appy spring!

What better way to welcome spring than with a fresh fruity and nut-filled hummingbird cake.

With sweet pineapple, bananas and coconut and crunchy pecans, this cake is a fantastic dessert for after dinner or for a special holiday or occasion. This cake is also a great way to use up leftover bananas.

You can make the cake ahead of time. Actually, the flavors really come together if you allow it to set up a day or so before serving it.

I like to make the cake rounds a day or two prior. Then, I make the fresh buttercream the day before or that day. Easy and stress-free, right?

It’s moist, flavorful, easy and fun to make. Hummingbird cake is a wonderful treat with lots of sweet and crunchy surprises baked inside.

Hummingbird Cake

Makes three 8-inch cake rounds

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

1 cup sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

1 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, strained a bit

3 overripe bananas, mashed

1 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (toast in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup neutral oil: grapeseed, canola, sunflower

4 eggs at room temperature

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. To prep your cake pans, use oil, then parchment, then oil again, then flour each of the three round cake rounds.

In your stand-up mixer, pour in eggs, sugar, oil and pure vanilla extract. With the paddle attachment, beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

In a separate bowl, sift together all of your dry ingredients.

Add the mashed bananas and crushed pineapple to the wet ingredients in your mixing bowl. Combine on low until all is incorporated. Then, add all of the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed, just to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Divide the batter equally into your three 8-inch round cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes until your tester comes out clean.

Frost and decorate your cake, as you wish. Refrigerate.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages 8-ounce cream cheese at room temperature

2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature

5 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In your mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese first, until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, the salt and the pure vanilla extract. Mix on low for a minute. Increase the mixing speed to high for about 3-5 minutes. Decorate your cake as you would like, adding any toppers you wish.

Sarah Schweitzer is dual-certified in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. She is a former line cook for Chef Robert Irvine at “Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine” which was located at the Downtown Allentown Market. Sarah is currently working as a Sous-Chef at Ateira’s on First and has her own blog simplysarah.online. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.