I made this cake last weekend for a double celebration - my lovely friend Margaret's birthday and her and Simon's engagement party. I have often made Hummingbird cakes using Jo Seagar's recipe but this time I used the recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (a Christmas present from Margaret).
I used almonds instead of pecans (as I usually do) but any kind of nuts would work fine - I might try Brazil nuts sometime. Most Hummingbird cake recipes use crushed pineapple but this one uses chopped pineapple pieces - I liked it better having the pineapple in big chunks so will use pineapple pieces from now on. I upped the pineapple as 100g just didn't sound like enough and used most of a drained 440g tin.
I used almonds instead of pecans (as I usually do) but any kind of nuts would work fine - I might try Brazil nuts sometime. Most Hummingbird cake recipes use crushed pineapple but this one uses chopped pineapple pieces - I liked it better having the pineapple in big chunks so will use pineapple pieces from now on. I upped the pineapple as 100g just didn't sound like enough and used most of a drained 440g tin.
I usually just make a single cake but I took advantage of being in Mum's well-equipped kitchen with an abundance of cake tins and made two 20cm cake tins and sandwiched them with cream cheese icing. I decorated the cake with toasted coconut threads but any dried fruit, seeds, nuts etc or a sprinkle of cinnamon would look nice too.
Hummingbird cake
300g caster sugar
3 eggs 300ml sunflower oil
270g mashed banana
1 teaspoon cinnamon
300g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla (I used more)
100g tinned pineapple, chopped into small pieces (I used about 200g)
100g pecans (or other nuts)
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Put sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in cake mixer and beat until well incorporated.
Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla and continue to beat until well mixed.
Fold in the pineaple and nuts by hand until evenly dispersed.
Pour mixture into greased, lined cake tins (recipe says three 20cm tins, I used two). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown annd the sponge springs back when touched. Leave to cool in tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.
When cakes are cold, sandwich together and ice with cream cream icing.
Cream cheese icing
125g butter (room temperature)
250g icing sugar (room temperature)
500g icing sugar
Beat butter and cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add icing sugar and process until well combined.
300g caster sugar
3 eggs 300ml sunflower oil
270g mashed banana
1 teaspoon cinnamon
300g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla (I used more)
100g tinned pineapple, chopped into small pieces (I used about 200g)
100g pecans (or other nuts)
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Put sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in cake mixer and beat until well incorporated.
Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla and continue to beat until well mixed.
Fold in the pineaple and nuts by hand until evenly dispersed.
Pour mixture into greased, lined cake tins (recipe says three 20cm tins, I used two). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown annd the sponge springs back when touched. Leave to cool in tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.
When cakes are cold, sandwich together and ice with cream cream icing.
Cream cheese icing
125g butter (room temperature)
250g icing sugar (room temperature)
500g icing sugar
Beat butter and cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add icing sugar and process until well combined.
hello yummyness!
ReplyDeleteThis cake looks beautiful. I've never heard of toasted cinnamon threads - where do you get them?
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of them either... In fact, I don't think they exist! I meant coconut threads (have edited!) good spotting.
ReplyDeleteOh I really thought toasted cinnamon threads was going to be a real thing... I'm so disappointed it's coconut instead!
ReplyDeleteThis cake was divine. My friends still talk about it. J have been trying to make it but have just found your blog. Thank you so much Libby. Love your blog girls!!
ReplyDelete