A quick-bread loaf version of the popular Southern favorite, Hummingbird Cake, and it is definitely sweet enough to attract hummingbirds!
Named “Dr. Bird Cake” in Jamaica, after the national bird – the Swallow Tail Hummingbird – it first arrived at our shores in the 1960’s thanks to a press kit from the Jamaican tourism board.
Often a full-on layer cake, this is a quicker/easier version.
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened – divided
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract – divided
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon – divided
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Pinches of salt
- 4 oz crushed canned pineapple, or diced fresh pineapple – with juice
- ½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped – plus more for garnish (optional)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ – 2 cups powdered sugar
- Optional: Chopped dried pineapple, crystallized ginger for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 8” x 4” loaf pan.
- Mash bananas with a fork, you’ll have about 2 cups.
- With an electric mixer on low speed, combine ¼ cup butter, brown sugar, sugar and ¼ tsp cinnamon for about 1 minute. Add egg and ½ tsp vanilla, beat until just combined.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and a pinch of salt and combine well. Add pineapple plus juice and mashed bananas and stir again. Add ½ cup toasted nuts and ¼ cup shredded coconut, folding gently so it’s just combined without any visible flour pockets. Batter will still be lumpy.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool bread in pan on cooling rack 15 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely – about 1 hour.
- For frosting: Beat 1 ½ cups powdered sugar with ½ cup butter, cream cheese, ¼ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp vanilla. Once fully combined, slowly add remaining ½ cup powdered sugar and beat until frosting reaches desired consistency. The more sugar you use, the thicker the frosting will be.
- Once bread is cooled, spread frosting on top and garnish with your choice of shredded coconut, toasted nuts, dried pineapple and crystallized ginger.