A great cake to feed a hungry crew
Tailgate Cake (aka Hummingbird Cake with a twist)
Fun: The internet says the namesake of this cake originated in Jamaica and that it’s a popular dessert in the US South. Once you read the ingredient list I think it makes sense. What you find below is a coffee cake twist but the pineapple, banana, cinnamon and pecan base is a definite nod to the traditional cake.
Why do I call it Tailgate Cake? Growing up on a ranch there were a lot of activities that involved bringing in the support of the whole family and/or a group of neighbors. The same can be said for life here in Sweden on our little farm. Mom always had cookies and snacks ready to feed a hungry crew who were taking a break and I learned from the best. This cake is really moist, packed with flavor and lots of energy which is a perfect mid morning snack. The work crew can pull out their thermoses or water bottles and stand around the tailgate of the truck and refuel before continuing on. You don’t have to eat it like cowboys or farmers though. Pack a few slices in your backpack when you head out for a hike or have it waiting when the kiddos get home from school. Even though it is a bit coffee-cakey, which might make it sound simple, a slice of it can certainly hold its own on the fancy china for coffee with friends.
*Note that can sizes may vary slightly between markets. It’s ok, just get it close.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (270 degrees C)
Cut out some parchment paper so that it fits in the bottom of your tube pan/angel food cake pan. Butter the tube and sides of the pan. Note that I use a tube pan with a removable inner tube and bottom. You can skip this step and just butter your pan completely but I think the parchment lined bottom is a life saver when it comes to getting the finished cake out.
There are quite a few ingredients in this cake so I like to start with some prep. Grate your carrots and set them aside. Mash your bananas on a plate or in a small mixing bowl and set that aside. Drain the juice from the pineapple. (I usually keep the juice to use in something else later) Warm the coconut oil so that it is in liquid form. Melt the butter. Gently heat your honey if it is very thick. Chop your pecans and put them in a small mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. Give them a little stir just to mix them up. Push these dry ingredients to the sides of your bowl forming a well in the bottom. Add the eggs. Here is like to use a fork to break them up and give them a bit of a whisk. Add the grated carrots, pineapple and mashed banana, giving a little mix with the fork after each addition. Add the honey, coconut oil and vanilla, mixing gently with the fork after each addition. By now the well is very full and the dry ingredients will have already started to fall in from the side. Using a spatula, continue to gently mix the wet ingredients with the dry until everything is incorporated. Try to avoid any harsh mixing.
To your small bowl of chopped pecans add 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon and mix it all together.
Spoon half of the batter into your prepared baking pan. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar/pecan/cinnamon mixture over the batter. Add the remaining cake batter to the pan and top with the remaining pecan mixture.
Bake for 75 minutes or until a toothpick or tester comes out clean. At about 1 hour start to check the cake so that you don’t burn the nuts on top of the cake. If they start to burn, cover the pan with aluminum foil and finish baking. Let the cake cook for at least one hour before attempting to remove the outer pan. Finish letting the cake cool while still sitting on the tube center of the pan. You may want to use a knife to gently loosen the inside of the cake from the center tube before attempting to remove it. Using a spatula, get under baking paper and gently remove the cake from the tube and place it on your choice of serving dish.
Dust the top of the cake lightly with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy.