Banana cardamom cake with cream cheese icing and caramelised almonds

Name: Banana cardamom cake with cream cheese icing and caramelised almonds
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 115 g Butter, softened; 1 cup Soft brown sugar; 3 Eggs; 1 tsp Vanilla extract, or paste; 1 cup Mashed ripe bananas, (about 3 smallish bananas) (Main); 2 cups Plain flour; 3 tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp Ground cardamom; ½ cup Milk; 1 tsp Baking soda; ¾ cup Thick greek yoghurt; 1 Tbsp Water; 1 Tbsp Granulated sugar; 1 cup Sliced almonds; 115 g Butter, softened; 1 cup Icing sugar; 250 g Full fat cream cheese, cut into large pieces

for 8 people

Kathy Paterson

Food writer and stylist.

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Ingredients

115 g	Butter, softened
1 cup	Soft brown sugar
3	Eggs
1 tsp	Vanilla extract, or paste
1 cup	Mashed ripe bananas, (about 3 smallish bananas) (Main)
2 cups	Plain flour
3 tsp	Baking powder
1 tsp	Ground cardamom
½ cup	Milk
1 tsp	Baking soda
¾ cup	Thick greek yoghurt

Caramelised almonds

1 Tbsp	Water
1 Tbsp	Granulated sugar
1 cup	Sliced almonds

Cream cheese icing

115 g	Butter, softened
1 cup	Icing sugar
250 g	Full fat cream cheese, cut into large pieces

Directions

Heat the oven to 160C. Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 20cm round tin with baking paper.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed banana and vanilla extract or paste and mix.
Sift the flour, baking powder and cardamom into a separate bowl.
Heat the milk until just below boiling point and stir in the baking soda. Mix the milk and baking soda, yoghurt and flour mixture into the creamed mixture in about 3 alternate batches, finishing with the flour mixture until just combined. This prevents the flour clumping and then the need to overmix.
Pour into the prepared tin. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
To make the caramelised almonds, increase the oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Heat the sugar and water together in a frying pan over medium heat until melted, stirring. Add the almonds and toss in the syrup. Spread onto the prepared tray, breaking up any clumps and place in the oven for about 10 minutes until the almonds are caramelised. Stir once during caramelising to prevent clumping. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before storing in an airtight jar.
To make the cream cheese icing, beat together the butter and icing sugar then add the cream cheese, piece by piece until incorporated.
To finish, spread the cooled cake with the icing and decorate the top with pieces of caramelised almond. Serve extra caramelised almonds with each piece of cake.