Hummingbird Cake

My family teases me because I love to take bird pictures.  In all honesty, there have been family vacations when I come home with just as many pictures of birds that I have of the kids.

Last summer, I got some pictures of a hummingbird that just happened to be hanging out at the same coffee shop that we visited one morning.  It was really awesome to watch the hummingbird as he busily went about his morning.

I think I may have to get a hummingbird feeder for our house.  They are just so much fun to watch.

Speaking of hummingbirds, I made a hummingbird cake from the Cook's Country magazine recently - my first one ever - and it was delicious.  I wasn't sure how the pineapples and the bananas and the pecans were going to taste inside of a cake but turns out -  it's a delicious combination. 

Hummingbird Cake
3 (8 ounce) cans crushed pineapple
4 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups sugar
4 1/2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
6 large bananas, mashed
2 1/4 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
3 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting
30 Tablespoons butter
7 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 3/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
30 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Drain pineapple and press to remove juice.  Reserve juice.

Pour juice into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to1/2 cup.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.






Whisk sugar and eggs together.

 Whisk in oil.

Stir in bananas, pineapple, pineapple juice, pecans and vanilla.

Fold in dry ingredients.

Pour into 3 nine inch cake pans and bake for 55 minutes.

Invert onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Frost 1 layer with cream cheese frosting.

Repeat with second layer.

Top with final layer.

 Cover with a thin layer of frosting.  Refrigerate 1 hour.

Spread a final layer of icing over the cake and decorate.

So there you have it - a hummingbird cake.  If I had to describe it, I would say that it's similar to a carrot cake, without the carrots.  This one is definitely worth a try.

Ciao!