Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

I read somewhere many many years ago that Oprah's favorite cake was Hummingbird Cake. I was intrigued and wanted to know what it was. When I finally found the recipe, I thought "how simple" and at the same time I thought "what's the big deal?". And then I thought about it some more and I thought "YUM!" I mean, how could pineapple, bananas, nuts, and cream cheese NOT be good?

So I always wanted to make this cake but never did. I always loved to bake but I didn't do a lot of it unless someone in the family had a birthday. And then when their birthday's rolled around, they had the audacity to request a special cake. Sadly, none of those cake were Hummingbird Cake. Had they not heard of it? So last year while thumbing through Paula Deen's Celebrates! cookbook that I bought from Costco (they have great cookbook prices, btw!) I came across this recipe again. And since my MIL's birthday was just weeks away, I decided this was the cake for her- she didn't get a choice :-) But she loved it! We all did!

I love that the layers baked up evenly and without humps in the middle. And it was so easy- just dump and mix. It was a little sweet, which is why some speculate it's name, but it was so moist and dense and just plain good. Don't wait for some one's birthday to make this. Make it because it's the weekend and you can!

Hummingbird Cake from Paula Deen Celebrates!

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
• 1 (8-ounce) crushed pineapple, with juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 3-8-inch round cake pans.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, oil, pecans, bananas, pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs. Stir well with a spoon until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 26-28 minutes, until the tops spring back. Cool in the pans and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1 pound (1 box) confectioners' sugar
• 1 (8-ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, or more if needed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix the sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until the icing is smooth. If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper spreading consistency. Ice between the cake layers, on the sides and on the top of the cake. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.