Hummingbird Cake Cooks Illustrated Recipes

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs, pineapple, bananas and nuts. Add flour mixture, and mix together by hand.
• Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center of each pan comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool on racks.
• Prepare the frosting by blending together the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Evenly spread frosting on middle, sides and top of cake.

CHEF JOHN'S HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, then dust with flour. Set aside.
• Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl; whisk quickly to combine. Add oil and eggs and mix with a spatula until just combined.
• Add vanilla, pineapple, bananas, and toasted pecans, and mix until thoroughly combined. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Shake each pan then tap on the counter to settle the batter and bring any air bubbles to the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• Let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment on high speed, mix until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary with a spatula. Mix in the powdered sugar on a lower speed in 3 or 4 additions until mostly incorporated. Increase to high speed and whip until light and fluffy.
• Place one cake on a serving platter. Spread 1/2 of the frosting on top, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch unfrosted at the edges. Top with second cake layer and give it a firm but gentle press. Pile remaining frosting on top and spread toward the outside.
• Place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, draw or trace a hummingbird template on a piece of paper and lay on a baking sheet under a silicone mat (such as Silpat®).
• Heat sugar for hummingbird in a saucepan over medium-low heat until dissolved, hot, and amber in color. Drip liquid sugar onto the silicon mat, tracing the hummingbird pattern. Let sit until hard.
• Place cooled hummingbird on top of cake and decorate with edible flowers.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease with butter and dust with flour three 9- or 10-inch round cake pans.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, sugar, salt, spices and baking soda.
• In a big bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla, pineapple and bananas really well.
• Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and whisk gently until there are no lumps. Fold in 3/4 cup of the pecans.
• Divide the batter among the pans, scraping all the batter from the bowl with a rubber spatula. Bake for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on your oven. Be advised: This is a dense, moist cake and you'll be tempted to overbake it. Try not to. Once you start seeing color on top, keep pressing the top of the cake. When it's firm, it's done.
• Turn out the cake layers onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting and garnish with the remaining 3/4 cup pecans and--if you're feeling very Southern--sliced maraschino cherries. You can even brulee some pineapple slices for the top of the cake.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients. Whip on low speed for a while. When the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer speed up and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
• To spread, use the frosting at room temperature, but store it covered in the fridge. Rewhip cold frosting before using it.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE (COOKS ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• 1) If using dried pineapple, soak in 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice for a few hours or microwave for a minute 2) Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast chopped pecans until lightly browned. Set aside about 1/2 cup nuts to decorate the cake. Grease and flour three 9" round pans for the cake. 3) To make the cake: Beat the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until foamy, about 2 minutes at medium-high speed. Add the mashed bananas. 4) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and spices. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring to make a smooth batter. 5) Stir in the drained pineapple and 1 cup of the toasted pecans. 6) Add the coconut and dried pineapple (with any remaining rum), if you're using them. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, spreading it to the edges. 7) Bake 32 to 38 minutes, until golden brown, and cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. 8) Remove the cakes from the oven, run a thin spatula around the edges of the pans, cool for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. Frosting: Combine the butter, cream cheese, and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and beat together until light and fluffy. If using the xanthan gum, sift with confectioners' sugar. Add the sugar/xanthan gum gradually, beating well. Beat in pineapple juice a little at a time, until the frosting is the correct consistency for spreading. Use only a teaspoon or so if you're not using the xanthan gum; up to 2 tablespoons, if you are. Remember, it will firm a bit more when chilled. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Use a heaping 1/2 cup frosting between each layer; frost the top and sides with the remainder. Sprinkle with toasted nuts, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE IV

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon and baking soda. Add the oil and well-beaten eggs, stir by hand, until moistened. Stir in the vanilla, pineapple, nuts and bananas.
• Spoon batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto racks to cool. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick baking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a second large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, sugars, oil and vanilla.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the center of the well. Gently fold using a rubber spatula to combine. Add the pineapple and pecans, and fold again until just incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans. Bake until golden, cooked through and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Move the cakes to a wire baking rack to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, remove from the pans and allow to cool completely on the wire racks
• As cakes cool, make the cream cheese frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Mix on low speed until all the ingredients just come together. Then, increase the speed to medium and mix until creamy and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Place the first layer of the cake top-side down onto a cake stand or plate. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting. Repeat with the second two layers, always placing the top side down to create a very flat surface. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Place whole toasted pecan halves around the rim of the cake. Garnish with the dried pineapple and edible flowers, as desired. Slice and serve.

DELICIOUS HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans.
• Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Beat in eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir in bananas, pecans, and pineapple. Divide batter among the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
• Make frosting while cake layers are cooling. Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; mix until creamy.
• Spread frosting onto the cooled cake layers. Stack layers; frost top and sides.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Butter two 9 × 2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Butter the paper, and dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the oil, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to the egg mixture; stir until well combined. Add the flour mixture; blend well.
• Divide the batter between the pans. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer the pans to a greased wire rack. Let cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen. Invert onto the rack; reinvert, top side up. Cool completely. Assemble the cake, or wrap each layer well and freeze (thaw before using).
• With a serrated knife, trim and discard the rounded top off one layer. Place the layer on a serving platter. Using an offset spatula, spread the top of the layer with 1/4 inch frosting. Top with the untrimmed layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Decorate with pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature. (The cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days.)
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the butter, beating until incorporated.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Preheat the oven to 225°F. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper.
• Peel the pineapples. Using a small melon baller, remove and discard the eyes. Slice the pineapple very thinly; place the slices on the baking sheets. Cook until the tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip the slices; cook until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• The thinner you cut the pineapple slices, the faster they will dry-and the brighter their yellow core will be. When the pineapple core dries, it resembles the center of a flower.

TROPICAL HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• PLACE a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F; Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour; Shake out the excess flour; Set the pans aside.
• COMBINE the cake mix, pineapple with its juice, mashed bananas, water, oil, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl; blend with an electric mixer until the batter is thick and the fruit well blended; divide the batter between the prepared pans.
• BAKE until the cakes are golden, 30- 35 minutes; remove the pans from the oven and place on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes; invert on to a plate and cool 30 minutes more; then place both cakes into your freezer (this will help in frosting) while you toast the nuts and prepare the frosting.
• TOAST the nuts in a preheated 350 F oven by spreading them in one layer on a baking pan; 4 to 5 minutes, or until you smell the pecans; 20 minutes for the hazelnuts; rub off the skins while the hazelnuts are still warm, don't be concerned if a little skin is left on them; Be careful not to burn your nuts.
• COMBINE the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl; blend with an electric mixer on low until combined; add the confectioners sugar a bit at a time, blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated; add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium and blend until the frosting is fluffy; fold in the coconut, pecans and hazelnuts.
• FROST at once between the cake layers and the top and sides of the cake; place the frosted cake uncovered in the fridge until the frosting sets, about 20 minutes and then serve.
• STORE frosted cake in fridge.