Walnut Hummingbird Cake

From July 2008

Sweet, spicy and very moist. And the flavor becomes even better if the cake is baked and frosted on the day before serving. The batter is easily mixed by hand, but you will need an electric mixer for the frosting.

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons ground Ceylon cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon is smoother and sweeter than ordinary supermarket cinnamon. If you can't find it, and must use regular ground cinnamon, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.)

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar; packed
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup fresh pineapple, crushed (Mash 1 cup fresh pineapple chuncks with a potato masher until finely crushed; you will have about 3/4 cup crusehed pineapple.)
2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Cover the bottom of each pan a round of parchment paper or waxed paper, cut to fit, presing the paper snugly over the bottom of the pan.

Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and sale, then sift them together in a bowl or on to a large sheet of waxed paper and set aside.

Put the granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, and stir vigorously until smoothly blended with the sugar. When the eggs and sugars are blended, whisk in the oil and vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir just until moistened and the ingredients are evenly comboned. Do not beat. Add the pineapple, banana, and walnuts, and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the three prepared cake pans, spreading it evenly. After filling the pans, give each one a bang on the countertop, to dislodge any air bubbles in the batter. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently with your fingers and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the layer comes out clean.

Cool in the pans 5 minutes, and then turn the layers out onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting. In the parchment or waxed paper had clung to the layers, peel it off.

Tomake the frosting, you will need an electric mixer, preferrably a free standing one. Cut the butter into 2-inch pieces and put in a large bowl of the mixer. Start slowly, gradually increasing the speed until it becomes malleable, yet still cool, about 3-4 minutes. Cut the cream cheese into 2-inch pieces also, add to the butter, continue to mix until smooth and thoroughly blended. Add the vanilla, then slowly add the confectioners sugar and mix unti blended. Increase speed slightly and continue mixing ofr 2-3 minutes, until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. By hand, fold in the walnuts.

To assemble the cake, place one of the layers, bottom side up, on a plate. Spread with about 2/3 cup of frosting. Top with second layer, and so on.