The $10.99 price tag on each carton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream kept me from rushing back for more after I flew through my container of Salty Caramel. I stood strong against the temptation of throwing down another ten spot on a single pint. At least for a few days. But the urge soon became too much to brush off. Before long I found myself behind the wheel and driving towards my Jeni's frozen fix. I tried to recall the other flavors in stock since I knew that The Fresh Market ice-chest would leave my mind clouded with indecisiveness. I was originally going to go with Goat Cheese and Cherries, but once standing in front of that freezer my mind was melted by by one word: cake.
Cake mix-ins are among my favorite, and knowing Jeni's capability with ice creams, I couldn't imagine the possibilities what she was given cake to work with. As I reached the cashier with my single pint of ice cream, I received frightful looks from a few of the more frugal shoppers as I cruised through checkout. They didn't know though, so I couldn't blame them. They didn't know what it's like to be a part of the Jeni's Splendid secret society. They didn't know that I would have probably paid more than $10.99 for this. They didn't know that this container of ecstasy is actually a steal at it's current price.
Jeni's Salty Caramel had prepared me for the complexity she was able to pack into an ice cream, so I wasn't willing to settle for anything less from Hummbingbird Cake. I didn't have to. As soon as I scoop out my first bite of the super-premium ice cream, I knew I was in for a real treat. The creamy, aromatic banana ice cream does not disappoint. As my eyes rolled back in my head (as it usually does with A-rated flavors, I was taken on a Jeni's journey for the ages. The taste of ripened bananas start each bite, followed by hints of cinnamon-sugar with the crunch from the walnuts, and finally finished with a pineapple sugary syrup. While the base is super-smooth, the bits of cake give this flavor a crumbly, grainy texture reminiscent of authentic cake. Words can't really do justice for the flavors and textures found in Hummingbird Cake; it's something you need to experience first hand to fully appreciate. The intricacy of this ice cream is just downright criminal. Only a competent culinary professional would be able to pack this type of flavor into a single bite.
All by itself, the banana base would have probably ranked right up there with Salty Caramel. As the top layers begin to disappear, the hunks of actual hummingbird cake and walnuts make themselves widely available. The cake pieces were dense, decadent and do their best impersonation of a moist loaf of banana bread. There weren't quite as abundant as other cake inspired flavors from other manufacturers, but because of the unbelievable base, I wouldn't have it any other way. Coupled with the chewy walnuts, they took up the ideal amount of space in between the banana base.
Typically when I go looking for ice cream, bananas and nuts aren't high on my priority list, but the fact that these aren't my favorite ingredients should speak even higher of Jeni's handiwork. It took a decent amount of deliberation to decide whether or not this was indeed the best ice cream I had ever tasted. Even though it wasn't able to quite get the job done, I have a feeling Jeni's might have a flavor out there that will one day sit at the top of my personal rankings. After jogging over to Jeni's website, I couldn't help but notice this freakishly-good flavor wasn't even listed. Hummingbird Cake was part of a limited edition collection that is no longer available. Hopefully she'll bring this one back some day.
Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: A