With its signature flavors of banana, pineapple, pecans, and spice, this hummingbird Bundt cake will fly your tastebuds off to someplace warm and sunny. Top with a cinnamon-spiced cream cheese icing and more toasted pecans for a cake that will disappear as quickly as the bird it’s named after. 😉
One reader, Maureen, commented: “I have always wanted to make a hummingbird cake but was intimidated by the instructions. When I saw this, I just had to make it. It was so easy and delicious. My neighbor also enjoyed this combination of pineapple, bananas, and pecans. I am so happy I made this cake and will definitely make it again… Thank you, Sally. ★★★★★”
One reader, Sophia, commented: “This Bundt cake is amazing! The recipe is easy to follow and, as always, Sally’s extra hints are very helpful! We followed it as written and it baked up beautifully. The frosting and toasted pecans make it stand out! Perfect texture and the flavor combination makes you slow down and just savor every bite! ★★★★★”
There are lots of fantastic recipes out there for hummingbird cake, and they’re all pretty similar. I adapted this Bundt cake variation from Southern Living‘s ever-popular recipe. It has all the main components of the classic hummingbird layer cake:
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Toasted pecans
- A little spice
- Cream cheese icing
…but in Bundt form. This is a super plush cake with tons of textures and flavors to love (and minimal decorating required). Here is my hummingbird layer cake if you ever want to try it, too!
FAQ: Why Is It Called Hummingbird Cake?
When I first began making this cake from scratch, I was curious about its name and origins. The cake flavor originated in Jamaica. A version of the recipe was published by Southern Living magazine in the late 1970s, which led to the cake’s popularity in the American South. Now hummingbird cake is often referred to as a Southern classic. And as for its name, the cake was named for Jamaica’s national bird!
Hummingbird Bundt Cake Ingredients:
- Pecans: Toast them first. It makes a world of difference, trust me! I always recommend this for carrot cake, too. You’ll use some in the batter and the rest as garnish on top.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this cake.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: We’re using both leaveners here, for double-duty to lift up this naturally heavy cake.
- Cinnamon + Allspice: These warm spices pair beautifully with the banana and pineapple.
- Salt: A little salt balances the sweet.
- Eggs (from chickens, not hummingbirds!): Eggs bind all the ingredients together.
- Vegetable Oil: A neutral-tasting oil makes this cake wonderfully moist while letting its main flavors shine.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream lightens up the crumb of this cake, so it isn’t overly dense.
- Granulated Sugar + Brown Sugar: A mix of both sugars sweetens the cake.
- Vanilla: Flavor-enhancer extraordinaire!
- Bananas: You want the super-ripe, brown and spotty ones like you use for banana cake. You can also use thawed, previously frozen bananas. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- Pineapple + Juice: You can use fresh or canned pineapple in this cake. Finely chop it, and include a little pineapple juice in the batter, too.
Behind the Recipe Testing
After making at least half a dozen hummingbird Bundt cakes, my team and I are very happy with the final result. When I started developing this dessert recipe, I looked at a lot of other bakers’ recipes for hummingbird cake, as well as my own hummingbird cake recipe. For the most part, the recipes that exist online for the layer cake are all pretty similar. Here are the 4 notable changes I made for this Bundt cake variation, and why:
- Less banana: Our early attempts came out tasting kind of like banana bread, with some pineapple in it. While obviously I love banana bread, the banana flavor was overpowering everything else in this cake. Using equal amounts of banana, pineapple, and pecans in the batter results in a more balanced flavor profile, with no single flavor hogging the spotlight.
- Chopped pineapple instead of crushed: Most hummingbird cake recipes call for a can of crushed pineapple, but I prefer to chop it up myself. This way you can control how large you want the pieces to be, and choose whether you start with fresh pineapple, canned slices, or chunks/tidbits size. A couple spoonfuls of juice go in the batter, too, for even more moisture.
- Reduced the sugar: The majority of recipes seem to call for 2 cups of white sugar in the batter, but my taste testers and I thought this made the cake way too sweet. There’s a lot of natural sweetness coming from the pineapple and banana, so I reduced the amount of sugar. I also use some brown sugar, for a little extra moisture and that warm molasses flavor brown sugar provides (which pairs so well with the spice flavor).
- Added sour cream: This was a late addition in the recipe testing process, and my team and I could really taste the difference! Bundt cakes are generally pretty dense, and sour cream serves to lighten up the crumb.
I like to use pineapple chunks. Finely chop them on a cutting board. You can use canned or fresh:
The batter is thick and textured. Use a Bundt pan that holds 10 to 12 cups of batter, such as this one or this one. Because Bundt cake pans vary so much in depth and shape, the bake time will differ. I recommend you begin checking it at 50 minutes. It will most likely need more time, so continue checking every 3 minutes or so. My hummingbird Bundt cakes all took about 58 minutes.
Cinnamon-Spiced Cream Cheese Icing
To get the beautiful drippy look you see pictured here, beat together equal parts softened cream cheese and butter, then add in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and—the surprise addition—a little warm milk. This makes a cream cheese icing that is just the right consistency for decorating this hummingbird Bundt cake. I also stir in a sprinkle of cinnamon for an extra kiss of spice, but that’s completely optional.
