HUMMINGBIRD CAKE - FLORIDA STYLE

Hummingbird Cake - Florida Style image

This cake in many versions has been in most cooking magazines and now is on most websites. It is a favorite at get-together's and church socials. Living in Florida I wanted to add a bit more fruit to make a Florida Style Hummingbird cake and make use of coconut which falls in my yard almost year round. This cake will even have non-cake people wanting to have more of it!

Provided by Kay Summitt Lewis @Kaythebaker

Categories Cakes

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:
2 cup(s) all purpose flour
1 cup(s) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
WET INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:
3 - eggs or egg substitute
1/3 cup(s) coconut or peanut oil
2/3 cup(s) apple butter or apple sauce
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract or coconut extract
8 ounce(s) crushed pineapple (with juices from can)
2 cup(s) mashed banana's - be sure to measure to have enough!
2/3 cup(s) golden raisins
1/2 cup(s) coconut, shredded or flaked
1/2 cup(s) finely shredded carrots
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 ounce(s) cream cheese (1/3 less fat works well)
4 tablespoon(s) butter, unsalted
16 ounce(s) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon(s) banana extract or vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
FOR THE TOPPING (TO THE FROSTED CAKE)
2/3 cup(s) slightly toasted pecan pieces
1/3 cup(s) coconut, shredded and lightly toasted

Steps:

Set out all ingredients before you start as the eggs, butter and cream cheese need to be at room temperature. Then prepare your pans (grease and floured) and chop the nuts, mash and measure the bananas, finely shred about ½ of a large carrot, then preheat the oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together and set aside.
n a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and apple butter/apple sauce together. Mix in the vanilla, mashed bananas, crushed pineapple with juice, and optional items: golden raisins, finely shredded carrot and ½ cup of shredded coconut. Stir to mix well.
Then add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula lightly until batter is mixed well without over mixing.
Pour batter into 2 round cake pans and spread evenly as possible to avoid a hump in the middle.
Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes. Dark pans cook faster. Check for doneness at 30 minutes with toothpick. If it comes out gooey then bake additional 5 minutes and recheck and repeat if necessary.
Make cream cheese frosting while cake is baking. Lightly toast 2/3 cup of pecans and 1/3 cup of coconut and let each cool.
Cool in pans 30 minutes then turn out to wire racks to cool completely. Can be cooled in pans and then transferred to serving platter.
Once cake is cooled completely, frost top of bottom layer, add second cake layer and frost. Then sprinkle or decorate with toasted coconut and pecans. This cake can also be made in a sheet cake pan (9x13) for one layer cake.