The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet: 100 original recipes for happy home baking

5. To make the glaze, put the syrup, water and sugar into a small pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to warm. If you add the chocolate when the mixture is too hot, the chocolate will seize. Stir in the chocolate until it’s smooth. Cool until slightly thickened and then spread or drizzle over the cake.

Ozark Pudding Cake

The Ozark Mountains are mostly in Missouri and Arkansas, and this baked-in-a-skillet cake was supposedly the favourite of President Harry S. Truman, a Missourian. If you want to experiment a little, use pears instead of the apples, but make sure you choose a firm-fleshed variety so that they don’t turn too mushy when baked.

Makes one 25cm (10in) cake, to slice as desired

2 large, ripe, firm apples (such as Pink Lady), peeled, cored and cut into quarters

135g (5oz) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp salt

60g (2oz) unsalted butter, softened

200g (7oz) caster sugar, plus 1 tsp for sprinkling on top

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

55g (2oz) toasted flaked almonds

One 25cm (10in) cast-iron skillet or ovenproof pan

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Grease the bottom and sides of the skillet or ovenproof pan with butter.

2. Finely chop one of the apples. The other apple should be thinly sliced vertically. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt into a bowl.

3. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together on a medium speed just until it resembles wet sand. Do not cream to light and fluffy.

4. Add the egg and vanilla and blend on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Turn down the speed to low and add the flour mixture in one addition. Mix until just blended – this batter will be stiff. Fold in the chopped apple and half the almonds and stir a couple of times by hand until just blended.

5. Drop the thick batter onto the prepared skillet or ovenproof pan and smooth down gently to make an even level. Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter – fanning out the slices around the centre. Sprinkle the remaining almonds and 1 teaspoon sugar over the top.

6. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes until the cake is golden in colour and bounces back gently when lightly touched. The cake will continue to cook in the skillet when removed from the oven, so be careful not to overcook. Serve warm on the day it is baked.

Gingerbread Cake

This cake is seriously dense and rich. Using a combination of dark sugar, dark honey and molasses adds to the intensity and keeps the finished cake moist and slightly sticky. You can make it zingier by adding another tablespoon or two of freshly grated ginger. Eat plain or with some whipped cream to balance it out.

Makes one 23cm (9in) square cake, to slice as desired

225g (8oz) unsalted butter

120ml (4fl oz) water

175g (6oz) pure cane molasses, such as Meridian

175g (6oz) dark honey (chestnut or darker wildflower)

215g (7½oz) dark muscovado sugar

400g (14oz) plain flour

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp ground cloves

3 large eggs

120ml (4fl oz) whole milk

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

One 23cm (9in) square tin

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Line the tin with non-stick baking parchment on the bottom and up the sides.

2. Place the butter, water, molasses, honey and muscovado sugar in a saucepan and put on a low heat. Stir frequently and cook until the butter has melted and everything is thoroughly mixed together – do not allow to boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

4. When the molasses mixture has cooled enough so that it’s just lukewarm transfer to a mixing bowl, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and mix to combine well. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter. There may be some lumps, but don’t worry as long as most of them have been mixed in. Don’t vigorously mix. Finally, stir in the grated fresh ginger.

5. Bake in the oven for 1 hour–1 hour 15 minutes, or until the top bounces back when lightly touched and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake can be served with whipped cream, if desired.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

This recipe is adapted from the runner-up in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off. The original recipe used Pillsbury powdered mix and became an instant hit after the company printed it in newspaper ads. The cake will have a gooey middle, so don’t test it with a skewer. And use the nuts or it won’t work!

Makes one 25cm (10in) Bundt cake, to slice as desired

For the cake

390g (13½oz) unsalted butter, softened

375g (13oz) caster sugar

6 large eggs

250g (9oz) icing sugar, stirred to lighten and smooth out

305g (11oz) plain flour

90g (3oz) cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

250g (9oz) chopped walnuts

For the chocolate glaze

90g (3oz) icing sugar, sifted

30g (1oz) cocoa powder

4 tbsp warm milk

One 25cm (10in) Bundt pan or ring mould

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Grease the Bundt pan with butter and set aside.

2. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes on medium speed until light and creamy. Lower the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition and mixing until just incorporated. Gradually add the icing sugar, mixing well. Add the flour, cocoa, vanilla and walnuts and mix until just combined.

3. Scrape the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55–60 minutes. The cake will not be done in the centre, but will be dry on top and separated slightly from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Loosen from the sides gently with a spatula after 1 hour and allow to cool in the pan for a further hour. If you take the cake out of the pan too early, it can fall apart. Remove from the pan by inverting the cake onto the rack, then cool completely.

4. To make the glaze, combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and beat with a whisk until smooth.

5. While the cake is still on a wire rack, place a sheet of greaseproof paper or a large plate under the rack to catch the drips. Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let stand to set the glaze, then transfer carefully to a cake plate to serve.

Upside-down Pear Cake

We suppose you could use apples instead of pears, but pears work so well with the sponge and look like jewels when you turn the cake out on to your serving plate.

