Hummingbird Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: Makes 1 cake
Description
Debra Smith serves up an absolutely gorgeous hummingbird cake with a decadent, lemon flavored mascarpone frosting.
Ingredients
- 84 grams brown rice flour
- 84 grams sorghum flour
- 126 grams sweet rice flour
- 126 grams potato starch
- 1-3/4 cups (420 ml) granulated sugar
- 2-1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp cardamom
- 3 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1-3/4 cups (420 ml) mashed bananas (approximately 4 small)
- 1 8-oz (225 g) can crushed pineapple, including juice
- 3/4 cups (180 ml) grape seed oil
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla paste (can sub pure vanilla extract)
- 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) toasted pecans, chopped
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup (115 g) Mascarpone cheese, softened
- 2 cups (480 ml) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste (can sub pure vanilla extract)
- 2 to 3 tbsp (30-45 ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Bake pecans in a single layer on a sheet pan for 5-7 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through; set aside to cool
- Place flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and cardamom in a large bowl; whisk until ingredients are blended
- Add eggs, banana, crushed pineapple, grape seed oil and vanilla paste, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened; add 1 cup of the toasted pecans and stir until just combined
- Pour batter into a buttered and floured 10-cup Bundt pan
- Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean – start checking at the 45-minute mark as some pans bake faster than others
- Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan on to a wire rack and cool completely
- If possible, lightly cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit overnight on the counter before frosting
For the glaze:
- Place powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese, vanilla paste, lemon zest and 2 tbsp milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle and blend until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary, 1 tsp at a time; the frosting should be thick yet thin enough to slightly drizzle down the side of the cake
- Immediately pour glaze over cooled cake; top with remaining chopped pecans if desired
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this hummingbird cake gluten-free?
Yes — I use a blend of brown rice flour (84 g), sorghum flour (84 g), sweet rice flour (126 g), and potato starch (126 g) instead of all-purpose flour. There is no wheat in either the cake or the mascarpone glaze.
Why should the cake sit overnight before frosting?
Lightly cover the cooled cake and let it sit overnight on the counter before applying the glaze if possible. Gluten-free cakes made with rice and sorghum flours can be fragile when freshly baked; the overnight rest firms the structure so the glaze pours cleanly over the Bundt without tearing the crumb.
How do I know when the cake is done baking?
Bake the Bundt at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour and start checking at the 45-minute mark because some pans bake faster. The test is a long wooden pick inserted in the center coming out clean.
