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Hummingbird cake
Banana, pineapple and pecan layer cake
AmericanHummingbird cake arrived in the South from Jamaica in the late 1960s and became famous after a Greensboro, North Carolina reader sent the recipe to a Southern magazine; it has been a church bake-sale and birthday favourite ever since. Mashed banana, crushed pineapple and toasted pecans make a moist, spiced oil cake under cream cheese frosting. Chef's tip: use very ripe, black-spotted bananas for sweetness and moisture.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 14
Ingredients
For the cake
- 12 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 12 ½ oz sugar
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz crushed pineapple in juiceundrained
- 3 very ripe bananasmashed
- 3 ½ oz pecanstoasted and chopped
For the frosting
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheesecold
- 4 oz buttersoft
- 12 ½ oz icing sugarsifted
- 1 oz pecan halvesto decorate
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) and line two 23 cm round tins. Whisk the 12 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp salt and 12 ½ oz sugar in a large bowl.
3 minStep 2: Add the 3 eggs and ¾ cup vegetable oil and stir just until moist, then fold in the 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 8 oz crushed pineapple in juice, 3 very ripe bananas and 3 ½ oz pecans. Don't beat the batter.
3 minStep 3: Divide between the tins and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. A common mistake is pulling it early: this wet batter needs the full time. Cool completely.
45 minStep 4: Beat the 4 oz butter until creamy, beat in the 8 oz full-fat cream cheese until just smooth, then the 12 ½ oz icing sugar.
4 minStep 5: Sandwich and cover the layers with the frosting and finish with the 1 oz pecan halves. Keep in the fridge.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hummingbird cake take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 14 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
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