Hummingbird cake

Set the oven to 350 and grab three eight or nine inch cake pans.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon together in a large bowl.

Brown whole bananas in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes, then mash them to two cups, leaving some texture.

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast at 350 for about four minutes, mix, and bake another four minutes.

In a medium bowl mix the three room temperature eggs, then mix in the oil.

Mix in the granulated sugar, then sprinkle in the brown sugar breaking up any lumps as you go.

Mix in the vanilla until completely smooth.

Fold in the mashed bananas and the whole can of crushed pineapple with its juice, scraping the bottom.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry in a large bowl and mix gently by hand, not with a mixer, until the streaks are almost gone.

Add the chopped toasted pecans and fold through, scraping the bowl for clumps of flour.

Butter or spray the pans, line with a parchment round and divide the batter evenly between the three, checking on a scale.

Bake nine inch layers 25 to 30 minutes, eight inch layers 30 to 35 minutes; a skewer should come out clean or the cake rebound when pressed.

Cream the softened butter on medium to medium high for 30 seconds, then beat in the cream cheese about a minute until fluffy.

Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time on low, scraping the bowl down, six to eight cups to taste.

Add the vanilla, increase to medium low and mix about a minute until smooth.

Cool the layers completely, invert, remove the paper and place the first on a platter.

Spread about three quarters of a cup of frosting on the first layer, add the second layer and three quarters of a cup more.

Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting; if the cake feels unstable, chill 20 minutes before the final coat.

Smooth the edge with a bench scraper or leave a swoopy finish, then ring the top with chopped pecans; chill a few minutes before slicing.