So first, let’s talk cake. A maaaaajor major delicious cake flavor that I’ve never really paid attention to until recently. You see, my dear friend had her bridal shower earlier this month. She’s from Savannah, GA and she chose hummingbird cake as their wedding cake flavor. Sure I’ve tasted it a few times in the past, but I don’t think I’ve ever had traditional, stick-to-your-fork-moist hummingbird cake before. It’s her favorite and her sister even made it for the bridal shower that afternoon. I sliced off a sliver (literally the smallest sliver… what was I thinking?) and sat down to mingle with other guests as I ate my dessert.
I needed a moment of silence. In fact, I think someone asked me a question during those first few hummingbird cake moments and I blatantly ignored them. Excuse me, I’m with my cake here. Obviously 1 sliver turned into 1 sliver + 1 giant piece + weird moments of silence sitting with cake + zero guilt.
For years, I thought carrot cake was my favorite cake. Sadly, I’ve been mistaken. Tastebuds, you’re wrong. MOVE OVER CARROTS. Make room for banana + pineapple + deliciously spiced hummingbird cake. Of course we’re using cream cheese frosting and there’s toasted pecans too. Is there a better cake than hummingbird? Nope. The answer is a big fat straight-up no.
We’re working with 2 main flavors today: banana and pineapple. Well, we also have lots of cinnamon and a dash of allspice to round things out, but the main event is all about those fruits. There’s no butter; just oil. We want a delectably moist cake– and we don’t want butter to overpower the banana and pineapple. And since we’re relying on 2 fruits for flavor, we have to make sure we’re using the correct forms of both.
- BANANAS – brown and spotty. The uglier your bananas, the better the flavor. Odd, but true.
- PINEAPPLE – crushed and canned. You may want to use fresh pineapple that you crush yourself and yes, that’s absolutely fine! But 1 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple in *most* of its juices is what I reached for in my testing. Convenient and oh my goodness… the flavor!!
I based this recipe off of Southern Living, the recipe that the bride’s sister made for the shower. I baked the original cake first, but found there were a few things I wanted to change. First, I reduced the oil and added an extra banana in its place. I reduced the sugar because of the added banana sweetness and used brown sugar in addition to white. Left out the nutmeg and used allspice (and more of it) instead. Allspice’s flavor tastes like a mix of nutmeg + cinnamon + cloves, with a VERY slight peppery note. It’s phenomenal in hummingbird cake. I also increased the toasted pecans and used my own cream cheese frosting recipe.
Two bowls. 1 medium, 1 large.
Wet ingredients in medium. Dry ingredients in large. ↑
Mix together.
Up close and personal with those toasted pecans. ↓
Don’t skip the toasting part. You will *NEVER* regret toasting nuts for this cake.
Frosting: cream cheese. A classic made for cakes like this. I increased my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe to ensure I had enough for the 3 layer cake. And by “enough” I mean thick layers. YES to thick cream cheese frosting layers!
The cake is even better after a few hours because the flavors have had a chance to settle, mingle, and marry. For that reason, it’s a wonderful cake to make ahead of time– even the day before. Honestly, I enjoyed the cold leftover slices more than anything.
You’ll need a moment of silence too.
PS: wondering why it’s called hummingbird cake? I found this article discussing some theories. Anyone know the real answer?!
Print
Hummingbird Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 12–14 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade hummingbird cake is exceptionally moist and flavorful with 3 delicious layers and silky cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) chopped pecans*
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mashed banana (4 ripe bananas)
- one 8 ounce can crushed pineapple*
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (160ml) vegetable or canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- two 8 ounce (450g) block cream cheeses, softened room temperature (16 ounces)
- 3/4 cup (175g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Spread pecans onto a lined baking pan. Toast for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Turn oven up to 350°F (177°C), then grease and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Whisk the rest of the cake ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined. Fold in 1 and 1/2 cups toasted pecans. (Save the rest for garnish.) You should have about 7 cups of batter.
- Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans. Bake for 26-29 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rotate pans halfway through baking.
- Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. Once completely cooled, remove cakes from pan and level the tops off so they are flat. I simply use a serrated knife. Discard the tops or eat. YUM!
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add more salt if needed.
- Assemble and frost: Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and evenly cover the top with frosting. Finish with the third cake layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Garnish with leftover toasted pecans. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing or else the cake may gently fall apart as you cut.
- Leftover cake is delicious covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cakes and frosting 1 day in advance. Keep cakes at room temperature, covered tightly. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container, then bring to room temperature when ready to use. Frosted or unfrosted cakes may be frozen up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.
