Southern Recipes
Black Walnut Hummingbird Cake
A signature Southern classic recipe for an indulgent layer cake that incorporates sweet pineapple, banana, cream cheese and black walnuts.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 2 cups diced bananas**
- 1 cup chopped Black Walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 pound cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup black walnuts
Instructions
Cake
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (with shortening) and flour* three 9 inch round cake pans.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs and oil, and stir only until the dry ingredients disappear into the batter; do not beat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, pineapple, walnuts and bananas.
- Divide the batter among the cake pans. Gently tap the pans on the counter to remove the air bubbles.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Place the pans on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes.
- Turn out the layers and cool completely on the wire racks for 1 hour.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth with an electric mixer at medium speed.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy.
- Quickly beat in the vanilla extract.
- Spread 1 cup of frosting between the cake layers, stacking them as you go. (For the most attractive layer cake, place the first cake layer bottom-side up and place the final cake layer top-side up.) Spread the remaining frosting over the top and around the sides of the cake. Pat the black walnuts over the top.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight cake carrier.
Notes
* For best results, use our Pan Release!
** The bananas are diced, not mashed. For the best texture and flavor, use ripe bananas that are evenly freckled with brown spots.
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
Hammons Products Company
Recipe credit: Our State magazine