Sometimes it can be difficult telling a complicated story. HSBC took the innovative route of using cake to explain the complexity of a new investment fund launched by Britains largest bank last week.

Ten cakes, hand made by London bakers Konditor and Cook, were delivered to financial journalists last week. The icing, styled as a pie chart, highlighted the percentage of underlying assets within HSBC’s new World Index Portfolio.

Head of media relations for HSBC Asset Management, Jenne Manion, who came up with the stunt, said that in the personal finance sector journalists were familiar with confectionary and candy arriving on their desk, but seemed delighted that the cake idea had captivated the imagination of a normally cynical press sector. The cake was tweeted by a number of financial journalists, and picked up by PR stunt website PRExamples.com.

Cathy Adams from Money Observer, whose Twitpic photo is shown left, tweeted “Awesome cake from HSBC, delivered to office!”

HSBC’s early fortunes originate from financing the growing Victorian sugar industry.