What better way to celebrate the first day of spring than with this delicious and soft hummingbird cake? The fresh pineapple and bananas provide a burst of flavor that will put you right in the mood for spring. It’s topped with a thick cream cheese frosting and a large amount of coconut to keep the flavors going.
Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, divided.
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups mashed overripe bananas
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
Frosting and Topping:
12 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp.
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans (at least 2-inch tall) and line bottoms with a round of parchment paper. Butter parchment paper and lightly dust pans with flour, shake out excess.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together finely chopped pineapple with 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together remaining 2 1/4 cups flour, the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed, whip together granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy, about 3 – 4 minutes.
- Slowly blend in vegetable oil, then mix in vanilla extract. Add half of the flour mixture and using a rubber spatula, fold just until combined. Add mashed bananas and fold to combine, then add remaining flour mixture and fold until combined. Fold in pineapple mixture and chopped pecans.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 34 – 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in cake pans 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge to loosen and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Frost with cream cheese frosting and gently press coconut onto sides. If desired decorate top with a ring of whole or chopped pecans near outside edge.
- For the cream cheese frosting: In the mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and blend again until shade becomes whiter and frosting is fluffy. To firm up the frosting a bit freeze in 3 minute increments mixing between increments until it’s reached a slightly stiffer consistency.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 658
Calories from Fat 342
Fat 38g
Saturated Fat 24g
Cholesterol 76mg
Sodium 252mg
Potassium 220mg
Carbohydrates 77g
Fiber 2g
Sugar 55g
Protein 5g
Vitamin A 620IU
Vitamin C 8mg
Calcium 49mg
Iron 1.7mg