Hummingbird Cake

Hello! Everyday, I'm receiving alerts on Facebook of new followers to my Double Dipped Sweets page. You are coming over from Pinterest, and I have to say, THANK YOU!

As a thank you gift, I finally made this cake that I've had my eye on for awhile. This cake is labor intensive. But, oh, my goodness, it's so full of flavor! It's a rich, dense cake; a mix between cake and bread. The flavors of banana and pineapple are perfect for this time of year, and it quickly became one of our favorites!

 Hummingbird Cake

 Adapted from boulderlocavore

Plan on 1-2 hours for prep and cook time.

Cake

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup fresh pineapple, crushed (see below)   ** I used canned crushed pineapple with a little bit of juice.
2 cups roasted bananas*, mashed (approximately 4 large or 6 medium-small bananas with peel left on; instructions below)
1 cup chopped pecans
Parchment paper to line bottom of the cake pan **I sprayed the pans with flour/oil


Cream Cheese Frosting  **I used my own time tested frosting. The cold butter used in the original recipe didn't blend very well.

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1/4 lb butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

4 cup powdered sugar

1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. *Place bananas on a cookie sheet with peels left on. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until the skins are black (the bananas may leak which is fine). Remove and let cool until they can be handled. Peel bananas, place in a small mixing bowl and mash. Set aside. Leave the oven heated to 350 degrees.
3. Butter and flour 3-9 inch round baking pans. Trace the bottom of the pan (for all three pans) onto parchment paper, cut out circle and place in the bottom of each pan.
4. In a sifter over a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Sift into the bowl. Set aside.
5. In a second large mixing bowl combine the granulated and brown sugar; stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir briskly by hand to combine all ingredients into a smooth mixture.
6. Whisk the oil and vanilla into the sugar/egg mixture until combined and smooth.
7. Add the flour mixture all at once and hand stir (do not beat) to combine the mixture fully.
8. To crush the pineapple: Place 1 cup of finely diced fresh pineapple in a medium mixing bowl and using a potato masher, crush the pineapple. Add the fruit and juice to the batter. Also add the mashed banana and the pecans. Stir just until combined; do not over stir.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Tap the pans on the countertop to release any air bubbles and place in the 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cake bounces back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks to fully cool before frosting. Be sure to peel off and discard the parchment paper.
Instructions for Cream Cheese Frosting:
11.  Blend all frosting ingredients together.
12. Fold in pecans by hand. 
Instructions for Cake Assembly:
13. Place the first layer of cake upside down (the bottom of the cake will be frosted) on the serving plate. Cover with 2/3 cup of frosting. This will be a thin covering.
14. Place the second layer of cake right side up (flat cake bottom onto the frosting) and frost the top of this layer with 2/3 cup again (note: I found I needed just a bit more to cover this layer).
15. Place the last cake layer with cake right side up and use the remaining frosting to cover top of cake and the sides.
16. 4. Allow cake to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving and store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator. Cake best when made the day prior to serving!

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Now, I know that there are tons of Banana Bread recipes out there... and every one says that it is the best... but believe me, THIS ONE is the best!

This is another beloved family recipe from my Mom's family. It is versatile, and can be made into 1 big loaf, 2 smaller ones, or even muffins!

Banana Bread

1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
1 teas vanilla
2 well beaten eggs
2 c flour
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas baking soda
4 TB sour* milk
1 c banana pulp (roughly 2 bananas)- the riper the banana, the better the bread!
1 c walnuts, chopped (optional)

*Sour milk by adding 1 teas of lemon juice.

Cream shortening and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat until creamy.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, mix milk and banana pulp.
Add the flour mixture to the shortening bowl, alternately with the milk and banana pulp.
A little flour mixture, stir. Then a little banana mixture, stir. Continue until all is mixed.

Pour into 1 bread pan, 2 small bread pans, or muffin tins. Only fill each pan halfway.
Bake at 350 for 60 min. for 1 loaf,
30 min. for 2 small loaves,
15-20 min. for muffins.

Thai Banana Pudding

This Thai Tuesday's post is a dessert! I've been eyeing this one for a long time. It's simple and easy- what could be better?

Thai dessert is often composed of fruit instead of sugar. This dessert is sweet, but that is mostly from the coconut milk. It's not as thick as pudding, but that's the best way to describe what it is like.

Thai Banana Pudding

adapted from Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk can

3 Bananas

1 14 oz can of coconut milk (regular or light)

3 TB Brown Sugar

1 teas. Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste

Slice bananas into a large saucepan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Pour over the bananas, and heat on medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir often, so the bananas don't stick to the pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

I'm considering blending the mixture together to make the sauce thicker. If anyone tries it that way, let me know!

Enjoy!