Chef Johns Hummingbird Cake Food

CHEF JOHN'S HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, then dust with flour. Set aside.
• Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl; whisk quickly to combine. Add oil and eggs and mix with a spatula until just combined.
• Add vanilla, pineapple, bananas, and toasted pecans, and mix until thoroughly combined. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Shake each pan then tap on the counter to settle the batter and bring any air bubbles to the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• Let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment on high speed, mix until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary with a spatula. Mix in the powdered sugar on a lower speed in 3 or 4 additions until mostly incorporated. Increase to high speed and whip until light and fluffy.
• Place one cake on a serving platter. Spread 1/2 of the frosting on top, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch unfrosted at the edges. Top with second cake layer and give it a firm but gentle press. Pile remaining frosting on top and spread toward the outside.
• Place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, draw or trace a hummingbird template on a piece of paper and lay on a baking sheet under a silicone mat (such as Silpat®).
• Heat sugar for hummingbird in a saucepan over medium-low heat until dissolved, hot, and amber in color. Drip liquid sugar onto the silicon mat, tracing the hummingbird pattern. Let sit until hard.
• Place cooled hummingbird on top of cake and decorate with edible flowers.

CHEF JOHN'S PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar, pineapple juice, and dark rum. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbling, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and spread pineapple slices in a layer over the brown sugar mixture, completely covering the mixture. Set skillet aside.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter in small skillet over low heat until the butter begins to brown and release a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully, butter burns easily. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Whisk together flour, cardamom, salt, baking powder, and white sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in egg and cold milk until just combined. Pour in melted butter and stir to mix thoroughly.
• Pour batter over the pineapple slices in the skillet; spread evenly to cover.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cake begins to bubble around the edges, the top is browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the skillet for 10 minutes.
• Loosen the cake from the skillet by running a knife around the inside edge of the cake. Invert a large plate over the top of the skillet and flip over, releasing the cake to show the pineapple slices on top.

DELICIOUS HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans.
• Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Beat in eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir in bananas, pecans, and pineapple. Divide batter among the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
• Make frosting while cake layers are cooling. Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; mix until creamy.
• Spread frosting onto the cooled cake layers. Stack layers; frost top and sides.