Hummingbird Cake
A delicious explosion of fruity flavours and a popular choice for visitors to Scape Lodge in Huddersfield on open days, this cake was one of many delicious offerings celebrating the 30 year partnership between the National Garden Scheme and Marie Curie. Huge thanks to garden owner Elizabeth Smith for sharing the recipe here – originally from the Food Network.
Instructions
- Grease and line the base of two 9” round, loose bottom springform cake tins. Grease the baking paper and dust base and sides with flour.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C, 170 C fan.
- Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until toasted and fragrant, (about 6 mins). Allow to cool slightly then chop roughly. Set aside 50g for decoration, then toss the remainder with the bananas, pineapple and ½ cup flour in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk or sift together rest of the flour with the spices bicarb and salt.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick and light. (About 5 minutes). Gradually whisk in the oil. (I drizzle it in with the mixer running, like for mayonnaise.)
- Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture and fold in gently. Stir in the prepared fruit and nut mixture. Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 30 – 40 minutes (check at 30mins), until the cakes are firm and toothpick/cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the tins, on racks for 25 mins, then release the sides of the cakes by running a knife around the sides. Remove the cakes from the tins and invert onto the racks to cool completely.
- To make the icing – in a large bowl mix all the ingredients together with a balloon whisk, taking care not to over beat the mixture.
- Sandwich the cakes together with a little less then half the icing and use the rest to cover the top. Decorate with reserved nuts and viola flowers.
- Will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, but bring to room temperature before serving. Should yield 10 – 12 slices.
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Think sunshine, flowers and cake – gather friends and family to raise funds for vital nursing and health charities
Ingredients
- 330g plain flour
- 115g pecan nuts (or walnuts) plus extra 50g for decoration
- 3 ripe bananas, chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh pineapple (usually about 1/3 of a pineapple)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 350g caster sugar
- 250ml vegetable oil (I use sunflower oil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- For the icing - This recipe is from Honey & Co in the Weekend FT magazine – I have never had it split, which is more than I can say for most of the cream cheese frosting recipes I have tried
- 250g mascarpone
- 200g double cream
- 200g full fat plain cream cheese (I always use Longley Farm cream cheese)
- 80g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or seed from 1 vanilla pod
- 1 tbsp white rum
- Fresh viola flowers or similar to decorate (if available)
