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. You can also use previously frozen bananas. Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe below. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- 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
- 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). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- 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!
- Frozen Bananas: You can use thawed frozen bananas in this recipe. Thawed bananas are extra wet, so drain off as much of the excess liquid as you can before mashing. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- 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
Can you clarify how much of the pineapple juice is used? Some recipes call for all of the juice in the crushed pineapple
Hi Mary, try to drain about half the juice – enjoy!
I absolutely love this recipe!! I used it to make my sister’s birthday cake, and it was a hit!! She said it was the best one she’d ever had!!
★★★★★
Hi! I wanted to make a gift-version of this for Christmas gifts as mini loaves, do you have any recommendations on the best way to do that? I have mini loaf pans (about 2×4 inches) but i wasn’t sure about cook times or temperatures if you had any advice regarding that?
Also would some kind of glaze be good on this? I have some who are not a fan of cream cheese frosting (wildly lol!)
Thank you!!
Hi Kelly, We haven’t tested this recipe in mini loaves, although you absolutely can. Use the same baking temperature but the bake time will be shorter, keep your eye on them and test them with a toothpick to check for doneness. You can drizzle the top with vanilla icing instead of the frosting if you wish!
ok perfect, thank you!
I use your carrot cake recipe every time so was very happy to see you have a recipe for Hummingbird Cake (reason for it’s name is You see it and in a flash it is gone, just like a Hummingbird.
I noticed that frosted cupcakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months – could prepped frosting be frozen in advance and then defrosted as well?
Hi Caitlin, absolutely! Store separately and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You may want to add a splash of milk to the hawed frosting and run the mixer for a minute to help smooth it back out again before using.
I was really disappointed with this recipe, it did not hardly raise at all. . . I measured everything according to the recipe. .. I do live in high altitude (7300 ft) should I have added more baking soda or powder?
Hi Lisa, We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Any advice to make this a six inch cake? Thanks!
Hi Anna, halving this recipe will give you enough for a 3, 6 inch cake (fill your pans no more than 2/3 way full and use any leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side). Or, you can make the recipe as is with the same filling instructions and use the leftover batter for quite a few cupcakes on the side (or to freeze for later!)
Tastes like frosted banana bread to me. Hardly taste pineapple at all. Ok but probably won’t make again.
★★★
Hi. I have a recipe for hummingbird cupcakes in one of my baking cookbooks. One of the ingredients is “…1/2 canned crushed pineapple in juice, with juice”.
How do I measure such an ingredient–in a liquid or dry measuring cup, and why?
Hi Allison! We would spoon out the crushed pineapple (making sure to get some of the liquid) into a measuring cup.
I’m omitting the nuts and want to add coconut. How much should I add?
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut would be wonderful!
Hi! Can I make this in 2 9inch round pans instead?
Hi Brianna! This recipe would make two quite thick cake layers which may overflow or be difficult to bake through properly. You could fill your pans 1/2 to 2/3 full and use the leftover batter for a few cupcakes. Let us know how it goes!
I just made 2 9-inch cakes using this recipe. I ended up dividing the batter in half. Cooking for the temperature and time in the recipe. Then covered both with tin foil and cooked for an additional 10 minutes.
Sooo delicious!
I just removed my layers from the oven. They smell amazing! BUT when I stuck them with a toothpick, they seemed tough. I still plan to use the cake, as it was a trial run that I’m feeding to my most loyal taste testers Any idea why they may be tough? I baked 26 min and rotated half way through.
Hi Kristie! A tough cake can be a result of over-mixing. Make sure to only mix the batter until combined. Also make sure your baking soda is fresh and always be careful to not over-measure your flour – here’s more on properly measuring baking ingredients!
Hi! How much juice do you drain from the crushed pineapple? How much does “slightly” drain mean?
Hi Donna, try to drain about half the juice – enjoy!
There is no step to add sugar? I used a Bundt pan and the cake split. Was the oven to hot? Or did I cook it to long. I cooked it for 65 minutes.
Hi Marjorie, You’ll add sugar in step 3 – whisk the rest of the cake ingredients in a medium bowl.
I drained very little and it turned out super moist.