Thursday, May 29, 2014

Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 can (598mL) crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the first seven dry ingredients.
In a separate large bowl, mix together the remaining wet ingredients. Fold in the dry ingredients until combined. Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

This is a southern cake recipe that I have eyed for years and never tried. So I finally decided to make it. It has the flavors of banana, pineapple, and chopped pecans and/or shredded coconut, but I just used coconut. It is typically paired with a cream cheese frosting. It is so named because the sugar, coconut, banana, and pineapple makes it really sweet - and hummingbirds like sweet things. 
This is actually a lighter version of the usual cake recipe - it contains less sugar and oil, but a little extra pineapple and banana so as not to compromise any flavor or moistness. If you use whole wheat flour and unsweetened coconut, it could be an even healthier treat. 

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