Hummingbird cake with peanut butter crunch

Hummingbird cake is like a marvellous meeting of carrot cake and banana cake – and this version adds a cream cheese peanut butter icing, and a crunchy peanut butter and corn flake topping.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  10

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups (260 g) flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• ½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups (about 3) mashed, ripe bananas
• ½ cup (130 g) canned, crushed pineapple
• ¾ cup (90 g) chopped pecans

Icing

• 250 g brick cream cheese, room temperature
• 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• ½ cup (113 g) smooth peanut butter
• 2–2½ cups (260–325 g) icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Crunch

• 1 cup (170 g) peanut butter chips
• 2 cups (52 g) cornflakes
• Pinch kosher salt

Cooling time: about 1 hr 10minutes total.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350°F), grease two 23 cm ( 9 inch) round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray, and line the bottom of each with baking (parchment) paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the mashed banana and pineapple then add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just to combine. Stir through the pecans and divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the frosting, using either a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Begin adding the icing sugar about ½ cup at a time, mixing on low in between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon and set aside.
5. For the crunch, melt the peanut butter chips in the microwave or over a double boiler. Stir in the corn flakes to evenly coat, transfer to a piece of parchment paper, and spread into an even layer. Scatter the top with a pinch of salt and set aside to cool and harden.
6. When the cakes are cool, top one layer with an even coating of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake. Scatter over the crunch.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.