Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line the bottom of 3 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour pans.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients. Add the bananas (2 cups), oil (1 cup), pineapple (1 can), eggs (3 large), vanilla (2 teaspoons), and pecans (1 cup) and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto the wire rack and cool completely for about 1 hour.
Make the Frosting:
In a medium mixing bowl, using an electric mixer beat together cream cheese (2 boxes) and butter (1 cup) until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar (4 cups), beating on low speed, until combined. Add vanilla (2 teaspoons) and stir to combine.
Assembly:
Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate. Evenly spread one-fourth of the frosting over top. Repeat with the remaining layers. Spread the remaining frosting over the sides of the cake.
Press 2 cups of chopped pecans onto the sides of the cake. Refrigerate overnight.
Notes
No Layers: I know we don’t always have the time or patience to deal with frosting a layered cake. You can easily turn this into a hummingbird sheet cake by baking it in a 9”x13” dish (lightly greased or lined with parchment paper) at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Toasty: You will always benefit from toasting pecans before using them! I prefer to do them in a skillet on the stove over low to medium-low heat, tossing them around until fragrant. I’ve been known to forget about them once or twice when trying the oven method.
Be sure to toast them whole, then chop them afterward, to prevent burning.
Pineapple Flowers: One of my favorite garnishes for this cake is dried pineapple flowers! Heat your oven to 225 degrees. Take a fresh pineapple, chop off the top and bottom, then peel, cleaning the edges until none of the little brown bits are left. Cut thin slices and place them in a single layer on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 30 minutes until the tops look dry, then flip and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until they are thoroughly dried. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn! As soon as they come out of the oven, I drape them over the back side of a muffin tin so they make a perfect cupped flower shape.
You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days if needed.
Frosting: You wouldn’t think of frosting this cake with anything but a cream cheese frosting, right? The touch of tang in the cream cheese balances the whole cake. But you’ll want to make sure your cream cheese and butter are both at room temp.