Tried & True Tuesday: Hummingbird Carrot Cake

. I know...it made you stop in your tracks, right?!  Well believe it, we're getting the best of both worlds in this little delicacy.  Carrot Cake.  Hummingbird Cake.  COMBINED!?

You all know how I absolutely died after making the Hummingbird Cupcakes from Bake or Break.  And I previously ranted about all of the carrot cake recipes I've been hoarding.  Well this recipe takes all of my favorite elements (i.e. every element!) and puts them all together into a beautiful three-layer cake.  Pineapple.  Bananas.  Pecans.  Cream Cheese Frosting.  More Pecans.  Need I go further? I should probably just end this post right now as a matter of fact.

Yes, this is yet another ode to Easter, which is right around the corner I must add!  I truthfully can't believe that it's April already, where did the first three months of 2011 go?!  But I can say that I love any holiday because it gives me a strong and valid reason to bake [and I guess I get to see my family, too...wink, wink Dad]!  So the faster Easter gets here, the happier I'll be!  And this cake as the center piece?  Picture perfect! .

Hummingbird Carrot Cake

from A Passion for Baking

Ingredients:

Cake:

3 c. all purpose flour

2 c. sugar

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1-1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained

2 c. pecans, chopped

2 c. finely chopped bananas

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

4 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish:

Ground pecans

Ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Generously spray three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and blend briefly.  Add eggs and oil; stir until dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in vanilla extract, pineapple, pecans, and banana; blend well.
3. Spoon batter evenly into pans.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool in pans 20 minutes before unmolding onto wire racks to cool completely.
4. For frosting, mix together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until blended.  Spread frosting between layers and and then on sides and top of cake.  Garnish with ground pecans and a light dusting of cinnamon.

Yield: 14 servings

*My Notes:

• I used 4 small bananas to make 2 cups of mashed bananas.  The recipe calls for finely chopped, but really, I don't know how you do that.  Mashed bananas worked out just fine for me.
• Allow the cakes to cool completely, otherwise the cream cheese frosting will melt and won't stick to the cake.
• Aside from being outrageously yummy, this frosting recipe is ridiculously easy to apply.  It's also a recipe that I would use for other cakes and cupcakes (it's THAT good!).