Hummingbird Cake

This was the dessert I made for the Southern themed dinner hosted by my friend Gina for our dinner group.  This was a really delicious (and surprisingly easy) cake to make.  I thought that I would have tasted the pineapple but perhaps it was just there to provide moisture.  I heard that this is also made with coconut which would have been delicious. I'm not sure why the directions say to add the pecans to the frosting.  That seemed a little strange to me so I just chopped them up and added them around the sides. This was a wonderful dessert that I'd make again!
 

Humming Bird Cake

From JoyofBaking.com

Ingredients:

1 cup (110 grams) pecans

3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour

2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup (180 ml) safflower, corn, or canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) can crushed pineapple, do not drain

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium sized bananas)

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound box (454 grams) (about 3 2/3 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (55 grams) finely chopped pecans


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.

Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop finely.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.

In another large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, pineapple, mashed bananas, and finely chopped pecans. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and cream cheese, on low speed, until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the finely chopped pecans.

To assemble: place one cake, top side down, onto your serving platter. Spread with about a third of the frosting. Gently place the other cake layer, top of cake facing up, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate the cake for about one hour so the frosting has time to set.

Serves 10 - 12 people.

Hummingbird Cake

This was the dessert I made for the Southern themed dinner hosted by my friend Gina for our dinner group.  This was a really delicious (and surprisingly easy) cake to make.  I thought that I would have tasted the pineapple but perhaps it was just there to provide moisture.  I heard that this is also made with coconut which would have been delicious. I'm not sure why the directions say to add the pecans to the frosting.  That seemed a little strange to me so I just chopped them up and added them around the sides. This was a wonderful dessert that I'd make again!
 

Humming Bird Cake

From JoyofBaking.com

Ingredients:

1 cup (110 grams) pecans

3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour

2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup (180 ml) safflower, corn, or canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) can crushed pineapple, do not drain

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium sized bananas)

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound box (454 grams) (about 3 2/3 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (55 grams) finely chopped pecans


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.

Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop finely.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.

In another large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, pineapple, mashed bananas, and finely chopped pecans. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and cream cheese, on low speed, until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the finely chopped pecans.

To assemble: place one cake, top side down, onto your serving platter. Spread with about a third of the frosting. Gently place the other cake layer, top of cake facing up, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate the cake for about one hour so the frosting has time to set.

Serves 10 - 12 people.

Light Banana Bread

I love my mom's banana bread. I really, really do BUT it's not the most healthy recipe out there, even though I try to convince myself that if it has fruit, it's healthy. I had some bananas that were too overripe to put in my cereal so I googled "Light Banana Bread Recipes" and I came across this one at Cheap Healthy Good.  She found the recipe at cooking light and she made some adjustments.  I followed her changes but did add about 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and I used a bundt pan instead.  Not sure how that works with the suggested portion sizes and all but I am okay with that.  Anway, let me get to the taste.  I tasted this when it was warm and I thought it was a little weird tasting but when I tasted it the next day it was fine.  The flavor is good, it's just the consistency that is different which I'm guessing is from using egg whites.  Bottom line, for a low fat recipe, it's great, I'll make it again.  When I fall of the healthy eating bandwagon....I'm going back to Mom's.

Light Banana Bread
Adapted from Cooking Light by Cheap Healthy Good

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4 bananas)
3 T skim milk
3 T fat-free sour cream or vanilla yogurt
2 large egg whites
½ t vanilla extract
Cooking spray


Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3) In a different large mixing bowl OR stand mixer bowl, combine sugar and butter. "Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended." Stop beater. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites. Resume beating until well combined.

4) Pour flour mixture into banana mixture and beat until everything is well-blended.

5) Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 60 or 70 minutes, or until loaf passes the toothpick test. (Insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, you're golden.) Remove from oven. (SEE NOTE BELOW) Let sit for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Pry bread from pan and let it cool totally on that same wire rack. For best flavor, wrap in tin foil and let sit overnight.

Note: If using a bundt pan - bake for approx 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and invert. 

Click here for a printable recipe for Light Banana Bread.

