Hummingbird Cake

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE






Modified from Country Home magazine (2008)

Serves: 12 -16 servings
· Prep/assembly time: 45 minutes
· Baking time: 25-30 minutes
· Cooling time: 15 mintues


Ingredients (cake):


· 3 cups flour (gluten free or regular)





· 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon





· 1 teaspoon baking soda





· 1 teaspoon salt





· 1 cup granulated sugar





· 1 cup packed light brown sugar





· 3 large eggs, room temperature





· 1 cup vegetable oil





· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract





· 1 cup fresh pineapple, crushed (see below)





· 2 cups roasted bananas*, mashed (approximately 4 large or 6 medium-small bananas with peel left on)





· 1 cup chopped pecans





· Parchment paper to line bottom of the cake pan





Cream Cheese Frosting:





· 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, chilled





· 3-8 ounce packages of cream cheese, chilled





· 1 teaspoon vanilla





· 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted





· 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.






2. *Place bananas on a cookie sheet with peels left on. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until the skins are black (the bananas may leak which is fine). Remove and let cool until they can be handled. Peel bananas, place in a small mixing bowl and mash. Set aside. Leave the oven heated to 350 degrees.





3. Butter and flour 3-9 inch round baking pans. Trace the bottom of the pan (for all three pans) onto parchment paper, cut out circle and place in the bottom of each pan.





4. In a sifter over a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Sift into the bowl. Set aside.





5. In a second large mixing bowl combine the granulated and brown sugar; stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir briskly by hand to combine all ingredients into a smooth mixture.





6. Whisk the oil and vanilla into the sugar/egg mixture until combined and smooth.





7. Add the flour mixture all at once and hand stir (do not beat) to combine the mixture fully.





8. To crush the pineapple: Place 1 cup of finely diced fresh pineapple in a medium mixing bowl and using a potato masher, crush the pineapple. Add the fruit and juice to the batter. Also add the mashed banana and the pecans. Stir just until combined; do not over stir.





9. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Tap the pans on the countertop to release any air bubbles and place in the 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cake bounces back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.





10. Allow to cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks to fully cool before frosting. Be sure to peel off and discard the parchment paper.



To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:






1. Cut sticks of chilled butter into 1 inch pieces and place in the bowl of a standing mixer (can use a hand held mixer if needed). Beat on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium until the butter is still cool but has softened together (about 3 minutes).





2. Cut the cream cheese into 1 inch strips and add to the butter. Mix at medium speed until fully combined, and smooth.





3. Add the vanilla and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat until well blended, increasing speed to beat on medium-high for 3 minutes or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.





4. Fold in pecans by hand.

Cake assembly:






1. Place the first layer of cake upside down (the bottom of the cake will be frosted) on the serving plate. Cover with 2/3 cup of frosting. This will be a thin covering.





2. Place the second layer of cake right side up (flat cake bottom onto the frosting) and frost the top of this layer with 2/3 cup again (note: I found I needed just a bit more to cover this layer).





3. Place the last cake layer with cake right side up and use the remaining frosting to cover top of cake and the sides.





4. Allow cake to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving and store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator. Cake best when made the day prior to serving!

Tea Biscuits

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup margarine
6 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Stir together. Cut in margarine until crumbly. Pour in milk. Stir quickly to combine. Dough should be soft. Turn out on lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8-10 times. Roll or pat 1/2-1/4 inch thick (or 1/2 the thickness you want the baked product to be). cut with small round cookie cutter. Place on greased cookie sheet.

If desired, brush with milk before baking.
Bake at 425 F for 12-15 min.

Peanut Graham Bark

A co-worker of mine made this for our Christmas Bake Exchange.  It was very good.  The little I got to taste of it that is.  BigDaddy LOVED it however. {grin}

1 pound white dipping chocolate
4 cups Golden Graham Cereal
1 cup peanuts

Melt chocolate over med-low heat. Add cereal and nuts.  Spread on wax paper lined cookie sheet. Once hardened, break up into pieces.

Chocolate Pecan Cake

1 pkg (18.25 oz) devil's food cake mix
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cans (16 oz each) white frosting
1 oz semi-sweet chocolate, grated
pecan halves, optional

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.  Prepare cake mix according to package directions; stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and  1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Divide between pans; sprinkle with remaining chips.  Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick, inserted, comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans; cool completely on racks.

Combine 1 cup frosting, grated chocolate and remaining chopped pecans.  Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with frosting mixture.  Top with second layer; spread top and sides with remaining frosting and, if desired, garnish with pecans

Strawberry Shortcake

Biscuits:

2 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup light cream

Strawberry filling:
7 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup whole strawberries
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 425.  For biscuits sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Cut in butter until it resembles small peas.  Make a well in the center.

Beat the eggs.  Combine eggs and cream and pour into well.  Mix lightly and just long enough to make dough hold together.

On a lightly floured surface, pat dough to about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut out with biscuit cutter.  Place cakes on a lightly greased sheet and bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  When done, split while hot, spread with butter and fill with strawberry filling.

For filling:

Mash sliced strawberries lightly with a fork; stir in sugar.  Refrigerate for at least one hour; wash, hull and drain whole strawberries.

At serving time, stir the whole berries into chilled sugar berries and use the mixture between and on top of cakes.  Top with whipped cream.

Serves 6

Rolled Ginger Cookies

1/4 cup hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (mild) molasses
1/3 cup water
3 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

With rack in center of oven, preheat to 350 F.  Grease cookie sheet.  Cream margarine and sugar.  Add molasses and water.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Roll dough to 1/8 inch; cut with cookie cutters.  Bake 8-10 minutes  and let stand 2 minutes.  Remove cookies to wax paper to cool completely.  Makes 3 dozen.