Makes one 23 x 32cm (9 x 13in) cake, to slice as desired

For the caramelised pears

6 large, ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered lengthways

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

40g (1½oz) unsalted butter

80g (3oz) caster sugar

130ml (4½fl oz) Kentucky bourbon or whiskey

For the cake

195g (7oz) plain flour

1½ tbsp ground ginger

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp salt

160g (5½oz) unsalted butter

75g (2½oz) dark muscovado sugar

4 large eggs

170g (6oz) pure cane molasses, such as Meridian

3 tbsp boiling water

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

One 23 x 32cm (9 x 13in) tin

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Line the tin with non-stick baking parchment.

2. To make the caramelised pears, mix the pears with the lemon juice. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and sprinkle with half the caster sugar. Put the pear quarters into the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until brown on one side. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes until the other side is brown. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the pear quarters and set aside to cool slightly.

3. Add the bourbon and the rest of the caster sugar to the pan and cook and stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes syrupy. Pour this syrup into the baking tin and tip the tin to spread evenly over the bottom of the tin.

4. Start to arrange the pears from one corner so that they cover the bottom of the tin and are facing the same way, with the tapered ends lying in the same direction. Set aside.

5. To make the cake, sift together the flour, spices and salt in a bowl.

6. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Only beat until just incorporated. Add the molasses and beat for a few moments longer to mix.

7. In a small bowl, add the boiling water to the bicarbonate of soda and set aside. Add half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture on low speed. Then add the water and bicarbonate of soda and the rest of the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated. It will look like the mixture has split, but that is correct.

8. Scrape the mixture into the tin on top of the arranged pears and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 165°C (325°F), Gas mark 3 and bake for 10–15 minutes longer. The top should bounce back when lightly touched. Cool in the tin for 1 hour, then run a knife around the edges of the cake. Place a tray over the top of the tin and carefully (but quickly) turn upside down.

Cupcakes

Grape Jelly Cupcakes

Blue Hawaiian Cupcakes

Bananas Foster Cupcakes

Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes

Tomato Soup Cupcakes

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip ‘Cupcakes’

Honey Cornbread Cupcakes

Mint Julep Cupcakes

Grape Jelly Cupcakes

Grape jelly in the USA is a seedless preserve or jam made from Concord grapes. This is hard to find in the UK, but using a purple grape juice will simulate the flavour.

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

2 large egg whites

60g (2oz) unsalted butter, softened

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

160g (5½oz) caster sugar

185g (6½oz) plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

60ml (2fl oz) whole milk

60ml (2fl oz) water

For the filling

120ml (4fl oz) water

120ml (4fl oz) purple grape juice

3 tbsp cornflour

¼ tsp salt

110g (4oz) caster sugar

4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

30g (1oz) unsalted butter

For the frosting

1 large egg white

160g (5½oz) caster sugar

45ml (1½fl oz) purple grape juice

One 12-hole deep muffin tin, 12 paper muffin cases and two piping bags

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tin with the paper muffin cases.

2. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

3. Again, using the mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter, salt, vanilla and sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

4. Sift together the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add to the creamed mixture a third at a time, alternating with the milk and water. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition and mix until smooth. Fold in the beaten egg whites by hand.

5. Scoop the mixture into the paper cases until three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden brown and bounce back when lightly touched. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

6. Whilst the cakes are baking, make the filling. Heat the water and grape juice in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Do not allow to boil. Combine the cornflour, salt and sugar in a small bowl and add to the grape juice and water. Cook over a low heat, whisking all the time, until thick. Once thick, add the lemon juice and butter and whisk briskly until well blended. Allow to cool completely.

7. To make the frosting, mix all the ingredients together in a small heatproof mixing bowl. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and beat with an electric whisk for 8–10 minutes until the mixture holds a peak. Remove from the heat and continue beating until the mixture is thick enough to spread.

8. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a sharp knife to make a hollow in the centre of each, approximately 2cm (¾in) in diameter and 3cm (1¼in) deep. Retain the cut-out piece of sponge.

9. Spoon the filling mix into a piping bag and fill the hollows in the cupcakes, then pop on the removed top. Pipe any extra filling on top.

10. Put the frosting into another piping bag with a nozzle of your choice and pipe it in a spiral motion, making sure you cover all the sponge. Repeat until all your cakes are complete.

Blue Hawaiian Cupcakes

When we’re not drinking kitschy Blue Hawaiian cocktails from a big plastic pineapple-shaped cup (complete with paper cocktail umbrellas!), we’re baking and eating them in boozy cupcake form. You can use any orange-based liqueur such as Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier if you don’t have or can’t find Blue Curaçao.

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

425g (15oz) tin pineapple rings, in juice

2 tbsp water

215g (7½oz) caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp extra

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

40ml (1½fl oz) dark rum

90g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

170g (6oz) plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1½ tbsp Blue Curaçao (or Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier)

Few drops of blue liquid food colouring (optional)

For the pineapple sauce

115g (4oz) unsalted butter

70g (2½oz) soft light brown sugar

45ml (1½fl oz) dark rum

For the whipped cream topping

300ml (10½fl oz) double cream

100ml (3½fl oz) whipping cream

70g (2½oz) caster sugar

30ml (1fl oz) dark rum

For the decoration

40g (1½oz) desiccated coconut

12 maraschino cherries

One 12-hole deep muffin tin or 12 ramekins

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Grease the sides and bottoms of the muffin tin or ramekins with butter – do not put paper cases in.

