Fruity Passion Cake

This is a healthier version of traditional passion cake.

Serves: 16
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Cooking time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients
    50g walnuts, chopped
    2 small ripe bananas, mashed
    50g soft light brown sugar
    3 medium eggs, beaten
    250g self raising wholemeal flour
    1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
    2 teaspoons baking powder

    100ml rapeseed or sunflower oil
    175g grated carrot
    50g seedless raisins
    100g skimmed milk soft cheese
    A few drops of vanilla essence
    Granulated artificial sweetener, to taste

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C, gas 4. Grease and line a 20.5cm round cake tin.
   
Mix the walnuts and bananas together in a large bowl. Add the sugar and eggs and mix well.
   
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder together, retaining the bran, and add to the banana and nut mixture with the oil. Beat well. Fold in the carrot and raisins.
   
Place the mixture in the prepared tin. Make a small dip in the centre with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until it is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool slightly and then transfer to a wire rack completely.
   
For the filling, beat the soft cheese until smooth. Beat in the vanilla essence and sweetener to taste. Slice the cake in half horizontally and sandwich together with most of the filling. Use the remainder to spread over the top of the cake. Decorate as you wish.

Cook's tip: It is best kept in the fridge and eaten within three days, or try freezing half, before adding the filling, for a later date