Bananas, pineapples combine for beauty
Gausman, Belt and others yet to be seen in Cactus League
Don’t think for a minute this cake is named for its dainty lightness. Unlike the hummingbird, this cake is a dense, voluptuous beauty — the origins of its name still a mystery. A darling of the Southern baker, Hummingbird cake seems to appear in spring with the flowering of quince, plum and daffodils — the early spring bloomers. As we throw off the mantle of winter, stretch our little muscles, frolic in the sunlight and breathe in the fresh air, celebrate the glory of spring with a cake worthy of the moment.
British chef Jamie Oliver, equally intrigued with the idea of Hummingbird Cake says it will cause endless excitement among Americans and complete bafflement for everyone else. “The Hummingbird cake is a very unusual one.
For a start, it’s made with oil rather than butter, and contains more fruit than flour.
The mix doesn’t need beating, goes dynamite with a cream cheese icing and often involves spices and nuts. Contrary to the name, there are no birds in this particular recipe.”
Oliver has added a few new twists to the popular deepsouth Hummingbird recipe including lime-zest in the creamcheese frosting and a brilliant pecan brittle topping “achieved by melting sugar and mixing it with broken pecan pieces, then smashing it into crumbs.” The result is an incredible crunch on top of the cake that makes it even more tempting.
The best clue to the Hummingbird’s origins lie in its key ingredients — bananas and pineapple. If you’re thinking Caribbean, you’re on the right track — it’s thought to have been invented in Jamaica in the late 1960s under the name the “Doctor Bird Cake.” The Doctor Bird was a nickname for a Jamaican variety of hummingbird called the Red Billed Streamertail. In the late ‘60s the Jamaican tourist board in an attempt to attract tourists sent out press kits to the United States including a few recipes from the island, like one for the Doctor Bird Cake.
The first American printed recipe for the cake was by Mrs. L.H. Wiggin who supplied the recipe to Southern Living Magazine in February 1978, but by then the cake was winning baking competitions across the south and was called the “cake that doesn’t last.”
As the cake is based on two essential flavors, it’s important to get them right. Sally McKenney, who modified the Southern Living recipe to use less oil, less sugar and more bananas advises:
Bananas — brown and spotty. The uglier your bananas, the better the flavor. Odd, but true.
Pineapple — crushed and canned. You may want to use
fresh pineapple that you crush yourself and yes, that’s absolutely fine!
But one 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple in *most* of its juices is what I reached for in my testing. Convenient and oh my goodness … the flavor.
You would think overripe bananas would be easy to come by, but on my baking day there were none to be had. I’ll share an internet tip discovered by Carole from Raley’s pharmacy: to ripen bananas, lay them unpeeled on a parchment-covered baking sheet and put in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. You’ll know when they are ready because the peels turn a uniform black and the bananas inside are just the right mooshiness.
Hummingbird Cake
Homemade hummingbird cake is exceptionally moist and flavorful with three delicious layers and silky cream cheese frosting. Adapted from Southern Living by Sally McKenney with interesting additions by Jamie Oliver. Recipe serves 12 to 14.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2cups mashed banana (4 over-ripe bananas)
• one 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with most of its juice
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2⁄3 cup vegetable or canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting:
• two 8-ounce block cream cheeses, softened room temperature (16 ounces)
• 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• Lime zest and a squeeze of juice from one lime
Brittle topping:
• 1 ½ cups pecans
• 2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• Splash of water
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread pecans onto a lined baking pan. Toast for
INSTRUCTIONS >>
8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Turn oven up to 350 degrees, then grease and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the rest of the cake ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined. Fold in 1 and ½ cups toasted pecans and save the rest for garnish.
Spread batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 26-29 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rotate pans halfway through baking.
Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. Once completely
cooled, remove cakes from pan and level the tops off so they are flat. I simply use a serrated knife. Discard the tops or eat. Yum.
MAKE THE FROSTING >> In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add lime zest and juice. Taste. Add more salt if needed.
