Pineapple Hibiscus Cakes

Ingredients

PINEAPPLE CARROT CAKE

1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
11/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups (440g) firmly packed coarsley grated carrot
3/4 cup (160g drained crushed pineapple

PINEAPPLE FLOWERS

1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoon water
12 wafer thin slices fresh pineapple

LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

30g butter, softened
80g cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
11/2 cups (240g) icing sugar 

Serves 6-12 

Method

Make pineapple flowers.
Preheat oven to moderate (180°/160° fan forced). Line a 6-hole texas or 12 hole standard muffin pan with paper cases.
Combine oil, eggs, flour, sugar and cinemon in a medium bowl; stir until combined. Stir in carrot and pineapple.
Divide mixture amoung cases.
Bake large cakes about 40 minutes, small cakes about 30 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.
Make lemon cream cheese frosting; spread on top of cakes. Decorate with pineapple flowers.

PINEAPPLE FLOWERS

Preheat oven to very slow (120°C/100° fan forced). Stir sugar and the water togther in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar has disolved; boil 1 minute. Brush both sides of pineapple slices with sugar syrup. Place slices in a single layer on wire racks over oven trays. Dry pineapple in oven for about 1 hour. Immediately remove slices from rack; carefully shape into flowers. Dry over an egg carton.

LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Beat butter, cream cheese and rind in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually beat in sifted icing suger.