Hawaiian macadamia cake

Serves 10–12

375 g (3 cups) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

375 g (1½ cups) caster sugar

90 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut

5 eggs, lightly beaten

440 g tin crushed pineapple in syrup

375 ml (1½ cups) vegetable oil

100 g (²/₃ cup) macadamia nuts, chopped

Lemon cream cheese icing

60 g (¼ cup) cream cheese, softened

30 g unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon lemon juice

185 g (1½ cups) icing sugar, sifted

❶    Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/ Gas 4). Grease a 23 cm round deep cake tin. Line the base and side with two sheets of baking paper, cutting it to sit 2–3 cm above the side of the tin.

❷    Sift the flour and cinnamon into a large bowl, add the sugar and coconut and stir to combine. Add the eggs, pineapple and oil and mix well. Stir in the macadamia nuts.

❸    Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake — cover with foil if it browns too much. Leave in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

❹    To make the lemon cream cheese icing, beat the cream cheese and butter in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and icing sugar and beat until smooth. Spread over the cooled cake.