Jamie Oliver's Hummingbird Cake - Jamie Oliver Dishes

Jamie Oliver Hummingbird Cake is made with simple ingredients like vegetable oil, flour, cinnamon, sugar, bananas, pineapple, eggs, vanilla, pecans, icing sugar, butter, cream cheese, and limes. This lovely cake is easy to make, tastes wonderful, and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get ready. It’s enough for 12 people.

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🤎 Why You’ll Love This Hummingbird Cake Recipe:

Very Moist and Tasty: This cake is super moist and full of flavor from the bananas and pineapple. Every bite is sweet and delicious.
Nice Spicy Touch: A little cinnamon in the cake gives it a warm, spicy taste that goes really well with the sweet fruit.
Crunchy Nuts on Top: The brittle made with pecans makes the top of the cake crunchy, adding a fun texture to the soft cake.
Smooth and Zesty Icing: The icing is creamy and has a fresh lime flavor that makes the cake less sweet and more refreshing.
Looks Amazing: This cake looks great with its layers, creamy icing, and crunchy top. It’s perfect for showing off at parties or any special time.

🍌 Jamie Oliver’s Hummingbird Cake Ingredients

The Cake Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil, plus a little extra for greasing
2 ¾ cups (350 g) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¾ cups (350 g) golden caster sugar
4 medium very ripe bananas
1 can (15 oz or 425 g) pineapple chunks, drained well
2 large free-range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (50 g) pecans, chopped

The Icing Ingredients:

3 ½ cups (400 g) icing sugar
⅔ cup (150 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup (200 g) cream cheese
Zest and juice of 2 limes

The Brittle Ingredients:

½ cup (100 g) caster sugar
¼ cup (50 g) pecans, chopped

🥮 How To Make Jamie Oliver’s Hummingbird Cake

1. Prepare The Oven And Tins:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/gas mark 4).
Grease and line two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake tins with baking paper.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and cinnamon.
Add the sugar and a big pinch of sea salt, and mix well.

3. Prepare Fruit Mixture:

Peel the bananas and mash them in another bowl using a fork.
Chop the drained pineapple finely and add it to the mashed bananas.
Add the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and mix until everything is well combined.

4. Combine And Bake:

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold together until the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the chopped pecans.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and spring back when lightly touched in the center.
Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edges of the tins, and let cool for 10 minutes. Then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

5. Make The Icing And Brittle:

For the icing: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the butter, and beat using a mixer until pale and creamy. Add the cream cheese, lime zest, and a squeeze of lime juice, and beat just until smooth.
For the brittle: Put the caster sugar and a splash of water in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve and turn golden without stirring, just swirling the pan occasionally. Add the chopped pecans and a pinch of salt, stir to coat the pecans, then pour onto a sheet of greased baking paper to set.
Once set, break the brittle into small pieces.

6. Assemble The Cake:

Place one cake layer on a stand and spread half the icing over the top.
Add the second layer and spread the remaining icing on top.
Sprinkle the lime zest and brittle pieces over the icing.

7. To Serve:

Decorate with edible flowers if desired. This cake is perfect with a cup of tea!

💭 Recipe Tips

Get Ingredients Ready: Before you start, make sure items like butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. They mix better when soft.
Sift Flour and Cinnamon Together: Always sift flour and cinnamon to prevent lumps. This makes your cake mix smooth and your cake light.
Drain Pineapple Well: Be sure to drain all the juice from the pineapple chunks. Too much liquid can make the cake mix too wet and change how it bakes.
Mix Icing Just Right: When you make the icing, mix until it’s smooth but stop before it gets too thin. If it’s over-mixed, it will be hard to spread on the cake.
Keep an Eye on the Brittle: Pay close attention to the sugar when making the brittle. Take it off the heat as soon as it turns golden brown to prevent it from burning and tasting bitter.

🍧 What To Serve With Hummingbird Cake?

This tasty Hummingbird Cake goes great with fresh cream, vanilla ice cream, a salad with citrus fruits, and whipped cream. You can also enjoy it with coffee, sweet iced tea, dessert wine, and fresh berries for a tasty dessert.

🎚 How To Store Leftovers Hummingbird Cake?

Refrigerate: Wrap the Hummingbird Cake in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: To freeze, wrap the cake tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. The cake can be frozen for up to 2 months.

FAQs

Can I Use Regular Flour Instead Of Self-raising Flour?

Yes, you can use plain flour. Just add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and a little salt (1/4 teaspoon) to each cup of plain flour.

What If I Don’t Have Golden Caster Sugar?

You can use regular white sugar instead. The cake will still taste good, even though it might feel a bit different.

What If I Can’t Eat Nuts?

If you can’t have nuts, just leave them out of the cake and the topping. The cake will have a different taste and feel but will still be good.

How Can I Tell If The Cake Is Done?

The cake should look golden and not sink when you touch it gently. You can also poke it with a skewer or a toothpick in the middle; it should come out clean without any wet batter.

Can I Make This Cake The Day Before?

Yes, you can bake this cake one day before you need it. Keep it in the fridge after it cools down. Put the icing and brittle on top just before you serve it.