Spoon the icing over the cake slowly; it will begin to drip down the sides, and you can use the spoon to help guide it where you want it to go.
Finish with a sprinkle of toasted pecans, and this hummingbird cake is ready to fly… right off the cake stand! (The one pictured is this one. It’s beautiful in person!) You could also decorate the iced cake with coconut, like I do with this coconut Easter cake.
Hummingbird Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes (includes nuts)
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This hummingbird Bundt cake has all the main components of the original hummingbird layer cake: banana, pineapple, toasted pecans, a little spice, and cream cheese icing. This is a super plush cake with tons of textures and flavors to love (and minimal decorating required).
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) chopped pecans, divided
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (230g) mashed banana (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)
- 1 cup (225g) finely chopped pineapple (canned or fresh, drained)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2–3 Tablespoons (30–45ml) whole milk, slightly warmed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: pinch of cinnamon, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the pecans: Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the chopped pecans on the sheet and toast for 7–8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Turn the oven temperature up to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Set aside.
- Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, pineapple juice, and sour cream together until combined. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Whisk or fold in the banana, pineapple, and 1 cup (130g) of the pecans.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold with a silicone spatula until combined. Batter is thick. Spoon/pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake for 55–60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with just a couple lightly moist crumbs.
- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour in the pan set on a wire rack. Then invert the slightly cooled Bundt cake onto a serving plate/cake stand. Allow to cool for at least 1 more hour before icing. Cake can still be slightly warm when icing it.
- Make the cream cheese icing: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of warm milk. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until completely combined and smooth. Stir in cinnamon, if using. Thin out with 1 more Tablespoon of milk, if desired (I usually do). Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, and sprinkle with the remaining toasted pecans.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to bring it to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake 1 day in advance. Cool completely, cover tightly, and keep it at room temperature until ready to ice and serve. To freeze, cool cake completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature and bring to room temperature before icing and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | 10- to 12-cup Bundt Cake Pan (I like this one and this one) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Mini Bundt Pan: I don’t recommend using this batter for mini Bundts. The batter is too thick and chunky for the mini size.
- Nuts: Feel free to skip the pecans, or replace them with walnuts. No other changes necessary.
- Oil: This recipe is best with vegetable oil or canola oil. If you want to use coconut oil, melt it first, and be sure that all of the other ingredients are room temperature. Bake the batter right away, because as the coconut oil begins to cool and solidify, it thickens the batter and could result in an overly dense cake.
- Sour Cream: You can substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream, if needed.
- Can I Leave Out the Bananas? Instead of bananas, you can try applesauce and I’m sure shredded carrots would work as well (though I have not tested the carrots). Or you can make this pineapple carrot cake as a Bundt cake. See the recipe Notes in that recipe for making it a Bundt. It will still count as the challenge.
- More Topping Options: Brown butter icing from my peach Bundt cake; homemade whipped cream; brown sugar glaze from my apple Bundt cake; orange glaze from my cranberry orange Bundt cake
Reader Comments and Reviews
Really well structured.. I feel more confident after reading this.
Hope you love this Hummingbird cake if you give it a try, Cecil!
Hi Sally, I am unable to leave a comment on your traditional hummingbird layer cake but was wondering if the layered cake has a stick to your fork texture (similar to carrot cake) after you made changes to the recipe in 2024?
Hi Layla, yes! The hummingbird layer cake has a very similar moist texture.
Hi Sally!
Would you know how to substitute the eggs in this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Shayoni, I haven’t tested it so I can’t offer the best advice on substitutions. Let me know if you test anything!
Very nice. Easy, straight-forward recipe – came together quickly. I’ll make this again.
Hi Sally,
Love all your recipes! Can I add coconut to this cake? If so, how much do you recommend and should it sub for something else?
Thank you!
Hi Jodie, we haven’t tested it, but it should be just fine to add 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut flakes to the batter. Let us know if you try it!
Tasted exactly like banana bread. The pineapple flavor did not come through at all.
Hi Sally!! Is it okay to use unsweetened yoghurt instead of sour cream for this?
Hi Lili, yes, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream, if needed.
While the comments recommended against making this as mini bundt cakes, I halved the recipe and made 12 cupcakes. My only other changes to the batter were using canned crushed pineapple and adding a little nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and a pinch of cloves along with the cinnamon and allspice. The cupcakes were moist and delicious! All of the flavors were present and nicely balanced. I used the cream cheese frosting recipe from the Hummingbird layer cake with a little less sugar. And I also topped them with toasted coconut.
I made this for Easter, and it was perfect!! I used a piping bag for the icing instead of a spoon, added dried edible flowers on top, and it turned out so pretty! It was a big hit.
Wasn’t a big fan of this one. The cake turned out well, but it tastes very similar to a regular banana bread. Couldn’t taste the pineapple much at all, which was disappointing. I do like that it was simple to make, but I don’t think I’d make it again.
