Caramel-Frosted Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients for Cake:

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium-sized bananas)

1 cup cooking oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups peeled, shredded, uncooked sweet potatoes (about 1/2 pound)

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

Directions for Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9" round cake pans; set aside.

In bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cloves. Stir in bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla until moist and thick. Stir in sweet potatoes and pineapple. Spread evenly in prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until pick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

Ingredients for Caramel Butter Frosting:

1 cup butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

6 cups confectioners sugar

Directions for Frosting:

In large saucepan, melt butter; add brown sugar. Bring to boiling over medium heat; stir constantly. Cook and stir 1 minutes; cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in milk until smooth. Whisk in confectioners sugar until smooth. Makes 4 cups. Use at once to frost the cakes; frosting stiffens as it cools.

Place one cake, flat side up, on plate. Spread top only with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Stack second layer and spread 1 1/4 cups frosting on top. Add third layer and frost top and sides with remaining frosting.