Light Banana Bread

I love my mom's banana bread. I really, really do BUT it's not the most healthy recipe out there, even though I try to convince myself that if it has fruit, it's healthy. I had some bananas that were too overripe to put in my cereal so I googled "Light Banana Bread Recipes" and I came across this one at Cheap Healthy Good.  She found the recipe at cooking light and she made some adjustments.  I followed her changes but did add about 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and I used a bundt pan instead.  Not sure how that works with the suggested portion sizes and all but I am okay with that.  Anway, let me get to the taste.  I tasted this when it was warm and I thought it was a little weird tasting but when I tasted it the next day it was fine.  The flavor is good, it's just the consistency that is different which I'm guessing is from using egg whites.  Bottom line, for a low fat recipe, it's great, I'll make it again.  When I fall of the healthy eating bandwagon....I'm going back to Mom's.

Light Banana Bread
Adapted from Cooking Light by Cheap Healthy Good

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4 bananas)
3 T skim milk
3 T fat-free sour cream or vanilla yogurt
2 large egg whites
½ t vanilla extract
Cooking spray


Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3) In a different large mixing bowl OR stand mixer bowl, combine sugar and butter. "Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended." Stop beater. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites. Resume beating until well combined.

4) Pour flour mixture into banana mixture and beat until everything is well-blended.

5) Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 60 or 70 minutes, or until loaf passes the toothpick test. (Insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, you're golden.) Remove from oven. (SEE NOTE BELOW) Let sit for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Pry bread from pan and let it cool totally on that same wire rack. For best flavor, wrap in tin foil and let sit overnight.

Note: If using a bundt pan - bake for approx 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and invert. 

Click here for a printable recipe for Light Banana Bread.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

No, this isn't a figment of your imagination. I seriously baked and I think I did it well. It's a miracle. I usually mess things up when I bake so on the rare occasion I do it and the even rarer occasion that it works out, I'm really excited and pleasantly surprised.

This recipe came from my Mom. She got it about 10 years ago from a woman she used to work with. It's a great way to use up overripe bananas. The recipe is for Banana Bread but the recipe can also be used for muffins with only one adjustment, baking time. The recipe is very versatile and you can add in whatever you like, walnuts, pecans, peanut butter, whatever your little heart desires. Mine desired chocolate chips...and walnuts...but the boss doesn't like nuts so...there you go.

I do have a question for all my baker friends that I think (hope) are reading my blog. When I took my muffins out of the oven they were nice and....perky (for lack of a better word). I left them there on top of the stove for 5-10 minutes and when I came back they flattened on top. What gives? Did I need to remove them from the tins and have them cool on a rack? I'm telling you, I'm not good at this (with the exception of 7 layer cookies at Christmas!). I thought I'd share a picture and post this anyway because even if they don't look right they tasted sooooooooo good!

Thanks Mom!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
¾ cup or 3 ripe bananas mashed
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup walnuts or chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add bananas and nuts last.

Bake for 50 minutes at 350˚.

If making muffins bake for 25 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

No, this isn't a figment of your imagination. I seriously baked and I think I did it well. It's a miracle. I usually mess things up when I bake so on the rare occasion I do it and the even rarer occasion that it works out, I'm really excited and pleasantly surprised.

This recipe came from my Mom. She got it about 10 years ago from a woman she used to work with. It's a great way to use up overripe bananas. The recipe is for Banana Bread but the recipe can also be used for muffins with only one adjustment, baking time. The recipe is very versatile and you can add in whatever you like, walnuts, pecans, peanut butter, whatever your little heart desires. Mine desired chocolate chips...and walnuts...but the boss doesn't like nuts so...there you go.

I do have a question for all my baker friends that I think (hope) are reading my blog. When I took my muffins out of the oven they were nice and....perky (for lack of a better word). I left them there on top of the stove for 5-10 minutes and when I came back they flattened on top. What gives? Did I need to remove them from the tins and have them cool on a rack? I'm telling you, I'm not good at this (with the exception of 7 layer cookies at Christmas!). I thought I'd share a picture and post this anyway because even if they don't look right they tasted sooooooooo good!

Thanks Mom!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
¾ cup or 3 ripe bananas mashed
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup walnuts or chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add bananas and nuts last.

Bake for 50 minutes at 350˚.

If making muffins bake for 25 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.