Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing & Toasted Pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a 12-count cupcake pan by lining it with cupcake liners then spraying the liners with nonstick spray. Set aside.

To make the cupcakes, sift together (or just whisk together well) flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.

Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add vanilla and oil (apple butter worked great as a substitute for the oil) and mix it in.

With a spoon (no mixer!), stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until moistened. Add pineapple (I used almost all of an 8 ounce can), dates, pecans and banana and mix with a spoon. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife comes out clean, or until they are set.

Prepare the frosting by combining softened cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Blend in vanilla, then gradually add powdered sugar.

Toast chopped pecans in a small skillet over medium heat until you can just smell them. I added just a pinch of salt to them after they toasted.

Frost the cooled cupcakes however you desire. Then top the frosted cupcakes with the toasted pecans. YUM!