📖 Instructions

1. Alright, let's get started! First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Make sure your oven rack is in the middle position. This helps ensure even baking, something my grandma always swore by. "Patience is a virtue and a warm oven is a must," she'd say with a wink.
2. Next, grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. I use baking spray with flour already in it. Makes things a bit easier, and less messy, if I do say so myself. If you don’t have that on hand, grease the pans with shortening or butter, then dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 cups of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Make sure everything is well combined. Lumps in your dry ingredients are *no* good.
4. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of vegetable oil, 4 large eggs (lightly beaten), and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. I like to use a good quality vanilla – it makes a difference! Also, make sure those eggs aren't cold, they should be room temp.
5. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! A few streaks of flour are okay at this point.
6. Now, fold in 1 cup of crushed pineapple (drained), 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts, and 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen boysenberries. Gently fold until evenly distributed. If using frozen berries, don’t thaw them – they’ll bleed less into the batter.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I use a kitchen scale to make sure each pan has the same amount of batter. But eyeballing it works just fine, too! The cake should have an even layers.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The cakes should be golden brown and spring back lightly when touched. Start checking for doneness around 25 minutes – ovens can vary. Maybe poke a hole?
9. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling them completely prevents the frosting from melting all over the place. That would be one way to make a chicken shape, tho... don't be like Grandma.
10. While the cakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. Make sure the cream cheese and butter are *really* soft, or you’ll end up with lumpy frosting. I hate when that happens!
11. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2-4 tablespoons of milk or cream. Beat on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Adjust the amount of milk or cream to reach your desired consistency.
12. Once the cakes are completely cool, assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread with a generous layer of cream cheese frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, frosting the top and sides of the cake. No need to rush.
13. Decorate the cake with fresh boysenberries, if desired. I like to arrange them in a pretty pattern on top of the cake. And maybe a few on the sides. Because why not?
14. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to set. This makes it easier to slice and serve. Plus, cold cake is just better, isn't it?
15. Slice and serve! Enjoy your Boysenberry Burst Hummingbird Cake!