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Hummingbird Tres Leches Cake

Hannah Eaton
A tropical hummingbird cake filled with pineapple and toasted coconut, soaked in three milks and topped with toasted marshmallow meringue!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Inactive time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 10 slices

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Stand Mixer
  • Hand Mixer optional
  • 9-Inch Springform Pan
  • Double Boiler or a small sauce pan with a heat proof glass bowl
  • Runner Spatula
  • Baking Sheet
  • Pastry Torch

Ingredients
  

Hummingbird Cake:

  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Ripe Banana
  • 8 oz. Canned Crushed Pineapple
  • 4 oz. Sweetened Shredded Coconut with 1/2 divided out for garnish

Milk Soak Mixture:

  • 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Coconut Milk

Marshmallow Meringue:

  • 2 Egg Whites
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • Splash of Vanilla

Instructions
 

To Make the Cake:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spread out coconut on a non-stick pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes. After the oven timer goes off, check the coconut, give it a stir on the sheet pan, and place it back in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the coconut has been well toasted. (Keep an eye on it, as it will burn quickly)
  • In a large mixing bowl, mash your ripe banana until it becomes paste-like.
  • Add both sugars to the banana, and mix to combine.
  • Mix in your eggs, one at a time until fully combined. Lastly, add vegetable oil and crushed pineapple, and stir until well mixed.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir gently until the batter has only just come together. Do not over-mix.
  • Lastly, fold in the toasted coconut, reserving some of it to use as a garnish on the cake at the end ( reserve about 1/2 cup)
  • Pour your batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until the center has cooked evenly and the edges have browned.

To Soak the Cake:

  • Once the cake has come out of the oven and has cooled completely, using a toothpick, poke dozens of small holes into the top of the cake, making tunnels for the milk mixture to soak in.
  • To make the milk mixture, in a small pitcher or a large liquid measuring cup, combine all three milks, and mix until fully combined.
  • Next, grab your cake with the holes poked in it, while still in the springform pan, and slowly begin pouring the milk mixture over it, making sure to pour the mixture into the holes and around the edges of the cake. It will take a few phases of pouring the milk and allowing it to soak into the cake before pouring on a little more and repeating.
  • Stop pouring the milk mixture once it is no longer draining into the cake. It is okay if you did not use the entire mixture.
  • Cover the top of the springform pan in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 2 hours to allow the cake to fully saturate.

To Make the Marshmallow Topping:

  • Combine the egg whites and the sugar in a heat resistant bowl. Whisk well.
  • Place a small pot filled with 3 inches of water on the stove to prepare a double boiler.
  • Once the water has boiled, place your heat resistant bowl over the top of the water, and slowly heat your egg whites and sugar inside the bowl, stirring constantly. You do not want to cook the eggs. You are only looking for the sugar to dissolve (completely) and the egg whites to get slightly warm. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.
  • Immediately place your warm egg white mixture into the bowl of a clean stand mixer with the whisk attachment (if you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a clean bowl and an electric hand mixer), and whisk on high until medium, glossy peaks form. Turn off mixer, and set aside.
  • Take your soaked cake from the fridge, and remove the outer ring of the springform pan, releasing the cake and exposing the edges.
  • Gently place heaping spoonfuls of marshmallow topping onto the top of the cake, and spread gently until it covers the entire top of the cake, leaving the edges exposed.
  • Using a metal spoon, make whatever patterns or waves you would like in the marshmallow topping. Then, using a pastry torch, lightly torch the marshmallow until it has perfectly toasted peaks.
  • Top with the reserved toasted coconut over the marshmallow, slice, serve, and enjoy!
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