Hummingbird Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: Makes 1 cake 1x
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 — the recipe uses 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?
Step 8 says to 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?
The recipe bakes the Bundt at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour and instructs you to 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.
