Hummingbird Cake with Banana and Pineapple Filling

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2.5 cups premium flour
• 2 tbsp. confectionery flour
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• A small pinch of ground cloves
• A small pinch of ground cardamom
• 1.5 tsp of baking soda
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 4 selected eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 0.5 tbsp. sour milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 can (340 g) finely chopped canned pineapple pieces, drained
• 2.5 cups mashed overripe bananas
• 1.5 cups chopped toasted pecans
• Cream cheese frosting, recipe included
• Sliced ​​cocktail cherries for garnish, optional
• Pineapple rings, optional

Cream cheese frosting

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 230 g of cream cheese, room temperature
• 220 g butter, softened
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and flour 3 round cake tins, 23 or 25 cm in diameter.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, spices, and baking soda. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, pineapple, and bananas. Combine the two mixtures and gently whisk until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup pecans.
3. Divide the batter between the pans, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula. Bake for 35-50 minutes, depending on your oven temperature. Be careful: this is a dense, moist cake, and there's a risk of overbaking. Try to avoid this.As soon as you notice color appearing on the top of the cake, try pressing it. When the top becomes firm, the cake is ready.
4. Transfer the cake layers to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting and garnish with the remaining 3/4 cup pecans and, if desired, sliced ​​maraschino cherries. You can also caramelize a few pineapple slices for decoration on top.
   
   Cream cheese frostingCombine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for a few minutes on low speed. Once the sugar is incorporated, increase the mixer speed and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.
   
   Use room-temperature icing for frosting the cake layers; store it covered in the refrigerator for other times. Re-whip the cold icing before using.