It’s been solely too prolonged since our ultimate good layer cake. You already know, the type that’s moist, sturdy, sweet and spiced with generous traces of virtually an extreme quantity of cream cheese frosting between cake layers? Positive, that type of good cake.
I had mistakenly thought {{that a}} fundamental carrot cake would scratch any itch I had for a spiced layer cake nevertheless, I’m not afraid to admit I was solely mistaken because of – Hummingbird Cake .
I always thought of Hummingbird Cake as a Southern fundamental. Its origins trace once more to Jamaica the place, throughout the 1960’s, the Jamaican Tourism Board distributed a banana-pineapple cake recipe to unfold the good phrase regarding the island’s produce. No method like cake to unfold the good news. The layer cake may also be studded with pecans and topped with swirls of cream cheese frosting. With a contact of cinnamon, all-spice, and nutmeg – it’s delicate nevertheless sturdy and makes for a super springtime slice.
Now that I’ve found my splendid mannequin of this cake – there’s truly no wish to match it to a carrot cake. It’s additional like among the best banana bread, made lighter, and made a layer cake with lots vanilla cream cheese frosting. And! This cake has a secret ingredient: Duke’s Mayonnaise. YES – mayo in cake. It’s retro, nonetheless it’s perfection. Let’s get into it!
Listed below are the parts you’ll should make this three layer Hummingbird Cake:
• all-purpose flour
• baking soda and baking powder
• kosher salt
• ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground nutmeg
• Duke’s Mayo to interchange plain’ ol vegetable oil
• big eggs
• crushed pineapple, juice and all
• ripe bananas (not as ripe as you may use for banana bread nevertheless light and sweet)
• vanilla extract
• nuts are an obligatory part of this cake. Go for pecans though walnuts are moreover delicious. Toast the chopped nuts throughout the oven until merely fragrant fo add far more style to the cake.
• cream cheese for the swoopiest frosting
• softened unsalted butter
• powdered sugar, sifted is most interesting
Okay nevertheless… why use Duke’s Mayonnaise throughout the cake batter?
It’d seem wild in order so as to add our favorite egg salad condiment to our layer cake nevertheless mayo works wonders on this cake! Duke’s mayo is rich with egg yolks and oil and solely a hint of vinegar for that attribute twang. The egg yolks and oil add a lsuciousness to this cake that we acquired’t get from oil alone. The result is a particularly tender nevertheless sturdy cake that stays moist for days on end. The flavour is neutral (no one will know you reached for the mayo jar for this cake till you inform them), nevertheless the outcomes are engaging.
In a giant bowl (or it’s possible you’ll drag out the stand mixer with a paddle attachment) whisk collectively mayonnaise, mashed banana, canned pineapple and the pineapple juice, two additional eggs to ensure the development of our cake layers, and sugars. Whisk until successfully combined though it ought to nonetheless be pretty lumpy.
Whisk collectively the dry parts: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Don’t skip the allspice on this cake! It’s primarily essentially the most successfully rounded spice on this cake.
Combine the moist parts with the dry until the two are merely combined. Stir throughout the chopped pecans. Hummingbird cake batter shall be thick and easily pourable with bits of pineapple, banana, and pecan.
Divide the batter between three cake pans. Every 9-inch and 8-inch cake pans works successfully for this recipe.
It’s worth considerably further effort to completely prep the cake pans sooner than baking. Spray the pans with nonstick cooking spray. Add a parchment paper spherical the scale of the underside of the pan (positive, I reduce these out by hand). Grease and flour the perimeters of the pan and paper-lined bottom. It’s a fuss nevertheless the desserts will come out fully clear every time.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clear or with numerous moist crumbs (not moist batter). Allow to sit back throughout the pans for 20 minutes or so sooner than inverting onto a wire rack to sit back completely. I like to sit back the cake layers, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze secure. I uncover it finest to frost frozen cake layers (as long as they’ve been frozen flat).
Whereas the hummingbird cake layers chill or freeze, make the cream cheese frosting. For the smoothest, most stretchy frosting, proper right here’s my 5 Recommendations To Make The Most interesting Cream Cheese Frosting.
Alternate the cake layers with frosting and constructive, that sounds great straightforward. Proper right here’s How To Frost a Cake for those who want an in depth pep converse!
Dot the cake with edible flowers like these pansies or sweet little chamomile flowers along with a a sprinkle of chopped pecans. It’s tropical and frivolously spiced. It’s sweet and mild and a super cake for spring!
I imagine this cake is most interesting served chilled from the fridge so a secure 4 hour leisure throughout the fridge is most interesting. And a slice of leftover cake with espresso for breakfast the next morning? Absolute perfection.
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Description
Large moist cake layers flavored with bananas, pineapple and pecans, coated in vanilla-studded cream cheese frosting
For the Cake:
For the Frosting:
To Beautify:
Place racks throughout the increased third or coronary heart of the oven and preheat oven to 350 ranges F. Calmly grease (or spray with nonstick baking spray) three 9-inch spherical cake pans. Line the underside with parchment paper rounds and frivolously grease the paper as successfully. (Prepping the cake pans positively feels labor intensive nevertheless I promise it ought to repay in the long run with desserts that will merely launch from the pans.)
In a giant bowl whisk collectively flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
In a separate medium bowl, mash bananas. Add sugars, Duke’s mayonnaise, eggs, vanilla extract, and crushed pineapple (with the juices from the can) and whisk collectively successfully.
Pour the moist parts into the dry mixture and use a rubber spatula to completely combine. Make sure there aren’t any hidden streaks of flour hiding on the underside of the bowl. Stir throughout the chopped pecans.
Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Place the three desserts on two rack throughout the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted throughout the coronary heart of the cake comes out clear or with numerous moist crumbs. If the toothpick comes out of the cake moist with batter, give the cake one different jiffy throughout the oven. Take away from the oven and allow the desserts to sit back for 20 minutes sooner than inverting the cake layers onto wire racks to sit back completely.
As quickly because the layers are completely cooled, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze in a single day. The layers are finest to frost when chilled.
When capable of frost, make the cream cheese frosting. Inside the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a giant bowl with electrical hand beaters), beat cream cheese until it’s softened and unfold throughout the bowl. Scrape down the perimeters of the bowl and add the butter. Beat until merely combined. Add the vanilla extract (or paste) and powdered sugar and beat on medium tempo until successfully combined and clear. Add a small splash of milk if important to make the frosting additional spreadable.
To assemble the cake, place one chilled cake layer top-side-up on a cake spherical of cake plate. Unfold with about 3/4 cup of frosting all the way in which through which to the sting of the cake spherical. Place one different cake layer top-side-up and repeat with about 3/4 cup of frosting. Place the ultimate cake layer bottom-side-up on excessive of the cake and frost the best and sides in a generous layer.
Sprinkle the best rim of the cake with toasted pecans and dot with numerous edible flowers. Chill for not lower than 4 hours sooner than serving. Retailer any leftovers successfully wrapped throughout the fridge for as a lot as 4 days.