2. Over a bowl, drain the pineapple rings, reserving 60ml (2fl oz) of the juice (you can discard the rest). Set the reserved juice aside. Trim the pineapple rings so that they will fit in the bottom of your muffin tin holes or your ramekins. Chop up the discarded pineapple finely, put into a bowl and set aside.

3. In a saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons water with the 2 tablespoons sugar, just until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and then add the lemon and lime juices. Measure out about 70ml (2½fl oz) of the resulting sweet and sour mix into a bowl. To this add the vanilla extract, dark rum and reserved pineapple juice.

4. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and caster sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, on a lower speed, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the sweet and sour rum liquid and mix. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and mix into the wet ingredients on a low speed in one slow but steady addition. Don’t overbeat. By hand, stir in the reserved pineapple pieces, Blue Curaçao and food colouring, if using.

6. To make the pineapple sauce, heat the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan for around 3 minutes on a medium-low heat until the butter is melted and all is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum.

7. To assemble the cupcakes, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the sauce on top of each pineapple ring. Spoon the batter in until each hole or ramekin is about three-quarters full. Using a 50ml (1¾ fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes.

8. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when lightly touched. When they’re done, allow to cool in the tin or ramekins for 10 minutes, then flip over carefully. It’s best to take a tray and flip over the muffin tin all at once. The pineapple rings can be rearranged if they fall out or are dislodged to make them fit back on top of the cakes. Leave to cool completely.

9. To make the whipped cream topping, use a freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand-held electric whisk to whip the creams and sugar together until it starts to thicken and forms firm peaks. Fold in the rum carefully by hand.

10. Lightly toast the coconut until it is a light golden brown – this takes about 5–6 minutes in a hot oven, but keep checking as it will turn brown quite quickly. Top each cupcake with a dollop of the whipped cream, a maraschino cherry and a sprinkle of the toasted coconut. Paper cocktail umbrella is optional.

Bananas Foster Cupcakes

Bananas Foster is a dessert created in 1951 at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans. Bananas cooked in brown sugar, rum, butter, cinnamon and banana liqueur are then spectacularly flambéed at your table and served with vanilla ice cream, and here we present them to you in cupcake form. Dark sugar and treacle give the sponge a kick, and don’t worry if you don’t have any Crème de Banane – more rum will do!

Makes 18 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

25g (1oz) piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly sliced

115ml (4fl oz) water

195g (7oz) mashed ripe bananas

60ml (2fl oz) dark rum

90g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened

80ml (3fl oz) treacle

150g (5½oz) dark muscovado sugar

1 large egg

270g (9½oz) plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

For the sauce

75g (2½oz) dark muscovado sugar

45g (1½oz) unsalted butter

25ml (1fl oz) golden syrup

25ml (1fl oz) dark rum

25ml (1fl oz) crème de banane (optional – if not using, use 50ml dark rum)

For the frosting

130g (4½oz) mashed ripe bananas

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

225g (8oz) unsalted butter, softened

600g (1lb 5oz) icing sugar

25g (1oz) dark muscovado sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp dark rum

1 tsp vanilla extract

Two 12-hole deep muffin tins and 18 paper muffin cases

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tins with the paper muffin cases.

2. In a saucepan, combine the ginger and water and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, take off the heat and leave to steep for 30 minutes. Discard the ginger, straining through a sieve if necessary. Stir the banana and rum into the gingery water and set aside.

3. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter, treacle and sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and creamy. Beat in the egg, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients and the banana mixture to the creamed mixture in alternate additions, being careful not to overmix.

4. Scoop into the paper cases until three-quarters full. Using a 50ml (1¾fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

5. To make the sauce, combine the muscovado sugar, butter and syrup in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until they reach a simmer. Add the rum and crème de banane, if using, and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. To make the frosting, mash the bananas in a small bowl with the lemon juice. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter for a minute or two to loosen. Add the mashed banana and beat for 1–2 more minutes until well mixed. Add the icing sugar, a third at a time, on a low speed, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, rum and vanilla. Turn the mixer up to medium and beat for an additional 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

7. To assemble the cupcakes, skewer each one three or four times and pour enough sauce into the holes so that they are quite soaked through. Allow the cupcakes and sauce to cool completely. This is very important, as the frosting will melt if the cupcake is even slightly warm.

8. Pipe or spoon generous amounts of the frosting onto each cupcake, gently smoothing over with a palette knife or spoon and making a nice swirl of frosting on each one.

Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes

Pumpkin spice means that autumn is on the way, Hallowe’en and Thanksgiving are on the horizon, and while it may not get too freezing cold down South, summer is definitely over. America’s favourite autumn flavours work perfectly when transformed into cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

135g (5oz) plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

160g (5½oz) caster sugar

50g (1¾oz) soft light brown sugar

115ml (4fl oz) rapeseed or other flavourless vegetable oil

2 large eggs

210g (7½oz) tinned pumpkin purée (such as Libby’s)