Aaron in the Kitchen

Hummingbird Cake

All-purpose flour: 360g
Baking soda: 1 tsp (approx. 5g) (2:37)
Baking powder: 1/2 tsp (approx. 3g) (2:51)
Sea salt: 1 tsp (2:51)
Ground cinnamon: 1 to 2 tsps (3:22)
Ginger powder: 1 tsp (3:22)
Granulated white sugar: 200g (4:13)
Brown sugar: 200g–210g (4:13)
Vegetable oil: 1 1/2 cups (approx. 350g) (4:48)
Eggs: 3 large eggs (4:57)
Vanilla paste: 2 tsp (or vanilla extract) (5:22)
Ripe bananas: 5 bananas (0:49)
Crushed pineapple: 227g (with the juice included) (1:23)
Walnuts: 120g (chopped) (5:22)

Peel 5 very ripe bananas and place them in a mixing bowl (0:49).
Tip: If your bananas aren't ripe enough, bake them at 175°C for 10 minutes until black and soft (0:37).
Mash them completely using a potato ricer or fork (0:49).
Add 227g of crushed pineapples with their juice and mix with the ricer until combined (1:23).

Place the bowl on a kitchen scale and zero it out (4:13).
Weigh in 360g of all-purpose flour, 5g of baking soda, and 3g of baking powder (2:21).
Add 1 tsp of sea salt, 1-2 tsps of cinnamon, and 1 tsp of ginger powder (2:51).
Weigh out 200g of white granulated sugar and 200g–210g of brown sugar directly into the mix (4:13).

Pour in 350g of vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, and 2 tsps of vanilla paste (4:48).
Toss in 115g–120g of chopped walnuts (5:22).
Scale safety rule: Remove the bowl from your kitchen scale before mixing so you do not damage the scale's calibration (5:32). [1]

Using a simple spatula, fold the batter completely by hand (1:14).
Mix only until the ingredients are just combined and no flour lumps remain (1:04). Do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans using a scale for accuracy (approx. 464g–500g per pan) (7:33).
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for roughly 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool entirely overnight before frosting (8:36).

To keep the frosting stable, use ice-cold butter and cream cheese straight from the fridge (8:44).
Add 340g of cold butter pieces and 250g of cold cream cheese into a bowl with 1 tsp of vanilla (9:16).
Use a hand mixer to beat them together (10:52). Because it is cold, it will take a moment to integrate (11:33).
Fixing lumps: If the butter chunks are stubborn, transfer the mix to a microwave-safe bowl and nuke it for 15 seconds to soften slightly (14:40).

Gradually mix in up to 723g of powdered sugar (12:52).
Beat on high speed until the texture turns thick, smooth, and glossy (13:34).

Place your first cake layer down on a piece of parchment paper on a cake turntable (18:03).
Spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting evenly over the layer using a cake spatula (18:17).
Stack the second layer, add more frosting, and top with the third cake layer (18:46).
Coat the outside of the cake. Use rustic, decorative "swoops" with your spatula on the top and sides for a clean, homemade look (22:05).
Chill the cake in the refrigerator before serving (12:23).