23 January, 2019
Hummingbird Cake
What better way to beat the January blues than with cake? Hummingbird cake is sure to add a bit of sunshine to the recent cold, dark days! It’s similar to carrot cake but contains banana, pineapple and pecans rather than carrots. It’s a beautifully moist cake covered in cream cheese frosting.
This recipe is taken from ‘The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook’ and makes a 3 tier cake that serves 12.
Ingredients for the cake:
- 300g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 300ml sunflower oil
- 270g peeled bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to decorate
- 300g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g tinned pineapple, chopped into small pieces
- 100g chopped pecans, plus extra whole pecans to decorate
Ingredients for the frosting:
- 600g icing sugar, sifted
- 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 250g cream cheese, cold
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 170*C.
- Put the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly split).
- Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until everything is well mixed.
- Stir in the chopped pineapple and pecan nuts by hand until evenly dispersed.
- Pour the mixture into 3 prepared, 20cm cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not over beat, as it can quickly become runny.
- When the cakes are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread about one quarter of the frosting over it with a palette knife. Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the frosting over it. Top with the last cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides.
- Finish with the whole pecan nuts and a light sprinkling of cinnamon.
