Food Ed Chiara created this no-waste masterpiece! If you love baking, or just cake, this hummingbird cake with vanilla icing is the perfect treat.

SERVES 8-12 // COOKING TIME 55 min

INGREDIENTS
For the hummingbird cake
3 tbsp flaxseed flour
⅔ cups water
¾ cups white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 bananas, mashed
1 tin (225 g) crushed pineapple, drained
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 cup pecan nuts, toasted and chopped
For the vanilla icing
500 g margarine, at room temperature
1 kg icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp water
To assemble
1 acetate sheet
½ cup pecan nuts, toasted
3 tbsp honey
150 g honeycomb

METHOD
For the hummingbird cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a deep 30 x 15 cm baking tin.
2. In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed flour and water together and set aside. Whisk together the flaxseed mixture and sugar until light and creamy.
3. Pour in the oil and continue to whisk, then fold in the mashed bananas, pineapple and vanilla.
4. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix in the pecan nuts.
5. Place in the baking tin and bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
6. Using a 20 cm cake cutter, cut out 2 cake rounds and then cut two half circles from the remaining edges of the cake, making sure there is no waste.
For the vanilla icing
1. Beat the margarine in a large bowl until soft and creamy. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and water and beat until combined, then beat on a higher speed for another 2 minutes.
2. Place the cake cutter on a board and line the inside with an acetate sheet.
3. Place one layer of cake inside the lined cake cutter and spread the buttercream evenly on top. Repeat with the second layer, ending off with icing the top.
4. Allow to set in the fridge, then remove the acetate sheet and transfer the cake on to a plate or board.
To serve
1. Decorate with the remaining pecan nuts, honey and honeycomb.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

The post Hummingbird cake with vanilla icing appeared first on MyKitchen.

We are all about upcycling, getting the most use out of our bits and bobs and being kind to the environment. These nifty tips and tricks will have you thinking twice before you toss that plastic bag. Here is our list of items that you can reuse and repurpose!

By Erin Starr

Butter wrappers
Calling all avid bakers! Once you’ve removed a block of butter from its wrapping, keep the packaging in a draw. Use the waxy paper for greasing baking trays with ease.

Cereal bags
Pull the inner cereal bag out, fill it with a scrumptious home-made icing or whipped cream, snip off the corner and use it as a piping bag. This is cheap and easy to do! And as an extra tip, try adding a sqeeze of lemon to your icing to cut the sickly sweetness cut the sweetness. Trust us!

Glass Jars
It should be criminal to toss a beautiful glass jar. Soak the jars in warm water to easily remove the labels. Use these as tea-light candle holders, fill with soil and add a hardy succulent or reuse to store your homemade jams.

Lemons
Use your juiced lemons rinds to clean and disinfect wooden cutting boards and counter tops. Lemons have wonderful anti-bacterial properties. And if you have extra lemon juice, whip up a home-made all-purpose kitchen cleaner made up of one part vinegar, one part water and the juice from half a lemon.

Wine bottles
Wine bottles make the most beautiful, rustic candle holders. Tie a ribbon around the bottle, pop in a dinner candle – and voila!

Tell us what your favourite food packaging upcycling tips are!

The post Trash to treasure: recycling and upcycling food packaging appeared first on MyKitchen.