Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients: Serve 12 to 16
Cake
2 (8 ounce) cans crushed pineapple in juice
3 cups (15 ounces) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetables oil
4 very ripe large bananas, peeled and mashed (2 cups)
1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
20 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 cups (20 ounces) confectioners sugar
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
20 ounces cream cheese. Chilled and cut into 20 equal pieces
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Procedures:

• For The Cake: adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 light colored 9 inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Drain pineapples in fine mest strainer set over bowl, pressing to remove juice. Pour juice into small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes; set aside.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in bowl. Whisk sugar and eggs together in separate large, bowl; whisk in oil. Stir in bananas, pecans, vanilla, drained pineapple, and reduced pineapple juice. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until dark golden brown on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchement, and let cool completely on rack, about 2hours.
• For The Frosting: using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt together on low speed until smooth; continue to mix for 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium low, add cream cheese 1 piece at a time, and mix until smooth; continue to mix for 2 minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 2 cups frosting evenly over top, right to edge of cake. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread 2 cups frosting evenly over top. Spread remaining frosting evenly over sides of cake. To smooth frosting, run edge of offset spatula around cake sides and over top. Sprinkle top of cake with pecans. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before servieng. (cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)