Brown Eyed Baker

After looking at a lot of food blogs I didn't really like I came across this fabulous blog : It's called brown eyed baker and written by a woman who loves to bake. She tries out recipes and shares her experiences with her readers. What really appeales to me about this blog is that she doesn't just post the recipes but also explains why she chose it and what's so special about it. One post I particularly liked was the one about hummingbird cupcakes. It attracted my attention because of the extraordinary name and after reading the recipe I can imagine that the name isn't the only great thing about it. These cupcakes and hummingbird cakes in general are famous in the South of the United states. The ingredients include pineapple chunks, banana, coconut and either walnuts or pecans. The dot on the i is the topping, made of cream cheese frosting. The hummingbird cupcake is comparable to a carrot cake. You can imagine it like a tropical version of it. Since carrot cake is my favourite cake I'll definitely try out this recipe - as soon as I've found out what the right austrian measurement for "cup" is ;))

One last thing that I found really interessting is how the hummingbird cake/cupcake got its name. It is said that that the cake got its name because it makes you hum with delight (which it does according to the writer of the blog). Others say that it's because it's as sweet as the sugared water which hummingbirds love.

In case some of you also want to try the recipe:

HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES

yield: 22 to 24 cupcakes prep time: 20 minutes cook time: 20 minutes total time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Dried Pineapple Flowers (garnish):

1 whole fresh pineapple

Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 & 1/3 cups mashed banana (2 to 3 large bananas)

2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained (about half of a 20-ounce can)

2/3 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

2/3 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened will work)

1 & 1/3 cups granulated sugar

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

Frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the Dried Pineapple Flowers: Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper. Cut the top and bottom off the pineapple, and slice off the outer rind. Using a small melon baller or measuring spoon, remove and discard the pineapple "eyes". Use a sharp knife to cut the pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Place the slices on the baking sheets. Bake until the tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more (or longer, depending on their thickness). Pinch the center of each pineapple slice to shape into a cone; let cool in a clean muffin tin to form flowers. Let sit overnight so that they retain their shape. Once completely dried and shaped, the flowers can be stored (stacked) up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

2. Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard-size muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. In another bowl, stir together the banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut; set aside.

4. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue beating until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the banana mixture to the egg mixture, beating until combined. Stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.)

6. Make the Frosting: Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix to incorporate. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar, until it has all been incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Assemble the Cupcakes: To finish, pipe frosting onto the top of each cupcake (or use an offset spatula to spread the frosting) and top with a dried pineapple flower. (Note: I used an Ateco #806 decorating tip to frost these cupcakes.)