Description
Southern bakers treasure this hummingbird bread as a delightful twist on classic banana cake. Moist banana, pineapple, and pecans create a rich dessert that delights with creamy cinnamon frosting you’ll savor to the last crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large egg
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter, softened
- ¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups (188 g) flour
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (50 g) sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (75 g) pineapple, diced and patted dry
- ⅓ cup (40 g) chopped pecans
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped pecans
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preparation: Ignite the oven to 350°F and generously coat a loaf pan with nonstick spray, ensuring complete coverage.
- Banana Base: Pulverize ripe bananas into a silky puree, then vigorously whisk with sugars, egg, and vegetable oil until the mixture achieves a frothy, uniform consistency.
- Dry Integration: Sift flour, leavening agents, and salt directly into the banana mixture, gently folding with a wooden spoon until just combined to maintain a tender crumb.
- Flavor Fusion: Delicately incorporate coconut flakes, crushed pineapple, and pecans, ensuring even distribution throughout the batter for a harmonious blend of textures and tastes.
- Baking Process: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula, and bake for 55-65 minutes, rotating midway to guarantee uniform golden-brown coloration; confirm doneness with a toothpick test.
- Cooling Stage: Allow the bread to rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then transition to a wire rack for complete cooling before frosting.
- Frosting Preparation: Whip cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer until light and airy, gradually introducing powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until achieving a luxurious, smooth consistency.
- Final Assembly: Generously spread the cinnamon cream cheese frosting across the cooled bread, creating elegant swirls with an offset spatula, and garnish with additional chopped pecans for textural contrast.
Notes
- Ripeness Matters: Use extremely ripe bananas with dark brown spots for maximum sweetness and deeper flavor development.
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir flour mixture gently to avoid tough, dense bread texture; lumps are perfectly acceptable.
- Even Baking Technique: Rotate pan halfway through baking to ensure consistent golden-brown color and prevent uneven heating.
- Cooling is Crucial: Allow bread to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting and maintain pristine cream cheese frosting appearance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 217
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 151 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg