Pineapple Banana Hummingbird Cake

Don't be alarmed - no hummingbirds were baked into this cake!  The name is associated with a popular Jamaican festival cake and now is cooked around the world ... yummy flavours bringing people together.  This recipe is inspired by the Australian Women's Weekly "Cook" book - very classic! The traditional hummingbird recipe has a cream cheese icing but I was taking the cake to a picnic in a park so needed to avoid any potential health problems.   Dairy products left in the Australian sunshine are never a good idea so I substituted the cream cheese and decided to use a lemon icing glaze instead.  There wasn't much left so I reckon it was a winner.  Also, the cake remained dairy-free by using the lemon icing.  I have added my cream cheese icing recipe at the end of post.       Enjoy!   Colleen

Hummingbird cake by Feed Your Inner Cook.

Hummingbird cake by Feed Your Inner Cook.

Hummingbird cake by Feed Your Inner Cook.

Preparation                 30 minutes

Cooking                      40 minutes

Cooling before icing    allow at least 2 hours. Preferably longer.

Serves                        10 - 12

Ingredients

450 gram crushed pineapple in Syrup.   Drain well. Reserve 1/4 cup syrup

1 cup mashed bananas.  Usually 3 - 4 very ripe bananas
1 cup Plain Flour
1/2 cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
small pinch salt
1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sultanas
1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut
2 eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
Option: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Lemon Icing  (Dairy Free option)
1 cup Icing Sugar sifted with
1 tablespoon Cornflour
Lemon Juice - amount will depend on how dry the sugar is and how runny you want it.
(juice 1 lemon and add bit at a time)
Optional - the zest of the lemon

OR   
Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting . This won't be DairyFree
30 gram softened butter
125 gram softened Cream Cheese (this is usually half the packet)
pinch ground nutmeg 
2 - 3 tablespoons Lemon Juice (depends of strength of lemon flavour
Option:  if you don't want to use lemon   = 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups Icing Sugar - sifted
OR -- MY PREFERENCE   1 1/2 cup Icing Sugar - Sifted with 1 cup Milk Powder

Method 
Cake
Preheat oven to 180℃  or FanForced 160℃.  Grease and line base of 22cm square cake tin.  I have used a Bundt tin - greased, floured but no paper lining.

Sift the flours, soda, spices, salt and sugar into a large bowl.
Stir in pineapple, reserved syrup, sultanas, coconut, bananas, (nuts if using), eggs and oil.
Mix to combine and carefully pour into the prepared pan.
Bake approx 40 min.  Check with a skewer at 35 minutes.
Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.
Let cake cool completely then ice and decorate as desired.

Method
Lemon Icing
Sift the icing sugar and cornflour together in a medium bowl.
Add the zest (if desired) and the lemon juice a little at a time mixing with a fork or small whisk until the icing is desired consistency.
Immediately drizzle over the cake, avoid making it too thick.

Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting
Sift the icing sugar and milk powder together. Set aside.
Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together well until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the combined icing sugar and milk powder into the cheese mix.
Add the lemon juice a little at a time until you are happy with the flavour. (or use vanilla)
Ensure the frosting is lump free.  It will thicken a little as it sets.
Frost the cake and sprinkle with a little nutmeg if desired.

Any leftover Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting
will freeze very successfully.  I pop in to freezer bags so it defrosts quickly for use later on.
Or alternatively - small freezer-safe containers work well too.

Cheers       Colleen