Hummingbird Bread

Don’t worry – no hummingbirds are harmed in the making of this delicious loaf! It’s actually a sweet bread with wonderful flavors like pineapple, vanilla, nuts, bananas, and cinnamon.

If you’re curious about the name, this sweet treat has an interesting history. Apparently it was known as “doctor bird cake” in the late 1960s in Jamaica, the reason being a doctor bird, or red-billed streamertail, a kind of hummingbird, has the habit of poking its bill into flowers and that’s a bit like how a doctor pokes and probs a patient.

Jamica’s tourism board mailed out press kits to tempt American visitors to come visit Jamaica and this recipe was one of the ones included in the kit. Anyone should be able to make this with ease. You just need to gather the ingredients, mix them into a batter, and bake in a loaf pan until golden brown.

The kitchen will smell fantastic while this is in the oven.

Why You’ll Love the Recipe:

This special recipe, originally from Jamaica, has different names, including doctor bird cake, granny cake, and don’t last cake, and is truly tasty! It boasts various tropical flavors, such as pineapple and banana as well as nuts and raisins. It’s tasty as it is, or you can add cream cheese frosting to make it more indulgent. You’ll love how extra-special this cake is, and how perfect it is for any special occasion. Oh, and it’s really easy to make as well!

How to Serve It:

A slice of hummingbird cake or hummingbird loaf goes with any drink you want, from your morning cappuccino to a glass of iced tea or milk later on. It’s good served warm from the oven but keeps for a few days and is just as flavorful cold.

Ingredients:

• Pineapple chunks undrained
• Flour
• Pecans
• Sugar
• Raisins
• Vanilla extract
• Oil
• Baking soda
• Bananas
• Salt
• Eggs
• Cinnamon

How to make Hummingbird Bread:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Blend together the flour, sugar, oil, baking soda, bananas, salt, eggs, and cinnamon until well combined.

Fold the pineapple, pecans and raisins into the batter.

Spread the mixture into a well-greased loaf pan.

Bake until the bread is cooked through completely. Start checking it at the 45-minute mark, and continue to check every 10 minutes until done.

Let cool before serving.

If you love recipes like banana bread and cakes with exotic flavors, you absolutely have to add hummingbird cake to your must-make list. It’s a mouthwatering combination of fruit, nuts, vanilla, spices, and more. This sweet loaf has been popular since the late 1960s in Jamaica and since then its popularity has spread far from the West Indies. Try this sweet hummingbird loaf out for yourself – you are going to love it.

Can You Make It Ahead?

Yes, this cake can be made a couple of days ahead and it stays juicy and delicious.

Storage Instructions:

Leftovers will keep for 3 days as long as they’re covered and refrigerated.

Variations and Substitutions:

You can adapt the recipe if you wish, subbing walnuts for pecans, dried cranberries, cherries or “Craisins” for the raisins, or nutmeg or allspice for the cinnamon.