Tropical Hummingbird Cake

with whipped cream cheese & rum frosting

When it comes to dividing the cake batter, you can eyeball it. Or for the most even layers, use a scale to weigh the batter, then divide it evenly.

Makes 16 servings

(three 9-inch cake layers)

Total time: about 11/ hours + cooling

WHISK:

3 11/ 2 1

1/2

CREAM:

4 11/ 2 2/3

1/4

2 3/4 eggs cups granulated sugar cup packed light brown sugar cup dark rum (such as Myers’s) tsp. pure vanilla extract cup vegetable oil

BEAT IN:

2 1 1/2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour tsp. ground cinnamon tsp. each table salt, baking powder, and baking soda tsp. each ground allspice and freshly grated nutmeg cups mashed ripe bananas (4–5 medium-large) can crushed pineapple (8 oz.), drained cup chopped pecans, toasted cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat bottoms of three 9-inch-round cake pans with butter, line with parchment, then coat parchment and sides of pans with butter and flour, shaking out excess.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Cream eggs, granulated and brown sugars, rum, and vanilla in a bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until it forms ribbons, 5–7 minutes. With mixer running, slowly drizzle in oil until incorporated.

Beat in bananas and pineapple until evenly distributed.

Fold flour mixture into banana mixture just until incorporated, then stir in pecans and coconut.

Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25–30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.

Transfer cakes to a cooling rack; cool in pans 15 minutes, then turn cakes out to cool completely.

See page 78 for frosting recipe and assembling instructions.