Hummingbird Cake
Jun 15, 2024 12:01 PM
I’m not sure that you’ll ever taste another cake as brilliantly flavorful as my hummingbird cake. The perfect springtime cake, this recipe is flavored with overripe bananas, crushed pineapple, ground cinnamon, butter, vanilla, and pecans, then iced with a thick layer of silky cream cheese frosting. Sure to be a showstopper!
Hummingbird cake is said to have originated in Jamaica and was first published in the US in an issue of Southern Living during the late 70’s. Since then, it’s become a popular cake across the United States, but remains particularly popular in the south. It’s also particularly popular in my house around Easter, or anytime I find myself with a few overripe bananas.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Elegantly simple. A simple two layer cake, this one is cloaked with my cream cheese frosting, which is the perfect, subtly tangy counterpart to the sweet cake layers.
Perfect for beginner and experienced bakers alike. While there are quite a few ingredients that go into a hummingbird cake, the actual prep is simple and straightforward. The batter comes together quickly, and the frosting is essentially foolproof, too.
Jaw-droppingly flavorful. Ultimately this is like a moist spice cake, well-flavored with bananas and crushed pineapple. The flavor is rich but refreshing, something of a hybrid between carrot cake, banana cake, and pineapple upside-down cake. A lot of flavors, yes, but they work beautifully together.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 ml) neutral cooking oil I use avocado oil, but canola or vegetable will work just fine
- 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten (room temperature preferred)
- 2 cups (479 g) mashed over-ripe bananas (this is was about 4 bananas for me)
- 1 8 oz (226 g) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120 g) chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened don't use the spreadable cream cheese sold in tubs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
Prep Time:
45 minutes
Cook Time:
35 minutes
Total Time:
80 minutes
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