Hummingbird Cake

Please welcome my dear friend, guest author Steve-Anna Stephens as she shares a Southern classic! ~Elise

Do you have a sweet tooth? Truth be told—I do not. At all. Pass me a second helping of beef tenderloin at dinner, thank you very much, and you can have my dessert.

So, the Hummingbird Cake perplexes me, because, well, I can’t stop eating it.

Maybe it’s the pecans that lure me in, or the way the taste fools me into thinking I might just be eating a fancy piece of banana bread with a little cream cheese. Good for you, right?

This has to be the one of the sweetest, most scrumptious cakes around. Given their love for sugary nectar, one has to imagine hummingbirds would love to feast on this cake. But tough luck, hummingbirds! No one’s leaving this cake outside unattended.

Since the original recipe for Hummingbird Cake first appeared in 1978 in Southern Living, it holds the title for the “most requested recipe” in the magazine’s history. This version differs from the basic one only slightly.

I’ve added nutmeg, used both baking soda and baking powder for a little extra browning and lift, and added some Cointreau to the frosting. It’s a wonderfully simple cake to make, with impressive results on all counts.

Have you ever tried Hummingbird Cake? If you haven’t, and you have a sweet tooth, this cake’s for you. Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure your baking powder is still fresh!)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, with juice
• 2 cups mashed bananas (from about 3-4 bananas)
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients*

• 1 lb cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 lbs (32-ounces) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp Cointreau**
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans, for topping (optional, toasted)
• Edible flowers for garnish (optional)

Frosting Notes:

*The cream cheese frosting recipe can be cut in half if you prefer less frosting. If so, apply sparingly so there is enough to cover the entire cake.

**Feel free to use any favorite liquor, such as Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, Cognac, Armagnac, Brandy or even Bourbon. Or, simply omit the liquor and use 2 tsp vanilla extract.

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