Hummingbird Cake

The first time I encountered this wonderful cake was on a romantic dinner with GI Joe!!!  He took me to Dailey’s for dinner before a show at the Fox.  The night was what can I say other than just plain great!  Sorry to say that Dailey’s closed this year so we can no longer experience their wonderful desserts.  But we can treat ourselves to the delicious cake that they served.   After that night we took the Athlete there before seeing the Christmas Carol and to this day it is his favorite dessert!  So here is a family favorite for many reasons.  I hope that you can enjoy as much as we have.

This is not your normal cake where you cream butter and sugar and then add flour alternately with liquid.  It is made by the muffin method of mixing.  In other words it is just plain easy!!!

Grease and flour then line with wax paper 3 8-in. cake pans

Sift cake flour and measure 3 cups

Add to flour 1 t baking soda

Add 1 t salt to flour

Add 1 t cinnamon to flour

Drain 8 oz. of crushed pineapple

I usually keep frozen bananas in the freezer for banana bread, muffins, and smoothies.  So I just pulled out about 3-4 frozen bananas and put them in a ziplock bag.  Let them defrost a little and mashed them with my hands. Then measure 2 cups.

2 cups of mashed bananas

Beat 3 eggs and 1 1/2 t vanilla

Add to 1 1/2 cups of oil

Beat eggs, oil and vanilla

Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients

Stir but DO NOT use a mixer!

Add 8 oz drained pineapple, 2c. mashed bananas, and 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix. Notice that I am now using a wooden spoon.

Pour equally in 3 8-in. cake pans

I know!  One of them is a dark pan.  I do not know how I have ended up with this pan in my kitchen, but I have to use it.  I have nothing else!
Bake the layers at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.  Let them cool in the pans for about 15 minutes.

Put the cooling rack on top of the pan then invert it.

Remove the wax paper

Look at my fingers!!  What happened they look blue and wrinkled like some dead mummy’s fingers?
You can let them cool enough to frost or I make them ahead of time and freeze.  Then when you are ready to frost just pull them out and you are good to go!!
Here are the steps for making the Cream Cheese Frosting.

16 oz. of powdered sugar, 8 oz cream cheese, stick butter, 1 t. vanilla and 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix melted butter with softened cream cheese

Mix with an electric mixer

Add 16 oz. powdered sugar and 1 t vanilla

Mix with wooden spoon and then stir in 1 cup chopped pecans

Place 1 layer on cake plate and frost then place 2nd layer on top

Just a note here.  I like to place the rounded tops of the cake down.  And I should have placed wax paper strips around the bottom of the cake to keep the plate clean when I frosted it.  Forgot!  But put them around in a later photo.  It worked!  Thank goodness!

Looking nice!

Frost the sides

Frost the top

Supposed to wait to Christmas Eve, but….

Couldn’t resist!

I have been known to tell my students that this cake was made of little hummingbirds.  At least for about 2 seconds before the tears flowed!  I looked for the origin and could not find much.  It was first published in Southern Living in 1978 by a woman in North Carolina.  Some say that it gets its name because it is as sweet as hummingbird nectar.  Whatever the origin it is a keeper on my list of desserts.  Here is the recipe for you to enjoy!
Hummingbird Cake

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 1/2 cups oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 8 oz. crushed pineapple drained
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups mashed bananas

Combine dry ingredients.   Add eggs, oil and vanilla.  Stir by hand just until moist.  Add pineapple, bananas and pecans.  Spoon batter into 3 well greased 8- inch cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake begins to fall away from the pan.  Let in cool in pans for about 15 minutes before removing.  Remove from pans and cool on cooling racks.  Cool thoroughly before frosting.  May be frozen for up to 3 months before frosting.  This will save time when things get a little crazy around the holidays.
Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 stick of melted butter
• 1 8 0z package of softened cream cheese
• 16 oz. powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter and mix with softened cream cheese.  Stir in vanilla, sugar and nuts.   I like to put the round top down and frost the flat side of the cake.  Place strips of waxed paper under the cake to save on clean up.  Frost the top of the first layer and place the second layer round side down.  Frost the second layer.  Now add the third layer round side down.  Frost the sides then the top.  I have been known to grind up more pecans and push them into the sides.  Or you can take some pretty candied red cherries and make a holiday design on the top, but the recipe without any additions is the most moist and best tasting cake you have ever put in your mouth .