- Special Tools: KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowls | Rainbow Whisk | 9-inch Cake Pan | Icing Spatula
- Pecans: I’ve gotten several questions about leaving out the pecans due to allergy. You can leave them out without replacing with anything. Stirring in 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut would be wonderful though!
- Pineapple: Slightly drain the crushed pineapple. You want a little juice, but not all of it!
- Cupcakes: This recipe will make at least 32-35 cupcakes. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake 20-22 minutes or until cooked through. You can halve the recipe for less cupcakes, but things get tricky with the eggs. I recommend using 1 egg plus this: crack a 2nd egg in a separate bowl, whisk it, and use about half.
- Non-Layer Cake: This recipe also fits into a bundt pan, though the bake time will be long– 55-65 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Too much batter for a 9×13 pan, but a 12×17 sheet pan would be perfect. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, keep a close eye to not overbake.
- Adapted from Southern Living.
Keywords: hummingbird cake
Reader Questions and Reviews
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I made this yesterday and it is WONDERFUL. I only used 1.5 cups of sugar in the frosting instead of 5 cups and I think it’s the perfect sweetness level. Will be making this one again!
★★★★★
Perfect cake. Best cake ever!
★★★★★
Sugar – One and a half, Yes, For me that sounds about right. Thx ! ( that was encouraging )
Had some ripe bananas … looked for a new recipe…thankfully found this recipe…OMGOSH DELICIOUS!!!
★★★★★
Can I use cake flour instead of all-purpose?
Hi Paul, cake flour is much too light for a cake with heavier, wetter ingredients like this. Best to stick with all purpose flour here!
Great recipe! I baked mine in a 13×18 sheet pan for 20 minutes. The cake is super moist. I let it cool for a good three hours and then used a 3.5 inch circle cookie cutter to cut out shapes for mini tier cakes. The left over cake will be crushed and combined with some cream cheese frosting to make some hummingbird truffles dipped in white chocolate!
★★★★★
I’ve made this several times and it’s always a hit with friends and family. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful
recipe with us!
★★★★★
I grew up eating this cake because it was my grandma’s favorite. We always called it Doctor Bird Cake…I don’t know why. The recipe is the same. As an adult and baking for my own needs, I’ve switched the allspice for ground cardamom. I also add about a half teaspoon of ground cardamom (I’ve never measured, I always just add until I can taste it) to the cream cheese frosting. It’s really wonderful, and I get lots of compliments every time I make it.
★★★★★
I made this cake for my MIL for Mother’s Day. It was wonderfully moist and dense. Everyone loved it! Whatever size slice you choose, make sure you half it because this cake is substantial and VERY filling.
I do have one criticism, and it’s not even a criticism, really. I wish there was a bit more pineapple flavor. Do you have any suggestion to increase the pineapple flavor? Could you decrease the banana by a bit and maybe increase the pineapple by the same amount?
★★★★★
Hi Kat, we’re thrilled this cake was such a hit for Mother’s Day! Absolutely — you can replace some of the mashed banana with more crushed pineapple. Enjoy!
Hello! Can I add coconut somewhere? Most recipes have coconut and I love it so much.
Thanks!
Hi Bree, you could reduce the pecans to 1 cup and add 1 cup of sweetened coconut in its place. Hope you enjoy this cake!
That’s an excellent idea!
★★★★★
Hi Sally. Your recipe calls for 2/3 c. Oil. The Southern living recipe calls for 1 1/2. Otherwise the recipes look identical. How does this modification affect the cake’s crumb? I’ve never made either recipe, and I’m hoping less oil is a good modification! Thanks!
Hi Claudia! The recipes are definitely similar. This recipe uses less sugar, salt, oil, and I like using mashed bananas instead of chopped. Mashed bananas are considered a liquid and so that’s why (I assume) the other recipe uses more oil in its place.
I was wondering the same thing, but I am a bit confused by this comment – in the blog it says you baked the Southern Living Recipe first and made some adjustments and this is the finished product. Is there a different SL recipe out there?
There may be, but yes I have tried a SL hummingbird cake recipe before (both tasting it and making it myself!). I do like this version with less oil and using mashed banana. So sorry for that confusion!
I would really like to try this recipe! Can I leave out the nuts completely?
Yes, you can leave them out!
This was so delicious. Baked as directed except I added cardamom in the frosting and reduced the sugar a little bit. I made cupcakes and ended up with about 30. So lovely!
★★★★★
Hello! Flavour is amazing however the texture was pancakes like. Might I have done something wrong? I did blend the bananas almost to a liquid..
