Hummingbird Cake Bites

Cake

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup crushed pineapple with juice

½ cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup mashed ripe banana

Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin tins with 48 paper liners; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in egg, oil and vanilla just until dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat. Fold in the pineapple (and juice), pecans and banana.

Gently spoon batter into the cups, filling about two-thirds full. Do not overfill. You will have just enough batter for all 48 cups. Bake 20 minutes, rotating the top and lower pans at the 10-minute mark for even baking. (If you have a convection oven, this is not necessary.) Cake bites are done when they are dark golden brown and gently crowned on top. Remove from oven and cool at least 20 minutes before frosting.

Prepare frosting by stirring together ingredients with a small wire whisk until smooth. Place in a zipper-top plastic bag with one corner snipped (or cake decorating bag). Swirl a small amount of icing over each cake bite in a decorative fashion. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. (Wooden picks can be inserted in a few of the bites to keep plastic wrap from smearing the tops.)

Makes 48 cake bites.

Nutrition values per serving: 91 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 10 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 12 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium.