Six years ago, Barbara and I went to New Orleans and Memphis for an end of winter, beginning of spring vacation. While in New Orleans, I had hummingbird cake for the first time. It kind of reminded me of a cross between spice cake and carrot cake, sans carrots.
So fast forward to Memorial Day weekend this year, and we decided to make it for a second time. The first was for David's birthday six years ago. This was truly a team effort. Barbara made the cake while I read her the ingredients and directions. I did mash the bananas, which was my only actual contribution to the cake. But I did make the frosting after Barbara sifted the powdered sugar. Unlike for David's birthday, we did not make a layer cake. Instead we used a 13"x9" baking dish AND a 9"x9" baking pan. So we ended up with two cakes. Plenty of batter for both.
A little historical context.
This cake originated in the Caribbean and most probably in Jamaica as the story goes. In fact the Jamaican Tourist Board sent recipes to the United States in the late 60s as a way to encourage more tourism. Whether that worked is unclear. But hummingbird cake did become a favorite throughout many of the southern states showing up at county fairs and other baking competitions.
Bananas and pineapple are two of the main ingredients, which give this cake its characteristic taste. Throw in pecans and coconut to add texture and additional taste. A cream cheese icing tops the cake.
And contrary to its name, there are no hummingbirds in this cake.
---Tom
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| David's Birthday Cake: No Hummingbirds Were Harmed |
(from King Arthur Flour catalogue who got it from Sunset Magazine)
Serves 12
for the cake:
4 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups (24 ounces) mashed ripe bananas, about 4-5 medium-large bananas
3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) unbleached self-rising flour
2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice or cloves
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained and the juice reserved
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups (4 1/2 ounces) sweetened coconut
for the frosting:
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups (16 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
3 cups (12 ounces) confectioners' sugar, sifted
Up to 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) pineapple juice, reserved from the cake
for the garnish:
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour three 9" round cake pans, or a 13"x9" and 9"x9" pans . For my first attempt in 2015, believe it or not, at this step I had to make an audible. Unfortunately our oven had crashed, so I had to resort to our toaster oven. Fortunately it worked out just fine, but I had to bake the three layers separately. Not ideal, but workable.
To make the cake:
Beat the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla until foamy. Then mix in the bananas.
Whisk together in a separate bowl the flour, cinnamon and allspice. Then add that to the mixture and make a smooth batter. Stir in the pineapple, 1 cup of the pecans and all of the coconut.
Spoon the batter into the cake pans evenly. Bake the cakes for 32-38 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes. If making a layer cake, run a spatula around the edges and then turn out the cakes onto cooling racks. Otherwise leave in the pans. Cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting: beat together the butter, cream cheese and salt until fluffy.
In a separate bowl combine the confectioners' sugar with the xanthan gum, and stir. Now slowly add that to the cream cheese mixture, beating well. Beat in the pineapple juice a little at a time until the frosting is of a spreadable consistency.
Frost each cake layer, then frost the top (and sides if you would like), or just the top if in a single layer. Decorate the top with the remaining pecans and a little leftover coconut.
----Tom