That Cake…and That Dress

     About that posting more regularly…oh well, the best made plans…I do have wonderful recipe to share with you but no picture.  Bad breath is better than no breath…

   Y’all, this cake is good.  It’s sweet enough for dessert but not too sweet for breakfast (as if there’s such a thing though).  I love a bundt cake, and I’ve been wanting to make a hummingbird cake for a while now.  This one looked pretty simple and didn’t have anything too crazy going on.  I used this exact recipe from The Messy Baker Blog – perfect.

Ingredients

• Cake Batter
• 1½ cups chopped pecans, toasted and chopped
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ripe bananas
• 3 large eggs
• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
• ¾ cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
• 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour your bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle 1 cup of your chopped pecans into the bottom of your prepared bundt pan. Set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, mash the bananas (I find it easiest to use a potato masher). Whisk in the eggs. Whisk in the crushed pineapple, canola oil, and vanilla extract.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture in three batches, stirring after each addition. Pour the batter over the pecans; smooth with a rubber spatula.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes; remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack completely before glazing.

Glaze

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, add cream cheese and butter. Beat until smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Slowly add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. You want the glaze thin enough to drizzle over the cake. When the glaze reaches drizzling consistency, it’s ready.
2. Drizzle the cooled cake with glaze and sprinkle with remaining toasted pecans. Serve.

     Beware.  This cake is very, very heavy but so good.  Be prepared to eat on it for about a week.  As an added bonus, the glaze would make a perfect fruit dip, and you’ll have plenty because it makes a ton! Enjoy.

     I can’t leave you without a picture, and since I don’t have one of the cake, I’ll show you what else our Easter entailed!

We had to do pictures inside because it was rainy and cold…bleh, but I think that fun dress more than makes up for the weather!