Hummingbird Cake

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut parchment rounds for your pans and butter and flour the sides. You can make this cake with two eight inch pans or three six inch pans. If using the smaller pans you will have enough extra batter for a few cupcakes.

Step 2

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and spices into a large bowl then whisk together and set aside.

Step 3

Peel and mash your bananas in a small bowl.

Step 4

Beat the sugars, oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla together in a large bowl.

Step 5

Mix in the crushed pineapple, mashed bananas, and toasted pecan pieces into the wet mixture.

Step 6

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix together until combined and scrape the bowl down.

Step 7

Divide the batter evenly into two buttered 8" pans lined with parchment paper. You can also make this recipe with 3 six inch pans. If doing so you may will have enough extra batter for a few cupcakes.

Step 8

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 9

Allow the layers to cool completely in the pan for about 5 minutes then invert onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper and allow to cool completely.

Step 10

Cream the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape the bowl down then add the confectioners sugar a few cups at a time and mix until smooth.

Step 11

Set oven to 220F. Cut the skin from a whole pineapple and remove the "eyes". Use a sharp knife to cut very thin slices.

Step 12

Pat each slice dry with paper towels and place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Step 13

Bake For 30 minutes then flip slices and place back in oven. Bake until most water is gone and the slices have shrunken. You will notice the pineapple has darkened to a golden brown when they are ready.

Step 14

Place each slice in a mini muffin tin and press the center down. Allow to dry/set overnight.

Step 15

Pipe a thick layer of the cream cheese frosting onto the first cooled layer, add the second then repeat the process until the cake is built. Because cream cheese frosting tends to be soft it's best to chill the cake for a bit so it stabilizes.

Step 16

Cover the cake in cream cheese frosting then smooth the side and top.

Step 17

Press the chopped toasted pecans onto the lower part of the side.

Step 18

Apply the pineapple flowers to the top of the cake. You can pipe a mound of frosting on the cake first to give the flowers some play of height.