Hummingbird Cake Bites
Southern Living® claims that their Hummingbird Cake recipe is the most requested recipe they have ever printed.
If you have ever tasted this classic Southern cake, you know why at the first bite. But what you might not know is that a traditional Hummingbird Cake has a whopping 700 plus calories per slice*. In the days of portion control, watching what we eat and calorie awareness, where does a Hummingbird Cake fit in?
Cake bites!
That’s right. Sized just right for two delicious bites, these little mini cakes are perfect for crowds, parties, gatherings and socials. Not only are they precious, they taste deliciously divine. Most mini cupcake recipes are dry little bombs that hardly satisfy the sweet tooth. But a Hummingbird Cake, with its moist, dense texture is perfect to reduce and go “mini.”
I took my Great Aunt Thelma’s Hummingbird Cake recipe and divided it by half, then baked it in mini- muffin tins lined with paper cups. I also used 1/4 the amount of frosting required to frost the whole traditional three layer cake. I’m thrilled with the result and am confident you will be as well! Enjoy!
* Nutritional analysis comparison based on double this recipe divided by twelve slices.
Hummingbird Cake Bites
Start to finish: 1 hour
Makes 48 cake bites
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup mashed ripe banana
Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces softened cream cheese
4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 48 mini muffins tins with paper liners, set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the egg, oil and vanilla. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened, do not beat. Fold into the batter the pineapple (and juice), banana and nuts.
Gently spoon the batter into the cups, filling about 2/3 full. You will have just enough batter for all 48 cups. Do not overfill. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the top and lower pans at the 10 minute mark for even baking. (If you have a convection oven, this is not necessary.) Cake bites are done when the are dark golden brown and gently crowned on top. Remove from oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before frosting.
Prepare frosting by stirring together ingredients with a small wire whisk until smooth. Place in a zipper top bag with one corner snipped (or cake decorating bag). Swirl a small amount of icing over each cake bite in a decorative fashion. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. (Wooden picks can inserted in a few of the bites to keep plastic wrap from interfering with tops.)
Approximate Values Per Serving: 91 calories, 5g fat ( 2g saturated), 12mg cholesterol, 1g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 30mg sodium
Alicia Ross is the co-author of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006).
