"A great many things can be resolved with kindness, even more with laughter, but there are some things that just require cake" was a quote I discovered on a card years ago. It made me think how great life would be if all conflicts or misunderstandings really could simply be resolved with cake, preferably one homemade, but not necessarily made with chocolate. Whether or not cake could have such healing powers, I thought at least life would be so much more delicious.
Initially I set out to make a banana cake with chocolate ganache frosting this week but then remembered there was a cake I had been wanting to make for really long time. A dense, moist cake lathered with a rich cream cheese frosting. Not a carrot cake, not a spice cake, but a hummingbird cake.
Up until reading an article in Cook's Illustrated I had believed a Hummingbird Cake was either a Southern invention confection or American in origin. If someone claimed this cake originated in Jamaica, was served on Air Jamaica in the early 1970s, and was initially published under the name of doctorbird (the name of Jamaica's hummingbird) cake, I would have thought he/she had a very active imagination. Much to my surprise, he/she would not be delusional but actually have the facts right. The 'birthplace' of the hummingbird cake really is Jamaica. However, the popularity of this cake here in the states is largely attributed to the recipe for "Hummingbird Cake" published in Southern Living (1978) as submitted by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins from Greensboro, North Carolina (I can't help but wonder if she based her version of the recipe on the one published by the Kingston Gleaner seven years earlier).
Why does it seem like forever when you are waiting for bananas to ripen? I could have put them in a brown paper bag along with an apple or a tomato to speed up the ripening process, but thought I would patiently allow them to ripen all on their own naturally. The sweetness of a banana increases as it ripens, thus really ripe bananas create more flavorful cakes and breads. So whether you are making banana bread, a banana cake, or a hummingbird cake, you want really ripe bananas.
There are many ways to mash bananas (the most common being using a fork as the 'masher'). But With Thanksgiving approaching I thought I would try using the potato ricer to get them as creamy as possible (a technique suggested by another food blogger). Chunkier versus creamier mashed bananas causes the cake to be 'mushy' and results in a cake with a limited banana flavor. While it was a little messy, the potato ricer created a perfect creamy banana mash.
Like quick breads, this is a 'mixed by hand' cake. Using a spatula, the wet ingredients are added to the dry ingredients and stirred just until just combined. Again, over mixing could lead to a 'tougher' cake or one not having a tender crumb.
Most recipes for the Hummingbird cake call for using eight or nine inch round cake pans or a 9"x12" rectangular pan (baking times for those pans are provided in the directions below). However, I wanted this to be a tall cake (and one with a little bit more of a wow factor), so I used three 6" cake pans.
In a preheated 350 degree oven the six inch cakes baked for almost 45 minutes. Actually the baking time was somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes, however, as I kept adding additional time in small increments I wasn't keeping track. Use either the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake (it should come out clean) or pressing lightly on the top of the cake (it should spring back) to test for doneness.
Because I wanted each of the cake layers to be flat, I used a serrated knife to cut the 'dome' of two of the cake layers. To ensure that crumbs would not get into the frosting, each of the layers was inverted so the 'baked' side was up and 'cut' side was down. Note: I did not cut the bottom cake layer, but inverted it on the cake stand.
After frosting between each of the layers, frost the sides and top of the cake using a cake spatula (for a smooth finish) or a pastry bag (for a fancier design). How you finish the cake is all about personal preference and the options are endless.
Instead of chopping additional pecans to decorate the sides or top of the cake, I decided to use pecan halves to create a flower-like design (inspiration for the design came from Swedish food blogger Linda Lomelino). I loved the simplicity of this design, however, the next time I finish a cake with this look, I will chill the cake slightly before dragging the skewer through the cream cheese frosting.
If you have anyone in your family or any friends who love the flavors of banana and pineapple, you need to make this cake for them. The finished three layer Hummingbird Cake had the 'wow' factor I was going for. There is something attention getting, appetite wetting, and compelling about a tall six inch three layer cake (this could be why the cakes made at or in the style of Momofuku's Milk Bar bakery in New York are so popular).
With Thanksgiving next week, most everyone will be serving pies or tarts for dessert (and I will be too). Cakes don't always seem to take center stage on Thanksgiving, particularly where dessert traditions are strongly tied to pies. Unless it would cause anyone in your family to have a meltdown on Thanksgiving (some families have strong holiday meal expectations), why not add to the array of dessert choices and make this cake too? And if you just also happen to be celebrating someone's birthday over the Thanksgiving holiday, wouldn't it be nice to celebrate their day with a cake, a homemade cake, a Hummingbird cake? On the remote possibility that conflicts or misunderstandings happen during your family Thanksgivings, it might be worth seeing if there really was healing power in cake to resolve them. But if there wasn't, at least there would be a deliciously sweet ending to the day.
Hummingbird Cake (adaptation of Joy of Baking's Hummingbird Cake recipe)
Ingredients
Cake
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups mashed bananas (from 4 to 5 really ripe bananas)
8 ounce can of crushed pineapple (do not drain, use the juice)
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (plus additional toasted pecan halves for finishing)
Cream Cheese Frosting
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt (or kosher salt)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking pans with vegetable spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add lightly beaten eggs and vegetable oil to dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
4. Add crushed pineapple, mashed banana, and toasted pecans. Gently stir until all ingredients are combined.
5. Divide batter equally among baking pans. Note: Recommend weighing cake pans if using more than one pan.
6. For 6 inch round pans, bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until cake is done. For 8 or 9 inch pans, bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
7. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. Note: Can place cooled cakes in the refrigerator before frosting.
8. To make the frosting, whip cream cheese, butter, confectionary sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt until mixture is smooth and creamy.
9. Place frosting on each of the cake layers before frosting the sides and top of the cake. Note: The options for the frosting finish are endless. For this cake, I used the end of a skewer to create lines on the side of the cake and concentric circles on the top of the cake. Would recommend allowing the cake to chill slightly before dragging skewer through the icing.
10. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If refrigerated, allow to sit out at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
