Tropical Hummingbird Cake

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spray and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour. Set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer mix together the self-rising flour, sugar, and oil until smooth and incorporated. Pour in pecans, crushed mango, crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs until just combined.

Divide batter between the 3 oiled and floured cake pans, evening out the batter with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 11-12 minutes, rotating pans and continue baking for an additional 11-22 minutes. Cook until toothpicks inserted into the cakes come out clean.

Transfer pans to a wire rack to allow cakes to cool and rest in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out cakes onto rack and allow to finish cooling.

For the frosting:
In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Add in coconut extract, butter, vanilla, and milk and continue beating on medium speed until frosting comes out smooth. If the frosting is still too stiff add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach a thin consistency.

Level the tops of each cake with serrated knife or cake leveler. Put 1 layer of cake on a cake plate and spread the top of the first layer with about 1/3 cup of frosting. Place the second layer of cake on top of the fresh frosting and repeat the process by spreading about 1/3 cup of frosting on top of the second layer. Place the third and final layer on top of the second layer bottom side up, so when you frost it, there will be no crumbs coming off into the frosting. Spread the 3 layers of cake with the remaining frosting. Frost the sides of the cake as well. The frosting doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth; since you will be adding coconut to the sides of the cake, it will cover up any imperfections. Swirl the frosting on top of the cake with the back of a spoon to achieve a rustic swirled pattern. Gently press toasted coconut into the sides of the cake until they stick.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Hummingbird Cake, 2006.