This is a dream of a cake to make. Just two bowls, one for the wet ingredients and one for the dry. If you don’t have a standing mixer you can make the out-of-this world cream cheese icing in your food processor. This cake is very rich. You cut the slices thin making it perfect for buffets or large gatherings of friends.
| HUMMINGBIRD CAKE | Print |
: cake
Cuisine: American southern
: Mrs Butterfingers
:
:
:
: 12
A spicy cake made with bananas and pineapple. It has a delicate moist crumb. The cake contains no dairy products. Because the cream cheese icing makes it so rich the slices should be cut small, making it an excellent cake for large gatherings.
Ingredients
- Cake Mixture:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups white sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1¼ cups vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 1 generous cup pineapple tidbits, well drained, then coarsely chopped
- 2 cups well mashed bananas, about 6 small (riper the better)
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 8 oz. package. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3¾ cups (1 lb) powdered sugar SIFTED
- a little milk or cream if necessary
Instructions
- To make the cake:
- Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans or two 9-inch spring form pans. Line cake tins with circles of parchment paper
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl using a whisk.
- Whisk the eggs and oil and immediately stir into the dry ingredients just until they are moistened. Do not over-mix.
- Gently stir in the pineapple and bananas.
- Spoon the batter into the pans.
- Bake the cakes on the centre rack of the oven.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cakes are cooked; a skewer inserted in the cakes will come out clean. If not keep baking in 5 minute increments checking each time.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire cooling rack.
- To make the frosting:
- Beat together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until soft and creamy
- Gradually beat in the SIFTED powdered sugar, adding a little milk or cream at the end if necessary.
- Alternatively process the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a food processor.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar and process again.
- If you are making a two layer cake divide the frosting between two bowls.
- Spread one bowl of the frosting between the layers of the cake.
- When the cake is assembled, spread the second bowl of frosting over the sides and top of the cake if desired.
- If you bake two layers of cake instead of three you may find you have some frosting left over. Refrigerate or freeze for another use.
- I prefer using three layer cake pans. You use ALL the cream cheese icing and cake is incredibly impressive. The icing weights approximately 28 ounces. I weigh out 9 ounce into two small bowls and that leaves about 10 ounces in the bowl for the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake until serving.
- To make slicing the cake easier use a long slim knife, and rinse off with hot water (and dry) between each slice. The cake is extremely rich and this enables you to cut small slices without the cake and icing crumbling too much.
- Chefs Suggestion:
- You can add a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter.
- You can add pieces of fresh mango to the bowl of icing used to fill the cake.
- Decorate with fresh flowers and serve.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- This cake keeps fresh for several days when refrigerated.
- It keeps several weeks when frozen.
Pingback: HUMMINGBIRD CAKE . . . hums to a new tune. | Bel' Occhio
Could the cake be made as cupcakes? If so, how long to bake? I find cupcakes are good portions and freeze well for unexpected guests. Love your recipes!
thanks!
Absolutely Teresa. Bake them at the same temperature as the cake and for about 15 to 20 minutes. This is a rather dense cake so do the toothpick test to be sure your cupcakes are done. The cream cheese icing also freezes well and I would use it lavishly. If have concerns about the amount of icing sugar in the recipe you can certainly reduce it. The combination of butter and cream cheese makes eminently spreadable. I love having you in my kitchen. Cheers Virginia