Hummingbird Cake

By vealam

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• 2 (8-ounce) cans crushed pineapple in juice
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 very ripe large bananas, peeled and mashed (about 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• For the Frosting:
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 pounds cream cheese, chilled and cut into 20 pieces
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 100mins
Adapted from browneyedbaker.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the parchment and flour the pans; set aside.

2. Drain the pineapple in a fine-mesh strainer set over a small saucepan, pressing to remove as much juice as possible. Place the saucepan over medium heat until reduced to ⅓ cup, about 5 minutes; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs, then whisk in the oil. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the bananas, pecans, vanilla, drained pineapple, and reduced pineapple juice. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake until dark golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let the cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then turn out of the pans, remove parchment paper and allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours.

6. Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt on low speed until smooth, then mix for an additional 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and add the cream cheese one piece at a time and mix until smooth, then mix for an additional 2 minutes.

7. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Spread 2 cups of frosting over top, then top with the second cake layer, pressing lightly to adhere. Spread 2 cups of frosting evenly over the top, then spread the remaining frosting evenly over the sides of the cake. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.