Humming Bird Cake Bars With Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Humming Bird Cake is like a ghost that’s haunting me. It’s everywhere I turn and while I swoon over it’s beautiful layers and am certainly intrigued by it’s flavors, I just haven’t had the time or an occasion worthy of baking such a magnificent treat. Between chasing after my 13-month old and taxiing my older kids from activity to activity, enjoying the sunshine, and trying to keep up on the house, I just don’t always have time to pull off something that looks that spectacular. It’s just not a priority. But that doesn’t mean I have to bag it all together since cake doesn’t have to be stacked layers high and covered in perfect swirls of frosting to taste good (thank heavens!). So I took the classic flavors of this cake and scaled things down a bit to create Humming Bird Cake Bars. I adapted my favorite banana bar recipe to incorporate the classic flavors (banana, pineapple, and pecans) of Humming Bird Cake and added a cream cheese flair to my favorite browned butter frosting and the I must tell you that these cake bars don’t disappoint! And what’s more, not only are these Humming Bird Cake Bars way easier and less time consuming to prepare, they feed a crowd and are easier to transport as they are made in a Texas sized sheet cake pan. No worrying about those pretty layers sliding off your plate and onto the seat of your car, into your lap, or onto your floor mats. We’ve all been there, right? (I even remember accidentally stepping on one of my mom’s pretty layer cakes that was on the floor of the car during transit as I over-excitedly jumped out of the car to join the birthday party. Woops!) I so love when things can be fabulous without all the fuss, and fabulous pretty much sums these Humming Bird Cake Bars up! So if you are a fan of Humming Bird Cake, give these a try. You won’t be disappointed.

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Hummingbird Cake Bars

All the deliciousness of the classic hummingbird cake wrapped into a super easy bar recipe.

Author: Jasey's Crazy Daisy

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana about 3 large
• 8 oz can crushed pineapple
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Frosting

• 1 cup butter
• 2 8 oz bars of cream cheese, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

1. Toast pecans using your preferred method, set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a Texas sheet cake pan (17-1/2" x 12-1/2" x 1" deep). Mix sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs on low speed scraping occasionally for one minute. Beat in bananas, pineapple, and vanilla on low for 30 seconds. Beat in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon on medium speed for another minute, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times. Stir in toasted pecans. Spread in pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The bars are done when a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool.
2. While the bars are cooling, prepare frosting. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, stirring until golden brown. Let cool just a bit. Meanwhile beat cream cheese until smooth, add browned butter and beat until mixed well. Stir in vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. You may need a little less or a little more depending on your preference. When your frosting is perfect and your cake cool, spread frosting over bars, cut and enjoy!!!

Recipe Notes

*Note - sometimes I stir 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes with the toasted pecans into the batter.