Iron Cupcake Music: 3 Little Hummingbirds Cupcakes

For this month's Iron Cupcake theme (music), I decided to honour my two sisters with their very own cupcakes based on their favourite songs. My sister B. just got accepted to nursing school and my sister C. just finished beauty school. I was a little lazy and didn't get these uploaded in time, but I do still want to post the recipes.

3 Little Hummingbirds Cupcakes

One of B's fave song is Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds."  She said "3 Little Birds is just a feel good, happy "every little thing, is gonna be alright", put you in a better mood, if things are going badly" sort of song. She thought it should be have pinapple, banana, coconut, and pecans. What better than a Hummingbird Cake cupcake?

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple w/ liquid
  
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups mashed bananas (3-4 bananas)
  
• 1 c. coconut
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cupcake tin with paper liners.
Combine flour, white sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and oil and stir until moistened - don't over-mix. Mix in bananas, pineapple, pecans and coconut.
Spoon into liners until about 2/3 full.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Icing:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• toasted coconut

To toast the coconut, spread a layer of coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until it gets nice and golden. Check it often and stir so it toasts evenly and doesn't burn.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add butter and vanilla and beat until combined completely. Add icing sugar little by little until nice and fluffy. If you need to thin it, add a little milk.
Frost cupcakes and roll the tops in the toasted coconut.

Makes 24 + cupcakes.