ASSEMBLE AND FROST >> Place one cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with second layer and evenly cover the top with frosting. Finish with the third cake layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Garnish with leftover toasted pecans or make the brittle topping.
BRITTLE TOPPING >> Place the sugar and a splash of water in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Shake flat and don’t stir it, just swirl the pan occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture turns golden. Add the pecans and a pinch of salt, stir to coat, and when nicely golden, pour onto a sheet of parchment to set. Once cool, smash into a dust to sprinkle on top of the Hummingbird and garnish with a few fresh spring blossoms.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing or else the cake may gently fall apart as you cut.
Leftover cake is delicious covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD >> Prepare cakes and frosting one day in advance. Keep cakes at room temperature, covered tightly. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container, then bring to room temperature when ready to use. Frosted or unfrosted cakes may be frozen up to two months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.
PECANS >> I’ve gotten several questions about leaving out the pecans due to allergy. You can leave them out without replacing with anything. Stirring in 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut would be wonderful though.
PINEAPPLE >> Slightly drain the crushed pineapple. You want a little juice, but not all of it!
CUPCAKES >> This recipe will make at least 32-35 cupcakes. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake 20-22 minutes or until cooked through. You can halve the recipe for less cupcakes, but things get tricky with the eggs. I recommend using one egg plus this: crack a second egg in a separate bowl, whisk it, and use about half.
NON-LAYER CAKE >> This recipe also fits into a Bundt pan, though the bake time will be long >> 55-65 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Too much batter for a 9-by-13 inch pan, but a 12-by-17 sheet pan would be perfect. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, keep a close eye to not overbake.
Celebrating a spring birthday? The hummingbird just may become your new family favorite.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. >> Three weeks from now, the Giants will be traveling to Seattle for their season-opening series against the Mariners.
That doesn’t leave much time left for players to prepare, but a number of Giants have already proven they’re healthy, strong and ready to begin the grind of a 162-game season. Several others, including a few prominent names such as Kevin Gausman and Brandon Belt, have yet to make their Cactus League debuts for a variety of reasons.
We looked at the Giants who haven’t appeared in a game yet and ranked the level of concern over their ability to be ready for
the regular season from mild-tointermediate-to-high.
KEVIN GAUSMAN >> It’s unclear why the Giants haven’t sent Gausman to the mound in a spring training game yet, but manager Gabe Kapler has offered
encouraging reports from his recent bullpens and live batting practices. Gausman, a potential Opening Day starter candidate, threw one inning of a live batting practice against Austin Slater and Marco Luciano
on a back field at Scottsdale Stadium on Monday and appeared to be mixing speeds with his fastball and splitter quite well.
“Gausman had a nice changeup working,” Kapler said. “The command was really strong as you’d expect.” CONCERN LEVEL — MILD >> All indications are that Gausman will be ready for Opening Day. BRANDON BELT >> Belt only recently started baseball activities and has yet to participate in a full workout due to a bout with a non-COVID-illness. Neither Belt nor the Giants have detailed the extent of his illness, but Kapler indicated Monday that it would be at least a few
days before the coaching staff would think about having the first baseman join the rest of his teammates in morning drills.
“With respect to Belt, I am probably for awhile going to say he’s getting a little bit better every day,” Kapler said. “That’s the most direct way to say it.” CONCERN LEVEL — HIGH >> Aside from needing to prove he’s completely recovered from offseason heel surgery, Belt hasn’t had the chance to have a high-intensity workout due to his recent illness and isn’t on track to play in a game anytime soon. It may not take Belt long to re-acclimate to facing live pitching, but until he has that opportunity, concern will about his availability will linger. AARON SANCHEZ >> Sanchez arrived a few days after his peers in Scottsdale as he signed a one-year, $4 million deal right after pitchers and catchers reported to Arizona. The righthander has yet to appear in a game, but Kapler said he will throw a live batting practice on Tuesday and the Giants are eager to see how he’ll perform.
