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!

Happy 3rd Blogversary to me! Cake and Ice Cream from SRC

Good Morning!  Today marks my 3 year "blog" anniversary!  I really can't believe it's been 3 years! Thank you to all of my loyal readers. It's been quite the adventure.

I think my photos have improved...

Honey Whole Wheat Bread 8-5-09    

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce  8-16-2011

And I think my recipes, my writing, and my networking has improved as well.  Mostly though, I have stayed true to my goal of this blog being a place to celebrate food. At my own pace, and my own tastes.

Now, on to the celebration's dessert!  Everyone needs Cake and Ice Cream for a anniversary. Right? Especially Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake!


This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Ambition Kitchen. I love this blog, and have been a fan for awhile now.  Kelly is from Utah; same as me!  We seem to have similar tastes in food, and her blog is just terrific. 

Right when you open her blog, your mouth starts watering. Just look at that amazing cake in her header. I wanted that cake. Now, I've never learned how to ice cakes and make them look good. I don't have the fancy equipment. I actually ended up using the ziplock bag trick, but still couldn't get pretty drizzles. Oh, well. It's the taste that counts!

Add in another of Kelly's recipes for Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, and you're ready to party!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake 
Ambition Kitchen
Copycat recipe for "Nothing Bundt Cakes"

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 small box chocolate fudge instant pudding
1 C sour cream (full fat)
4 eggs
1/2 C water
1/2 C canola oil
1 1/2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Add chocolate chips and stir to distribute. 
Pour into a bundt cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I forgot this step- another reason why I had to hide the top of my cake with frosting!)  
Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. 
Let cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan. 

*Now, Kelly mentions covering the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerating overnight before frosting.  She liked it this way.  I just let the cake cool, and then frosted it and it was wonderful that way as well! So, do whichever method you have time for.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 pkgs. 8 oz. each cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter, softened
3-5 C powdered sugar (depending on desired consistency- I only used 2 cups)
2 teas vanilla extract


In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well. Slowly add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired consistency has been reached. You want it to stay pretty thick.

Pipe the frosting onto cooled cake. Slice and serve. Cover well and refrigerate any leftovers.





Simple 3 Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream
Ambition Kitchen

We have some picky ice cream fans in my house.  They only like vanilla.  I really wanted to fancy this ice cream up with some brownies like Kelly does, or some chocolate chips or fruit.  But, since I was planning on serving it with a cake that has the word Chocolate twice in it's title I just did vanilla.  Feel free to add your favorite mix ins!

2 Cups Whipping Cream
1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 teas Vanilla Extract
Desired add-ins

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ICE CREAM MAKER: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, being sure to thoroughly incorporate the condensed milk. Pour into ice cream maker and churn as per instructions. Mix your add ins into the ice cream, transfer to a sealed container and place in freezer for a few hours to firm up more, or enjoy as soft serve consistency!


INSTRUCTIONS WITHOUT ICE CREAM MAKER: Whip heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add sweet & condensed milk and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Add mix ins and freeze in freezer for 6 hours then serve!

Happy Blogversary!

Chocolate Chip Cookies- Secret Recipe Club

Wahoo! It's time for another installment of The Secret Recipe Club! Each month I am assigned a new blog to pick a recipe from. I then make that recipe, and post it here. The blog owner doesn't know about it until the post is live! It's so much fun each month to browse through a new blog!

This month I was assigned A Cook's Quest. Jenn is the owner of this blog, and strives to do low-budget, but still yummy, meals!

I decided to bake her chocolate chip cookies. Originally from one of my favorite blogs, What Megan's Making, I knew they had to be good!

Go on over to A Cook's Quest to get the recipe for her Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Now, I have to be honest here, because I owe it to my reader's.  Jenn's blog is wonderful, and I think if I'd had more time this month, I would have tried another recipe. Because these simply weren't my favorite cookies. They were way to sweet for us; we could barely finish one cookie. I think if we add another 1/2 cup of flour, and maybe decrease the white sugar to 1/4 cup, they would be better!

Have a fabulous week!

Coconut Custard Pie

Coconut Custard Pie. There is nothing quite like it in the entire world. It's Amazing. With a capital A.

It takes 5 minutes to prep. One bowl. It forms it's own magic crust.  It's Coconut. Coconut people. Coconut.

Creamy, gooey, divine coconut. It's like coconut tapioca, but in pie form. And so much better than tapioca, because it doesn't have that really gross texture.  Coconut. Mmmm...

Coconut Custard Pie
By Perry's Plate (Check her out. She's amazing!)

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
3 Tb melted butter
1 teas vanilla
1 cup milk
4 Tb self-rising flour/Bisquick
3 ½ oz sweetened flaked coconut
Mix well. Pour into 9-in buttered glass pie plate. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

And that's all folks. Really. Oh, did I mention this pie has coconut? ;)

Have a fabulous day!

Strawberry Lemonade Cobbler

It's my favorite time of the month again! Secret Recipe Club time!  This month I got the honor of browsing recipes from The Healthy Jalapeno.  Laura lives in Connecticut, and is a self-proclaimed health nut.  She has so many amazing looking recipes, like her Skinny Baked Onion Rings with Basil Sauce, or her Tomato and Onion Casserole.   I really, really wanted to make her Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Tart, but sadly, another SRC member had already featured it.  I did go out and buy a tart pan though, so that recipe WILL get made!

I finally decided to make a dessert. Her Fresh Strawberry Lemonade Oatmeal Bars jumped out. I had everything I needed, and with whole wheat flour, they were not quite as sinful as they could be.  They are supposed to sit for 2 hours after baking, but we couldn't wait that long, so ours were more like a cobbler instead of bars. Same fantastic taste though! I loved the addition of lemon to add a brightness to the strawberries.  I did use coconut oil, but did not add flax seed.

Strawberry Lemonade Cobbler
'Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free'
Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 16 servings

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup Organic Kelapo Coconut Oil
2 cups oatmeal, rolled oats
1 tbsp organic finely ground flaxseed
2 1/2 cups strawberries, fresh, chopped
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Kelapo coconut oil, for greasing pan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 X 13 baking dish with coconut oil or parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. With your hands mix in the coconut oil, oats and flax seed until well blended. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the mixture for topping. Press the rest of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the baking dish.


For the filling mix strawberries, honey lemon juice and zest with a spatula until the fruit is well coated. Spread the mixture on top of the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool for 2 hours, cut into bars and refrigerate in an airtight container to store.

Enjoy with some whipped cream or ice cream on top for an additional treat!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

It's time for the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake! If you missed the first post, explaining how I ended up making 3 different cupcake flavors in one day, see it here! 

 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Adapted from Betty Crocker


1 box  yellow cake mix
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
3 Tb strawberry preserves
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, cut into 24 pieces 

Cream Cheese Frosting
The Double Dipped Life 

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1/4 lb butter, softened

1 teas vanilla

2 teas coconut extract

4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.  Add vanilla and coconut extracts.  Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. I use all 4 cups.

Toppings:

Sliced Strawberries
I used Strawberry Sugar from Orcas Alchemy
 
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, mix cake mix, sour cream, oil, water and eggs with spoon until well blended (batter will be thick). Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

In small bowl, stir preserves until smooth. Place 1 piece of cream cheese on top of each cupcake; press into batter slightly. Spoon 1/4 measuring teas preserves on top of cream cheese in each cupcake.

Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly in center (some preserves may show in tops of cupcakes). Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Spread frosting over cupcakes. Just before serving, garnish each cupcake with strawberry slices. Store covered in refrigerator.

Enjoy!