Hi Mariah! Extra moist and liquid-y bananas could lead to a very dense and heavy texture. It’s best just to mash them before adding them to the batter!
Do you have any suggestions for an alternative to pecans? There are nut allergies in the family. I assume it would need more dry ingredients of some sort? Would it be too liquidy to leave out all together?
P. S. I have loved every recipe I’ve used!
★★★★★
You can leave the pecans out without replacing with anything. Stirring in 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut would be wonderful though!
If I want to have coconut and nuts in it how much of each should I put in the recipe?
Hi Kim, we’d recommend one cup of nuts and one cup of shredded coconut.
I made the cake and frosting yesterday, refrigerating the frosting and leaving cake at room temperature. Today I will be frosting and serving. Will I still need to refrigerate the cake before serving? This is my first cake like this so not sure.
Hi Kim, we do recommend refrigerating the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing or else the cake may gently fall apart as you cut.
Hi! I’m planning on making this cake and was wondering if you used crushed pineapples in juice or in heavy syrup?
Hi Madison! We use crushed pineapple in juice. Slightly drain the crushed pineapple. You want a little juice, but not all of it!
Made this for the first time yesterday and shared with my colleagues today ( I had never had hummingbird cake before). Delicious!!!! And my colleagues LOVED it. I made only two cake layers instead of three and came out perfectly (just left them in a little longer). Recipe was easy to follow and not complicated. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes!!!
★★★★★
Hi what timings would you suggest for muffins? Would you recommend changing any of the measurements? Thank you
Hi Francesca!nSee the recipe notes for cupcake instructions. Enjoy!
I don’t need the quantity of a 3 layer cake. I was considering cutting the recipe down to 2/3 (yes, I already did the math) and baking in a 9×13 pan. Had anyone tried this? Any feedback? Thanks.
Hi Barb, we’d recommend baking for about 20-25 minutes, but keep a close eye to not overbake. You can use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Excellent cake. First cake I ever made that was not from a box. It was easy and tasted great.
I followed the recipe with a few changes. I cut back on the nuts and added coconut and a pinch more cinnamon as I like cinnamon. For the frosting I used 3 cups of confectioners sugar as I don’t like overly sweet icing. Instead of milk I used a little of the pineapple juice for some sweetener and flavor. I also toasted coconut and sprinkled in on and around the icing on the cake.
Do you have any recommendations for an alternative to the all purpose flour in this? Could I make it with oat or coconut flour for example? I ADORE hummingbird cake and I’ve been obsessed with every recipe of yours but need to use an alternative flour. Hope you can give me advice so I can try this amazing recipe!!!
Hi Kelli, We haven’t tested this cake with flour substitutes. If you would like to try I recommend using an all purpose gluten free flour instead of almond flour (they are very different). Let us know if you try it!
I haven’t made this yet, but I’m planning to this week. I have made several of your recipes and they never disappoint, always easy to follow and delicious?
I have a question- I usually have bananas in my freezer for banana bread. Would I do something differently if using frozen (thawed) bananas or should I just stick to fresh ones?
Thank you
Hi Deborah, fresh bananas are best if possible! Frozen bananas can add quite a bit of moisture to baked goods, but thawing and dabbing some of the moisture will help combat this issue. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Baked this for my cousins baby shower, everyone loved it. I followed the recipe exactly as directed and it turned out wonderfully. I baked the cake the night before and wrapped it tight after letting it cool. Then did the icing and assembled the following day. I’m a believer that banana bread and carrot cake always taste better the next day after the flavour develops and I feel this helped with this cake. I love your recipes, thanks so much!
★★★★★
I am excited to make this cake later this week. Can you please tell me how many cups of batter the recipe makes. Thank you.
Hi Kathleen, you should have about 7 cups of batter.
Brilliant recipe, has anyone made cupcakes with it!
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Donna! See the recipe notes for cupcake instructions.
Excited to make this recipe! Could I add more pineapple and less banana?
Hi! I am planning on making this cake soon and freezing it. I know the notes indicate that it is okay to do this, but admittedly I am a bit concerned with doing so. My question is: Will the cake lose any of it flavor or texture as a result of freezing/defrosting? I am imagining that defrosted pecans in a cake or defrosted mashed bananas having a different taste/texture. But maybe the fact that it is baked first “fixes” that? Anyway, any input/experience you can share on this would be appreciated!
-Jim
Hi Jim, mega flavorful cakes like this one freeze and thaw beautifully — we often find their taste is even better after the proper freezing/thawing process! Follow these tips for how to freeze cakes closely, and you’ll find your frozen and thawed cakes just as tasty as baked fresh. Hope you enjoy it!