Hummingbird Cake

I have wanted to make this for a long time I just never really have any extra ripe bananas hanging around BUT this week I got smart and bought extras so I could make something banana flavored!  I know, I know, I’m a genius…I even amaze myself sometimes…

So back to this cake, it’s really just a glorified banana cake.  What makes it hummingbird-ish is that it had crushed pineapple and chopped pecans mixed it. 

It’s pretty easy to make; you don’t even need to use a mixer!

IT’S GOOD!  Like waaaay good.  I ate a lot of it…

Like I said this is really easy…just combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another.

Pour the wet into the dry and mix by hand.  Once it’s combined, fold in your pecans. 

Divide the batter between two pans and bake!

Let the cake cool completely before icing.  I like to trim the cakes before icing so I just take a serrated knife and level off the top. 

Next step is to make your icing, which is just like any other cream cheese icing.  Just cream your butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy then add your sugar and vanilla.

You can’t go wrong with this… Now ice your cake, decorate it anyway you want and ENJOY it!

Hummingbird Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped ripe bananas

1 cup drained crushed pineapple

1 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

8 ounces cream cheese - room temperature

1/2 cup butter - room temperature

1 pound confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Position oven racks to middle position and preheat oven to 350.  Grease (2) 9 inch pans.

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt) into a bowl.  In a separate bowl combine the bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix BY HAND until relatively smooth.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  Once mixture is smooth, fold in pecans.  Divide batter between (2) 9 inch cake pans and bake for approx 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed in the center.  Cool cakes completely before icing. 

To make icing: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter an cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Slowly add confectioners sugar, then vanilla.  Beat until smooth.