Hummingbird Cake

This cake is a real show stopper! It's light and tender and just one of those desserts that you look at it and think I will just eat a small piece...and then wind up going back for seconds. It has lovely subtle flavours and tastes like homey comfort in your mouth. Thank you to Sally's Baking Addiction for the recipe.

This hummingbird cake is a pineapple, banana spice cake. I paired it with my whipped cream cheese icing to keep it a little lighter. It's not too sweet and has the nutty crunch of toasted pecans that throws it right over the top!

Although I find the fruit flavours front and centre, the spices and fresh toasted pecans really add that extra homey taste. I have tried making it with more banana, changed the spices to pumpkin spice, and used walnuts...but I feel the following recipe as written has excellent balance and texture.

It's an easy cake to throw together without a mixer. Simply start by toasting the pecans. That way they can cool while you mix together the other ingredients. Whisk together the flour, soda, spices and salt so everything is dispersed throughout. And set aside.

Then mash the bananas and add all the wet ingredients to another bowl.

Then add the wet mix to the dry and mix until just combined. Chop the pecans and throw in at the end with a gentle fold and you're good to go! If you love carrot cake as much as I do...give this recipe a go...it is absolutely a close second place in my home...and perhaps a first place winner in yours!

Let me know if you try this recipe! I would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups toasted chopped pecans (more if decorating - optional)

• 3 cups flour (spooned and levelled)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp allspice

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 cups mashed overripe banana (4 bananas)*

• 1 8oz can crushed pineapple**

• 2/3 cup oil

• 3 eggs (room temp)

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Toast pecans for 8 minutes in a 300°F oven - then bump up the temp of oven to 350°F to bake the cakes

2. Prep three 8 inch pans...grease, flour and parchment paper and set aside

3. Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt in a large bowl and set aside

4. Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir

6. Don't over mix

7. Pour into prepared pans and bake in oven for 22 to 26 minutes

8. Cool on racks and frost with my whipped cream cheese icing

Tips

* The browner the bananas the sweeter they are. I always have a stash of super ripe bananas in my freezer. They can be stored either whole in the peel or peel, slice and baggie before freezing. If you do keep them in the peel...try microwaving them for 30 seconds to a minute and you can simply squeeze the insides out right into your bowl ready for mashing.

** The crushed pineapple should be drained a little bit, and as with my Delicious Carrot Cake, make sure you use crushed - not tidbits- or you will get little pineapple fibres throughout.

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