Hummingbird Bundt Cake

Spring is officially here. Why not celebrate its arrival with a Hummingbird Bundt Cake? The sweet flavours of pineapple and banana make the perfect Spring time treat.

If you live in the US Spring heralds the arrival of hummingbirds. These delicate and gorgeous creatures migrate back more than 500 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Many of them returning to the same gardens they previously nested in. After such a long journey the birds are hungry and looking for the nectar that sustains them. Here in the UK there are no hummingbirds in sight. We do have signs of Spring everywhere. Flowers are bursting into bloom and birds are gathering material for their nests. Bird song is an accompaniment to lighter and brighter mornings.

What could be a more apt cake for spring than a Hummingbird bundt cake? This cake is a tradition in the American South. The recipe has been appearing in American magazines since the seventies. There are many names for it, “Doctor Bird Cake,” “A Cake That Doesn’t Last,” “Tropical Treat Cake and the more popular Hummingbird cake. The original recipe probably came from Jamaica. The Red-billed streamertail, a type of hummingbird, is Jamaica’s national bird. Often known as the doctor bird because of the way it probes a flower with a long beak as if examining a patient. The bird became associated with the cake as it is so sweet with the banana and pineapple it will attract a hummingbird.

I love Spring, it brings a sense of renewal. The cold grey darkness of the winter is over and there is the promise of regrowth and sunny days ahead. It is a time to start getting outside more and making the most of the sunshine. Whilst is is warmer the wind can still be cold and a cup of tea with a slice of cake is a welcome afternoon treat. My baking days are a Sunday. It is a day when I have a slight chance to relax. Saturdays are for house work and the rest of the week I am at work. Sundays I like to spend in the kitchen, cooking and baking for the week ahead. When thinking of a cake that was perfect for Spring I remembered making Hummingbird Cupcakes. These light and sweet cakes were perfect for Spring. I wanted to adapt the recipe to use my bundt cake tin which has been sitting in my cupboard for ages. I made a marble bundt cake with it a long time ago. The flowery shape of the tin is perfect for a Spring treat.

The mix of pineapple and banana in the cake makes for a wonderful moist cake which is perfect with a cup of tea. In the original hummingbird cake recipe the frosting is layered between the cake. For the bundt cake frosting on the top is perfect. The cake is topped with a cream cheese icing and pecan nuts which give it a little crunch. The pecans are lightly toasted to enhance their taste. If you do not have pecans use walnuts instead.