Banana-Macadamia Sponge Cake

This banana cake is very similar to my previous Banana Sponge Cake but with added macadamias in it and a crunchy topping of macadamia brittle to make it extra special.

Macadamia Brittle:

100g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
50g macadamia
pinch of salt

• Place caster sugar and water in a frying pan over medium heat.
• Swirl the pan occasionally (do not stir) until sugar dissolved and light golden.
• Add in macadamia and salt, spoon around to coat.  When nicely golden, pour onto a sheet of baking paper to set.
• Once cooled, pound the brittle finely using a mortar and pestle.

Ingredients for the cake:

3 eggs
45 g coconut sugar
35 caster sugar
200g mashed bananas
20g sour cream or yogurt
zest of an orange
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100g corn oil
150g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
50g macadamias, chopped roughly

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C.  Line the base of a 7" x 7" square pan.
• Sift flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
• Whisk eggs and sugars with an electric beater on high speed until pale and thick and reaches ribbon stage (when the whisk is lifted, the batter should falls back slowly onto the surface, leaving a trail).
• Reduce speed and beat in oil in a slow and steady stream.
• Add in mashed bananas, sour cream, orange zest and vanilla extract.
• Fold in flour mixture and macadamias.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and drop the pan onto the benchtop to eliminate any large air bubbles.  Then sprinkle crushed brittle over the batter.
• Bake for 20 mins at 180 deg C.  Then reduce oven temperature to 160 deg C and continue to bake for 35 mins.
• Drop the pan onto the benchtop to prevent the cake from shrinking.
• Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.