Dreamy Southern Hummingbird Cake Recipe for Sweet Moments

Sweet memories of my grandmother’s Southern kitchen sparked my love for this delightful hummingbird cake that blends tropical flavors with comforting warmth.

Her recipe passed down through generations carries whispers of ripe bananas and crushed pineapple.

Layers of moist, spiced goodness create a dessert that feels like a warm embrace.

Cream cheese frosting adds a luxurious touch that makes everyone swoon at first bite.

Pecans sprinkled throughout bring a delightful crunch to each slice.

Baking this cake feels like wrapping yourself in a culinary hug that connects generations.

Hummingbird Cake That’s Tropical and Moist

Whip Up Southern Comfort: Effortless Baking Delight

• Quick and Simple Preparation: Combines basic pantry ingredients with minimal kitchen skills required, making this cake accessible for bakers of all experience levels.
• Crowd-Pleasing Flavor Profile: Delivers a perfect balance of sweet bananas, tangy pineapple, and crunchy pecans that creates an irresistible taste sensation everyone will love.
• Versatile Celebration Cake: Ideal for potlucks, birthdays, family gatherings, and holiday events where you want to impress without spending hours in the kitchen.
• Nostalgic Southern Charm: Captures the essence of traditional Southern baking with its rich, moist texture and comforting ingredients that evoke warm memories of home-style desserts.

Hummingbird Cake What You’ll Use

• All-Purpose Flour: Provides the cake's structure and soft texture, choose unbleached flour for best results.
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a tender crumb, white sugar works perfectly.
• Baking Soda: Helps the cake rise and creates a light, airy texture.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances the sweetness.
• Ground Cinnamon: Adds warm, aromatic flavor to complement the tropical ingredients.

• Eggs: Bind the ingredients and provide structure, room temperature eggs mix best.
• Vegetable Oil: Keeps the cake moist and tender, neutral-flavored oils work well.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds depth of flavor, pure vanilla extract offers the best taste.

• Bananas, Crushed Pineapple: Provide natural sweetness, moisture, and tropical flavor, use ripe bananas for maximum sweetness.
• Pecans: Add crunch and nutty flavor, toast for enhanced taste if desired.

• Cream Cheese, Butter: Create a rich, creamy frosting base, use full-fat versions for best texture.
• Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting, sift to prevent lumps.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor to the frosting, pure vanilla gives the best taste.

• Chopped Pecans, Pineapple Chunks, Banana Slices: Provide decorative and additional flavor elements.

Hummingbird Cake Baking in Layers

Step 1: Prepare the Oven

Get your oven ready by heating it to 350°F.

Grab three cake pans and give them a quick spray with cooking oil or line them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Create the Cake Mixture

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Ground cinnamon

Crack in some eggs and pour in vegetable oil and vanilla extract.

Stir everything together until just mixed.

• Crushed pineapple (including the juice)
• Mashed ripe bananas
• Chopped pecans

Mix carefully to keep the batter light and fluffy.

Step 3: Bake the Cake Layers

Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.

Slide them into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Check if they’re done by inserting a toothpick – it should come out clean.

Let the cakes rest in their pans for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.

Step 4: Whip Up the Cream Cheese Frosting

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until they become smooth and creamy.

Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing after each addition.

Stir in some vanilla extract for extra flavor.

Step 5: Assemble the Cake Masterpiece

Place the first cake layer on your serving plate.

Spread a thick layer of frosting on top.

Carefully add the second layer and repeat.

Crown the cake with the final layer and frost the entire cake, covering the top and sides completely.

Step 6: Final Touches and Serving

Sprinkle some extra chopped pecans on top.

If you want, add a few fresh pineapple chunks or banana slices for decoration.

Let the cake sit at room temperature and slice when ready to serve.

Hummingbird Cake Tips with That Southern Flair

• Gently fold cake ingredients to maintain a light, tender texture, stopping just when ingredients are combined to avoid a tough, dense cake.
• Use ripe, soft bananas for maximum sweetness and moisture, ensuring a rich, soft cake that stays deliciously moist.
• Let cream cheese and butter soften at room temperature for smooth, lump-free frosting that spreads effortlessly across cake layers.
• Toast pecans briefly before adding to the batter to enhance their nutty flavor and provide a delightful crunch throughout the cake.
• Store the frosted hummingbird cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, bringing to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Keep Hummingbird Cake Fresh

• Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or place it in a cake carrier to prevent drying out.
• Wrap individual cake slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
• Bring refrigerated cake to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. For a warm slice, microwave individual pieces for 10-15 seconds or warm in the oven at 300°F for 5-7 minutes.
• Cream cheese frosting is delicate, so keep the cake chilled to maintain its texture and prevent melting.

