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Hummingbird Cake

Surely, this moist, pecan- and fruit-flecked cake must get its name from the sugary nectar upon which fluttering hummingbirds lunch. This namesake sweet is at least as popular among the birds’ Southern human counterparts. Indeed, it is Southern Living’s all-time most requested recipe. This is my adaptation of the magazine’s classic version.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes one 8- or 9-inch 3 layer cake / serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

Cake

3

1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2

cups sugar

2

teaspoons baking powder

1

teaspoon kosher salt

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1

/2 teaspoon baking soda

1

/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1

cup canola or other vegetable oil

3

large eggs, beaten

2

cups ripe mashed bananas (about 4)

One 8-ounce can (1 cup) crushed pineapple with juice

1

tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1

cup chopped pecans

Frosting

1

pound cream cheese, softened

1

/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6

cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1

tablespoon bourbon

2

teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1

cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Cake

    Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour three 8- or 9-inch cake pans.

    Step 2

    Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir to mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together the canola oil and eggs until combined. Add the bananas and crushed pineapple with juice and stir to mix.

    Step 3

    Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula just to combine. Stir in the vanilla and pecans.

    Step 4

    Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake on the center rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Step 5

    Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges of the pans before turning the cakes out onto baking racks to cool completely before frosting.

  2. Frosting

    Step 6

    Cream the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until all is incorporated. Beat in the bourbon and vanilla to combine.

  3. Assembly

    Step 7

    Once the cakes have cooled completely, use a long serrated knife to slice off the rounded top portion of each cake to make a flat, even surface. Discard the trimmings.

    Step 8

    Place one layer, cut side down, on a large plate or cake stand. Spread evenly with about one-third of the frosting and sprinkle with about one-third of the pecans. Repeat with the remaining layers.

    Step 9

    If not serving within 2 hours, store in the refrigerator; then remove the cake about 1 hour before serving and let come to room temperature.

Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved. Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.
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