My sweet little Hummingbird Cake

I am just going to say it - this is my FAVORITE cake. Yup! No other cake have I loved like I love this cake. I know this may be a bold statement because certainly I haven't eaten all the cakes that are out there - but of the one's I have tasted - this little bird is the best.

Seriously...someone did it exactly write when writing this recipe and I may have tweaked it to my own tastes just slight but the heart of the hummingbird definitely still lives in this cake. It's amazing how all of these ingredients can turn in to this.....

Oh my dear sweet Hummingbird...how I love thee...let's me count the ways...1 slice...2 slices...3 slices...more!!!!! Oh - and someone asked me about the hummingbird cake and about it's name and I didn't really know. So, I looked it up! I found some fun and charming facts below:

Naming the Hummingbird Cake, well, there are different theories to explain the origins of this cake's unique name, and so far nobody agrees on which one is right. Here are several explanations.

►This cake is so yummy that it makes you HUM with delight, or happiness when you anticipate having a slice

►Hummingbirds drink nectar from flowers and this cake is just a sweet as a flower's nectar

►Hummingbirds themselves are associated with the lighthearted and sweet side of life, hence the name of this cake

►When the cake is served, people hover around it the way hummingbirds hover around nectar bearing flowers

►Although a cake made for people, it is a cake sweet enough to attract even hummingbirds

►Bananas and pineapples come from the tropics, and the national bird of Jamaica is a hummingbird...could this be how it got its name?

So.....pick the theory that makes the most sense to you, or embrace all of them as having a role in how Hummingbird Cake got its name.

Make this cake today - You'll love it - Like how I love you!

[amz]

FOR THE HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
8-ounces crushed pineapple, with juice

1/3 cup finely ground unsweetened coconut (or shredded works too)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

4 large eggs, beaten

FOR THE FROSTING

* I don't enjoy overly sweet frosting so I used granulated sugar versus confectioners but if you have a BIG sweet tooth you go right ahead and use the really sweet stuff!

2 cups granulated sugar
1 (8-ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk, or more if needed
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside.

Prepare the cake:

In a large bowl, stir to combine flour, baking sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer combine sugar and oil. Add one egg at a time. Then add the vanilla and mashed bananas, mix until just combined and then add the pineapple.

In batches of 3 slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Stir in the pecan by hand.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes.

Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Prepare the frosting:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk on medium speed until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper spreading consistency.

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with 1/4 of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1/4 of the frosting. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with pecans.

Remove parchment paper strips; refrigerate until ready to serve.