If you want a tropical show-stopper of a cake, look no further than a hummingbird cake. Originally from Jamaica and an old fashioned favourite in the southern states of America, this cake is deliciously sweet and moist, packed full of pineapple, banana and coconut and topped with cream cheese icing. This classic recipe is easy to make, coming together in just over an hour, and is delightful for morning tea, afternoon tea, or just about any other time you want it.
Ingredients
Method
Hummingbird cake
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Grease and line the base and sides of a 21x10cm (base measurement) loaf pan with baking paper, extending paper at long sides for handles.
Combine flour, sugar, coconut, walnuts and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Make a well at centre.
Combine pineapple, banana, egg and oil in a jug. Add pineapple mixture to flour mixture; stir to combine.
Spoon into prepared pan; level surface. Bake for 1 hour or until skewer inserted at centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer cake to serving plate.
Make cream cheese icing. Spread icing over top of cooled cake. Decorate with banana chips and flaked coconut. Cut into slices. Serve.
CREAM CHEESE ICING
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add half the sugar, juice and zest; beat until combined. Add remaining sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
Hummingbird cake recipe tips and notes
- Bananas: Hummingbird cake is a great way to use up bananas that have gone a bit brown in your fruit bowl and, just like banana bread it’s important they are over-ripe. Under-ripe or just ripe bananas (with no brown spots) are harder to mash and have less flavour and sweetness so they won’t work as well in the recipe.
- Tinned pineapple: Reserve juice from the tinned pineapple to add to cream cheese icing.
- Cream Cheese Icing: This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups, so if you have leftover icing you could use it to make a mini hummingbird cake or ice biscuits.
- No loaf pan? You can also bake this hummingbird cake in a 20cm round cake pan for a more traditional “cake” shape.
- Cooking time will vary. Every oven is different, so set a timer and check with a skewer to make sure the cake is cooked.
- No self-raising flour? Mix 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder with 1 3/4 cup plain flour. Make sure whatever flour you use is fresh and not past its expiry date.
Watch how to store flour to keep it fresh
