Hummingbird Cake

What a name! I made this cake for my friend BP's birthday lunch last Sunday. It's a cake my friend MY told me so much about, but was readily forgotten until being reminded by Martha Stewart on her Baking DVD. Seeing that woman made the cake on her DVD almost guaranteed the delicious factor of the cake itself. So, I decided to make this moist and light cake for BP. And added heaps of delicious cream cheese frosting as backup. You know, just in case the cake turned out too bland.

The cake proved that my worry was unnecessary. It was moist and tender. Thanks to the mashed banana and crushed pineapple. For the uninitiated, the Hummingbird cake tasted like a cross between banana cake and carrot cake. Martha's version used coconut flakes, which I omitted. I found another version from Southern Living that used almost the same proportion of all ingredients with good reviews and decided to use it instead of Martha's. I think I will give Martha's version a try when I got some bananas again.

I guess I should also mention that it's one of the easiest cake to make because you can stir everything together in a big bowl without the help of a mixer. Perfect for a novice baker like myself!

Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chopped bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting (see recipe below)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.
Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 16 servings

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Yield: 3 cups

Note: To cut down on fat, the hummingbird cake can be made in a Bundt pan without the frosting, or with a simple drizzle of icing sugar.