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5 from 1 vote

Pineapple Upside Down Hummingbird Cake

The Hummingbird Cake, a cake historically made up of banana, pineapple and nuts, reminds me of the very origins of Kwanzaa as it is deeply rooted in African-American, southern soul food tradition. The generational passed down tale is that the origin of the name “hummingbird cake” came from people humming when they tasted the cake.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: African
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 512kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients

  • 8-10 (3 ounce) ramekins or 4-5 (5 ounce) ramekins

For the Cake

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 can pineapple slices or fresh pineapple
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup toasted and finely chopped pecans, optional (omit if you have a nut allergy like yours truly)

For the Caramel Cream Sauce

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2-2 cup heavy cream (depending on how thick you want your sauce)

For the Butterscotch Coconut Ice Cream

  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray individual 3-ounce ramekins with non-stick baking spray. Start by making the caramel topping. Take the brown sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes bubbly (this happens after a few minutes). Pour the caramel mixture evenly into individual ramekins. Arrange one pineapple slice in each ramekin on top of the caramel mixture. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, and pecans if you decide to use them, and mashed bananas. Pour batter into prepared ramekins. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from ramekins.

For the caramel sauce

  • Combine 3/4 cup of sugar and water in saucepan. Boil the mixture over medium high heat until the water evaporates and the sugar begins to melt. Reduce the heat and stir constantly while continuing to cook until the sugar is completely melted (a darker amber color). This can take about 20 minutes. Remove the melted sugar from the heat and add the cream gradually, whisking constantly. Add in vanilla and whisk. Set aside to cool slightly.

For the butterscotch ice cream

  • Heat butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract in saucepan until it begins to bubble. Slowly add coconut milk and a pinch of salt while whisking. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Store in the refrigerator until completely cool. Once cool, add to your favorite ice cream maker to finish. P.S. This is a great vegan recipe if you replace the butter with a vegan substitute like Earth’s Balance.

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2.4mg