Hummingbird Carrot Cake
Hummingbird carrot cake is like four delicious cakes rolled into one! Just imagine biting into a super-moist and fluffy layer cake with all the best ingredients, topped with a delectably smooth cream cheese frosting, pecans, and candied carrot curls.
Servings: 12
Calories: 892kcal
Ingredients
Hummingbird Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 3)
- 1 cup pineapple, pureed (about a 20-oz can, drained)
- 3 cups carrots, shredded
- 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut flakes
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar, 10x sugar, or icing sugar)
Hummingbird Cake Decoration
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Candied carrot curls (see recipe below)
Instructions
Hummingbird Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Grease and parchment line two round 8” x 2” cake pans.
- In a bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.2 cups all purpose flour, sifted, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- Using a stand mixer or electric handheld mixer, blend together olive oil, eggs, and vanilla.1 cup olive oil, 3 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Then, add both sugars and mix until smooth.1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- Turn off the mixer and add the bowl of dry ingredients to the wet, all at once. Mix everything together just until combined (don’t overmix, or the cake may become too dense).
- Finally, by hand, fold in bananas, pineapple, carrots, and coconut.1 ½ cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 3), 1 cup pineapple, pureed (about a 20-oz can, drained), 3 cups carrots, shredded, 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut flakes
- Evenly distribute the batter between two baking pans.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on the counter.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature, 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Then, add confectioners sugar and mix until smooth.2 cups confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar, 10x sugar, or icing sugar)
Candied Carrot Curls
- Using a vegetable peeler, make long, wide strips of carrot.3 cups carrots, shredded
- Preheat oven to 225℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar to a pot and bring to a boil.1 cup granulated sugar
- Lower the temperature slightly, add carrots, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Then, drain carrots from the pot and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Next, place carrots on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
- While still warm, wrap carrots around the handle of a wooden spoon, then let them cool for about 30 minutes.
Decorating Hummingbird Carrot Cake
- Once the baked cakes have cooled, apply a thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top of one layer, then add the second layer on top, and apply a crumb coat of frosting to the entire outside of the cake.
- After applying the crumb coat, place the cakes in the fridge for 30 minutes before adding the final layer of frosting.
- Finally, add cream cheese frosting over the entire cake and decorate with pecans and candied carrot curls. Enjoy!1 cup chopped pecans, Candied carrot curls (see recipe below)
Notes
- Crumb coat: A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting applied to a cake, to catch all those little crumbs that would otherwise get mixed up in your main frosting layer. After applying the crumb coat, place the cakes in the fridge for 30 minutes before adding the final layer of frosting.
- Forming the carrot curls: Keep an eye on the carrot curls as they’re cooling. I found that a few of them kept wanting to uncurl a bit, so as they cooled, I would nudge them back into a curled shape.
- Suggestion: If you enjoy this, you're gonna love our berry chantilly cake!
Nutrition
Calories: 892kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 63g | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 6771IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 102mg