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Hummingbird Cake

Servings: 12-16
Comments:
A little bit of history about Hummingbird Cake from cookbook author, Anne Byrn, "This wonderful banana-pineapple cake has been around for
nearly thirty years, and I used to think its name came from
the fact that when you tasted it the flavor was so good it
caused you to hum. But Southern food writers Martha Pearl
Villas and her son John Villas say the cake might have been
so named because it is so sweet, and hummingbirds are
known for their love of sugar water".

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple,
drained (reserve 1/4 cup juice to add to batter)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/4 cup coarsely chopped black walnuts
2 cups chopped or mashed bananas, 4-6 medium to large ripe bananas

FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (3 ounces) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
1/2 cup toasted* chopped pecans, for garnishing top of cake

Instructions:
For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together several times. Put into mixing bowl.
Add eggs and vegetable oil. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Do NOT beat with a mixer. Stir in vanilla, the crushed pineapple, the reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice, the chopped black walnuts, and the chopped pecans, then add the chopped or mashed bananas. Spoon the batter into 3 well-greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. Serve at room temperature. Keep cake stored in refrigerator.

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Beat cream cheese and butter at low speed with an electric mixer until
creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating at low speed just until
smooth. Add the vanilla , and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in the 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans.

Frost the tops of all 3 layers, stack and then frost sides. After frosting,
carefully draw a circle on the top of cake with a toothpick and fill in the
circle with the 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans.

*How To Toast the Pecans:
It's amazing how just a little toasting brings out the full, total flavor of nuts. Here is how you would toast pecans.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread pecans out in one layer on a baking pan. Stir once or twice with a metal spatula or a long wooden spoon while toasting. Remember that chopped nuts will take less time than whole nuts and halves. Toast pecans for 4 to 5 minutes or until you smell a wonderful aroma coming from your oven.

Enjoy this wonderful cake.........Diana

Source: DianasDesserts.com
Date: May 28, 2002