This is the perfect cake to serve in the spring and summer when hummingbirds are buzzing around your garden. In gluten free baking I have found that cakes with fruit in them make them moist and light. This cake has bananas and pineapple in it. I have this recipe in my list of favorites that I make again and again
Make sure that your bundt pan is well greased and floured. Gluten free products tend to stick to the pan otherwise. It’s also important to let your batter rest for 30 minutes before baking the cake. Gluten free flours don’t tend to bind together well which is why xanthan gum is used in gluten free baking. Resting, or letting the batter sit for 30 minutes allows the flours to moisten. I’ve found that the difference between resting the batter and not doing so results in a cake that is is lighter and rises about an inch higher. So by all means do rest the batter.
Removing it immediately from the bundt pan instead of letting it rest 5 minutes also helps to prevent sticking. I simply put a plate over the bundt pan and turn it over.
The traditional hummingbird cake has a cream cheese frosting on a layered cake. Since I am dairy free I make a lemon sugar glaze. But if you’re not then by all means enjoy a creme cheese glaze.
Cake Batter
3 cups GF flour blend
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups mashed bananas (about 4 large)
10 oz crushed pineapple (do not drain)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and next 5 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Spoon batter into a 14 cup bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 5 minutes and invert the cake onto a plate. Allow to cool completely before glazing (about 2 hours.)
Lemon Glaze
1 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Add lemon juice spoonful by spoonful to the confetioners sugar until the desired consistency is reached. Spoon over the cooled cake.
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