Hummingbird Cake

It's no secret, I love banana bread. But banana bread with cream cheese frosting? Yes, please. That's basically what this cake is. It's very moist and the frosting is so good you could put it on cooked carrots and I'd eat them. 

Anyway.

What you need for the cake-

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups oil (This is why it's so moist!)
3 large eggs 
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups ripe, mashed bananas (with some chunks)
8 ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice 
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda until well combined. In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla until well combined. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the flour is just moistened. 

Add the bananas and pineapple and stir until incorporated. Not too long! Throw in the pecans and mix , at this point, I just use my rubber scraper thing. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Put them in the oven for 38-42 minutes. 

Cool cakes on wire racks. Now for the frosting!

What you need for the frosting-

1 lb cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 lb confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Pecans for garnish (optional)

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add half of the sugar and beat until well combined. Add the rest of the sugar and the vanilla and beat until smooth. Now eat it straight out of the bowl. Kidding. 

When the cake is cooled turn one upside down (round part on bottom) and throw frosting onto the top of that. Put the other cake on top of that one with the rounded part on top. I frost the top first and the sides last. Who cares what it looks like, as long as it tastes good, right?

Now eat a piece and give the rest away like I did, or you'll eat the whole thing and gain 78 pounds. 

This cake should be stored in the refrigerator after it's sat on the counter frosted for about an hour.