Hummingbird Cupcakes...

I had never heard of a Hummingbird cake/cupcakes until one of my girlfriends was having her bridal shower. I wanted to do something nice for her, and asked if she would like for me to make the cupcakes for her shower. Then I proceeded to ask her, her favorite flavor of cake. Thinking she would say something like chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, something I had heard of and made before. But nope she said, "My favorite is Hummingbird cake." 

So my next step was to search my cookbooks and internet for this very strange name of a cake. That has nothing to do with hummingbirds and indeed ended up being very very moist and delicious...

Ingredients...

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 2 cups chopped bananas
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, or sanding sugar, or shredded coconut for garnish

Cream Cheese Frosting...

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation of Frosting...

• Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. You can gradually add more powdered sugar to get the consistency you like if using a pastry bag/tip.

Preparation of Cake/Cupcakes...

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.
• Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. You can also make 24 cupcakes with this recipe. Bake time and temperature was the same in my oven.
• Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle with pecans, sanding sugar or shredded coconut on top for garnish.                                 

XoXo,