naughty_but_innocent's blog post - Hummingbird Cake

For the cake:

3 cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups very ripe bananas, mashed (about 4 med-large bananas)
2 cups toasted chopped pecans, divided in half
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained

For the Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 8-ounce bricks of cream cheese, cut into 1-ounce pieces and chilled.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice.
3. Add vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Stir in bananas, 1 cup pecans and the pineapple just until evenly mixed.
5. Divide batter evenly into the 3 cake pans. Place in oven and bake for 25-28 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
6. To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and powdered sugar, adding powdered sugar gradually. Add vanilla extract and salt, mix until smooth.
7. With the mixer on medium, add 1 piece of cream cheese at a time. Turn the mixer off once all of the cream cheese has been incorporated.
8. Spread the frosting between layers of cake and cover the sides and top. Sprinkle remaining chopped pecans on top.

P.S. I made mine into cupcakes. I'm a timer person, so I timed them for 10 minutes and then turned them around and baked them another 10 minutes. Also, the cream cheese icing was not "smooth" for me until after I started getting the cream cheese blended in.