I’m undecided that you simply’ll ever style one other cake as brilliantly flavorful as my hummingbird cake. The proper springtime cake, this recipe is flavored with overripe bananas, crushed pineapple, floor cinnamon, butter, vanilla, and pecans, then iced with a thick layer of silky cream cheese frosting. Positive to be a showstopper!
The Excellent Springtime Cake
Hummingbird cake is claimed to have originated in Jamaica and was first printed within the US in a problem of Southern Residing throughout the late 70’s. Since then, it’s grow to be a preferred cake throughout the USA, however stays notably widespread within the south. It’s additionally notably widespread in my home round Easter, or anytime I discover myself with a couple of overripe bananas.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A confirmed 5-star recipe ⭐️. Since this recipe was first printed a number of years in the past, it’s garnered dozens of 5-star opinions with readers raving about how moist, flavorful, easy, and simply general scrumptious it’s!
- Elegantly easy. A easy two layer cake, this one is cloaked with my cream cheese frosting, which is the proper, subtly tangy counterpart to the candy cake layers.
- Excellent for newbie and skilled bakers alike. Whereas there are fairly a couple of components that go right into a hummingbird cake, the precise prep is straightforward and simple. The batter comes collectively rapidly, and the frosting is basically foolproof, too.
- Jaw-droppingly flavorful. In the end this is sort of a moist spice cake, well-flavored with bananas and crushed pineapple. The flavour is wealthy however refreshing, one thing of a hybrid between carrot cake, banana cake, and pineapple upside-down cake. A whole lot of flavors, sure, however they work fantastically collectively.
What You Want
It’d appear like numerous components at first look, however most are primary and every is rigorously chosen so as to add taste, moisture, and texture to this 2-layer cake. Substances for each the cake layers and the frosting are proven.
- Bananas. Attain for a similar form of bananas you’d select if making banana bread: the browner and spottier the higher! These over-ripe bananas comprise extra sugar and moisture (and, in flip, extra taste) than their extra yellow counterparts. This implies a extra moist and flavorful hummingbird cake.
- Crushed Pineapple. You’ll want an 8 oz can. Don’t drain it, the juices will add taste and moisture to the cake.
- Butter & oil. On the threat of sounding like a damaged report (as a result of I’ve talked about this in so many cake recipes, like my chocolate cake and vanilla cake!), this mix is the only option for greatest taste and texture. On the subject of the oil, any impartial oil will work. I presently use avocado oil, however this recipe has been examined and works with canola oil and vegetable oil, too.
- Sugar. A mix of granulated and brown sugar offers us a pleasant steadiness of taste. Mild or darkish brown sugar will work, however darkish is my desire. It makes the flavour barely richer and the cake a tad extra moist.
- Eggs. They need to be at room temperature, in actual fact your entire components needs to be.
- Vanilla Extract. You’ll want a full tablespoon, I like a heavy-handed pour right here. Bonus factors when you use selfmade vanilla extract 😉
- Flour. Since that is designed to be a heavier cake that should deal with the burden of all of the add-ins, I desire all-purpose flour to lighter, extra delicate cake flour. Save the cake flour for angel meals cake, as a substitute.
- Pecans. Be at liberty to substitute your favourite nut, however pecans are the traditional selection and walnuts could be my second possibility. Whereas it’s not necessary, I like to recommend that you simply toast your pecans for greatest taste.
SAM’S TIP: For the frosting, be sure you go for “brick-style”, full-fat cream cheese. Keep away from low-fat or the spreadable type offered in tubs, because it sometimes ends in a frosting that’s too runny and messy and will slide proper off your cake.
That is simply an outline of the components I’ve used and why. For the complete recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the submit!
Methods to Make a Present-stopping Hummingbird Cake
Make the Cake Batter
- Mix your moist components. Butter, oil, and sugars go first, then we’ll add within the crushed pineapple, eggs, and vanilla extract. You’ll want an electrical or stand mixer since we’re utilizing softened butter right here; be sure that it’s nicely blended with the sugar earlier than continuing.
- Mix the dry components. Whisk these collectively in a separate bowl.
- Gently mix moist & dry components. Use a spatula for this half and never an electrical mixer. You need to take care to not by chance over-mix the batter or the cake might find yourself dense and dry, and even rubbery (like over-mixed banana pancakes).
- Bake. Make certain to completely grease and flour your cake tins or use a baking spray (be sure that it’s one which comprises flour). For greatest outcomes, place a spherical cut-out of parchment paper within the backside of every cake pan. This may assure your cake gained’t stick whenever you go to invert it. When completed baking, the desserts might be a stupendous golden brown shade.
SAM’S TIP: As a result of all of the add-ins, the cake batter will seem fairly lumpy and bumpy. That is regular! As long as you don’t have any dry streaks of flour remaining, your desserts will bake simply advantageous. Don’t over-mix attempting to make issues clean or your cake might find yourself dense, rubbery, and dry.
