HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
Modified from Country Home magazine (2008)
Serves: 12 -16 servings
· Prep/assembly time: 45 minutes
· Baking time: 25-30 minutes
· Cooling time: 15 mintues
Ingredients (cake):
· 3 cups flour (gluten free or regular)
· 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 cup granulated sugar
· 1 cup packed light brown sugar
· 3 large eggs, room temperature
· 1 cup vegetable oil
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 1 cup fresh pineapple, crushed (see below)
· 2 cups roasted bananas*, mashed (approximately 4 large or 6 medium-small bananas with peel left on)
· 1 cup chopped pecans
· Parchment paper to line bottom of the cake pan
Cream Cheese Frosting:
· 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, chilled
· 3-8 ounce packages of cream cheese, chilled
· 1 teaspoon vanilla
· 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
· 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. *Place bananas on a cookie sheet with peels left on. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until the skins are black (the bananas may leak which is fine). Remove and let cool until they can be handled. Peel bananas, place in a small mixing bowl and mash. Set aside. Leave the oven heated to 350 degrees.
3. Butter and flour 3-9 inch round baking pans. Trace the bottom of the pan (for all three pans) onto parchment paper, cut out circle and place in the bottom of each pan.
4. In a sifter over a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Sift into the bowl. Set aside.
5. In a second large mixing bowl combine the granulated and brown sugar; stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir briskly by hand to combine all ingredients into a smooth mixture.
6. Whisk the oil and vanilla into the sugar/egg mixture until combined and smooth.
7. Add the flour mixture all at once and hand stir (do not beat) to combine the mixture fully.
8. To crush the pineapple: Place 1 cup of finely diced fresh pineapple in a medium mixing bowl and using a potato masher, crush the pineapple. Add the fruit and juice to the batter. Also add the mashed banana and the pecans. Stir just until combined; do not over stir.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Tap
the pans on the countertop to release any air bubbles and place in the
350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cake bounces back to the touch
and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks to fully cool before frosting. Be sure to peel off and discard the parchment paper.
