Banana cake with native honey ricotta

Ingredients

• 180g butter, chopped, at room temperature
• 2 cups good quality honey
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup natural yoghurt
• 1 banana, extra, sliced on an angle
• 2 cups ricotta
• Finely grated zest of half 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease a 25cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Use electric beaters to beat the butter and 1½ cups of the honey until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2. Sift together the flour, cardamom and a pinch of salt. Using a spatula, fold into the butter mixture, then fold in the banana and yoghurt. Pour into the prepared tin and arrange the banana slices on top. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then release the sides and slide onto a wire rack to cool.

3. Combine the ricotta with the remaining honey and lemon zest in a bowl and serve on the side.

Recipe and images from Surfing the Menu by Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn (Simon & Schuster Australia - $49.99). Available now where books are sold.