Have you ever made Hummingbird Cake?

[Zyni]

I've never made this type of cake before. In fact, I never heard of it until recently. Apparently, it has fruit such as pineapple in it. It's supposed to be a summer favorite.

Have you heard of Hummingbird Cake? Have your tried it or tried making it?

 

[ChesterV]

Actually, I have never heard of that until I started watching cooking shows.

I still don't know what one is, as I have never known anyone who has made such a thing.

Apparently it's a pineapple, banana, nut spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

Here is the history of the Hummingbird Cake...

http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/history-hummingbird-cake/#mj6yTsHFEDHfPMwe.97

 

[A'isha]

Wow that looks divine, if you try it out please do let us know how it turns out

 

[kramersl]

I actually just baked one yesterday and it was fantastic! Tasted kind of like a fluffier banana bread and every once in a while you'd get one of sweet pineapple chunks. Very good.

 

[Diane Lane]

I haven't heard of one in years, but they were all the rage at one point. I love the sound of the ingredients together, and it looks divine. I probably wouldn't attempt making one right now, since it's just me here, but I'm going to check out @Chester's link and read up on the history. Hopefully at some point, I'll have a reason to make one, and a bigger kitchen to make it in.

 

[cupcakechef]

I actually just baked one yesterday and it was fantastic! Tasted kind of like a fluffier banana bread and every once in a while you'd get one of sweet pineapple chunks. Very good.

That sounds heavenly to me. I love the way you described it as like a fluffier banana bread but you're getting those bursts of sweetness with the pineapple chunks. I've never tried making one but I feel like this is going to be on my weekend to do list for sure!

 

[Trellum]

Actually, I have never heard of that until I started watching cooking shows.

I still don't know what one is, as I have never known anyone who has made such a thing.

Apparently it's a pineapple, banana, nut spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

Here is the history of the Hummingbird Cake...

http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/history-hummingbird-cake/#mj6yTsHFEDHfPMwe.97

Mmmmm, this reminded me of my fav cake: carrot cake! It sounds and looks s incredibly good. You got me at cream cheese frosting <3

 

[A'isha]

I actually just baked one yesterday and it was fantastic! Tasted kind of like a fluffier banana bread and every once in a while you'd get one of sweet pineapple chunks. Very good.

Ooo sounds lovely, was it quite sweet? And was the cake itself quite dense? Or crumbly

 

[kramersl]

Ooo sounds lovely, was it quite sweet? And was the cake itself quite dense? Or crumbly

I modified the recipe so it wouldn't be so dense (added more leavener). Traditionally they are very dense and moist and don't rise very high when you bake them. The cake was denser than most (think carrot cake) but was incredibly moist! The cake is not overly sweet if you pair it with Swiss meringue cream cheese frosting. If you use the American version cream cheese frosting it would be too sweet (in my opinion).

 

[kramersl]

Here is the recipe I used with my modifications:

3 cups flour; sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup grapeseed oil, or canola
3 large eggs at room temperature
3 medium bananas, mashed
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two 8 inch cake pans.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk the oil and sugar then add the eggs one at time and whisk to combine then stir in the mashed bananas.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Stir until just combined then fold in the crushed pineapple and pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I also successfully made this gluten free and you can't tell the difference!

 

[Winterybella]

How about these mini ones? I like the ingredients. Will I ever attempt it? Maybe.

 

[A'isha]

I modified the recipe so it wouldn't be so dense (added more leavener). Traditionally they are very dense and moist and don't rise very high when you bake them. The cake was denser than most (think carrot cake) but was incredibly moist! The cake is not overly sweet if you pair it with Swiss meringue cream cheese frosting. If you use the American version cream cheese frosting it would be too sweet (in my opinion).

Great! Thank you

 

[Becky]

Sounds delicious @kramersl

I also successfully made this gluten free and you can't tell the difference!

Did you just use a gluten free flour blend?

 

[kramersl]

Sounds delicious @kramersl



Did you just use a gluten free flour blend?

No, I used a blend that didn't include gums (GF classical blend by authentic foods), added 1.5 tsp xanthan gum, increased the baking soda to 1.25 tsp and increased the baking powder to 2.5 tsp.

It's important to use a finely ground gluten free flours or they will make your cakes gritty, crumbly and dry. I like th GF classical blend from authentic foods because I can control the amount of gum, and it powdery like wheat flour and doesn't have that distinct rice smell.

 

[Diane Lane]

I modified the recipe so it wouldn't be so dense (added more leavener). Traditionally they are very dense and moist and don't rise very high when you bake them. The cake was denser than most (think carrot cake) but was incredibly moist! The cake is not overly sweet if you pair it with Swiss meringue cream cheese frosting. If you use the American version cream cheese frosting it would be too sweet (in my opinion).

I've never heard of the Swiss Cheese Meringue Cream Cheese Frosting, do you have a link for a recipe, or a reicipe itself that you could post here? I enjoy cream cheese frosting, but as you mentioned, sometimes it's just too sweet for the dish, and I'd like to try one that is less cloying.

 

[kramersl]

I've never heard of the Swiss Cheese Meringue Cream Cheese Frosting, do you have a link for a recipe, or a reicipe itself that you could post here? I enjoy cream cheese frosting, but as you mentioned, sometimes it's just too sweet for the dish, and I'd like to try one that is less cloying.

Here is a link to a cupcake recipe from my old blog. You will find the frosting recipe and directions there. The recipe calls for castor sugar because the regular granulated sugar in South Africa was quite coarse. If you live in the US, regular granulated sugar works just fine.

http://www.stacieatstheworld.com/home/spice-cake-holiday-spirit

 

[justme4910]

my sister made one for Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year and they were really good,but i don't know what all she put in it,that and she had runny frosting too on the last one my aunt told her to keep adding sugar to it,which she did and it still was runny,but it tasted really good

 

[RedShoe]

One of my all time favorites! made it as a bundt with Southern Comfort in the batter and basted on, and Jack Apple Cider in the icing. WOW!!!

 

[Winterybella]

This thread is still alive? I read with delight the comments from way back. I am happy to say I have not had a box cake in well over a year. I've been baking my own stuff from scratch. Nothing major, but I am excited. There was a time when I thought it would never happen.

I've even tackled bread with yeast which is still a work in progress. Just thinking about bread with yeast it puts fear in my heart but I am improving. Seeing this thread again has me craving a box cake. Maybe a carrot cake since my last carrot cake from scratch was not good at all. The box cake from years ago was excellent.

 

[Angie CupcakeQueen]

I've made hummingbird cake from scratch about half a dozen times and it's so good. It turns out so moist and flavorful, I love it. Although I don't use cream cheese frosting because I cannot eat cream cheese, I use coconut buttercream frosting and it's incredible. I personally think that the coconut buttercream frosting takes an already tasty hummingbird cake and turns it into something even more special.