Hummingbird Cake

Ok, it was a little slow in getting here: my "island inspired" cake.
I was just setting the mood and giving you a taste of island time, that's all...

When I was thinking of what to make that was heavy on vanilla, coconut and tropical fruit, I kept  coming back to this Southern (as in Kentucky, not Cape Town) classic: Hummingbird cake.
The recipe may have originated in Jamaica, but first appears to have been published and made popular in the US in the 70's - clearly a good decade for classics ; )

The traditional frosting for a hummingbird cake is cream cheese icing, but in this case I've made it into a Bundt cake with a vanilla-rich white chocolate ganache.

I've also changed the mixing directions from the original recipe to make the cake lighter in texture.  (When working with mashed banana your cake can sometimes become dense and stodgy  - which makes me think of hostel food rather than holiday food! )

 So, here it is:

Hummingbird Cake with Vanilla Ganache
Recipe by Tea, Cake & Create

Preheat the oven to 180'C

Grease and line 2 x 20cm round cake pans or 1  Bundt pan

Ingredients:

300g cake flour
250g light brown sugar
250 ml canola oil
3 large eggs
120g roasted pecans, roughly chopped
60g shredded coconut
1 tin (440g) crushed pineapple, drain excess liquid
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Add in the coconut and chopped pecans. Whisk together to combine.

Using a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract.
With the mixer on low speed, mix in the oil. Add half the dry ingredients, then the pineapple and banana, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake at 180'C for approx 35 minutes for layers or          1 hour for the Bundt cake - or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Leave in the cake pan to cool before turning onto a cooling rack.

Vanilla Ganache

240g white chocolate
120ml fresh cream (35-40% fat content)
1 vanilla pod

Melt the white chocolate and cream together in a double boiler. Stir until smooth.
Split the vanilla pod in half,  scrape out the seeds and stir into the ganache.
Leave it to set slightly; pour over the cake once the ganache has reached a custard-like consistency.

Finish with a flourish - a generous sprinkling of shaved coconut.

If you're making a layer cake, I'd recommend cream cheese icing between the layers, with vanilla ganache poured over the top of the cake.

How did the hummingbird cake get its name? Maybe it was because that's the Jamaican national bird; perhaps it's the sweetness of the cake. I think it may be the hum of delight you hear when it gets eaten.

: )  

Give it a try and tell me what you think. 

xxM

Sour Cream Chocolate and Blueberry cake

I'm sitting here with a knot in my stomach - we're going away for a few days (yay!) without the kids (eek!). It's the first time we've left them for more than one night and I know they're going to be fine (they'll be looked after by granny, nanny, auntie and an au pair!) ... but I don't know if I'll be ok!
I really didn't appreciate the ease of travel BC (before children). Now it's stressful to go away with them, and without them. Easier to stay at home and bake.  So, although I am looking forward to a break - I'm already looking forward to being back. Ridiculous, right?!

So, let me just distract myself with chocolate for a bit....

Sour Cream Chocolate and Blueberry Cake.
Recipe adapted from  The Cake Genie / Good Housekeeping Magazine

Preheat the oven  to 180'C
Grease a 23cm Bundt pan

Ingredients:
125ml boiling water
30ml vegetable oil
125ml cocoa powder
165g butter at room temp.
275g caster sugar
2 XL eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
320g cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
250ml sour cream
150g fresh blueberries + extra for decorating


Mix the cocoa powder with the boiling water and oil and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour and baking soda into a bowl.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together.
 Add the eggs one at a time, beat well between additions.
Add the vanilla extract and the cocoa mixture. Beat well.

With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour and the sour cream to the butter/ egg mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon into the Bundt pan and bake for approx 45minutes or until a skewer comes out just-clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Dark chocolate ganache.


300g dark (bittersweet) chocolate
150ml heavy cream (fat content 35-40%)

Melt the chocolate and cream together in a double boiler.

Allow to cool. Pour over the cake.

Decorate with blueberries dusted with icing sugar.

See you when we get back from our trip.

xxM

Orange and Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Somewhere out there is a prize winning recipe with this combination of flavours. I just don't know where. I had the magazine that it was published in, I'm sure of it. But fits of zealous de-cluttering occasionally take over from my usual hoarding nature, and I fear that that particular magazine was a victim of such an episode. And that inveterate hoarder, Google, couldn't find it either.

So, after finally giving up the search, I've managed to come up with a pretty-darn-good (if-I-say-so-myself) Orange and Pistachio Cake.
Actually, it's so good that it's one of my current favourites.

In the 1:1 000 000 chance that I've been lucky enough to replicate the original recipe exactly,  I offer my sincere apologies to its creator: I'll amend the credit accordingly… and rush out and buy a lottery ticket ; )

Orange and Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Orange and Pistachio Cake
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create

Preheat the oven to 180'C
Grease a Bundt pan or 18-20cm cake pan.

Ingredients:
150g butter
150g caster sugar
275g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Zest of 1 medium orange.
Juice 1/2 medium orange.
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk

50g roughly chopped pistachio nuts - for sprinkling.

Method:
Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Put aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together - beat until pale.
Add the orange zest and vanilla extract. Beat briefly.
Add the eggs, one at a time. (Add 1tbs flour with each egg to prevent curdling).

Add 1/3 of the sifted dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk to the above mixture. Mix briefly.
Then another third of the dry ingredients followed by the buttermilk and orange juice. Mix.
Finally add the last of the flour mix.
Mix until just combined.

Pour into the prepared cake pan.
Bake at 180'C for approx. 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out just-clean.
Remove from the oven.

Leave to cool completely before turning out from the cake pan.

White Chocolate Ganache

120g white chocolate
60g cream (35-40% fat content)

Melt both ingredients together in a double boiler.

Allow to cool slightly.
Pour over the cool cake before the ganache sets.
(If you're using ganache that has already set, heat it gently - either in the microwave or double boiler - until it is at pouring consistency.)
Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts.

Serve...

... and save the recipe ; )

 xxM