Hummingbird Cake, but Make It Vegan and Gluten-Free!

For as long as I can remember, I have loved animals. When I was younger, I wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up. Life never turns out quite the way you planned, though. I grew up in a meat-eating, hunting, and fishing family. I've always hated eating animals but, being surrounded by it has made the idea of switching to vegetarianism, and eventually, veganism almost impossible. That was until I read a study from researchers at the University of Oxford stating that "going vegan is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact - by up to 73%!" Saving the animals and the Earth at the same time? Count me in.

So as a freshly sprouted (haha, get it?) baby vegan to be, I asked my friends and family for their favorite recipes. My vegan acquaintances suggested many different recipes to me, but this particular one grabbed my attention. Banana cake with coconut, pineapple, allspice, and nuts? It didn't take much convincing. The chosen one was recommended to me by one of my best friends of over fourteen years, so I know her taste is impeccable.

It seems that I have been living under a rock for the past 28 years of my existence. I had never heard of Hummingbird cake. Wanting to know more about this mouth-watering dessert, I did a little research. The origin of the cake is Jamaica, sometime during the late 1960s. Depending on who you ask, the name comes from the fact that it is sweet enough to attract Hummingbirds, or the yellow streaks of banana resemble the birds' feathers. I like to believe the first namesake.

I just wanted to provide some background for this recipe. I'll be completely transparent; I am by no means a great cook. Before this, my cooking arsenal consisted of Egg In A Hole, Pasta, and what I like to refer to as "My World Famous Ramen Noodles." So, if I can make this, then you can too! I hate when people ramble on before getting to the ingredients, knowing full well that's why we're all here. Without further ado, let's jump right into it.

What You Came Here for (The Recipe):

What you get: One 8x8 cake

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

The Cake Ingredients:

☐ 1½ cups of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 Baking Flour (through my little research, this seems to be the best gluten-free flour for baking)

☐ 1 cup of brown sugar

☐ 1½ teaspoon of baking soda

☐ 1 teaspoon of baking powder

☐ ½ teaspoon of sea salt

☐ 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

☐ ½ teaspoon of allspice

☐ 1 cup of mashed bananas

☐ ¼ cup of coconut oil

☐ 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

☐ ¼ cup of pineapple juice

☐ 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

☐ ¼ cup of chopped pineapple

☐ ½ cup of chopped pecans

☐ ⅓ cup of shredded coconut

The Vegan Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

☐ 1 stick of vegan butter

☐ ½ teaspoon of coconut extract

☐ 3½ cups of powdered sugar

☐ 3-4 tablespoons of full-fat coconut milk only if needed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Put the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, ground cinnamon, and allspice in a medium-sized bowl and whisk.
3. Put the bananas in a larger bowl and mash well (either three small ones or two medium ones). Once the bananas are well mashed, whisk in the brown sugar until frothy. Afterward, whisk in the coconut oil, pineapple juice, and vanilla extract until they are evenly mixed.
4. Fold in the first mixture into the ingredients in the larger bowl until they are well blended. Then it's time to mix in the apple cider vinegar until frothy.
5. Fold in the chopped pineapple, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut. (Also, shout-out to Schitt's Creek for teaching me what it means to fold something in while baking)
6. Pour the batter into our pre-prepped pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
7. Cool your cake in the pan on the rack for ten minutes. Then, remove it from the pan, allowing it to cool completely on the rack. While you are waiting for it to cool, it's time to get started on that frosting!
8. Put your softened vegan butter and coconut extract into a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to cream the butter until the substance is light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar in ⅓ cup at a time, and keep mixing until it is nicely blended and fluffy.
9. If you believe your frosting is too thick, add in 1 tablespoon of full-fat coconut milk until you've reached your optimal consistency.
10. Use your frosting immediately and spread over the cake evenly. You can choose to garnish with chopped pecans (this is what we did) or toasted coconut slices. Personally, next time I'll be using both because why not?
11. Enjoy! Share it with your friends and family, or live your best life and eat the whole thing yourself.

Amaze your friends and family at the next gathering with this delectable banana cake infused with Caribbean flavors. Even the staunchest of meat-eaters will be coming back for a second serving. Not only is it beautiful, but this Hummingbird cake's explosion of flavor is second to none. Who said vegan had to be boring?

Thank you for taking the time to read! If you enjoyed this piece, feel free to like, share it with your friends, or even tip. Any support means the world to me.