Tea Biscuits

1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup margarine
6 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl and stir together.  Cut margarine in until crumbly.  Pour in milk.  Stir quickly to combine.  Dough should be soft.  Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8-10 times.  Roll or pat 1/4-1/2 inches thick (or half the thickness you want the baked product when finished).  Cut with a small round cookie cutter.  Place on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper.

If desired, brush biscuit with milk before baking.

Bake 425 F for 12-15 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup melted marg/oil
3 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together well.  Stir and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.

You're-an-angel cake

1 box angel food cake mix
1 Tbsp orange zest

Glaze
1 tsp orange extract mixed with 3 Tbsp water
2 cups confectioner's sugar

Garnish: fresh pomegranate seeds

Heat oven to 350 F. You need a 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Stir in zest. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake, cool and remove cake from pan as package directs.
Glaze: Whisk extract mixture and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Spread over top of the cake, letting excess drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with pomegranate seeds.
(Bake the cake up to 2 days ahead. Leave in pan, covered and at room temperature. Remove from pan and glaze the day of serving.

Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 c shortening
1 1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium spped of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. Combine flour, salt and baking soda, and add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Flatten slightly in criss-cross pattern with times of a fork. Bake at 375 F for 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.

Makes 3 dz cookies.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust (15 oz box)
2 eggs
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
2 cups milk chocolate chips
12 pecan halves for garnish

Heat oven to 325F. Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp edges. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

In a large bowl, beat eggs; beat in flour and then sugar. Continue to beat for 1 minute. Stir in butter and vanilla until completely combined. Fold in chopped peacans and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour into the pie crust.
Bake at 325 F for 55 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Place remaining chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Spread melted chocolate over top of pie and garnish with the remaining pecan halves. Allow to cool completely.

Herb Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp chopped, flat-leafed parsley
1 Tbsp each minced sage and thyme

Heat oven to 400 F. In large mixing bowl combine all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, melted butter, chopped parsley adn minced sage and thyme. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Pour milk into center of well. Using fork, stir flour mixture until combined. Divide herbed batter among 12-cup muffin tin lightly coated with cooking spray.

Bake 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 biscuits.

Cake Ball Bites

1 13X9 baked cake *cake mix from box or homemade
1 can cream cheese frosting
1 package white chocolate almond bark
bowls for dipping
wax paper
sprinkles

Bake a cake from a mix or from scratch and cool completely.

Crumble cake into fine pieces.

Add can of cream cheese frosting and blend together using the back of a large spoon. Blend thoroughly.

Roll mixture into 1.25" - 1.5" size balls and lay on wax paper. You’ll need to wash your hands quite often.

Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for several hours or for 15 minutes in freezer. This makes it easier for dipping. Remove from freezer when you’re ready to start dipping.

Follow the instructions on the almond bark package for melting.

When you are ready to dip, remove cake balls from freezer and set up another sheet of wax paper.

Dip each ball into chocolate melt.. I used a wooden skewer to hold balls for dipping.

Just after dipping... sprinkle with candy sprinkles.. then lay ball on wax paper. The little hole from the skewer can be easily covered with chocolate melt.

Since the balls were frozen ... the chocolate melt sets up within a few minutes.

Eatmore Bars

1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup Rice Krispies
1 3/4 cups peanuts, crushed

Bring syrup, peanut butter and chips to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then add the remaining ingredients. Put in a slightly greased cookie sheet. Cool, then cut into squares.

Black Berry Muffins with Crumble Topping

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup frozen blackberries

Crumble topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375. Grease or line muffin tins.

In a medium sized bowl stir together flour, baking powder and soda and salt. Set aside.

Prepare crumble topping in a small bowl by combining dry ingredients and then crumbling butter into the mix with your fingers until everything is crumbly. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar and eggs until creamy. Add yogurt, oil and vanilla and mix well. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Gently fold in blackberries until evenly distributed through the batter.

Add batter to prepared tin, filling them 3/4 full. Sprinkle topping on each muffin and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry,about 20 minutes or so.

Firecrackers

5 cups angel flake coconut
red food coloring
24 baked cupcakes, cooled
1 tub (12 oz) cool whip, thawed
blue decorating gel
red string licorice (pull aparts)

Tint coconut using red food coloring.

Trim any "lips" off the edges of cupcakes. Using a small amount of whipped topping, attach bottomes of 2 cupcakes together. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Stand attached cupcakes on 1 end on a serving plate or tray.

Frost with remining cool whip. Press coconut onto sides.

Draw a star on top of each firecraker with decorating gel. Insert pieces of licorice for fuses. Store in fridge.

(Sprinkle with colored crystal sugars and small candy balls)

Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chow mein noodles
1/2 cup salted peanuts

In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips; stir until smooth. Stir in chow mein noodles and peanuts until well coated. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Ready in 15 minutes, this is a quick holiday treat and something the kids can help out with too.

Berry Crisp

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, divided
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups halved fresh strawberries
2 cups fresh blueberries or blackberries
1 cup fresh raspberries


In a bowl, combine honey and oil until blended. Stir in the oats, flour and pecans until blended; set aside for topping. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate until smooth. In a saucepan, combine lemon juice and remaining apple juice concentrate. Gradually whisk in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Combine the berries in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with apple juice mixture; sprinkle with oat mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown. Serve warm. Serves 12.