The BEST Hummingbird Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting (2024)

FAQs

Why is my hummingbird cake dry? ›

Extra sugar or leavening will cause a cake to fall; too much flour makes it dry.

You want to take care not to accidentally over-mix the batter or the cake could end up dense and dry, or even rubbery (like over-mixed banana pancakes). Bake. Make sure to thoroughly grease and flour your cake tins or use a baking spray (make sure it's one that contains flour).

While the addition of butter and powdered sugar does help to stabilize it, cream cheese frosting should only be left out at room temperature for two hours before it needs to be put in the fridge.

An equal ratio of butter to cream cheese yields a super smooth, spreadable frosting, while still maintaining the distinctive tangy flavor.

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

On their own, boxed cake mixes have a structure that's loose and airy. But if you add ¼ cup flour or half a box of instant pudding mix, the texture of the cake becomes denser and tighter, ideal for a pound-cake-like consistency that will hold the shape of a Bundt pan.

The most crucial tip? Instead of buying an entire box of cake flour, simply incorporate two tablespoons of cornstarch into 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. This blocks the formation of gluten in the flour, which produces a lighter, fluffier cake.

Cream cheese should not be left out longer than two hours at room temp (or higher than 40 degrees F) because it then becomes a playground for nasty bacteria like salmonella. No one wants a trip to the emergency room over the carrot cake. If it's been out for longer than two hours, toss it—better safe than sorry.

Cream cheese frosting will hold its decorative piped shape if you refrigerate it prior to piping. Fit your piping bag with a piping tip, fill your bag with the frosting, then refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes before piping. However, don't expect it to be as sturdy as buttercream.

How to store a frosted cake overnight. To store a buttercream cake overnight, use plastic wrap to cover all areas of your cake and store it at room temperature in a container. If your cake is frosted with cream cheese or ganache, make sure to cover it and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.

What thickens cream cheese frosting? ›

Powdered sugar – Aka confectioner's sugar. It thickens and sweetens the frosting. Make homemade powdered sugar, or use store-bought.

If you want to add a little bit of tanginess and creaminess, whip in some softened cream cheese. You can also whip in a few tablespoons of softened butter to replicate a homemade buttercream frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Is Perfect For Spiced Cakes And Breads

It's also, of course, the perfect frosting and filling for your red velvet cupcakes and cakes. However, its softer consistency can make it less stable and more difficult to work with when it comes to piping.

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.