dessert. This is an incredibly easy recipe, look fantastic and taste great!! This is a twist on Italian classic. This dessert is really was delicious, as well as extremely rich and filling. 

Ingredients:

• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 300ml whipping cream
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Grand Marnier
• juices of 2 oranges
• 300g savoiardi (sponge finger)
• 2x 487g tin mango

Method:

Line a 20cm springform cake pan with plastic wrap or baking paper.

Place the mascarpone, whipping cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat on high speed until thick and well combined.

Combine Grand Marnier and orange juice in a separate bowl. Dip half the sponge fingers into the juice mixture and layer in the base of the cake-pan. Spread with one third of the mascarpone mixture, and top with one third of the mango slices. Repeat the process, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture, reserving the remaining mango slices to serve. Cover the cake and chill for 2 hours or until firm. 

To serve, carefully remove the sides and base of the cake pan and transfer the mangomisu to a platter. Decorate with curls of the reserved mango, then slice.