Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 c. chopped bananas (4-6 depending on size)
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)
1/4-1 c. coconut (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting
chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350˚. Wisk together flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add eggs and oil and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, and bananas. You can add nuts and coconut if desired. I used toasted coconut.

Spoon batter into well greased and floured pans. Use 3 - 9" rounds, 1 bundt cake pan, or a 9"x13" pan.

Bake rounds at 350˚ for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I baked the 9x13 cake about 40 minutes. A bundt cake would take 60-70 minutes. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes and turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Frost with cream cheese icing (your favorite recipe). I used lemon extract in my frosting and it was delicious. For the 9x13 cake I used 4 oz. cream cheese, 2 TB. butter, about 3 c. powdered sugar, a little milk, and lemon extract. Top with chopped pecans, toasted pecans, or arrange pecan halves in a pretty arrangement.

A good glaze for a bundt cake is 4 oz cream cheese, 2 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla (or other extract) and 1-2 TB. milk. Beat well until smooth.