The Iconic Vintage Cake From The '60s More People Need To Make
Vintage recipes are a delicious way to travel back in time and try the flavors your grandparents loved in their day. There are plenty of vintage desserts people loved in the '60s and '70s in particular, one of which is the classic hummingbird cake. This blast from the past might not be as well-known as it was back then, but it's still a delectable treat that suits most any celebration.
Hummingbird cake is originally a Jamaican recipe that combines a soft, delicious sponge cake with bananas and pineapples, as well as different spices like vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, all topped off with a cream cheese frosting. The end result is a tangy, fruit-forward flavor profile with a light, fluffy texture and a warm undertone from the spice blend. That's all combined with the creamy smoothness and mild tang from the cream cheese to create a flavor profile you'll never forget.
You may have everything you need for a hummingbird cake in your own home. Sponge cake mix provides the base, and, besides the basics listed on the box or in your cake recipe, all you need beyond that are a few bananas, a can of crushed pineapple, and the spices. Add them in and follow the instructions on the box. To enhance your hummingbird cake and really make it taste homemade, consider adding sweetened condensed milk or an extra egg to the boxed cake mix.
The history of hummingbird cake
Hummingbird cake hails from Jamaica, where it was created in the late 1960s as part of a push to transition the country's economy from the sugar industry towards tourism. Bananas and pineapples grow aplenty in Jamaica, and in order to showcase the flavors of the island, the Jamaica Tourist Board distributed the recipe to local newspapers. The dessert became popular and only spread further from there. Locally, it was called the "doctor bird cake," after Jamaica's national bird, the streamertail hummingbird, which locals sometimes call the doctor bird.
Hummingbird cake came to the United States via the American South, though where it first appeared in the public eye is a matter of debate. Some place the recipe's first U.S. publication in a 1969 edition of The Charlotte Observer, while others claim that it debuted in Southern Living magazine in 1978. Regardless of the details of its first appearance, hummingbird cake quickly spread across the South, which is where pecans were introduced to the typical modern recipe. It went through many different variations in its odyssey across the country and inspired many other recipes based on the original version.
Today, while hummingbird cake isn't the novel sensation it was in the '60s, it's still a tasty and easy dish that can be whipped up without much effort. Next time you need something to bring to a special event, or just want to try something new, give it a whirl and marvel at the flavors of Jamaica.
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