Hummingbird Cake Pairings

• Tropical Cocktail Companion: Pair the hummingbird cake with a refreshing rum-based mai tai for a Caribbean-inspired flavor explosion that complements the cake's tropical fruit notes.
• Sweet Wine Harmony: Select a late-harvest Riesling to match the cake's sweetness, with its balanced acidity cutting through the rich cream cheese frosting and highlighting the cake's fruity undertones.
• Coffee Contrast: Serve with a bold espresso or dark roast coffee, which provides a robust counterpoint to the cake's sweet and creamy profile, creating a delightful flavor balance.
• Fruit Liqueur Boost: Drizzle a small glass of banana or pineapple liqueur alongside the cake to intensify the tropical fruit flavors and add an extra layer of indulgence.

Hummingbird Cake with Tropical Touches

• Gluten-Free Hummingbird Cake: Replace wheat flour with a gluten-free blend, ensuring the same texture and moisture while making it safe for those with gluten sensitivities.
• Vegan Tropical Delight: Substitute eggs with flax eggs, use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and create a vegan cream cheese frosting using plant-based cream cheese and vegan butter alternatives.
• Low-Sugar Southern Classic: Swap regular sugar with monk fruit sweetener or stevia, reduce overall sugar content while maintaining the cake's signature sweet flavor profile and tropical essence.
• Nut-Free Comfort Cake: Remove pecans completely, replace with sunflower seeds or skip nuts entirely, keeping the cake's moist texture and fruity character intact for those with nut allergies.

FAQs

• Why is this cake called Hummingbird Cake?

The cake gets its name from a traditional Southern United States recipe where it’s believed that the sweet ingredients would attract hummingbirds, similar to how nectar attracts them.

• Is Hummingbird Cake difficult to make?

Not at all! It’s actually quite simple and forgiving. Even beginner bakers can successfully make this cake because the ingredients are easy to mix and the recipe is very straightforward.

• Can I replace pecans with another nut?

Yes, you can easily substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds. If you have a nut allergy, you can simply omit them without affecting the cake’s overall texture and flavor.

• What makes the cake so moist?

The combination of mashed bananas and crushed pineapple provides natural moisture to the cake, ensuring it stays soft and tender even after baking. These fruits also add amazing natural sweetness to the recipe.

Hummingbird Cake Recipe

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4.6 from 35 reviews

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Moist and irresistible, hummingbird cake blends Caribbean banana and pineapple flavors with spicy pecans and cream cheese frosting. Sweet southern comfort wraps warm memories into each delectable slice you’ll savor.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 cup chopped pecans (plus extra for garnish)

Dry Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients and Additions:

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Chopped pecans
• Pineapple chunks
• Banana slices

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Instructions

1. Prepare the baking environment by warming the oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly coat three 9-inch circular baking vessels with grease and flour, ensuring smooth cake release.
2. Create a foundation by combining dry components – flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon – in a spacious mixing vessel. Incorporate eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract, stirring minimally to maintain batter integrity.
3. Gently introduce crushed pineapple with its natural juice, thoroughly mashed bananas, and finely chopped pecans into the mixture. Fold ingredients delicately to preserve the cake’s delicate texture.
4. Distribute batter evenly across prepared baking pans, ensuring balanced layers. Position in preheated oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes until a slender testing implement emerges clean when inserted into cake’s center.
5. Allow cakes to rest within their containers for 10 minutes, then transition to cooling racks for complete temperature reduction.
6. Craft silky frosting by whipping cream cheese and butter until harmoniously smooth. Gradually integrate powdered sugar, beating consistently until achieving luxurious consistency. Enhance with vanilla extract.
7. Construct cake architecture by positioning initial layer on serving platform. Apply generous frosting layer, repeating with subsequent layers and completing with comprehensive exterior coverage.
8. Embellish with optional pecan fragments, pineapple morsels, and banana slivers. Serve at ambient temperature for optimal flavor experience.

Notes

• Swap out oil for applesauce to reduce fat content and create a lighter version of the cake.
• Toast pecans before adding to the batter to enhance their nutty flavor and provide a deeper, more complex taste profile.
• Drain pineapple thoroughly to prevent excess moisture that could make the cake soggy and affect its texture.
• Use room temperature ingredients like eggs and cream cheese to ensure smoother mixing and better cake consistency.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Southern (American)

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12
• Calories: 525
• Sugar: 56 g
• Sodium: 230 mg
• Fat: 26 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 66 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 51 mg