Hummingbird Cake

Directions

1. For the cake:
2. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease two 8-inch circular cake pans. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a separate mixing bowl using a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
5. Stir in the pineapple and bananas. Add the coconut, if desired.
6. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir until just combined. It is important to not over-mix this batter.
7. Stir in the pecans and evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Let the cakes cool completely before removing them from the pans and frosting (recipe below).

1. For the frosting:
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Once the sugar is well incorporated, add the cream cheese in chunks and mix until it is evenly combined. Do not over-mix after adding the cream cheese as the frosting will become runny.
4. Frost cake as desired (I usually slice each cake in half length-wise, then frost each of the layers, then around the exterior) and enjoy!