Why is the confectioners sugar line marked out of the recipe??
Hi Tammy, we have a feature in our recipes where you can cross off ingredients as you go. Sometimes they get accidentally crossed off – just tap it again to un-cross the ingredient.
I made this and the top of the cake (which becomes the bottom when inverted) feels a little tough, while the rest of the cake is soft. Did I over bake it? Or is that normal? Do you have any suggestions on how to make the whole cake softer all over? Thanks!
Hi Erin, it sounds like the bottom could be a bit over baked. For next time, if you see the bottom browning/baking too quickly, you can lightly tent the pan with aluminum foil to prevent from over baking. You can also try moving the cake down a rack away from the heating element, but bake time may vary. Hope this helps!
I’m looking forward to trying this cake! I know your post says you prefer to chop your own, but I bought crushed pineapple by mistake — could I use the same amount of crushed in place of the chopped pineapple? Thank you!
Hi Shannon, that should be fine!
I’ve been a home baker (and cook) for over 50 years, and have collected, discarded, and added oodles of recipes. including Sally’s. In a quandary about an Easter dessert, today I came across your Hummingbird Bundt cake. I know Sally’s version will be the best ever. I’ll add it to my growing SBA collection. Thank you!
Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes, Dianne!
My cream cheese glaze didn’t turn out well. It has lumps in it
My glaze has little lumps in it. What happened?
Hi Alice, did you use the cream cheese icing from the recipe card? It sounds like it could be your confectioners’ sugar—for next time, you can sift it before using to make sure any lumps are rid of. Or, it could be that the butter and/or cream cheese were not softened and mixed in enough, leaving behind smaller chunks. All easy fixes for next time!
Can I make this as a 2 layer cake instead of a Bundt pan?
Hi Helen, here’s our hummingbird layer cake recipe.
I have loved your recipes for several years but this cake was dry when I made it. I wondered if I could use butter or a combination of oil and butter?
Hi Patty, oil produces a moister cake (in most cases) than butter. I don’t recommend the switch. I wonder if the Bundt cake was over-baked or if the flour or other ingredient was accidentally over or under-measured? Did you make any changes, such as reducing the sugar? It’s supposed to be a very moist cake as written. If you’d like to try it again, you can try increasing the oil to 1 cup (240ml).
Hi Sally I was wondering if you have ever made this without pecan. I am allergic to nuts. Thanks for your time Shelby
Hi Shelby, Feel free to skip the pecans. No other changes needed.
Both my sister & I developed an allergy to pineapple after eating it super fresh in Hawaii! Could you recommend a replacement for this fruit? I know anything will affect the taste
Hi Denise, pineapple is key here, but how about using this banana Bundt cake recipe (leave out the chocolate swirl), and you can use the spices and added pecans from this recipe? The cream cheese icing from this hummingbird cake will be fantastic there as well!
I am “this close” to becoming a Sally’s addict! Yowzer you’ve got some yum going on.. where have you been all my life ? ❤️
Could you clarify please – is the glaze idea to increase ratio of butter if I want it “runnier”? (To get the beautiful drippy look you see pictured here, beat together equal parts softened cream cheese and butter).
Thanks for all you do
John Robert Small
Hi Sally, this recipe looks amazing just wondering do you think it’s possible to adjust the ratios for a 9×5 loaf tin?
Thanks
Hi Maeve, you should be able to halve this recipe to bake in a 9×5 loaf pan. We haven’t tested it, but that should work. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, so keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I make cakes for my mother and her neighbors for book club, bridge club, bunko, etc. This is the most requested cake. Everyone loves the moist, subtly sweet and nutty flavor of this easy cake.
I can’t wait to mske this. Sounds yummy!
I made it according to your recipe. Tasted like a moist banana bread – no taste of pineapple (chopped, fresh) at all.
Delicious, amazing, and so easy!!!!! And pretty, too! Can I use mini Bundt molds with this recipe?
Hi Cindy, we don’t recommend using this batter for mini Bundts. The batter is too thick and chunky for the mini size.
In the bundt cake recipes that include vegetable oil would substituting evoo work as well? I have baked several olive oil cakes and really like the results.
Hi Steve, you could use extra virgin olive oil in place of the vegetable oil. The taste may be slightly different, of course. Hope you enjoy!
Wowwwzzza! Delish! Who would’ve thought pineapple would be the ingredient to step up banana bread and a Bundt cake, even better! I omitted the pecans, no biggie, and added a splash of pineapple juice to the cream cheese icing. Moist, light, the perfect cake that could easily be served in a bakery! Definitely on my rotation now! 5-star!
Would a non dairy yogurt create issues with this bake? I love hummingbird cake. Excited to try this!
Hi JBR, we haven’t tested it, but that should work well in a pinch. Let us know how it goes!
Is it possible to make this in 2 loaf pans?
Hi Marcia, we haven’t tested it, but that should work. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, so keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
What are your thoughts on adding coconut flakes to top of cake? I want to make this soon and wondering if that’s flavor will add to this cake or not.
Hi Anthony, you could certainly do that!