Hummingbird Cake
Share with others:
HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
PG TESTED
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice, drained (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Icing (recipe follows)
- Coarsely chopped or whole pecans for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
To make the cake: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the oil with the sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until light, about 1 or 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Add bananas and pineapple. Add dry ingredients in thirds, beating after each addition until smooth. Stir in pecans. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack. When cake has cooled, ice between the layers, then ice top and sides of cake with Cream Cheese Icing. Garnish with pecans if desired.
Makes 1 two-layer 9-inch cake.
CREAM CHEESE ICING
PG TESTED
This tangy and not-too-sweet icing goes well with Hummingbird Cake and also is delicious on poppy seed, pecan and carrot cakes and breads.
- 1 pound (2 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened slightly, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened slightly, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
In a medium-size bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Gradually add sugar and beat until well incorporated.
Yields icing for 1 two- or three-layer 9-inch cake.
First Published June 1, 2006 12:00 am
