Classic Hummingbird Cake Food

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare the Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, bananas, and toasted pecans.
• Divide batter evenly among 3 well-greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Assemble Cake: Place first cake layer on a serving platter; spread top with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with second layer, and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with third layer, and spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange pecan halves on top of cake in a circular pattern.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside.
• Prepare the cake; in a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pecans, bananas, pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes.
• Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
• Prepare the frosting; in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk on medium speed until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper spreading consistency.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with 1/4 of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1/4 of the frosting. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with pecans. Remove parchment paper strips; refrigerate until ready to serve.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and coat the insides lightly with flour, knocking excess out.
• Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.
• Beat together the granulated sugar, oil, coconut flakes, vanilla, eggs, bananas and crushed pineapples in a separate medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined. Fold in the pecans.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pans and cooling completely on a wire rack. Once completely cooled, level the tops using a serrated knife.
• For the buttermilk frosting: In the meantime, beat the butter in a stand mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth and fluffy. Add the buttermilk, vanilla and salt and beat just to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Use the buttermilk frosting to assemble the cake and decorate with dried pineapple rings and coconut chips.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with flour.
• Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop. Toss with the bananas, pineapple and 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl.
• Whisk the remaining 2 1/4 cups flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a separate bowl with a mixer on high speed until thick and light, 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the vegetable oil.
• Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then gently fold to make a thick batter. Fold in the pecan-fruit mixture, then transfer the batter to the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are firm and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pans on a rack, 25 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer until fluffy, then gradually beat in the butter until combined. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add the lemon zest and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about half of the frosting on top, then cover with the other cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
• Photograh by Stephanie Foley

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 1 (10-inch) bundt pan, 2 (8x4x2-inch) loaf pans, or 3 (8 inch) layer cake pans. Set aside.
• Using wire whisk, stir together dry ingredients to simulate sifting. Set aside.
• Break eggs into large mixing bowl. Beat until thick and lemon-colored.
• Add all other cake ingredients (oil, pineapple, nuts, banana, and vanilla) Mix well.
• Gently stir in reserved flour mixture. Mix only until lumps are gone and dry ingredients are moistened.
• Pour into greased and floured pan(s).
• Place pan(s) on center shelf of oven.
• Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean (about 1 hour for bundt pan, 50 minutes for loaf pans, or 25-30 minutes for layer cake pans).
• Place pan(s) on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Invert cake onto rack and allow to cool completely.
• For frosting, blend together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
• Frost top of cake with cream cheese frosting.
• This freezes well.