Cool & Embellish
- Cool the desserts of their pans for 10 minutes, then flip onto a cooling rack to chill fully earlier than adorning.
- If wanted, stage the desserts, although mine normally bake up fairly flat.
- Put together your cream cheese frosting and apply an excellent layer between the layers and across the cake. I like to make use of a closed-star piping tip to embellish the highest, then sprinkle with crushed nuts for somewhat further ornament.
SAM’S TIP: Be affected person and let the cake layers cool fully earlier than frosting. Should you’re impatient (been there), you’ll find yourself with a soupy mess of frosting that melts proper off your cake. Should you can really feel any heat radiating from the hummingbird cake layers, give them extra time.
Continuously Requested Questions
As with my whoopie Pies, it appears the origins of the title of this cake are murky and contested. In keeping with Jamie Oliver, it was so named as a result of it was “candy sufficient to draw hummingbirds”. Should you don’t have a mouth stuffed with candy enamel, don’t let that deter you, although! My tackle this cake is nicely balanced with the spices and contemporary taste of the fruit; it’s not onerous to rapidly eat your method by way of a big slice!
Completely. You’ll be able to depart the nuts out solely with out making some other modifications to the recipe. You can additionally substitute them with walnuts and even shredded coconut for a texture change-up (assume like my Italian cream cake).
Due to the cream cheese primarily based frosting and the moist, fruit-heavy nature of this cake, I’m solely comfy leaving it out at room temperature for a day earlier than having fun with it (and fewer than that if it’s fairly heat in my home, because the frosting may soften!). Hummingbird cake is greatest saved within the fridge and can hold for as much as 5 days there, simply be sure that to maintain it tightly coated in an hermetic container. It’s such a moist cake the cool fridge doesn’t do a lot injury to its tender crumb.
I hope you do that one, and that you simply like it simply as a lot as my household does! I’ve a sense this simply may grow to be a springtime must-make for you, too.
Take pleasure in!
Let’s bake collectively! Subscribe to my publication to be notified of all the latest recipes, and discover my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Servings: 12 slices
Energy: 834kcal
Stop your display from going darkish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and calmly grease and flour the edges and bottoms of two 8″ or 9″ pans. I additionally suggest utilizing a cut-out spherical of parchment paper to line the underside to forestall sticking.
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Mix butter, oil, and sugars in a big bowl and use an electrical mixer (or a stand mixer) to beat collectively till creamy and well-combined.
¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (180 ml) impartial cooking oil, 1 cup (200 g) mild or darkish brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
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Add eggs and stir to mix.
2 giant eggs
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Add bananas, crushed (undrained) pineapple, and vanilla extract and stir nicely.
2 cups (479 g) mashed over-ripe bananas, 1 8 oz (226 g) can crushed pineapple, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
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In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk collectively flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt till completely mixed.
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon floor cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt
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Utilizing a spatula (do not use an electrical mixer for this step) progressively start to fold dry components into moist. As soon as about half the flour combination has been added, add the pecans and stir them in as nicely. Stir till fully mixed, however do not over-mix the batter or you might find yourself with a dry cake.
1 cup (120 g) chopped pecans¹
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Evenly divide cake batter into ready baking pans. Switch to heart rack of 350F (175C) oven and bake for about 39 minutes if utilizing 8″ pans and about 34 minutes if utilizing 9″ pans or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear or ideally with a couple of moist crumbs.
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Enable to chill for 10 minutes in baking pan then run a knife across the within the pan to loosen cake and punctiliously invert onto a cooling rack to chill fully.
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As soon as cooled fully, put together cream cheese frosting.
Cream cheese frosting
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Mix butter and cream cheese in a big bowl (or within the bowl of a stand mixer) and beat till creamy, clean, and well-combined.
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
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Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
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Step by step, together with your mixer on low velocity, stir in powdered sugar till fully mixed. Make sure you scrape the edges and backside of the bowl so components are evenly mixed.
4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
Assemble
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If wanted, stage desserts earlier than adorning. Place one layer of the cake on serving platter. High with cream cheese frosting and unfold evenly. High with second cake. Frost high and sides of cake and serve.
Notes
¹Pecans
For greatest taste, I like to recommend shopping for entire (not pre-chopped) nuts and toasting them in a 350F/175C oven for five minutes or till aromatic and deeper brown. Allow them to cool then chop up earlier than stirring into your batter. Pecans could be not noted if wanted for allergy causes (or simply when you hate nuts), or you might substitute walnuts.
Storing
Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as a day or within the fridge for as much as 5 days. This cake may additionally be tightly wrapped and frozen for as much as 3 months.
Diet
Serving: 1slice with frosting | Energy: 834kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 7g | Fats: 47g | Saturated Fats: 28g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 71g | Vitamin A: 914IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Dietary info is predicated on third-party calculations and needs to be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will differ primarily based upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
I initially printed my hummingbird cake recipe in March of 2019. I’ve up to date the submit to incorporate extra suggestions and useful info, however the recipe stays the identical (no modifications have been wanted).
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