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!
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 sugar and used some brown sugar in addition to white for some flavor. I also reduced the banana, so you can taste the pineapple a bit more. I 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!
If you’re not one for cream cheese frosting, this cake is equally fantastic with vanilla buttercream.
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.
If you can’t get enough of these flavors together, try my hummingbird Bundt cake next.
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 (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 3 large ripe bananas)
- one 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-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 6 to 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 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 a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, a little milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. Frosting should be soft, but not runny.
- Assemble and frost:Â First, using a large serrated knife or cake leveler, layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place 1 cake layer on your cake turntable, cake stand, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, and then top with the 3rd layer. Spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Decorate the sides and top of the cake with the remaining toasted pecans. Refrigerate cake for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover frosted cake tightly and store 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 (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | 8-Inch Cake Pans | Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- 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!
- 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. Or use my recipe for Hummingbird Bundt Cake. There is 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 over-bake.
- Update in 2024: After continuous recipe testing, and in an effort to lighten up the crumb, I made a few changes to the recipe including adding baking powder, increasing the oil, and decreasing the banana (so it tastes less like dense banana bread and more like a moist cake). If you prefer the old version, leave out the baking powder, reduce the oil down to 3/4 cup (180ml), and increase the mashed banana to 2 cups.Â
- Adapted from Southern Living.
Reading your Hummingbird Recipe which I’m planning to make. In the changes you mention you’ve made to the published Souther Living recipe you don’t mention omitting the Baking Powder. Did you remove that also from the recipe or is it’s omission a mistake?
Hi Chris, I did remove it; I found the batter didn’t really need it but I did see your other comment about how you feel the cake still needs it. Let me review my notes from this time of testing.
Hi there. I’ve read a lot of comments here and your 9 crucial baking tips to prevent dry or dense cakes, but still have a lingering question about using cake flour for this recipe? Have you tried this recipe with cake flour before. I have both all purpose and cake flour and just wondering if using cake flour or a combo of both would help it to be lighter or fluffier.
Hi Jessica! Cake flour is much too light for a cake with heavier, wetter ingredients like this. Best to stick with all purpose flour here. The cake is still plenty soft and moist.
Hi! I did the math right and I have three 10″ layers and three 8″ layers in my freezer, for a tiered wedding cake. I’m figuring that I’ll need about 16 cups of frosting for crumb coat, between layers, and final frosting, plus possible repairs after traveling to the venue. How many cups of frosting does this recipe make, please?
Hi Melissa, our favorite cream cheese frosting recipe yields 3 cups.
Would this cake be good with the brown butter cream cheese frosting that you use on your banana cake?
It should be delicious. Enjoy!
Hi! I made this cake back in May to test it as the flavor for a wedding cake for my daughter, who is getting married in two weeks. She loves carrot cake, he does not, but they both adored this cake! I have a set of large pans, and this need not be a giant cake to feed 120, just a presentation cake for the cake slicing part of the ceremony. I made it last time in 9″ pans and split them to ice them. Any tips about making this a wedding cake with maybe a 10 or 12 inch base layer and then one or two smaller layers on top? Many thanks.
Hi Melissa, we’re so glad this cake was a hit! This recipe yields about 7 cups of batter, which is helpful for using different cake pan sizes and conversions. Our homemade wedding cake post will be a helpful resource for you, too!
I absolutely LOVE your cake & cupcake recipes, hands down they’re the BEST!!!
Can this cake be made into soft, moist & fluffy cookies?
Hi Christine, we’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! We haven’t tried a cookie version of hummingbird cookies, but let us know if you find a recipe you love.
This is my very first time making this type of cake and I was soo excited but My cake did not get fluffy at all, it stayed flat and I was bummed, unless that’s how this cake is supposed to be. If not, what did I do wrong?
Hi Liz, this cake is heavier than say, a white cake, thanks to all the bananas and pineapple, but if it seemed overly dense, be sure that the batter is not over mixed. That can cause cakes to bake up squat and dense. Make sure you’re using fresh baking soda as well. We find it starts to lose its power after about 3 months, even if not technically expired yet. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes should be a helpful resource, too. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
I made this recipe for my son-in law’s birthday cake this year and it was a huge hit. Can I replace the flour with gluten free 1-1 flour to make it gluten free?
Thank you
Hi Tara, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some of our readers have reported success using a 1:1 substitution with an all purpose gluten free flour like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill. If you give it a try, we’d love to know how it turns out!
Sally, I am gathering ingredients for this recipe. Do you have any idea of the measure for the amount of pineapple juice used? I am a novice baker and rely on precision for perfection.
You are my go-to baking goddess.
Hi Elizabeth, try to drain about half the juice. Enjoy!
Hey Sally! First off, I absolutely love this cake, but I am wondering what other frosting pairings you would recommend? My family isn’t a huge fan of cream cheese flavor. I feel like I changed something last time I made it and now I can’t remember, so I’d love any suggestions!
Hi Bree, you could try it with the coconut frosting from these pina colada cupcakes, caramel frosting, or Swiss meringue frosting, or vanilla buttercream. Just pay attention to how much each recipe makes, to see if you need to double it to make enough for this cake.
Holy moly!!! This cake is AMAZING!!!! Easy to make and you’re exactly right- tastes amazing cold the next day! This cake reminded me so much of the banana cake we had at our wedding but I think it’s even better! Thanks so much for sharing!
This recipe seems really fun to make! I have a quick question though: is there anything I should change for baking it at a high altitude?
I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I accidentally used pineapple chunks instead of crushed pineapple (brain fog). Will that ruin my cake?
Hi Jackie, what you can do is crush the pineapple chunks yourself. Crush the pineapple with the juice, then slightly drain the crushed pineapple. You want a little juice, but not all of it!
I loved this recipe. I did make a few substitutions for my preferences. This cake was wonderful!
Made for my Mom’s bday. Frosted with a hummingbird. Coated the sides with coconut flakes. She and my dad adored it!!!
Good sweetness and everything!
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday- they had never had hummingbird cake and now it is their favorite cake ever!
I found it to be a pretty simple recipe to follow- I’m not a big baker – this is only the second cake I’ve ever made and it was easy to follow. I even forgot the vanilla and it still turned out wonderfully. I didn’t use up all of the frosting because I knew my audience doesn’t like things too sweet.
Finally, some other commenters had trouble with the cake being dense- I didn’t have that problem at all. I made sure to have fresh baking soda on hand just to be sure.
Hi Sally , I am an avid baker and do use my tried and true recipes most of the time because I know how they will tire out. I have tried your recipes for different things and have always had good results. However this cake was an absolute disaster. It was so dense and very ,very heavy, I did follow the recipe to a tee. I’m not sure if the recipe was missing something or not. I cannot even rate it .it was that bad!
Hi Edythe! Sounds like there was too much moisture in your cake, causing it to be dense and heavy. Did you drain the pineapple? Make sure to drain some of the juice off. Also check to make sure that your baking soda is fresh, it can lose strength after just a few months. Thank you for making our recipes!