After Sanchez missed all of 2020 while recovering from shoulder surgery, there’s probably some concerns about how he’ll hold up over the course of a 162game season. That may explain why the Giants are slow-playing Sanchez, but it would seem to benefit the veteran to have him face hitters sooner rather than later. CONCERN LEVEL — MILD TO INTERMEDIATE >> The Giants may have Sanchez on a similar progression to Gausman, who doesn’t appear
to be working through any injury issues or tweaks that would keep him out of games. But because Sanchez missed last year while recovering from surgery, there’s some pause in evaluating his status for Opening Day.
SCOTT KAZMIR >> Like Sanchez, Kazmir also signed with the Giants after pitchers and catchers first reported. Unlike Sanchez, Kazmir actually pitched competitively last summer, although he didn’t do so in the majors.
The veteran lefty was a participant in the Constellation Energy League, a pop-up independent league in Texas that helped fuel his desire for a major league comeback. Kazmir’s comeback story would be particularly impressive if he makes the Opening Day roster, but he doesn’t sound opposed to proving he’s ready at the Giants’ alternate site or Triple-A Sacramento.
He fared well in a live batting practice session Monday.
CONCERN LEVEL — MILD >> How long does a 37-yearold who hasn’t pitched in the majors in four seasons need to prepare? It seems as if the Giants will work Kazmir into a game soon and there’s slightly less concern about his status than Sanchez, who has simply been less visible to reporters since arriving in Giants camp.
REYES MORONTA >> Moronta missed the entire 2020 season while recovering from shoulder surgery and may have cost himself an opportunity to return late in the season because he wasn’t in great physical condition when his arm was healthy again.
It appears the Giants still have concerns about
Moronta’s conditioning and aren’t thrilled with what they’ve seen from the right-hander in early bullpen sessions.
“Reyes still has some work to do, especially with the command. We want to see him be a little more in the strike zone with his secondary offering and then with his heater,” Kapler said Monday.
CONCERN LEVEL — INTERMEDIATE TO HIGH >> Moronta clearly has a lot to prove and little time left to make a case to the Giants. JARLÍN GARCÍA >> The Giants haven’t explained why García has been out of action this spring, but after the club signed another veteran left-handed reliever in José Álvarez, Kapler was asked if there are any injury concerns with García that led to the surprise signing.
The Giants manager said no and explained the team is anticipating having García make his Cactus League debut soon, so it’s possible there’s just no rush for García to pitch.
CONCERN LEVEL — MILD >> Veteran left-hander Tony Watson once said that relievers who throw too much in March have nothing left in the tank in October. The Giants may be playing the long game with García with the end of the summer in mind.
AUSTIN SLATER >> Slater actually did make his spring debut, but he’s been out of action since going 0 for 1 as the Giants’ designated hitter in their Cactus League opener against the Angels. The outfielder says he’s no longer dealing with elbow soreness, but he has a sore hamstring that’s limited him to live batting practices in recent days.
“Slater’s hamstring is
coming along,” Kapler said. “We feel like we’re in that five-day window now where we’re going to start running the bases here in three-to-four days. Don’t have an exact timetable or an exact return to play, but that’s the window.” CONCERN LEVEL — INTERMEDIATE >> With no exact timetable on when he might return to games, it’s hard to say any concerns are simply “mild” for a player like Slater, who has dealt with a long list of nagging injuries in his career. The Giants would love to have Slater available for the opening series because the Mariners’ rotation is loaded with left-handers and the Giants’ outfielder did some of his best work against southpaws last year.
Spring highlights
• Outfielder Steven Duggar homered for the second time in as many starts in Tuesday’s 13-7 loss to the Brewers.
• Prospect Heliot Ramos nearly hit his third home run of the spring early in Tuesday’s game, launching a double high off the right center field wall. When the 21-year-old came to the plate in the ninth inning, Ramos left no doubt. He crushed a pitch deep beyond the wall in the leftfield gap.
• Pitching prospect Gregory Santos made his Cactus League debut in the eighth inning, topping out at 98 miles per hour with his fastball on the stadium radar gun. Santos struggled with command, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks. The right-hander was one of three pitching prospects added to the 40man roster this offseason alongside Kervin Castro and Camilo Doval.