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Hummingbird Cake is as beautiful as it is delicious. Packed with ripe bananas, pineapple and topped with cream cheese frosting, it is always a crowd favorite!
Whenever I notice bananas getting a bit too ripe, I get excited because it’s the perfect excuse to bake this show-stopping cake. It’s almost like banana bread, but sweeter and with juicy pineapple and smooth cream cheese frosting. And those flowers you see on top? They are dried pineapple slices and they probably my favorite part of the cake because they make it look so beautiful. If you are looking for a delicious cake that can double as a gorgeous centerpiece, look no further than this hummingbird cake!
What is Hummingbird Cake?
Hummingbird Cake originated in Jamaica and was named after the national bird, the scissors-tail hummingbird (also known as the doctor bird). I’m not completely sure why it is named after a hummingbird because it doesn’t really resemble a bird at all, so if anyone has more insight into the name I would love to know. This popular cake made its way to the United States in the 1970s and quickly became a beloved classic. It’s a spiced banana cake that’s sweetened with pineapple and topped with rich cream cheese frosting and crunchy toasted pecans.
Hummingbird Cake Ingredients
For the cake
- Dry ingredients: cake flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt
- Cinnamon
- Eggs
- Butter – softened
- Vegetable oil
- Mashed banana – overripe, about 3 bananas
- Crushed pineapple – in juice, not drained
- Vanilla extract
- Chopped pecans – toasted (don’t skip this step!)
- Pineapple – for decorating (optional)
For the frosting
- Cream cheese – softened
- Butter – softened
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
How to Make Pineapple Flowers
I’ll let you in on a little secret: the pineapple flowers are my favorite part! They’re delicate, pretty, surprisingly easy to make, and also edible– wins all around!
- Cut off the outside of the pineapple and slice it into very thin circles.
- Bake at 200°F for 1.5 to 2 hours, flipping halfway through. You want to dry them out completely.
- While they’re still warm, tuck the circles into empty cupcake tins to mold them into flower shapes.
- Allow to cool completely.
Tips for Making Hummingbird Cake
Use Overripe Bananas – the riper the banana, the sweeter and softer the banana. As they get more ripe, they give a more intense banana flavor as well, giving the cake a better banana flavor. Finally, As the banana gets more ripe, it breaks down, becoming more moist, making the cake softer and more tender. Delicious!
Toast the Pecans – Toasting brings out their natural oils and makes them crispier and more flavorful.
Don’t over mix the batter – for a tender, fluffy cake, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry. Over mixing, and just generally over working the batter causes the gluten in the flour to develop, making the cake rubbery and tough.
Line the pans with parchment paper – this keeps the edges of your cake from getting too dark as well as makes it super easy to remove the cake from your pans when you are done baking.
Cool completely before frosting – you want to cool the cake completely before frosting so that the cream cheese frosting doesn’t melt on the warm cake. It will look prettier this way.
Make it Ahead of Time
Hummingbird cake actually tastes better the next day because the flavors have more time to meld. After baking the cakes, wrap the individual cake layers in plastic wrap and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to use. Frost while still cold and then bring the entire cake to room temperature before serving.
Storing the Leftovers
Store in the fridge in an airtight container or well covered with plastic wrap. Enjoy cold, it tastes delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions about Hummingbird Cake
Absolutely! If you have a nut allergy or just prefer it without, simply omit the pecans. The cake will still be delicious.
Yes, but for a lighter, more tender cake, I recommend cake flour. If using all-purpose, you can substitute by removing 2 tablespoons of flour per cup and replacing it with cornstarch.
It’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to five days. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
More Cake Recipes
Classic Carrot Cake
German Chocolate Cake
Orange Pineapple Cake
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Red Velvet Bundt Cake
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
Easy Chocolate Cake
Hummingbird Cake
Equipment
- 3 9" round cake pans
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ cup mashed overripe banana (about 3 medium bananas, measure it out)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple in juice (not drained)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans toasted (don’t skip this!)
- 1 pineapple (optional for decorating)
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Hummingbird Cake
- Preheat oven to 325℉. Prepare 9" pans with parchment and non stick spray on the bottom and sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Add eggs, softened butter, and oil, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
- Stir in vanilla, bananas, pineapple, and toasted pecans.
- Divide batter evenly among 3 cake pans.
- Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Stack the cakes with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting in between.
- Frost entire outside of the cake and smooth with knife or decorating spatula.
- Pipe details on the top of the cake. This is the part you can get creative and make it how ever dress up or dressed down as you like.
- Add chopped roasted pecans and dried pineapples on top. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix for 2 mixtures on high speed.
- If the frosting is too thick, add milk to thin as needed. You will want the frosting thick if you plan to do any piping on the top or sides of the cake.
Pineapple Flowers
- Cut outside of pineapple off and slice pineapple into really thin circles.
- Bake at 200℉ for 1.5 to 2 hours, flipping them half way, until they have no more moisture. Place in a cupcake pan while they are still warm to create the flower shape. Allow to cool.
