hummingbird cake

Make the cake layers: Heat your oven to 350°F. Coat three 9-inch round cake pans with butter or nonstick spray and line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper. Don’t have three pans? Bake the cake layers one or two at a time and leave the extra batter at room temperature while you wait to reuse the pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and salt until evenly mixed. Add the pineapple and banana and whisk to combine. Sprinkle the top of the batter with baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice, if using, and whisk them thoroughly into the batter, giving it several more stirs than seems necessary. Add the flour and nuts and stir to combine.Divide the batter between the prepared pans — each will hold about 2 cups or 600 grams of the batter — and spread evenly using a small offset spatula. Gently tap the pans on the counter a few times to release excess air bubbles.Bake: Cake layers until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 22 to 25 minutes. If you’re not in a rush, you can let the cakes cool completely in the pans. Make the frosting: [Food processor instructions at the end.] In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a handmixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed until it’s smooth and there are no lumps. Scrape down the bowl and paddle or beaters often. Add the butter to the cream cheese and continue mixing until smooth, scraping often. You want to make sure none of the cream cheese or butter is sticking to the paddle, or it may end up creating lumps. Mix in the vanilla and/or lemon juice. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and continue mixing until smooth.Assemble and frost: Run a knife around the edge of the first cake layer, then flip the cake out upside-down, remove the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving plate. If it’s domed a lot, you might use a serrated knife to level it for more even stacking. Spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of the frosting over the cake, making sure it goes all the way to the edges. Place the next cake over the frosting (again, leveling it for a more even appearance, if necessary) and top with another layer of the frosting. Repeat with the last cake layer; I like to place this one upside-down for the flattest cake top. If desired, at this point, you could crumb-coat the cake. Coat the sides and top of the cake with a thin layer of the frosting and chill the cake until the frosting is firm to the touch, 20 to 30 minutes. This will keep the crumbs of the cake from getting into the final frosting. Use remaining frosting to evenly coat the sides and top of the cake. Decorate with chopped pecans.Serve: In wedges. Cutting the cake in a gentle sawing motion with a serrated knife will keep nuts from tearing the cake as you press down. Keep leftovers in the fridge. If you have time before serving it, letting the cake warm up at room temperature for 30 minutes before makes the texture even more plush.