Today, I ate a hummingbird.

Yes, that is a kitchenaid mixer Maja; jealous?? I know you are that is exactly why I took the picture :) I had to bake with pineapple this week as it was discouraged from combining meat and fruit by my roomie. I also searched out a pineapple recipe that Mom might actually bake/eat. The best sounding one (and one I had all the ingredients for - bonus!) was Hummingbird Cake. Why is it named that? Why it has real bits of Hummingbird in it of course!

Ok, so there's not a small bird in this cake (or even bits of one). I mean, I went looking but thanks to the 4 inches of snow there weren't any to be found. The cake has pineapple, bananas and vanilla and when baking smells like a hawaiin blizzard from Dairy Queen. Yum!!

It ended up being just alright. I mean its good but not wow or anything. It's like a light banana bread. I think it will be even better after it sits overnight.


Los Ingredientes

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 cups diced bananas
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan.
2. Measure flour, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon, oil, eggs, vanilla into mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Stir in pineapple with juice, bananas, and pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in oven for about 70 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack or plate after cooling for 20 minutes. Cool, and ice with cream cheese icing.

So, I made some modifications. I didn't use oil instead I used apple sauce... and you could definitly use splenda and at least half whole wheat flour.... so all in all pretty healthy. There were no pecans but I think it woulda made it a little better (doesn't make or break it I wouldn't say). I used a little extra cinnamon and vanilla... but it was still lacking a little something. I think I will make a cream cheese icing to spread on it tomorrow. The vote from Noreen and Snowball (who apparently, has to test all baking) was that it was very good. I thought a little bland but the longer it sat the better it got and she said she liked it cause it was a lot lighter than banana bread.

I'd recommend making it. Maybe make a few additions to spice it up. I'd give it a 8.5 outta 10.





Picture 1) Thought it would make up for me using a kitchenaid mixer for Mom to see me making a mess in someone else's kitchen.
Picture 2) After it got out of the oven. Looking great.
Picture 3) The offical taste tester.
Picture 4) All ready to be eaten.