Cooking with Permjit K. Sandhu
While I was vacationing in the Caribbean with my daughter, we went to a beautiful seaside restaurant for dinner. After an action-packed day of sailing, hiking, and snorkeling, we felt we could treat ourselves to an indulgent meal. That meant we could choose whatever we wanted when the dessert cart rolled around. There were so many choices! From a rich chocolate pudding to creme brulee, to black forest cake and key lime pie, the one that ultimately caught my eye was a three-tiered hummingbird cake with thick cream cheese icing separating the layers. We both looked at each other and knew we had to order it. The aroma of the bananas in the cake was so mouthwatering, the foodie in me had to find out more about what was in the cake. I made some inquiries with the waiter who informed me that the bananas, coconuts, and pineapples used in the cake were grown right there on site. He went on to further explain that the name of the cake originated from Jamaica, after the island’s national bird, the Doctor Bird. It was said that the exotic flavours of all the tropical ingredients blended together so harmoniously that the person eating the cake would hum with joy in the same way a hummingbird flits excitedly from flower to flower to slurp up the sweet nectar.
As we inched our forks into the moist layers of icing and cake, the smell of the cinnamon spice and buttery roasted pecans wafted in the air making me want to slow down and savour every morsel. With each bite, I was trying to use my palate to distinguish the many different flavours dancing around so I could replicate this delicacy at home. I just really wanted to relive this moment over and over. After much trial and error, I finally managed to perfect the recipe.
This past weekend, I had set up a hummingbird feeder with my young grandsons. Over the week, I saw these adorable little creatures hurrying over excitedly to quench their thirsts. I was reminded once more of my amazingly unforgettable time in the tropics and decided to take a trip down memory lane back to the Caribbean by baking this cake.
The Hummingbird Cake is a rich and dense cake made with oil instead of butter. You can use coconut oil in place of cooking oil to taste coconutty in addition to the already strong banana flavour. You should also use ingredients at room temperature to ensure even heat distribution in the baking process as well as sifting the powdered sugar for lumps. Toasting the nuts will release their natural oils, deepening the richness of this cake. To do so, you can toast them in a frying pan for 6 mins or in a 350 degree oven until the nuts become fragrant. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do!
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
For cake:
– 3 cups flour
– 1 1/2 cups sugar
– 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 3 eggs, lightly beaten
– 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
– 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
– 2 cups mashed bananas (use ripe bananas)
– 1 (8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
– 3/4 cup coconut
– 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees
For Frosting:
– 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
– 12 tablespoons butter or oil, at room temperature
– 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
– 2 teaspoons vanilla
– Pecans, coconut, to garnish, if desired
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray three 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray parchment with non-stick cooking spray.
Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla, and stir until combined. Fold in bananas, pineapple, coconut, and pecans. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. Place pans on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks, and cool completely. Remove parchment paper.
While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing until it’s all incorporated. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
Place one layer on a serving plate. Top with one-fourth of frosting. Repeat procedure once. Top with the remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of the cake. Garnish with pecans or coconut, if desired
