The Sugar Faerie Spring Garden Cupcake Cake (Hummingbird Cake)

I made one of my favorite cakes into a Cupcake Birthday Cake for a friend's birthday celebration.  I drew inspiration from a photo I saw on Facebook.  I made all the flowers from gum paste and let them cure for 36 hours.  I folded parchment paper in accordian style to mimic a cupcake liner, held it in place with a ribbon and then placed a sparkly Faerie on top.  Once the topper was in place I began to transfer all the flowers around it, added some sprinkles and a frosted edible "pearl" here and there, and finally the banner, giving the cake personalization.

I am not teaching gum paste flowers here as I'm an amateur myself.  You can buy the kits at JoAnns or Michaels as I did and teach yourself.  It isn't that difficult.  I'm sharing with you my recipe for Hummingbird Cake.  I love this moist, luscious cake so much, I even had it as my wedding cake.

Ingredients:

3 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 c chopped toasted pecans
2 c mashed bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add eggs and salad oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not eat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple,  pecans, and bananas.

Spoon batter into 3 well-greased and floured 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove and cool competely.

Spread frosting between layers and on top of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 c butter or margarine, softened
2 16-oz. pkgs. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Note:  If you are going to do a cupcake cake, do not frost the sides.  Add extra frosting to the layers and mound or use a piping bag to make a dome of frosting on the top to simulate a cupcake.

Happy Birthday JJ!