Humingbird Cupcakes!!

Hummingbird cake first appeared in Southern Living Magazine back in 1978. It was originally submitted by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina and is known to have won numerous blue ribbons at county fairs. My mom has made hummingbird cake in the past and it is delish, so we made it today, (fitting as I'm in the south for a few days). The wonderful thing about these cupcakes is how much fruit they have in them and how well the fruits mesh together. I prefer to make minis because I like that they are 2 bite, but make whatever you would like!

Here is a recipe for the more healthy counterpart from www.skinnytaste.com

Servings: 22 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 197.8 • Fat: 6.5 g • Protein: 3.0 g • Carb: 31.1 g • Fiber: 1.7 g • Sugar: 21.7 g Sodium: 284.2 mg

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar (I used raw)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
20 oz can crushed pineapple in juice, drained well
1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the frosting:

8 oz 1/3-less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
22 pecan halves


Directions:
To prepare frosting, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices; stir well with a whisk.

In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Add banana and pineapple; mix well. Fold wet ingredients and chopped pecans with the dry ingredients, batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together.

Spoon batter into cupcake tin. Bake at 350° for about 23 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Spread frosting over the cupcakes once they are cooled. Garnish each cupcake with a pecan half on top.